Chapter 7 Chapter Six: Li Hongzhang in the Era of Westernization

The achievements of Westernization Reasons for Li Hongzhang's Failure in Handling Western Affairs The word "Westernization" cannot be used as a noun.Although, the name follows the master and is passed on by Li Hongzhang, so he has to use the word "Westernization" to summarize the career of more than 20 years in his life. The reason why Li Hongzhang was reprimanded by a secular Confucianism is Westernization, and the reason why he is regarded as Westernization by a generation of scumbags is also Westernization. The reason why I value Li and blame Li is also Westernization.Does it mean that Li Hongzhang doesn't know about Westernization?I have never seen a comparison with Chinese Westernization people.Does it mean that Li Hongzhang really knows about Westernization?Why do other countries prosper with Westernization, while our country declines with Westernization?I can conclude from a single word that Li Hongzhang knows that there are foreign affairs, but he does not know that there are state affairs. He thinks that what foreigners are doing is just like that.Here is a list of the various Westernization affairs that have been done after the pacification of Fa and Nian and before the Japanese War:

Established the Institute of Foreign Languages ​​and Characters in the first month of the second year of Tongzhi in Shanghai Established Jiangnan Machinery Manufacturing Bureau in August of the fourth year of Tongzhi in Shanghai Established the Machinery Bureau in October of the ninth year of Tongzhi in Tianjin Prepared for business in Japan and sent staff to the ninth year of Tongzhi in December It is planned to set up a foreign-style fort in Dagu in April of the tenth year of Tongzhi Select students to study in the United States in the first month of the eleventh year of Tongzhi Please open coal and iron mines in May of the 11th year of Tongzhi

In November of the 11th year of Tongzhi, the Shipping Merchants Bureau was established. Preparations for armored warships in November of the first year of Guangxu Please send envoys to Japan in November of the first year of Guangxu Please set up foreign studies bureaus in each province, and divide them into calculations, maps, steamer machines, military art, artillery art, chemistry, and electricity, and choose those who are familiar with current affairs. December of the first year of Guangxu Sent Wu Bian to Germany to learn naval and army weapon skills in March of the second year of Guangxu

Sending Fujian ship administration students abroad to study in November of the second year of Guangxu The purchase of iron-clad ships began in February of the sixth year of Guangxu Set up the Naval Academy in July of the sixth year of Guangxu in Tianjin In August of the sixth year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu, the Beiyang telegram was established. Please open the railway in December of the sixth year of Guangxu Established Kaiping Mining Bureau in April of the seventh year of Guangxu Founded the company and went to Britain for trade in June of the seventh year of Guangxu Merchants took over the provincial telegrams in November of the seventh year of Guangxu

Construction of Lvshun Dock in February of the eighth year of Guangxu Set up a commercial office and a weaving layout in April of the eighth year of Guangxu in Shanghai The Military Equipment Hall was established in May of the 11th year of Guangxu in Tianjin Opened Mohe Gold Mine in December of the thirteenth year of Guangxu The Beiyang Navy became an army in the 14th year of Guangxu Established a medical school in May of the 20th year of Guangxu in Tianjin The foreign affairs carried out by Li Hongzhang listed above are a little bit like this.To sum up the outline, there are two ends: one is military, such as buying ships, buying weapons, shipbuilding, building machinery, building forts, repairing docks, etc.; , Kaiping Coal Mine, Mohe Gold Mine, etc.During this period, some students from Xingxuetang were sent to study abroad. Most of them were for military reasons, otherwise they were used for negotiating and translating.Li Hongzhang saw that the Westerners' skills were just like this.

Naval and military affairs have been devoted to all his life.Gaibi is famous for being good at fighting, and the reason for his success is that he was mixed with the Western Army, saw the advantages of its equipment, and used it.Therefore, Jing Jingyan takes this as the most important thing, his vision cannot be said to be different from ordinary people, and those who are mentally and physically exhausted are also exhausted.Before the war between China and Japan, the strength of Li Hongzhang's troops was roughly as follows: Beiyang Navy force list Ship Name Ship Type Tonnage Number of Horsepower Speedgun Number of Crew Year of Water Entry

main battle fleet Dingyuan Iron Armor 73356000 14.Five 22 three three 0 Guangxu eight years 1882 Zhenyuan Iron Armor 73356000 14.Five 22 three three 0 Guangxu eight years 1882 Jingyuan Tiejia 2900 3000 15.Five 14 202 Guangxu Thirteen Years 1887 Laiyuan Tiejia 2900 3000 15.Five 14 202 Guangxu Thirteen Years 1887 defensive fleet Zhiyuan Cruise 2300 5500 18 23 202 Guangxu Twelfth Year 1886 Jingyuan cruise 2300 5500 18 23 202 Guangxu 12th year 1886 Jiyuan Cruise 2300 5500 18 23 203 Guangxu ninth year 1883 Pingyuan Cruise 2300 1500 14.five 11 Chaoyong Cruise 1350 2400 15 18 130 Guangxu seventh year 1881

Yangwei Cruise 1350 2400 15.Five 18 130 Guangxu seven years 1881 Zhendong Paochuan 440 350 8 5 55 Guangxu five years 1879 Zhenxi Paochuan 440 350 8 5 55 Guangxu five years 1879 Zhennan gunboat 440 440 8 5 55 Guangxu five years 1879 Zhenbei gunboat 440 440 8 5 55 Guangxu five years 1879 The gunboat in the town 440 750 8 5 55 Guangxu seventh year 1881 Townside gun boat 440 840 8 5 55 Guangxu seventh year 1881 Practice ship Kangji gunboat 1300 750 9.Five 11 124 Guangxu seven years 1881 Weiyuan gunboat 1300 840 12 11 124 Guangxu three years 1877 Support ship Taian Gunboat 1258600 10 5 180 Guangxu 2nd Year 1876

Zhenhai Paochuan 950 480 9 5 100 Tongzhi Ten Years 1873 Caojiang gun boat 950 400 9 5 91 Tongzhi five years 1865 Meiyun Gunboat 578400 9 4 70 Tongzhi Eighth Year 1869 Attachment: mine boat Ship name Ship type Tonnage Speed ​​force No. 1 of the left team, first-class mine, 10824 No. 2 of the left team, first-class mine, 10819 No. 3 of the left team, first-class mine, 10819 No. 1 of the right team, first-class mine, 10818 No. 2 of the right team, first-class mine, 10818 No. 3 of the right team, first-class mine, 10818 Zhili Military Training Huaiyong Biao During the war between China and Japan, there were more than 20,000 soldiers trained by the Huai army in Zhili. The summary is as follows:

Number of battalions Number of generals stationed Shengjun 18 9000 Weirugui Small Station Mingjun 12 4000 Liu Shengxiu Dalian Bay Yijun 10 4000 Lushunkou, Songqing Lu Fang Huai Yong 4 2000 Ye Zhichao, Nie Shicheng Lu Taitang Shanhaiguan Renzi Huyong 5 2500 Nie Shicheng Yingkou A total of 49 battalions with 25,000 people Li Hongzhang devoted all his energy to running the two armies of the sea and the army, and he claimed that he was sure.In the eighth year of Guangxu, when Fayue provoked a quarrel, the court proposed to organize defenses in an orderly manner, Hongzhang resumed playing, and some ministers practiced simple military equipment. It took more than ten years here, but the funds were too scarce to fulfill their ambitions, but they faced the enemy. In response, it is not enough to worry about the monarch and father with lonely injections.Etc.The reason why he is confident can also be seen in general.Once the war between China and Japan broke out, the warships and warships would be damaged or destroyed, or they would use the enemy as a resource. The Huai army practiced bravery and suffered repeated defeats.The remaining battered scales and armour, after the battle of the Allied Army and Jingu, were reduced to ashes along with Luo Rongguang and Nie Shicheng.As a result, the plans for the thirty-year savings and support of Beiyang, the governor of Zhili, disappeared, almost like yesterday's dream.As of Li's death, Tianjin, which he caressed and sheltered, has not yet recovered.Alas!Hefei Hefei, I know that the public is not buried in Jiuyuan.

As for the reason for its failure, half is due to the constraints of group discussions, and half is due to Hongzhang's self-sufficiency, and half of it is due to improper employment, and half is due to ignorance.When he has made great achievements and his reputation is at its peak, he thinks highly of himself, and feels that things in the world are easy to hear.In addition, his former officials, who have shared hardships in the past, and now share fame and fame, favored their own interests, turned to attract others, filled with important resources, and entrusted them with important tasks. They didn't have time to ask whether their talents were available or not.This is one of the reasons for delaying the overall situation.Also, they only know how to train soldiers, but they don't know the origin of soldiers. They only know how to raise wages, but they don't know the origin of how to pay them. Therefore, they have to support each other, but they can't achieve anything in the end. This is another reason.More on that in the next section. None of Li Hongzhang's business operations has achieved considerable results.The Chinese are best at business, as if given by God.But let the country formulate commercial laws for it, widen roads, and protect rights and interests, so that the land will not abandon wealth, people will not abandon strength, and the country's wealth can stand and wait.Today, every time a business is raised, it is often asked for it, and ministers are sent to supervise it. Even if it is used, the person who acts as a minister will certainly not hurt his hands.Kuang Nai's traitorous officials, who are regarded as profiteers, rely on the prestige of foxes to control the affairs of the bureau. Those who have already invested in the stock market will not be chilled, and those who will be in the future will be safe?Therefore, although China's business is not booming, even though Li Hongzhang's doctrine of official supervision and business management is called, it is acceptable to be strict. I dare to say decisively in one word: Li Hongzhang is a man who really doesn't know state affairs.They don't know what a country is, what the relationship between the country and the government is, what authority the government and the people have, and what responsibilities ministers should fulfill.The origin of the prosperity and strength of the Western countries is largely unheard of. I think that my country's political, religious, cultural relics and customs are all superior to other countries. , and the ability of Westernization is over.This is the unanimous voice of those who discuss current affairs in the whole country recently, and Li Hongzhang is indeed the predecessor of this school thirty years ago.It is the so-called imitation of Xizi's frown without salt, and Handan's imitation of Wuling's steps. Although, Li Hongzhang's knowledge is inherently far superior to that of ordinary people.A taste of the reconsideration in May of the 11th year of Tongzhi’s reconsideration of shipbuilding failed to abolish the situation: The minister steals European countries. For a hundred years, from India to Southeast Asia, from Southeast Asia to China, they broke into the border hinterland.My majesty is as fast as the sky, and I will make an agreement to do business with him, and put him in a prison cage, which is 90,000 miles away from the east, west, and south of the earth, and Xu gathers in China. This is a great change in the past three thousand years.The Westerners rely exclusively on the precision of their guns and ships, so they can run rampant in the middle land. The equipment used by the Chinese is no match for them, so they are controlled by the Westerners.Living today, it is said to fight against the barbarians, and it is said to be expelled from the country. It is a false theory, that is, if you want to preserve the peace and defend the territory, it is not impossible to be able to preserve it. The great change, the current peace and stability, and the reason why the first twenty or thirty years of creation was huge and the pain was deep, and how the next thousand years will be safe inside and controlled outside, this is the origin of the discussion to stop the steamship.The ministers thought that all expenses of the country could be saved, but the expenses of raising troops, setting up defenses, practicing guns and manufacturing warships were absolutely indispensable.If you want to save money, you must eliminate everything. If the country is not prosperous, it will not be strong in the end. In the first year of Guangxu, because of the Taiwan incident, the planning of coastal defense broke the cloud: Here are six articles from the Prime Minister's Yamen.The most urgent tasks at present, and the long-term future plans, have been comprehensively summarized, and they are the most important strategies for saving time.If it is not easy to do it suddenly, it is difficult to obtain talents, it is difficult to raise funds, and it is difficult to dissolve barriers, so it is difficult to get rid of habits.If you follow the truth and don't change it, even if you fortify your daily affairs, it's still like painting cakes.However, today's urgency is to break through prejudices and seek reality.Why do you say that?In the past dynasties, Beibian was mostly located in the northwest, and its strength and weakness, as well as the shape of host and guest, were all suitable for each other.And there are still boundaries between China and foreign countries.Today, there are more than ten thousand miles in the southeast sea, and all countries are doing business and preaching. They come and go, gather in the capital, and the hinterlands of the provinces, in the name of reconciliation, in the name of engulfing the plan, one country creates troubles, and the other countries incite. There are changes.The speed of the ship's telegraph is thousands of miles in a blink of an eye, the special military equipment and machinery are hundreds of times stronger, and it is a powerful enemy that has not been seen for thousands of years.The multiplication of foreign aggression changes like this, and I still want to rule it out with the established law. For example, when a doctor cures a disease, no matter what the disease is, he generally throws at ancient prescriptions, but he has not seen the effect.After Gengshen, the barbarians were shy and introverted, and Bo Haiguan and the leader of the band were all angry and generous, arguing to expel them.Discussions from outside the bureau, not knowing the difficulties in the bureau, and asking about self-improvement and how to resist insults, are at a loss.I have been involved in foreign affairs for a long time, and I have heard and seen a lot, and I have a deep understanding of the comparison between my own strengths and weaknesses.However, looking around the current world, there are really few talented people, and they are mostly stuck in the established law, and they are involved in public discussion. Although they want to be inspired, they can't help it.Yi said: If you are poor, you will change, and if you change, you will be successful.If the cover does not change, the battle and defense will not be enough, and the peace will not last long. Another cloud: In recent times, conservative Confucians have mostly used negotiating foreign affairs as a tool to trick others, and scholars who have taken advantage of them have used them to avoid foreign affairs as a way of their own convenience.If it weren't for the imperial court's efforts to open up the atmosphere, break the old habits of constriction, and seek the real economy of victory, the crisis in the world will eventually be unstoppable, and there will be no talents in the future, and there will be more people than today. Given the size of China, there is no time for self-reliance. Worrying and shameful. From this point of view, Li Hongzhang knows that today is a major change in the past three thousand years, that it is impossible to be safe at present, and that he intends to seek a method of internal control and external control for thousands of years later, and he knows that ancient prescriptions do not use medicine to make new ones. Symptoms, if you firmly know that there is no reform and reform, then you will not be able to rely on battles and defenses. If you firmly know that the boundaries will not change, so if you do not get rid of the habit, nothing will be accomplished. What is more, you will lack talents in the future, and it will be even worse than today. With the size of China , and there will never be a time for self-reliance.His words are painful, and I have read them so far, but tears run down his eyelashes.Husband Li Hongzhang’s loyalty and purity are like that, his clear observation is like this, and he has lived in the key for a long time, holds great power, and his achievements are as good as today, why?It is because they know that there is military affairs but do not know that there is civil affairs, that they know that there is diplomacy but do not know that there is internal governance, that they know that there is an imperial court but do not know that there are citizens.It is said that blaming others is ignorant of the overall situation, but oneself is not aware of the overall situation. It is difficult to break the boundaries of blaming others, so it is difficult to get rid of habits, and it is difficult to get rid of the boundaries of one's own boundaries.I don't know that the competition in today's world is not in the country but in the people. I don't know that the Western countries can eliminate the barriers and implement the new constitution to become rich and powerful. , then there must be one or two people who have the foresight to have great strength, so as to guide their shafts and drum up their fronts, and the atmosphere is established, and then use it accordingly, and there are no ones who cannot help.If Li Hongzhang doesn't know this and doesn't worry about this, he has already heard it, and he knows it, and he also worries about it. With his status and prestige, the one at the top can protect the heart of the king and use his arms to make all the bureaucrats, and the one at the bottom can create public opinion to arouse the whole country. , but it's a pity that Li Zhi can't.My old saying: Li Zhi suffers from illness because he is ignorant and incapable of learning.Therefore, it is said: Heroes created for the times are not heroes of the times. Although, things vary from place to place, and people vary from time to time.I was born today, and if I blame Li for this great cause, I know that Li will not accept it.His so-called dissatisfaction outside the bureau, he didn't know the difficulties in the bureau, and there was more pain behind his words.There is no excuse for Li Gu to blame the sages for aiding the Spring and Autumn Period. However, among the 400 million people today, is there anyone who can cast the first stone?How many people are qualified?Although I blame Li, I must not be a so-called cautious Confucian, a man of cleverness, who is confined to chapters and sentences, and who is inferior to the present.To sum it up, Li Hongzhang is a famous hero. The most unfortunate one is that the whole country is so big, and there is no such thing as an unknown hero who can stand behind him, so he can't stand up in one leap.When I met Li Hou, I was more than sad. From this chapter on, the history of Li Hongzhang's triumph ends, and the history of frustration begins.