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|name='''Liberation of Harrenhal'''
 
|name='''Liberation of Harrenhal'''
 
|width=
 
|width=
|prev=[[Battle of Stone Mill]]
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|prev=[[Sack of Winterfell]] (chronologically)<br>[[Battle of Stone Mill]] (Riverlands campaign)<br>[[Surrender of the Crag]] (Westerlands campaign)
 
|conc=
 
|conc=
 
|next=The [[Red Wedding]]
 
|next=The [[Red Wedding]]
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*Stark/Tully prisoners put to the sword
 
*Stark/Tully prisoners put to the sword
 
|BG2=
 
|BG2=
|side1=[[House Stark]]
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|side1=[[File:Stark mini shield.png|20px|right|link=House Stark]] [[House Stark]]
*[[House Bolton]]
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*[[File:Bolton mini shield.png|20px|right|link=House Bolton]] [[House Bolton]]
*[[House Karstark]]
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*[[File:Karstark mini shield.png|20px|right|link=House Karstark]] [[House Karstark]]
|side2=[[House Lannister]]
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|side2=[[File:Lannister mini shield.png|20px|right|link=House Lannister]] [[House Lannister]]
*[[House Clegane]]
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*[[File:Clegane mini shield.png|20px|right|link=House Clegane]] [[House Clegane]]
 
|commanders1=King [[Robb Stark]]
 
|commanders1=King [[Robb Stark]]
 
*Lord [[Roose Bolton]]
 
*Lord [[Roose Bolton]]
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|forces2=Unknown
 
|forces2=Unknown
 
|casual1=200 Northmen and Rivermen prisoners massacred
 
|casual1=200 Northmen and Rivermen prisoners massacred
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*[[File:Mallister mini shield.png|20px|left|link=House Mallister]] Ser [[Jaremy Mallister]]
 
|casual2=None
 
|casual2=None
 
|civilian=}}
 
|civilian=}}
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==History==
 
==History==
 
===Prelude===
 
===Prelude===
 
In an attempt to lure Tywin Lannister away from Harrenhal and leave [[King's Landing]] open for an attack, [[Robb Stark]] invaded [[The Westerlands|the Westerlands]], and won a great victory at [[Battle of Oxcross]]. This left his army free to [[Battle of the Yellow Fork|sack]] and [[Surrender of the Crag|pillage]] the northern Westerlands.<ref>"[[Garden of Bones]]"</ref>
After the [[Battle of Golden Tooth]] and the [[Battle at the Mummer's Ford]], Lannister armies quickly conquer all of the Riverlands south of the [[Red Fork]] of the [[Trident]]. Lady [[Shella Whent]] of Harrenhal possesses too few troops to adequately defend the castle, so she simply yields the castle to [[Tywin Lannister]].<ref>"[[The Pointy End]]"</ref><ref>Game of Thrones season 2 bluray: War of the Five Kings feature</ref>
 
   
  +
Meanwhile, Robb left the remaining Stark-Tully forces in the Riverlands under the command of his uncle [[Edmure Tully]]. The war dragged on in the Riverlands in a series of raids, counter-raids, and skirmishes between Edmure's forces based at [[Riverrun]], and [[Tywin Lannister]]'s forces based at [[Harrenhal]] to the east.
However, after Ser [[Jaime Lannister]]'s host is defeated at the [[Battle of the Whispering Wood]], Lord Tywin retreats the remaining Lannister army under his command back to Harrenhal to regroup, while Ser [[Gregor Clegane]] "the Mountain" leads out 500 riders to burn out all of the villages in the Riverlands between the Red Fork and [[Gods Eye]] lake, to deprive the Starks of resources should they attempt to follow Tywin's army.<ref>"[[Fire and Blood]]"</ref>
 
   
  +
Robb's offensive in the Westerlands eventually succeeded in luring a Lannister army led by [[Gregor Clegane]] (called "The Mountain That Rides") to march back to the west, and attempt to force a passage over the Red Fork of the [[Trident]] River. Edmure succeeded in beating them back while inflicting two to one losses at the [[Battle of Stone Mill]].
[[Riverrun]], besieged by Lannister forces, is liberated in the [[Battle of the Camps]], while the occupations of [[Raventree Hall]] and [[Stone Hedge]] are later [[Liberation of Raventree Hall|both]] [[Liberation of Stone Hedge|put to an end]] by [[Greatjon Umber]].<ref>Game of Thrones season 2 bluray: War of the Five Kings feature</ref>
 
   
  +
Unfortunately, Robb's plan had actually been to lure the Mountain's forces into their own territory as a trap, so they could surround and destroy his army. By attacking immediately, Edmure inadvertently allowed Gregor to retreat with his life and most of his forces intact, allowing them to later march south and help repel [[Stannis Baratheon]]'s attack on [[King's Landing]] in the [[Battle of the Blackwater]].<ref>"[[Walk of Punishment]]"</ref>
While the Lannister bannermen are expelled from the halls of the Riverlords, [[Robb Stark]] mounts an invasion of [[the Westerlands]], in an attempt to lure Tywin Lannister away from Harrenhal and leave [[King's Landing]] open for an attack. Robb's army wins a great victory at the [[Battle of Oxcross]], which leaves him free to [[Battle of the Yellow Fork|sack]] and [[Surrender of the Crag|pillage]] the northern Westerlands.<ref>"[[Garden of Bones]]"</ref>
 
   
Nevertheless, Lord Tywin doesn't take the bait and instead heads east to King's Landing to repel [[Stannis Baratheon]] in the [[Battle of the Blackwater]]. Robb's invasion of the Westerlands had resulted in no long-term strategic gains, and worse, the Lannisters had gained massive reinforcements in their new alliance with [[House Tyrell]].<ref>"[[Blackwater]]"</ref> Harrenhal is left under the command of Ser Gregor.<ref>The Prince of Winterfell</ref>
+
Robb's invasion of the Westerlands had resulted in no long-term strategic gains, and worse, the Lannisters had gained massive reinforcements in their new alliance with [[House Tyrell]].<ref>"[[Blackwater]]"</ref> Tywin relocated to King's Landing, while Harrenhal was left under the command of Ser Gregor.<ref>The Prince of Winterfell</ref>
   
 
===The Starks seize Harrenhal===
 
===The Starks seize Harrenhal===
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===Aftermath===
 
===Aftermath===
  +
On hearing of the death of his grandfather [[Hoster Tully]],
The Mountain's forces marched west and seized [[Stone Mill]] as a new base from which to ravage the Riverlands. [[Edmure Tully]] leads an army from [[Riverrun]] to [[Battle of Stone Mill|successfully engage]] and defeat them. Unfortunately, Robb's plan had been to surround and destroy the Mountain's forces in detail using overwhelming superiority of numbers. By attacking immediately, Edmure allowed the Mountain to escape west towards [[Casterly Rock]], losing the Starks and their allies a valuable opportunity to destroy a significant enemy commander and his forces.<ref>"[[Walk of Punishment]]"</ref>
 
   
 
==In the books==
 
==In the books==
The subplot involving Harrenhal in the ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'' novels is heavily condensed in the TV series. In the books, Robb splits his army in two after leaving [[the Twins]]: he personally leads their cavalry west to relieve Jaime Lannister's siege of Riverrun (in the [[Battle of the Whispering Wood]]), while he gives Roose Bolton command of their infantry, and sends him by the east bank of the Trident to lure away Tywin Lannister in the [[Battle of the Green Fork]]. The TV series hadn't even introduced Roose Bolton yet, and simplified the storylines so the narrative wasn't frequently jumping between separate Northern armies. Whatever the case, in the TV series, Robb Stark sends only a feint of 2,000 men to Green Fork, who are completely wiped out in the subsequent battle. In contrast, in the books the eastern half of the Northern army, under the command of Roose Bolton, puts up only a token defense and then retreats from the battle in good order once the fight is clearly lost. The entire point had only been to lure Tywin far enough away from Riverrun that he couldn't reach it in time to support Jaime's army. However, the other half of the Stark army under Roose Bolton continues to operate on the eastern front of the war in the Riverlands (along the [[Kingsroad]] and crossings of the Trident), using [[the Twins]] as headquarters. After Tywin leaves Harrenhal with most of his army, the eastern half of the Northern army under Roose Bolton's command captures Harrenhal after striking a deal with the Brave Companions, [[mercenary|mercenaries]] hired by Tywin. Robb himself never arrives at Harrenhal.
+
The subplot involving Harrenhal in the ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'' novels is heavily condensed in the TV series. In the books, Robb splits his army in two after leaving [[the Twins]]: he personally leads their cavalry west to relieve Jaime Lannister's siege of Riverrun (in the [[Battle of the Whispering Wood]]), while he gives Roose Bolton command of their infantry, and sends him by the east bank of the Trident to lure away Tywin Lannister in the [[Battle of the Green Fork]]. The TV series hadn't even introduced Roose Bolton yet, and simplified the storylines so the narrative wasn't frequently jumping between separate Northern armies. Whatever the case, in the TV series, Robb Stark sends only a feint of 2,000 men to Green Fork, who are completely wiped out in the subsequent battle. In contrast, in the books the eastern half of the Northern army, under the command of Roose Bolton, puts up only a token defense and then retreats from the battle in good order once the fight is clearly lost. The entire point had only been to lure Tywin far enough away from Riverrun that he couldn't reach it in time to support Jaime's army. However, the other half of the Stark army under Roose Bolton continues to operate on the eastern front of the war in the Riverlands. After Tywin leaves Harrenhal with most of his army, the eastern half of the Northern army under Roose Bolton's command captures Harrenhal after striking a deal with the Brave Companions, [[Mercenary|mercenaries]] hired by Tywin. Robb himself never arrives at Harrenhal.
   
The TV series condenses this so that instead of having two branches of the Northern army, one in the Westerlands and one around the Kingsroad in the east which later takes Harrenhal, the entire Northern army stays as a large formation that splits after the liberation of Riverrun in the [[Battle of the Camps]], with one host invading the Westerlands under Robb's command, and another led by [[Greatjon Umber]] tasked with liberating the central Riverlands - [[Raventree Hall]] and [[Stone Hedge]]. These two hosts then rejoin to subsequently capture Harrenhal, in the eastern Riverlands. In both versions, of course, the local forces of the Riverlords are also fighting Tywin's forces throughout the Riverlands, and holding the line of the Red Fork.
+
The TV series simplified this so that instead of intercutting between two branches of the Northern army, one in the Westerlands commanded by Robb and one around the Kingsroad in the east (commanded by [[Roose Bolton]]) which later takes Harrenhal, the entire Northern army stays as a large formation led by Robb Stark which invades the Westerlands in Season 2, and ''then'' moves east to take Harrenhal in Season 3.
   
 
Moreover, [[Arya Stark]] herself actually plays a vital role in the battle in the books. [[Jaqen H'ghar]] doesn't help Arya herself escape, instead he helps her stage an uprising within the castle by freeing all of the 100 Northern prisoners held by the garrison led by Ser [[Amory Lorch]]. Arya, Jaqen, [[Rorge]] and [[Biter]] overpower the Lannister guards in charge of the prisoners, by splashing them with boiling hot soup from the kitchens where she was forced to work - an event known as "Weasel soup" after Arya's alias. At the same time, the Brave Companions turn on their employers and slaughter many Lannister soldiers in their beds. As it turned out, their commander [[Locke|Vargo Hoat]] had not long before struck a deal with Roose Bolton to betray the garrison when he attacked, though the prisoner uprising led them to strike earlier. By the time Roose Bolton army arrives at Harrenhal, all of the Lannister garrison is dead, except for Ser Amory Lorch who is fed to a bear. A much more ruthless commander than Robb, Bolton then has several of those who collaborated with the occupation put to death, and their heads mounted on spikes. This bothers Arya considerably, as many of them were servants of old lady Shella Whent who were forced into serving the Lannisters. Arya becomes Bolton's cupbearer but remains quiet about her identity, having become painfully aware of how valuable a political hostage she would be to desperate men on both sides of the war (i.e. after the betrayals that got her father killed, Arya fears that some Northern soldiers might betray her and hand her over to the Lannisters in exchange for a large reward). Arya eventually decides that she will only be safe if she finds her brother and mother face to face, so she slips out of Harrenhal in search of them once again along with Gendry and Hot Pie. In the process she kills a Bolton soldier using the feint that, in the series, she employs to murder the Frey soldiers that mock her mother's death.
 
Moreover, [[Arya Stark]] herself actually plays a vital role in the battle in the books. [[Jaqen H'ghar]] doesn't help Arya herself escape, instead he helps her stage an uprising within the castle by freeing all of the 100 Northern prisoners held by the garrison led by Ser [[Amory Lorch]]. Arya, Jaqen, [[Rorge]] and [[Biter]] overpower the Lannister guards in charge of the prisoners, by splashing them with boiling hot soup from the kitchens where she was forced to work - an event known as "Weasel soup" after Arya's alias. At the same time, the Brave Companions turn on their employers and slaughter many Lannister soldiers in their beds. As it turned out, their commander [[Locke|Vargo Hoat]] had not long before struck a deal with Roose Bolton to betray the garrison when he attacked, though the prisoner uprising led them to strike earlier. By the time Roose Bolton army arrives at Harrenhal, all of the Lannister garrison is dead, except for Ser Amory Lorch who is fed to a bear. A much more ruthless commander than Robb, Bolton then has several of those who collaborated with the occupation put to death, and their heads mounted on spikes. This bothers Arya considerably, as many of them were servants of old lady Shella Whent who were forced into serving the Lannisters. Arya becomes Bolton's cupbearer but remains quiet about her identity, having become painfully aware of how valuable a political hostage she would be to desperate men on both sides of the war (i.e. after the betrayals that got her father killed, Arya fears that some Northern soldiers might betray her and hand her over to the Lannisters in exchange for a large reward). Arya eventually decides that she will only be safe if she finds her brother and mother face to face, so she slips out of Harrenhal in search of them once again along with Gendry and Hot Pie. In the process she kills a Bolton soldier using the feint that, in the series, she employs to murder the Frey soldiers that mock her mother's death.

Revision as of 19:02, 19 April 2015

Template:Conjecture Template:Battle

"The Lannisters have been running from us since Oxcross. I'd love a fight. The men would love a fight. And I don't think we're going to get one."
―Robb Stark[src]

The Liberation of Harrenhal is an aborted military engagement in the War of the Five Kings.

History

Prelude

In an attempt to lure Tywin Lannister away from Harrenhal and leave King's Landing open for an attack, Robb Stark invaded the Westerlands, and won a great victory at Battle of Oxcross. This left his army free to sack and pillage the northern Westerlands.[1]

Meanwhile, Robb left the remaining Stark-Tully forces in the Riverlands under the command of his uncle Edmure Tully. The war dragged on in the Riverlands in a series of raids, counter-raids, and skirmishes between Edmure's forces based at Riverrun, and Tywin Lannister's forces based at Harrenhal to the east.

Robb's offensive in the Westerlands eventually succeeded in luring a Lannister army led by Gregor Clegane (called "The Mountain That Rides") to march back to the west, and attempt to force a passage over the Red Fork of the Trident River. Edmure succeeded in beating them back while inflicting two to one losses at the Battle of Stone Mill.

Unfortunately, Robb's plan had actually been to lure the Mountain's forces into their own territory as a trap, so they could surround and destroy his army. By attacking immediately, Edmure inadvertently allowed Gregor to retreat with his life and most of his forces intact, allowing them to later march south and help repel Stannis Baratheon's attack on King's Landing in the Battle of the Blackwater.[2]

Robb's invasion of the Westerlands had resulted in no long-term strategic gains, and worse, the Lannisters had gained massive reinforcements in their new alliance with House Tyrell.[3] Tywin relocated to King's Landing, while Harrenhal was left under the command of Ser Gregor.[4]

The Starks seize Harrenhal

With the morale of his army starting to wane without a major victory in months, and the release of Jaime Lannister by Catelyn Stark herself, King Robb decides to withdraw from the Westerlands, and challenge the Lannisters head-on, in the hope that another victory would regain lost morale. Robb chooses to march with his army against Harrenhal, the heart of Lannister presence in the Riverlands.

However, Robb does not find the decisive victory he was hoping for: the Mountain has withdrawn and not even bothered to waste any men on a token defense of the castle. The Northmen are further demoralized to find the courtyards are choked with the bodies of two hundred Northern and Riverlands prisoners of war put to the sword before they left.[5]

Aftermath

On hearing of the death of his grandfather Hoster Tully,

In the books

The subplot involving Harrenhal in the A Song of Ice and Fire novels is heavily condensed in the TV series. In the books, Robb splits his army in two after leaving the Twins: he personally leads their cavalry west to relieve Jaime Lannister's siege of Riverrun (in the Battle of the Whispering Wood), while he gives Roose Bolton command of their infantry, and sends him by the east bank of the Trident to lure away Tywin Lannister in the Battle of the Green Fork. The TV series hadn't even introduced Roose Bolton yet, and simplified the storylines so the narrative wasn't frequently jumping between separate Northern armies. Whatever the case, in the TV series, Robb Stark sends only a feint of 2,000 men to Green Fork, who are completely wiped out in the subsequent battle. In contrast, in the books the eastern half of the Northern army, under the command of Roose Bolton, puts up only a token defense and then retreats from the battle in good order once the fight is clearly lost. The entire point had only been to lure Tywin far enough away from Riverrun that he couldn't reach it in time to support Jaime's army. However, the other half of the Stark army under Roose Bolton continues to operate on the eastern front of the war in the Riverlands. After Tywin leaves Harrenhal with most of his army, the eastern half of the Northern army under Roose Bolton's command captures Harrenhal after striking a deal with the Brave Companions, mercenaries hired by Tywin. Robb himself never arrives at Harrenhal.

The TV series simplified this so that instead of intercutting between two branches of the Northern army, one in the Westerlands commanded by Robb and one around the Kingsroad in the east (commanded by Roose Bolton) which later takes Harrenhal, the entire Northern army stays as a large formation led by Robb Stark which invades the Westerlands in Season 2, and then moves east to take Harrenhal in Season 3.

Moreover, Arya Stark herself actually plays a vital role in the battle in the books. Jaqen H'ghar doesn't help Arya herself escape, instead he helps her stage an uprising within the castle by freeing all of the 100 Northern prisoners held by the garrison led by Ser Amory Lorch. Arya, Jaqen, Rorge and Biter overpower the Lannister guards in charge of the prisoners, by splashing them with boiling hot soup from the kitchens where she was forced to work - an event known as "Weasel soup" after Arya's alias. At the same time, the Brave Companions turn on their employers and slaughter many Lannister soldiers in their beds. As it turned out, their commander Vargo Hoat had not long before struck a deal with Roose Bolton to betray the garrison when he attacked, though the prisoner uprising led them to strike earlier. By the time Roose Bolton army arrives at Harrenhal, all of the Lannister garrison is dead, except for Ser Amory Lorch who is fed to a bear. A much more ruthless commander than Robb, Bolton then has several of those who collaborated with the occupation put to death, and their heads mounted on spikes. This bothers Arya considerably, as many of them were servants of old lady Shella Whent who were forced into serving the Lannisters. Arya becomes Bolton's cupbearer but remains quiet about her identity, having become painfully aware of how valuable a political hostage she would be to desperate men on both sides of the war (i.e. after the betrayals that got her father killed, Arya fears that some Northern soldiers might betray her and hand her over to the Lannisters in exchange for a large reward). Arya eventually decides that she will only be safe if she finds her brother and mother face to face, so she slips out of Harrenhal in search of them once again along with Gendry and Hot Pie. In the process she kills a Bolton soldier using the feint that, in the series, she employs to murder the Frey soldiers that mock her mother's death.

See also

References

Template:WarOfTheFiveKings