Li Hongzhang's Model Essays in Modern History —— Comment on Li Hongzhang
Li Hongzhang (1823- 190 1), a native of Hefei, Anhui Province, was originally named Li, also known as Li Hefei, whose real name was gradually blessed or Shao Quan (full). In his later years, he became a musical instrument, and his other name was trouble. As the founder and commander-in-chief of the Huai Army and one of the main advocates of the Westernization Movement, he was an important minister in the late Qing Dynasty. He was awarded a bachelor's degree in Wenhua Hall before his death and was praised by Empress Dowager Cixi. Rebuild Huang Xuan? People. In the Qing Dynasty, the titles of Taifu, Jinyi, Su, etc. were posthumously awarded, and the funeral expenses were 5,200 Liang, and a shrine 10 was built in the hometown and meritorious province. Local officials regularly offer sacrifices to the Temple of Shi Jing. In the Qing Dynasty, Han officials were the only ones who built temples in Shi Jing. Japanese Prime Minister Ito Bowen regards it as? The only person in the Qing empire who has the ability to compete with the world powers. ? The author of the complete works of Li Wenzhong. (Quoting Baidu knows)
Li Hongzhang, a famous figure in modern history, had a great influence at that time and even today: he launched the Westernization Movement and signed various unequal treaties.
The content of Westernization Movement is very extensive, involving military affairs, politics, economy, education and diplomacy. Self-improvement? In the name of establishing military industry and other enterprises around military industry, the main content is to establish Lu Haijun with new weapons and equipment. Since the 1960s, modern military industries such as Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau, Fuzhou Shipping Bureau and Anqing Inner Ordnance Institute have been established one after another. Among them, Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau is the largest government-run military factory in China. Founded by Li Hongzhang in Shanghai on 1865. There are about 2,000 people in the factory, mainly manufacturing guns, ammunition, mines and other military materials, as well as ships. 1867. Fuzhou Shipping Bureau is the largest shipyard founded by the Qing government. It was founded in Fuzhou by Zuo Yu 1866. There are about 1700 people in the whole plant, mainly manufacturing large and small warships. Anqing Inner Ordnance Institute is the earliest modern arsenal run by the Qing government. It was founded by Zeng Guofan in Anqing on February 186 165438. This factory is small and mainly produces bullets, gunpowder, shells and other weapons. In addition to establishing the above-mentioned factories, we also send overseas students to learn technology. However, the Westernization School encountered some difficulties in the process of establishing military industry, the most important of which were the difficulties in capital, raw materials, fuel and transportation.
So, the Westernization School came? Seeking money? Under the slogan, since the 1970s, private enterprises such as China Merchants, Kaiping Mining Bureau, Tianjin Telegraph Bureau, Tangshan Xugezhuang Railway, Shanghai Weaving Layout and Lanzhou Weaving Bureau have been established in the form of government-run, government-supervised commercial office and government-business cooperation. At the same time, the Westernization School also began to plan coastal defense, and initially established the navies of Nanyang, Beiyang and Fujian in 1884. After the Westernization clique took control of the naval yamen, it further expanded beiyang fleet and built Lushun Wharf and Ahava Military Port.
The Westernization Movement greatly promoted the development of capitalism in China, promoted the modernization process in China, and resisted the economic aggression of foreign powers to some extent. However, the Westernization Movement also has its limitations: First, the Westernization School tried to use some advantages of western capitalism to maintain the feudal autocracy without touching the decadent feudal autocracy, and the contradiction between this means and the foundation doomed it to be unsuccessful. At the same time, the Westernization Movement was obstructed and destroyed by die-hards all over the country, which increased the resistance to the development of the Westernization Movement. Second, the class limitations of the Westernization School itself determine that they are not only the founders and operators of modern industry, but also their destroyers and destroyers. Their feudal yamen and bureaucratic system will inevitably lead to the failure of westernization enterprises. Third, one of the purposes of the Westernization Movement was to resist foreign aggression, but the Westernization School insisted? Waixu Herong? Compromise and surrender to the outside world, did the modern enterprises they founded resist foreign aggression and? A little foreigner's benefit? Role, but can't change the semi-colonial and semi-feudal social status of China.
Speaking of the unequal treaties signed by Li Hongzhang, we can say that he signed some major unequal treaties in modern history, including Tianjin Treaty, treaty of shimonoseki Treaty and Xin Chou Treaty. These treaties humiliated the country and greatly deepened the semi-colonial and semi-feudal society in China.
In the 10th year of Guangxu (1884), North Korea broke out? Shen Jia incident? Japan, envious of North Korea, took the opportunity to send troops. At that time, when Li Hongzhang signed the Tianjin Treaty with the Japanese minister, it was stipulated that if there was a major event in North Korea, China and Japan needed to know in advance when sending troops. This was a disaster for the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War. On February 18th, the 21st year of Guangxu, Li Hongzhang was ordered to go to Japan as the plenipotentiary minister to negotiate peace. After repeated debates with Japanese representatives, the treaty of shimonoseki was signed after the fourth negotiation, and China paid 200 million taels of silver to cede Liaodong Peninsula and Taiwan's Penghu.
In the twenty-seventh year of Guangxu (190 1), on July 25th, Li Hongzhang and Yi Kuang signed the Treaty of Sorrow and Ugliness on behalf of the Qing court: 1, and China compensated 450 million taels of silver, which was paid off in 39 years, with principal and interest of * * * 980 million taels.
2. Set up an embassy district in Dongjiaominxiang, Beijing, guarded by garrisons from various countries, and China people are not allowed to live there.
3. Demolition of Dagu Fort and Jinghai Channel Fort; China's army cannot be stationed within 20 miles around Tientsin. Powers can station troops in Beijing to guard the embassy, and they can station troops in important places along the Beijing-Jade Railway 12, including Shanhaiguan.
4. It is forbidden for China people to form or join organizations that are "enemies of other countries" forever, and offenders will be put to death.
5. China changed the national government yamen to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, "before six ministries", and appointed the royal family as the foreign minister.
Although he signed many treaties that humiliated his power and country, he was helpless under the conditions at that time. He is just a high-ranking official of the Qing dynasty who was pushed to the table.
Generally speaking, Li Hongzhang's life contribution is enormous. I think he has done his best for the invaders and diplomacy. For China, he also played a considerable positive role in China, promoting China's internal reform, promoting China's modernization process, and relatively resisting the invasion of foreign powers. How about ending with Sun Yat-sen's words? I've been doing nothing, nothing, nothing since George came to power in nave. ?
On Li Hongzhang's Modern Essays
Throughout history, thousands of people, it is difficult for people to escape an extreme category in evaluation. In people's eyes, great people have no shortcomings, and despicable people have no humanity. Li Hongzhang is a typical example.
But what kind of person is Li Hongzhang? In people's eyes, he is an out-and-out traitor, and the two crimes of "treaty of shimonoseki" and "Xin Chou Treaty" are enough to make people crucify him on the traitor's pillar and never turn over.
Is he really just a traitor?
I don't think so. In my opinion, Li Hongzhang did more than he did.
It is true that he was bought to suppress other people's industries for the benefit of his family and himself. But his great contribution to China and history is indelible, and he is by no means a traitor who can be covered up by anything!
Liang Qichao, whose political position is opposite to his, once said: I respect Li Hongzhang's talent, but I feel sad for Li Hongzhang's experience. Since the two are opposites, his words should have considerable credibility.
Some people may say that it is just a family statement. Then look at his life and make an evaluation.
Li Hongzhang was born in the Imperial Academy. He was noble and humble in the Qing dynasty, but later he resolutely joined the army. Of course, there are reasons for this, but it is more out of Li's subjective desire. Why did he resolutely join the army? Because it was the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Movement, God was confused. The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Movement made the peasant class rebel, which reflected the rebellious spirit of the peasant class. However, in that era of domestic troubles and foreign invasion, what China needs is a prosperous, united and powerful government! So, as a visionary, how can you stand aside and just stand up?
1862, he was killed? Work? He was the governor of Jiangsu, and three years later, he was the governor of Liangjiang, suppressing the Nian Army.
1870, he succeeded Zeng Guofan as governor of Zhili and minister of Beiyang. He began to gradually take charge of the political, military, economic and diplomatic power of the Qing court.
1899 to 1900, served as the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, with a bachelor's degree from Wuyingtang and a bachelor's degree from Wenhua Hall. The core of his administration was Westernization, and he was called the representative or founder of Westernization Movement. At that time, Li Hongzhang was one of the few people in China who could treat western technology correctly. Under the obstruction and abuse of the die-hards, he strongly advocated? Learn from foreigners and improve yourself? . Under his leadership, the first large-scale arsenal, the first steelmaking furnace, the first railway, the first coal mine, the first textile mill, the first modern navy, the first ship, the first overseas student who went to the West and so on appeared in China. The Westernization School created many firsts in modern China, which undoubtedly took the first step for China's modernization.
Some people say that the Westernization Movement was a failure and could not save China's fate. But how did this conclusion come about? It was summed up on the basis of summarizing the failure of the Westernization Movement. When Li Hongzhang vigorously developed the Westernization Movement, the Westernization Movement did not fail, but also created China's ZTE to a considerable extent, which at least allowed China to open its doors, let new technologies in, and slowly explored them in practice. It turns out that China is not only inferior in technology, but also inferior in system. But who can find the crux of poverty and weakness in China at that time? No one, even Kang Youwei or Sun Yat-sen, discovered the root of China's poverty and weakness after the complete failure of the Sino-Japanese War and the Westernization Movement, and proposed the Reform Revolution to save the country. At that time, it can be said that no one in China could find that only the Westernization Movement could save China at that time, and Li Hongzhang was the biggest executor of the Westernization Movement.
In the Sino-Japanese War, China was defeated, and the Beiyang Navy was completely annihilated, which made people condemn the failure of the Westernization Movement. However, it has been proved that China's defeat in the Sino-Japanese War was inevitable. These factors, such as the misappropriation of naval military expenditure, the corruption of the old army and the fear of war among bureaucrats, combined to lead to China's defeat by the Japanese. It is true that Li Hongzhang lost his fighter plane in the naval battle, which is his responsibility, but what can he do with others? Dingyuan was the main warship of China at that time, with a speed of 15.5 knots. What is Yoshino in Japan? Section 22.5! And the firing rate of the shells on both sides is 25 times different! How to fight such a war? Coupled with the naval military expenses deducted by the government, how can we support a war! In the battle of the Yellow Sea, it can be said that Beiyang Navy played quite well. As a wise general, Li Hongzhang can only choose to be on the defensive and save his strength instead of dying foolishly! Later, it was proved that the gap was not opened from the sea, but was torn from the land. Should Li Hongzhang and his navy shoulder this responsibility?
After the defeat of the Sino-Japanese War,
1990, Eight-Nation Alliance invaded China, China was defeated again, Cixi and others fled, leaving the mess to Li Hongzhang.
190 1 On September 7, 2008, Li Hongzhang signed the "Xin Chou Treaty", which was criticized again! But has anyone thought about it? Whose responsibility is this incident? The incident was entirely the abuse of the Boxer Rebellion by Empress Dowager Cixi, who went to war with the eight countries in an attempt to confront a group of bandits, mobs and western powers, so that a small embassy could not be besieged, and finally Eight-Nation Alliance was admitted to Beijing, while Li Hongzhang was working in the south and did not attend. He also had a fight with Zhang Zhidong and Liu Kunyi? Southeast mutual insurance? , save a little strength and the lifeblood of China's economy, on the one hand, not completely angered foreigners, on the other hand, make the negotiations have a little minimum capital. But in the end, when China was eroded out of control, someone had to come out and clean up the mess. So Empress Dowager Cixi was ordained and Li Hongzhang came out of the mountain. He knew he would come out, and the traitor's condemnation was doomed, but he didn't come out. Excuse me, did China just let Eight-Nation Alliance stay in Beijing? People only know the treaty he signed, but who knows his tears and dazzling hematemesis! Li Hongzhang woke up at the last moment of his life and realized that the Westernization Movement he devoted his whole life could not save China. Therefore, in Kang Liang's reform movement, he resolutely posed as a reform comrade. Later, the Reform Movement of 1898 failed, and Empress Dowager Cixi ordered the execution of the reform party member. At that time, Kang Youwei was hiding in Guangzhou, and Li Hongzhang refused to kill them. He pushed them back with a sentence: I won't be the executioner's hand. Should such people also be scolded?
Throughout Li Hongzhang's life, an inappropriate sentence can be summarized!
As a diplomat of a weak country, its situation can be imagined! We all know that weak countries have no diplomacy. As a defeated country, weak countries should not be too tough on the one hand, but also strive for greater interests for their own countries and preserve them. Li Hongzhang, who is between strong and weak countries, is embarrassed and powerless! In fact, the essence of the failure of all foreign relations negotiations was China's decadent political system, backward economic base and weak international status at that time, and all this was ultimately due to the influence of the Manchu royal family headed by Cixi. But every time the country faces a crisis, it is Li Hongzhang who comes out to clean up the mess, but he is regarded as a traitor by the Chinese people. Only all the military and political ministers said that in the memorial to the emperor? China's defeat was all because of non-Westernization, not Hong Zhang's fault? , once made Li Hongzhang's career.
During the nearly 100 years from the Second Opium War to the founding of People's Republic of China (PRC), generations of China diplomats, led by Li Hongzhang, made use of the complex international environment to do everything possible to safeguard the national spirit of the Chinese nation and the general integrity of China's national system, so that China was not completely colonized like South Asian countries, which laid a solid foundation for the rise and rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Their contribution can not be ignored and indelible! Without Li Hongzhang and their contacts, how could the country exist?
Li Hongzhang is also a human being, he is not a god, and he also has human weaknesses. He has made enemies with Zuo for a long time, but for the sake of the country, he has abandoned his grievances many times and joined forces with him to defend against the enemy! He has selfish side, arrogant side and miscalculation side, but everyone has shortcomings. As the saying goes, to err is human. Excuse me, who in the world will have no shortcomings!
So I say that Li Hongzhang in history is not only a fault, but also a traitor in people's eyes. He made an indelible and irreplaceable contribution to China's political, economic, military and cultural modernization.
He has done more in his life than ever before!