Li Hongzhang and his time have long since passed. However, as a very complicated historical figure in modern China, he played different roles in different periods, especially in many colors, so it is not surprising that people have different views. As the saying goes: "From the side of the ridge, the height is different."
A transitional figure in the transitional era
Li Hongzhang's "young, young, strong, Chinese and foreign, all the way" galloped in the political arena of the late Qing Dynasty for more than half a century. Liang Qichao commented that Li Hongzhang was "a hero created for the times, not a hero created for the times". Although it is difficult for Li Hongzhang to assume the title of "hero", it is an indisputable fact that he was "made by the times" and influenced the process of "the times".
The day when Li Hongzhang was active in politics coincided with the transition period of the late Qing society from tradition to modern times and from an independent country to a semi-colony. Li Hongzhang, who coincided with the meeting, became a transitional figure who rose in the transitional era of the old and new boundary centers. The times created Li Hongzhang, and Li Hongzhang also put his personal mark on the colorful picture scroll of the times with his words and deeds. Li Hongzhang's life journey spanned the four dynasties of Taoism, Sage, Tong and Guang, and almost involved all major historical events in the late Qing Dynasty. As a "pillar minister" of the Qing Dynasty, he was rooted in feudalism, inclined to capitalism, loyal to the traditional camp and full of reform spirit. His words and deeds are often a mixture of old and new, with "pioneering" and "conformity" inside and resistance and compromise outside, so he sometimes conforms to the trend of the times and sometimes blocks the wheel of history.
Dye your Queena Ding with the blood of farmers.
Li Hongzhang began his military career as a Confucian scholar. By compiling the Huai army to suppress the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and "smooth the disaster", he "sent it to Xinjiang early and praised it". The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Movement is a feudal declining peasant masses, who tried to change the existing ruling order of the Qing Dynasty with with fire and sword and establish a secular kingdom in China in this world. Although the paradise on earth they yearn for is "omnipotent" and can only wear a pair of feudal shackles with a halo, they oppose "eagle?" The rule of the Qing Dynasty, where wolves bite people everywhere, the disabled are arrogant and the country is humiliated, is undoubtedly a just move that conforms to the trend of the times. Li Hongzhang maintained the decadent rule of the Qing Dynasty, suppressed the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, and dyed his tripod with the blood of peasants. Naturally, he goes against the trend of the times and is unforgivable.
Promote the transformation of China society from tradition to modernity.
Li Hongzhang is the head and banner of the Westernization Movement. The Westernization Movement is a product of the times, a positive response to the impact of foreign colonial aggression and the tide of world modernization, and a preliminary result of the collision and blending of Chinese and western cultures in modern times. Compared with contemporary westernization officials, Li Hongzhang not only had a deeper understanding of the domestic and international situation and the way out of China than his colleagues, but also adopted a large number of western methods to hold the New Westernization Policy, and achieved unparalleled great results. He clearly realized that China was in a "once-in-a-thousand-year-change" and met a "once-in-a-thousand-year-old enemy", and that the Qing Empire was "worried about accumulating salary, which is really dangerous", so he advocated that "those who know the times should change their ways" and never sleep in the dream of "going to China" and don't try to cheer up. To this end, he proposed that we must learn from the West, adopt the new Westernization policy, and rely on "self-improvement" and "self-reliance". He refused to be old-fashioned, did not shy away from "human monarch", advocated reform for "self-improvement", and advocated Confucianism as the original, supplemented by Xichang's skills. He advocated the combination of "pre-cultivation of the sacred system" and "learning from others". The so-called "cultivating the system of saints before the Ming Dynasty" means "the reform must first change the official system" and improve the feudal political system. The so-called learning from outsiders is to introduce military equipment, machine production and science and technology belonging to the western "material civilization" in an attempt to protect the body of feudalism in the Qing Dynasty with the armor of western capitalism. It must be pointed out that he strongly rejected the western "political civilization", that is, the bourgeois democratic system, and was only keen on introducing the western "material civilization", that is, modern military technology. Obviously, it is impossible for China to get rid of the traditional agricultural society and realize the modernization of capitalism, but after all, it cracked the feudal system and gave birth to capitalism in China, thus making China society take a difficult first step on the road from tradition to modernity.
Accelerate China into semi-colony.
Li Hongzhang has long been one of the "diplomatic priorities" in the late Qing Dynasty, and is known as "a lifetime of harmony and success". The success or failure of diplomacy naturally depends on the strength of comprehensive national strength and foreign policy. In terms of comprehensive national strength, that is, military, economic and political organizations, feudal China was far inferior to the great powers, so the prestige of the Qing Dynasty was wiped out whenever it met the guns of the great powers. In view of this, Li Hongzhang clearly pointed out that the strength of China and foreign countries is far from each other, and the powers are "better than me in weapons and skills". China cannot win the battlefield and cannot go to war with the powers lightly, but should seek the situation of "peace between China and foreign countries" with the policy of "imprisonment". The so-called "restraint" means using Confucian moral standards to "win over", that is, Confucius' four-word policy of "loyalty and filial piety" when dealing with bullying by foreign powers, and starting to preach morality in the form of finding fault with the tiger's skin, and implementing the strategy of "controlling foreigners with barbarians" characterized by the combination of China's traditional Lian Heng theory and western balance of power thought; Then I will not hesitate to make some concessions on my own rights and interests, so as to "tame its nature" and realize the goal of "keeping the site and keeping the security bureau". One of the purposes of Li Hongzhang's advocacy of the policy of "imprisonment" is to strive for and make use of a peaceful environment to "strengthen oneself by law" and prepare for war, so that "if you have the opportunity to stand on your own feet, you will win by war, consolidate by rules and maintain peace for a long time". Judging from the reality of Li Hongzhang's "harmony and glory" diplomacy, there are gains and losses, and the gains are not worth the loss. He commanded the Sino-Japanese War of 1894- 1895, which ended in failure. He personally signed a series of treaties with foreign countries. Except for a few equal treaties such as the Sino-Japanese Reconciliation Treaty and the Sino-Peruvian Friendship and Trade Treaty, other unequal treaties such as the treaty of shimonoseki, the Sino-Russian Secret Treaty and the Sino-Russian Humiliating Treaty are humiliating the country. These humiliating treaties marked the transformation of China from an independent country to a semi-colony. In this regard, Li Hongzhang, as an important member of the ruling group headed by Cixi, as the maker and main executor of the diplomatic decision of humiliating the country and the country in the late Qing Dynasty, is absolutely to blame.
A loyal minister of the decadent dynasty
Li Hongzhang was a loyal minister of the Qing Dynasty. He came from a bureaucratic landlord family who advocated Song studies and received strict feudal traditional education since childhood. In his mind, the concept of loyalty to the monarch is deeply rooted. He believes that the position of monarch and minister is insurmountable, and Xinjiang officials should not "spy on the traces of the court." He and the Qing court were interdependent and shared weal and woe. He needs to rely on the imperial power of the Qing Dynasty to maintain the rule of the landlord class, and the Qing court also needs to rely on him to "live at home and be busy with the outside world" and maintain the stability of the Qing Dynasty. With the help of the Qing court, he reached the peak of power. The Qing court praised him as a pillar of China, claiming that "there would be no big chapter and no Qing Dynasty". His tragedy lies in seeing the Qing dynasty's rule crumbling, just like "we are stuck in a boat, and rotten wood supports a building. When it capsizes, it is impossible to support it"; When he was "enough to stand on his own feet except the Qing court", he was still "diligent in serving the royal family, and there was no other way." He suppressed the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, advocated the policy of new westernization, and promoted "harmony" diplomacy, all in order to save the sunken "leaky ship" and the overturned "Guangsha". He vividly compared the Qing Dynasty to a "broken house" and compared himself to a "paperhanger", claiming that the "paperhanger" could only "repair" the "broken house", but when it came to the "broken house" and the truth was out of control, the "paperhanger" was naturally at a loss. He sighed deeply for his "inability to return to heaven" and looked forward to the future.
Unique personality characteristics
Li Hongzhang has a unique personality, which is a comprehensive reflection of his cultural quality, psychological condition and social brand. One said, "Be an official desperately." Li Hongzhang's "desperately being an official" is intended to fight for power and power and help the poor. So he "has been strong until he is old and has never given up for a day." Proficient in "official skills", "making good use of internal help", "flattering the court" and "liking others for honor"; He has the courage to do anything, "don't avoid hard work, don't be afraid of slanders", "bend his heart, restrain his ambition, and especially tolerate criticism to help the times." The second is "no learning and no skills." Li Hongzhang once boasted that "all his life, he didn't know how to talk, but only knew how to do it". Being unable to speak is certainly its strength, but without "doing practical things in a down-to-earth manner" based on "true knowledge", it is impossible to receive the actual effect of "spinning dry to Kun". He didn't realize this until his later years: "I regret not studying when I was young, but acting arbitrarily with a vain arrogance. In fact, there is no foundation. It's hard to really study now. " (Wu Yong: "Gengzi's Western Expedition Series", Volume 4) Three words "relying on talents and being proud of things". After Li Hongzhang became an official, with the soaring status and the expansion of power, his mentality was distorted and he was on cloud nine. He boasted that "who else" supported the "world" of the Qing Dynasty. Proud and disrespectful to colleagues, scolding subordinates at every turn, and "especially sneering" at foreigners. Zeng Guofan saw that Li Hongzhang was "rather proud and unlucky", and Zeng Mizha advised: "If you are in a high position, you must always be self-disciplined." "Don't mistake Jane for a man with backbone, a man with backbone, who stands on his own feet, wants nothing from the outside, and is not arrogant or impetuous." (Huang? But the speaker is eager and the listener is shy. Li Hongzhang is still the same, "confident and arrogant", "fond of ridicule and taboo". Fourth, "it is good to drive the public." Li Hongzhang, who was praised as a knowledgeable official at that time, was born as a Confucian scholar, but under the influence of "western learning" and "change", he tended to alienate Confucianism. He pays attention to "ruling the country and leveling the world" and ignores "self-cultivation"; Concentrate on work and ignore people; Promote utilitarianism and deny the Confucian view of justice and benefit. He bluntly said: "The world is bustling for profit, and I am not good to people. Who will help me? " (Zhou Fu: Negative Talk Volume I) Utilitarianism is not only Li Hongzhang's motive force against Guan Hai, but also his tool to urge the people. The department he selected, "focuses on practical use. Anyone who is resourceful and capable will be appreciated, and the morality of the article is second. " (Wang: A Record of the Huai Army) Li Hongzhang's huge group formed by utilitarianism has influenced the historical process of modern China, and it is also natural to be accused of being "good at driving people with money, loyal to the people, unwilling to use it, and not depending on priorities, resulting in ruin."