Comparison: What are the differences between Emperor Qianlong and Peter III?

Like China’s Qianlong Emperor during the same historical period, Britain’s King George III reigned for 60 years. The British king who advocated "Brexit" achieved the rise of the British Empire through his political and military achievements and his global vision to expand trade.

Comprehensive media reported on January 26 that the Brexit currently advocated by the British government existed in Britain more than 200 years ago.

Although George III (Gee III), who was under the British constitutional monarchy at that time, did not have the unrivaled and unchallenged power status of Emperor Qianlong who ruled China at the same time, he was in close contact with the British Parliament and the British * **'s frequent interactions shaped the pattern of British politics today.

Historical scholars pointed out that George III was not just a superior "rubber stamp" king. On the contrary, he was more like a hands-on chief executive, paying attention to every process of the country's development from morning to night. Become the "chief architect" of Britain's dominance in the world.

Compared with Emperor Qianlong who traveled everywhere, it can be said that George III almost stayed at home and never visited other countries. As the heir to the throne of the Duke of Hanover, whose ancestors came from Europe, he had never even visited the land on the Rhine River that was under his jurisdiction at the time.

Mission’s visit to China However, George III’s knowledge was not closed off. He was considered not only knowledgeable but also a monarch with a global perspective. He studied many subjects since childhood, including chemistry, physics, astronomy, mathematics, French, Latin, history, music, geography, business, agriculture, law, dance, fencing, sports, etc.

After George III came to the throne, he encouraged the development of science and technology internally, and vigorously funded British exploration of various parts of the world externally, promoting trade across traditional borders. Under his rule, Britain sent a mission to China for the first time and was received by Emperor Qianlong. George III's "blood is thicker than water" kinship with the European royal family may have destined him to be at odds with the rebel Napoleon (Napoleon Bonaparte), as well as the repeated competition between Britain and France to dominate their respective internationalizations.

Like Emperor Qianlong, they were both born in the early 18th century, both ascended the throne in their early 20s, and both died in their 80s. But George III did not have the prestigious title of Emperor Qianlong in the history books. Even when he was in office, in the British Parliament, some "hostile forces" that he expressed his disgust had long been secretly plotting to replace the king with the prince, especially since he was considered mentally ill in his middle and old age and was accused of being a "madman" king".

Because the North American colonies defeated Britain in the North American War of Independence with the support of France, history was rewritten. Later, many people remembered George III for his bad reputation as a "madman" rather than his significant contribution to Britain. Perhaps only under his rule, the history of Britain's rise in Europe and even the world after wars can explain what kind of king he was.

Old Man Shiquan It may not be an exaggeration to describe George III as "Old Man Shiquan" as Qianlong called himself. George III created a lot of "firsts" for the British royal family. These include: He is the longest reigning king in British history (note: not the queen), the last American king, and the first Australian king. During his reign, Britain got its current flag. In Europe, Britain defeated France in the Seven Years' War, and later united other European forces to completely defeat Napoleon.

He is knowledgeable, loves collecting, and advocates and sponsors the development of science, technology, finance, agriculture, music, art, etc. With his support, British industry and agriculture developed greatly, science and technology took off, and the British Industrial Revolution, which affected the course of the world, was launched vigorously.

It was George III who appointed Macartney to visit China, who saw clearly the poor and weak nature of China at that time and ultimately led to the first Sino-British Opium War many years later.

Britain has truly embarked on the path of the "British Empire" that affects the course of world history. George III had a lot of influence and contribution to British domestic politics. Especially in the first half of his rule, he paid attention to parliamentary elections, opposed corrupt party struggles, and hoped to unite different factions to jointly serve national interests.

However, George III did not have Qianlong's nickname of "The Romantic Emperor". His personal life was diligent and frugal, focusing on family life and religious character, and he never had any extramarital affairs in his life. He is very close to the people, often wearing casual clothes, taking his children for walks in the countryside, and chatting with rural people he meets by chance.

It was he who bought Buckingham Palace in central London and turned it into the home of the British royal family. The king may be more diligent than his secretary, and he has been writing since he was young. What he left to the world includes as many as 350,000 pages of precious historical materials, many of which were personally written by the emperor. Brexit and Entry into Europe George III is of German descent. His predecessors and some of his juniors were all born in Germany (Germany did not exist at that time). The European continent is their hometown. The queen he married is also from the German region. She was engaged to George III and arrived in the UK. Finally, the queen did not speak English.

But George III was the first British king born in Britain in modern times. Not only was English his mother tongue, but his "patriotic concept" of Britain was also stronger than that of his ancestors.

When his grandfather George II (Gee II) passed away, George III was only 22 years old. His father had died at the time, so he inherited the throne of his grandfather. When he became the king of England, he also succeeded the king of Hanover and ruled the Rhine River in Germany. Hanover area, became Elector of Hanover (expected to become Holy Roman Emperor).

Under the rule of George III, Ireland and Britain merged, Britain truly became the United Kingdom, and the Union Jack used today was officially born. During his reign, along with the French Revolution, Napoleon appeared who attempted to unify Europe.

Napoleon's army occupied Hanover, George's "homeland". At the call of George III, a large number of former Hanoverian army officers immigrated to Britain, joined the British Army, and then "entered Europe to participate in the war", becoming the British King's German Legion that later played an important role in the Battle of Waterloo and other major wars in Western Europe.

The battle between Britain and France From the perspective of George III who focused on being close to the people, being a ruler requires diligence and love for the people. He opposed dictatorship and focused on listening to different opinions. In Britain, a constitutional monarchy, George III knew from an early age that Parliament was the maker of policies and laws, and the king was just the executor. Wrong decisions by parliament and the government can also bring infamy for the king. During the reign of George III, the British Parliament passed a series of economic bills, which overwhelmed its eastern North American colonies and eventually led to an uprising, starting the American War of Independence.

The British army sent troops, including German regiments, to suppress it. At that time, the battle between Britain and France was not only taking place in Europe, but had already begun in all aspects of international dominance. In the North American colonies, Britain and France had begun to compete everywhere, and France was eventually defeated.

The subsequent uprisings in the British colonies in North America quickly received full political, economic and military support from France, Britain's old rival. As a patriot, George III personally participated in planning a small number of military campaigns in North America.

He was also used by the American rebels as a target to encourage people to attack, and was described as a king who was "selfish, mean and brutally oppressed the people" against whom the people of North America were forced to resist. Britain was defeated in the Anglo-American War, and the king was regarded by the British as the king who "lost the territory of the North American colonies." Three years after the independence of the United States, George III showed his realist attitude and welcomed the United States' first ambassador to Britain to London without losing dignity and grace. However, most traditional Western historical scholars have basically not given George III a positive evaluation. In relevant biographies and history books, American scholars have called him a "tyrant", and British scholars have called him a "scapegoat for the failed policies of imperialism."

Immortal George III not only did not receive the same treatment as Emperor Qianlong in the history books, but he also did not have the blessings of Qianlong during his reign. He was severely tortured by "mental illness" in his later years. George III's mental illness mainly occurred during the 50th year of his reign. Some doctors believed he suffered from a rare genetic psychiatric disorder called porphyria, but modern doctors believe he actually suffered from bipolar disorder.

Some doctors believe that it cannot be diagnosed. He talked incessantly and his moods waxed and waned. Some historians believe that George III's illness is directly related to his family problems: he was disappointed that his eldest son not only failed to be a good person like him, but instead became a prostitute. Devastated by the untimely death of his youngest daughter due to illness.

In 2005, tests on the hair left by King George III revealed serious arsenic poisoning, the cause of which remains elusive to this day. At that time, the medical community's treatment and understanding of mental illness was also very superficial. The so-called "doctors" used brutal methods such as reprimanding and binding. George III was tied to a chair because he talked incessantly and his mouth was often gagged. The results of such treatment can be imagined: the old king's health deteriorated, he eventually became blind and deaf, and died in misery.

George III finally left his mark in British history. As some historical materials have been made public in recent years, he has been re-researched and positively evaluated by modern historical scholars. Unlike what Emperor Qianlong left to his descendants, after the "Qianlong Resurgence", the Qing Empire had already begun to decline in isolation.

However, after the death of George III, Britain continued to move in the "internationalization" direction that he was committed to pioneering. In fact, Britain was in a state of "prosperity of heaven" as Emperor Qianlong called it, embarking on a "sun never sets" Empire" path.