mtl008 Chapter 255 Li Hongzhang stirs up controversy
Chapter 255 Li Hongzhang stirs up controversy
【3 The situation faced by the late Qing Dynasty
China's modern history began with the Opium War in 1840 and lasted until the founding of New China in 1949.
During this period, we experienced the late Qing Dynasty, the fall of the Qing Dynasty and the establishment of the Republic of China, the Beiyang Warlord period, and the Nationalist Government period...
In the 19s, China was in the late Qing Dynasty. At that time, the huge late Qing Dynasty was like an old man with one foot halfway into the coffin, and China was scarred...
In 1871, the tenth year of the Tongzhi reign, the oppression from Yakub Beg, Tsarist Russia and Britain made the late Qing Dynasty almost breathless.
At that time, the two consecutive Opium Wars had caused the late Qing Dynasty to lose part of its territory and began to become a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society. In addition, the huge indemnities required in the two Opium Wars, after layers of exploitation, oppressed the people and left them with no time to breathe.
Foreigners gradually shifted their attention from China's coastal provinces to the inland areas.
Japan, not far across the sea, began the Meiji Restoration, Ryukyu caused trouble and invaded Taiwan.
However, at this time, the Qing Dynasty was internally corrupt and the external environment was bad, and the entire country was in a precarious situation. The northwest border and southeast sea area were facing considerable threats. It was under such circumstances that the Qing court began to debate whether the most important thing now was "coastal defense" or "frontier defense" to quell the rebellion in Xinjiang.
＜Modern history is so painful. I felt so uncomfortable every time I studied modern history in school. Those light and floating numbers on it made me feel sad. As far as Chinese history is concerned, modern history is the worst [crying]＞
＜The sight of the hundreds of millions of silver dollars lost during the Qing dynasty really gave me a heart attack.＞
＜When I mention the Meiji Restoration in Japan, I think of the Westernization Movement, damn [angry]＞
＜For the upper class, compensation is just a matter of words, but for the lower class people… these things have to be taken from them.＞
＜The main reason is that my country's modern history is so shocking. Suddenly, I had an idea that if someone could write a good history of this period, it would definitely be no less than the Romance of the Three Kingdoms＞
＜Alas, the late Qing Dynasty was not easy. There was no good place in the country. There were invaders outside and people in various places revolted inside…＞
＜More than 100 years of struggle, more than 100 years of seeking a way to save the country, and only after stumbling and falling did we finally achieve today’s peace [thank you]＞
[Emperor Chongzhen of the Ming Dynasty Zhu Youjian: I have felt countless times that the late Qing Dynasty was so rich]
[Emperor Wen of Sui Yang Jian: I can feel that these 100 years have not been easy]
[Qin Shi Huang Ying Zheng: It is shameful that this money was used to pay compensation instead of building up the army and improving people's livelihood]
[Song Zhezong Zhao Xu: His Majesty the First Emperor is right, there must be no compensation!!!]
[Luo Guanzhong, 100th year of Hongwu in Ming Dynasty: Modern history has lasted for more than years, and there have been so many heart-wrenching stories and successive changes of political power. It must be very exciting. What a great material.]
[Sun Ce, the fifth year of Jian'an in the Eastern Han Dynasty: You stinking novelist, don't speak at this time.]
……
Yang Jian established the Sui Dynasty and unified the north and south, bringing peace to the Chinese land.
When Yang Jian saw the evaluation of modern history on the screen, he couldn't help but think of the situation of the north-south division after the Five Barbarians Invasion of China.
"Who among the people doesn't want peace?" Crown Prince Yang Yong knew what the lower-class people were about to face. A hundred years of war, a hundred years of turmoil...
Yang Jian glanced at Yang Yong and felt emotional: He has been training at the grassroots level for some time, and the effect has been quite good.
……
Song Zhezong Zhao Xu strengthened his belief that he must make the Song Dynasty strong and make the Western Xia and Liao countries feel afraid!
Zhao Xu, holding the memorial, felt a little conflicted: Zhang Dun’s reforms were still too gentle, and Song must have a strong reform!
……
It was a rare occasion, so Zhu Yuanzhang took his sons who had fought in wars and generals he admired to the study to analyze the maps one by one.
"Both coastal defense and frontier defense are important and urgent! However, Xinjiang is already in rebellion, and we must go and drive out the invaders!" Zhu Di spoke first. He believed that there was not enough time to hesitate now, and they must take action in Xinjiang immediately.
"It is said on the screen that Japan has just started to reform, and its ability is definitely not very strong yet. We can ignore it for the time being. Xinjiang is the gateway to the northwest. If Xinjiang is opened, Gansu, Shaanxi and other places will be in danger, and then they will go straight into the Central Plains..." King Jin Zhu Gang had also led troops and fought in wars, so he spoke about these things in an orderly manner.
Then several generals talked about their ideas on deploying troops.
Zhu Yuanzhang didn't say anything and just listened to them the whole time.
What Zhu Yuanzhang is thinking about most now is not how to fight, but whether he really has the material and financial support?
……
[Regarding the dispute between coastal defense and frontier defense, officials were also divided into two factions.
An important supporter of coastal defense was Li Hongzhang, Minister of Beiyang and Governor-General of Zhili. He believed that Xinjiang was too far away and it was not worth investing too much manpower and money, and all the money should be used to focus on the navy.
On December 1874, 13, the 12th year of the Tongzhi reign, Li Hongzhang wrote "A Memorial on the Preparation of Coastal Defense", the main point of which was to suggest that the court temporarily abandon the northwest and strengthen the construction of coastal defense in the southeast.
"Frontier defense is not as good as coastal defense, and Xinjiang is not as good as the southeastern coast. Give up Xinjiang temporarily, wait for changes, and then plan for future actions."
He even said, "If Xinjiang is lost, it will not harm the vitality of our body."
Li Hongzhang's memorial received support from many people, including Ding Richang, the governor of Fujian, and Bao Yuanshen, the governor of Shanxi, who all supported the coastal defense faction.
In a memorial on behalf of Chen Ding Richang to discuss the issue of coastal defense, Ding Richang believed that: All foreign countries that are adjacent to our land can only make gradual progress, aiming to nibble at us rather than swallow us up. Those whose land and sea forces are in such a position can easily control our vital points, aiming to swallow us up rather than nibble at us…
Soon after, Liangjiang Governor-General Shen Baozhen also requested the court to stop recovering Xinjiang. As the ministers this year supported coastal defense, for a time, the words of "giving up Xinjiang" almost came true.
At this time, Zuo Zongtang, then the governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, was extremely angry and disagreed with the court's argument of "abandoning Xinjiang".
＜Li Zhongtang’s coastal defense was ultimately in vain…We still know what the outcome of the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895 was＞
＜This is the difference between Li Hongzhang and Zuo Zongtang. Li Hongzhang is far inferior to Zuo Zongtang＞
＜I suggest that those who are interested can search for the memorials submitted by Li Hongzhang. He is really interesting. He gave all the huge amount of silver he obtained to foreigners. The cannons and warships he bought were inferior. In the end, the Westernization Movement was defeated by Japan's Meiji Restoration. Li Hongzhang only fattened up many corrupt officials in the late Qing Dynasty＞
＜Zuo Zongtang first ensured frontier defense and then coastal defense. Li Hongzhang, on the other hand, did not want frontier defense first, and then lost coastal defense... All he wanted was silver＞
＜In fact, the reason why people are mocking Li Hongzhang now is that the coastal defense he mentioned was not fully established. If the coastal defense was fully established, and the Beiyang Fleet was able to fight against Britain and France, no one would criticize Li Hongzhang. In the final analysis, it was because he was useless [covering his face]＞
＜In fact, I feel that the coastal defense faction was not wrong. From their perspective at the time, coastal defense was indeed more important. Since the Opium War, the most bullied countries were at sea, so most people would definitely choose to pay attention to coastal defense. But the fatal problem is that they don’t understand the northwest at all, and at this time, someone who understands both frontier defense and coastal defense must come out to point out the key to the problem.＞
[Wang Anshi in the third year of Song Xining: Guangmu didn’t give a very good evaluation of Li Hongzhang. I remember that he was the one who signed the treaty after the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895?]
[Cao Bin, the third year of Song Kaibao: The Sino-Japanese War was in the 90s, and this time is in the 70s. After more than 20 years, the coastal defense is still a mess?]
[Tang Taizong Li Shimin: Before every war, the court would divide and debate, which is not good]
[Emperor Wu of Han Liu Che: I agree. Every time we fight the Xiongnu, the civil officials will oppose it in various ways...]
……
"No wonder people were dissatisfied with Li Hongzhang later on," Zhao Pu said, shaking his head.
"More than 20 years have passed, and the navy we trained hasn't even defeated Japan... It's really depressing." Cao Bin on the other side once again realized the corruption of the Qing Dynasty.
Zhao Dezhao and his third uncle Zhao Guangmei said: "When I first watched the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, I thought Li Hongzhang was a very loyal and patriotic person..."
Zhao Guangmei looked at the screen for a while and said, "I don't deny his loyalty to the Qing Dynasty. It's just that we are standing in different places, so our perspective is different."
After listening to Zhao Guangmei's words, Zhao Dezhao realized something.
……
Daoguang 19th year
The 16-year-old Li Hongzhang was studying in the bookstore. After the light curtain video appeared, Li Hongzhang put down the book and listened carefully to the fresh ideas brought by the light curtain.
"This... Li Hongzhang... can't be me." Li Hongzhang pointed at himself.
To be honest, he still prefers the Lin Zexu mentioned by Guangmu.
Li Hongzhang sighed to himself, "Is this all I will be capable of in the future? I was assassinated again, signed a treaty in a cowardly way, had no vision, and finally did something bad with good intentions... I didn't accomplish a single good thing..."
Li Hongzhang is now somewhat envious of Zuo Zongtang, whom Guangmu is about to talk about. Zuo Zongtang will surely have a smooth road in the future.
……