During the Xianfeng period, Li Hongzhang entered the army by suppressing the Taiping Army. Later, because the Qing government was weak in Jiangnan, he was ordered to form the Huai army, with Zeng Guofan's Xiang army as the backbone. By suppressing the peasant uprising forces such as the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and the Nian Army, the military strength of the Huai Army continued to expand. After the dissolution of Xiang Army, Huai Army remained the most elite troops in Jiangnan. This Jiangnan armed force became the basis of Li Hongzhang's right to speak in the Qing government.
During the same ruling period, Li Hongzhang and Zuo attempted to carry out capitalist reform under the feudal monarchy, which initiated the enlightenment of modern China's capital forces, founded the state-owned enterprises of the Qing government, and changed the attitude of the late Qing court towards modern science, military affairs and economy. During the Westernization Movement, the diplomatic department of the Qing government, with Li Hongzhang as the main body, once gained sovereignty before the powers.
During the Guangxu period, Li Hongzhang began to form the naval forces of the Qing government, and the establishment of the Beiyang Navy represented the peak of the Westernization Movement. However, due to the decay of the political system, the Beiyang Navy, which was extremely backward in logistics, was wiped out in the Sino-Japanese War, which also marked the failure of Li Hongzhang's half-life reform.
When Li Hongzhang was the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi in his later years, Eight-Nation Alliance launched a war of aggression against China, and Li was forced to Beijing by the fugitive government in the late Qing Dynasty. Li Hongzhang, who was seriously ill, lost his mind and body after signing the "Xin Chou Treaty" and died in Wen, posthumous title.
Li Hongzhang's merits and demerits
Zhang Yangming is famous for suppressing peasant uprisings such as the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and the Nian Army. The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom in Xianfeng period destroyed the inherent bud of Jiangsu's capital economy. Turning the army into bandits is more important than looting, destroying and building people's livelihood. Throughout modern history, only a unified country can survive, and countries with complex military and political forces are mostly colonized by foreign powers, and suppressing the uprising is successful.
The foreign minister is Li Hongzhang's most important position. He told the imperial court to mine coal, open railways, build a navy and push the declining empire forward. The Westernization Movement, which lasted for more than 30 years from the Tongzhi period to the end of Guangxu, brought the world's advanced science and technology, military and people's livelihood construction to China.
This failed reform has opened the eyes of more students and citizens, and it has also become the cornerstone of China's modern economy and military. However, during the Reform Period, Li Hongzhang did not pay attention to changing people's working methods. While safeguarding the national interests, he has harmed the interests of the people. The Westernization Movement changed the present situation of the country, but made it impossible for the people to survive.
As a diplomatic envoy of the Qing government, Li Hongzhang signed a series of treaties, especially the treaty of shimonoseki and the Xin Chou Treaty, which was criticized. Due to the government's compulsion and the current situation, Li Hongzhang's blunder is difficult to evaluate. However, in foreign affairs, Li Hongzhang always focused on the overall situation of the country, ensuring the survival of the Qing government and damaging the rights and interests of the people. The existence of these treaties made modern China a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society.
Li Hongzhang's merits and demerits are mostly due to the current situation, and many of them are not from his original intention. Li Yisheng made outstanding contributions to the current situation and made many mistakes for the people.
The real Li Hongzhang
I have Li Hongzhang's personal notes. Li Hongzhang is a person who attaches great importance to the quality of life and spiritual interests, and likes to try the advanced tec in the West.
Li Jingshu once said that Li Hongzhang was at odds with others, which meant that Li Hongzhang attached great importance to Yuan Shikai and agreed to train the new army. Li Hongzhang saw through Yuan Shikai's personality, but he didn't see through Yuan Shikai's ambition. After the Republic of China, Yuan Shikai showed great kindness to Li Hongzhang's descendants, but he still rebelled and stood on his own feet.
In his later years, Li Hongzhang showed great kindness to the reformists and the revolutionary party. He once sheltered the reformers from fleeing, and also met Sun Yat-sen and other revolutionaries. However, the old man who spent half his life in Qiang Bing, a rich country, could not accept the revolutionary's empty talk. Li Hongzhang pays attention to strengthening the country with practical actions and does not change his faith with idealism.
After the signing of treaty of shimonoseki, Li Hongzhang's political depression was caused by the disillusionment of the westernization reform ideal. Later, in his later years, Li Hongzhang resisted the appointment of the court by self-exile, stayed away from the political struggle of the Qing government, and turned to the prosperous areas of Guangdong and Guangxi, trying to continue the unfinished business of the Westernization Movement through coastal areas. Because he was not in North Korea, the Qing government made frequent mistakes and eventually humiliated the country. The crime of the Xin Chou Treaty was imposed on him.