Li Hongzhang, the last paperhanger of the Qing Empire: Who has made merits and demerits in his life?

Li Hongzhang, a native of Hefei, Anhui Province, is commonly known as "Li". He has eight brothers and sisters, and Li Hongzhang is the second child, so he is also called "Mr. Li Er" among the people.

Daoguang twenty-seven years, into the official career. He studied under Zeng Guofan and followed Zeng Guofan's study tour. Under the influence of Zeng Guofan, he formed the idea of practical use.

In an eventful autumn, Li Hongzhang recruited 7,000 people from Huaiyong to form an army, the Huai Army, which was also his family background. Foreigners laughed at Huai Army when they saw its tattered clothes. Li Hongzhang said: "It is important for the army to be able to fight, not just to dress beautifully. When I try, you can laugh again. "

It's time to really test the combat effectiveness. American Walter recruited thousands of foreign soldiers, the so-called Confederate army. Walter proudly claimed that the army he recruited was Chang, while Xue Qi and others led an army composed of Xiang and Huai armies, known as the North Army.

When fighting with the Taiping Army, the Taiping Army was defeated by the South Army. Walter, an American, fled from Qingpu, Shanghai to Songjiang, Shanghai, with thousands of defeated foreign soldiers he recruited. Xue Qi led 1500 people stationed in Xinqiao, Li Hongzhang personally led the army to support, and the Taiping Army was beaten away. After World War I, foreigners were deeply impressed by the fighting capacity of the Xiang and Huai armies, secretly amazed and impressed.

Later, the Huai army led by Li Hongzhang was pacified by the West Twist Army. Because of his brilliant record, the court called Li Hongzhang to the court and made him the governor of Jiangsu. Specially for riding horses in the Forbidden City.

After the failure of the two Opium Wars and the blow of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, some people of insight in the Qing Dynasty began to realize the power of the West to build strong ships and guns. In order to relieve domestic troubles and foreign invasion and realize Qiang Bing's prosperity, they began to learn western culture and advanced technology. Such a group of people is called Westernization School.

Prior to this, some scholars proposed to learn from the advantages of western countries in order to enhance their national strength. For example, Wei Yuan advocated "learning from foreigners to control foreigners" in Atlas of the Sea, and Feng Guifen advocated "taking China's ethics as the original, supplemented by the skill of making the country rich and strong" in Anti-Learning.

In the Westernization Movement, the court representatives of the Westernization School were Prince Gong with one heart and one mind, the local representatives were Li Hongzhang, Zhang Zhidong, Zeng Guofan, Zuo and other Xiang Huai groups, as well as Chonghou, Shen Baozhen, Liu Kunyi, Tang and Zhang Jian.

They advocate learning from western sound, light, electricity, culture, ships, trains, machines, guns, newspapers and schools, under the banner of "strengthening" and "making money". People think that if China wants to be rich and strong, it must learn from the natural science and even social politics of the western bourgeoisie. Therefore, we advocate the development of "western learning", the promotion of "westernization", the establishment of military factories, the production of new weapons, and the establishment of a new army in order to achieve the goal of "self-improvement."

Because of the current situation in China at that time, the Shang Dynasty established an army school for armament and navigation. Li Hongzhang once thought about shipbuilding, and Shangshu said, "Westerners build guns by ship and run amok in China. In this case, it is unrealistic to say that they are busy dealing with foreigners.

Even if you want to keep the peace and protect the territory, you can't do it without tools (weapons). Confined to books, the scholar-officials all said that they would stop shipbuilding. I think all kinds of expenses of the country can be saved, but the expenses of training troops, consolidating border defense, practicing guns and building warships must not be saved. To save these expenses, the country can't stand on its own feet, and there will be no day of self-improvement in the end. "

I think all the expenses of the country can be saved, but the expenses of raising soldiers, strengthening their bodies, practicing guns and building soldiers' wheels cannot be saved. If you want to save money, you will eliminate everything. Without a country, there will be no day of self-improvement.

Li Hongzhang successively founded a series of civil enterprises, such as Cizhou Coal and Iron Mine in Hebei, Xingguo Coal Mine in Jiangxi, Guangji Coal Mine in Hubei, Kaiping Mining Bureau, Shanghai Woven Layout, Yixian Coal Mine in Shandong, Tianjin Telegraph Bureau, Tang Xu Railway, Shanghai Telegraph Bureau, Jingu Railway, Mohe Gold Mine, Rehe Sidaogou Copper Mine, Sanshan Lead and Silver Mine, Shanghai Huasheng Textile General Factory, etc., involving mining, railways, textiles and telecommunications. It marks the beginning of China's modernization.

When foreigners wanted to set up telegraph business in China, the Qing government and people panicked, thinking that "telegrams are located deep underground, rampaging in all directions, with unique veins ..." Li Hongzhang also did not allow foreigners to land on submarine cables laid from Hong Kong. So, not long after, the first telegraph cable he laid in China was opened between Dagukou and Tianjin.

Li Hongzhang can completely ignore the "geographical pulse" and foreigners, because he knows that the telegraph industry contains extremely high military and civilian value.

The Westernization Movement promoted the industrialization of the declining dynasty and provided a large amount of stable funds for the financially strapped Qing Dynasty. However, Li Hongzhang never got rid of the shackles of the times ideologically. The enterprises established by Li Hongzhang are all government-supervised and commercial-run systems. When the enterprise was first built, the government did not have the strength to set up independently, so it cooperated with private capital. When the enterprise is on the right track, the government will try its best to exclude private capital and form a government-led enterprise.

Due to years of war, enterprises have been withdrawing funds, and the government has forced the placement of redundant staff. Long-term policy protection has depressed the morale of enterprises. With the invasion of foreign forces and the rise of national capital, these seriously ill enterprises are doomed to tragedy. Li Hongzhang himself and his family made a fortune by westernization.

During this period, China's first western-style navy, Beiyang Navy, was established. However, due to poor details, Beiyang Navy was short of ammunition and materials. During the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, the officers and men of Beiyang Navy fought bloody battles, and because of the differences in equipment, they could not escape the fate of defeat. The failure of the Sino-Japanese War marked the bankruptcy of the Westernization Movement. 1On April 7th, 895, the Qing Dynasty was forced to sign the Sino-Japanese treaty of shimonoseki.

Investigate its reason, beiyang fleet's downfall is inseparable from the old court officials. Many ministers regarded beiyang fleet as Li Hongzhang's private army, playing off their relationship with Cixi and reminding Cixi to be vigilant.

At the same time, Weng Tonghe and Li Hongzhang, who are in charge of the census bureau, often deduct military expenses from personal grievances, which leads to the aging of most ships in beiyang fleet. The Summer Palace For Cixi, the primary purpose of the Qing treasury was to build the Summer Palace. In the case of fiscal deficit, it is impossible to maintain beiyang fleet's advanced combat readiness.

Li Hongzhang, who has never lived in Japan, also regards the signing of treaty of shimonoseki as a great shame. Because of the strong stimulation of signing Shimonoseki, Li Hongzhang vowed to "never live in Japan". And tend to reform.

Two years later, he returned from a trip to Europe and America, passing through Yokohama, Japan, and never wanted to go ashore again. At that time, he needed to change to a ship and take a ferry. When he saw that it was a Japanese ship, he refused to board it. Finally, he had no choice but to put a board between the two boats. A 75-year-old man, on the roaring sea, staggered resolutely and slowly moved over.

Treaty of shimonoseki caused public outrage in China, but he couldn't accuse the Qing government of devoting all its resources to celebrating Cixi's birthday, so he pointed the finger at Li Hongzhang, who became a scapegoat for the humiliation of the Qing Dynasty.

After the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, Li Hongzhang was removed from his post as governor of Zhili and minister of Beiyang, and remained idle for 25 years.

1900 Spring, the Boxer Rebellion became the fuse of Eight-Nation Alliance's war of aggression against China. Under this pretext, Eight-Nation Alliance carved up and plundered China in the name of suppressing the Boxer Rebellion.

The total number of United Nations troops invading China is about 50,000, which is well-equipped and powerful. 438+0, June 65, 900, August 438+4, Beijing was completely occupied, and the Empress Dowager of the two palaces fled. Li Hongzhang was summoned to North Korea as Minister Plenipotentiary for Peace.

Wherever Eight-Nation Alliance went, he killed, set fire to, raped and plundered! There are countless treasures stolen and looted from the Forbidden City, Zhongnanhai and the Summer Palace!

Among them, Yuanmingyuan, the famous garden of ten thousand gardens, was looted again after the British and French allied forces, and eventually became a ruin.

Eight-Nation Alliance commander-in-chief Wadesi later admitted that "the details of all the damage and robbery suffered by China this time will never be found out".

Li Hongzhang once said, "This matter is related to the safety and survival of the country and has to be reluctant." Li Hongzhang went to Beijing alone and finally signed twelve contracts. History is called "Xin Chou Treaty".

Li Hongzhang also asked for all the aftermath. Open the market, spread porridge and rice, and the capital is orderly inside and outside.