Biography of Li Hongzhang

Throughout Li Hongzhang's life, there are many remarkable things, but under the imperial power system, his ambition has not been realized, which is the sorrow of the nation and individuals. Li Hongzhang was an elite of that era.

A great instrument of the country comes once in a hundred years.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the evaluation of Li Hongzhang was biased, and Li Hongzhang was often labeled as a traitor. This view is inconsistent with history.

Li Hongzhang (1823.2.15-1901.1.7), a few words, was an official in his later years, and posthumous title was carefree. The world often calls it "Li". Daoguang 18 was admitted to the same Jinshi list as Zeng Guofan in the same year. 1872, governor of zhili and minister of Beiyang trade. Since then, Li Hongzhang served as governor of Zhili and minister of Beiyang for 25 years, and participated in a series of important measures taken by the Qing government in internal affairs, diplomacy, economy and military affairs. He became an important official of the Qing court relying on Jiguan and the Great Wall. With the rise of Li Hongzhang's status and rights, his responsibility is greater and his vision is broader. Looking at the development of countries all over the world, Li Hongzhang thinks that China is poor and weak because he has suffered from poverty, and he has reached the understanding that "being rich makes the country strong" and "being rich first makes it strong", and turned the focus of the Westernization Movement to "seeking wealth". The Huai Army, founded by him, was sent to various places by the Qing court one after another and became a standing army serving as a national defense force. With him as its leader, Huai School became the most powerful Westernization School at that time, and under its leadership, it started the early Westernization Modernization Movement in China.

Three thousand years of great change, the sea ban is wide open, and the era surrounded by forests. It is time for Chinese civilization to be challenged by western civilization, for China to re-recognize itself, and for China to transform from a feudal autocratic country to a modern country. China's first navy, the first batch of overseas students, the first coal mine, the first embassy abroad, the first railway and the first telegram are all engraved with Li Hongzhang's name.

Since 1840, when the British opened the gate of China with naval guns, all the neat and symmetrical fortresses built by China people along the coast and the fleet ranked sixth in the world bought with huge sums of money have never stopped the invasion of barbarians: "Since the middle period of Daoguang, foreign invasion has deepened, and today it is extremely dangerous. In the tenth year of Xianfeng, British and French allied forces entered Beijing, destroyed Yuanmingyuan, literate Sect fled and collapsed in Jehol ... Since then, France and Annan merged, Japan was busy with North Korea, and its territory gradually lost. Haikou was also occupied by foreign powers, Germany occupied Jiaozhou, Russia occupied Lushun Dalian, Britain occupied Weihai Jiulong, and France occupied Guangwan ... "Just after Li Hongzhang's death, the" Xin Chou Treaty ",which allowed foreign troops to station in China and almost astronomical reparations, became the source of numerous problems in the future. Just signed, foreign allied forces also occupied Beijing, the capital of the Great Qing Dynasty, and the whole court was on the run.

Fight for the rights of China workers.

Li Hongzhang will not give up any opportunity to fight for the rights of Chinese immigrants in the United States. After his visit to the United States, he deliberately avoided the western United States and chose Canada as his return route, which attracted the attention of American journalists and interviewed him on this matter. Li Hongzhang took the opportunity to ask the American media to help China immigrants: "... I only hope that the American media can help China immigrants. I know that newspapers have great influence in this country. I hope that the whole newspaper industry can help China immigrants and call for the abolition of the Chinese Exclusion Act, or at least make major amendments to the Gree Law. ..... China immigrants in California and other places failed to obtain the rights granted to them by the US Constitution, and they asked me to help them fully recognize their American immigration status and enjoy the rights they should enjoy as American immigrants. And your Gree Law not only denies them the same rights as immigrants from other countries, but also refuses to protect their legitimate rights and interests, so I don't like places that treat our compatriots like this ... The Chinese Exclusion Act is the most unfair bill in the world ... Aren't you very proud as an American? Your country represents the highest modern civilization in the world, and you are proud of your democracy and freedom, but is your Chinese exclusion bill free for Chinese? This is not freedom! ..... I believe that the American press can help China immigrants cancel the Chinese Exclusion Act. "

Li Hongzhang also made great efforts to abolish the opium trade imposed on China. To this end, on August 27th, 1894, he met with British Yue Se g Alexander, executive secretary of the world coalition against smoking. At that time, the London Daily News reported: "... he claimed in the strongest terms that the China government was as strongly opposed to the opium trade as ever. This trade was imposed on China by the great powers through war. According to the treaty, the China government was forbidden to allow Indian opium to enter the mainland. ..... Governor Li finally announced clearly: Please understand that if you stop poisoning my people, we will immediately ban them from obtaining opium. When I (Joseph) told him that the British Parliament had voted to appoint a special committee to investigate whether opium was really as harmful as some people accused, he replied angrily:' Ridiculous!' He seemed very angry and contemptuous, and softened his tone and said,' Everyone knows that opium is harmful.' When I got up and left, he still praised the kindness of British citizens in getting China rid of opium in warm language. At the end of the interview, the secretary also expressed a feeling: ... China's politicians reflected the people's peace-loving spirit in this country. If they can find any means to stop the war, they can't admit the continuation of the war for revenge. (The above information comes from contemporary The New York Times)-The post-opium trade was banned by an act of the British Parliament.

Even Mr. Fei Zhengqing, an American Harvard sinologist who strongly denied the existence of "imperialism" in China for most of his life, finally found his conscience in his later years and said a fair word: "The reason why the powers failed to" split China "is partly because China is good at using one country skillfully (we still lack research on this method) to contain another country." And this clever use of one country to contain another country (tradition) to avoid Eight-Nation Alliance dismembering China is Li Hongzhang.

About Li Hongzhang and Taiping Army

He suppressed the Taiping Army and maintained feudal rule, leaving a lingering stain on his life. But let's think about it, as an official of the Qing government, what can he do? (Since ancient times, "I have to die if you let me die") Besides, did his Taiping Army really represent the advanced leaders of China at that time? The answer is obvious, yes, otherwise he won't fail. Li Hongzhang should be responsible for the failure of the Sino-Japanese War. His strategy of "learning from foreigners to control foreigners" pinned the war on foreigners, thus losing the best opportunity for war, but the fundamental reason for his defeat in the Sino-Japanese War was not his personal experience. Because industrialized Japan fought against agricultural China, backward and corrupt feudal autocracy fought against a powerful country with modern civilization, the outcome was decided before the war.

I feel that the Taiping army didn't win after thinking about it. He can't represent the new class in China. You can see it from what he did after he made his capital in Tianjing. Do you know why there are many reparations in the Xin Chou Treaty? According to the information I found, because the reason of the Qing government at that time was that the Boxer Rebellion threatened to kill the Boxer Rebellion, it was impossible for the Qing government at that time to disappear, and it had to exist, thinking that once there was no country, it would fall into anarchy, which was even more disastrous for China at that time (why Chiang Kai-shek did not die in the Xi 'an incident and Zhuge Liang sent a cloud to Huarong Road). When a new civilization does not arrive, a system is born or it is not enough to replace the old civilization and the old system, the old civilization and the old system have to exist.

More than 30 treaties accompanying Li Hongzhang

Li Hongzhang signed more than 30 treaties in his life. According to the information I collected, Li Hongzhang, as a representative of the Qing government, signed unequal treaties with the great powers: 187 1 August Sino-Japanese Reconciliation Treaty; September Sino-British Yantai Treaty1876; 1884 concise terms of the Sino-French meeting in May; 1The Sino-Japanese Tianjin Treaty in April, 885, and the Sino-French New Testament in June of the same year; 1treaty of shimonoseki, China, Japan in April, 895, and Sino-Japanese Liaonan Treaty in October165438 in the same year; 1March 896, Sino-German Jiaoao Lease Treaty, and Sino-Russian Secret Agreement in June of the same year; 1June, 898, Sino-British Treaty on the Extension of the Hong Kong Border; 190 1 September Eight-Nation Alliance's "Treaty of Xin and Chou" and so on. Compared with Laojun, Gui Liang and Yixin (also recognized traitors), Li Hongzhang signed the most unequal treaties on behalf of the Qing government. Among them, treaty of shimonoseki paid 220 million yuan in compensation, and Xin Chou paid 452 million yuan in compensation, with an average of one or two yuan per person in China. "Pay off in 39 years, with an annual interest rate of 4%," and * * about one billion two kuping silver. In addition, civil compensation of more than 20,000 yuan and 2,000 yuan will be paid, which will be guaranteed by customs duties and salt taxes. Since then, China has lost its tariff sovereignty, and its domestic industry has never recovered.

From this point of view, Li Hongzhang is really heinous and committed a heinous crime. But think about it. Is it true that if Li Hongzhang does not sign these treaties, they will not exist and will not be signed? The answer is no, of course. The purpose of the imperialist powers is to open the door to China. They just want to sign a treaty with China, no matter who signs the treaty on behalf of China. Of course, for them, the weaker the representative of China, the better. Some people criticized Li Hongzhang by quoting Schleswig-Holstein's evaluation of Wang Yan-"When you reach that position, you will be responsible for the rise and fall of this regime". However, I don't think a person can be responsible for the rise and fall of a regime. To put it bluntly, the Qing government's surname was "Aisingiorro" instead of "Li", and Ai Xinjue Roche was also responsible! The rise and fall of a regime represents the rise and fall of a period of history. History, who can be responsible?

On the other hand, who decided to sign an unequal treaty? Is the supreme ruler. Now it is very popular to say that "a first-class official kills a first-class person"! At that time, the supreme ruler was several levels older than Li Hongzhang's official. How many times can you crush him? After all, Li Hongzhang is just a Confucian scholar who came out of the eight-part essay, not a saint who is beyond the secular world. He disobeyed the orders of his superiors and probably dared not lend him a hundred bravery. In the final analysis, Li Hongzhang is just a pawn. No matter how powerful he is, he will be subject to others. Is this luck or misfortune?

The signing of the unequal treaties made Li Hongzhang bear an indelible stigma, and he was also a victim!

Let's think about the circumstances under which most of these leaps were signed. What did the so-called aggressors of capitalism and imperialism really want and with whom did they sign the treaty? The answer is no, they need benefits. Without Li Hongzhang, would these treaties not exist? The answer is also no, can these treaties be fixed only on him? I don't think it's fair. His fault is not his. This is a historical responsibility that no one can bear, nor can they bear. Everyone has seen King Gui and Anna, right? Do you think it is Anna's fault that she didn't go to college? This is not a historical mistake, it is a historical tragedy. Indeed, as a representative of feudalism, Li Hongzhang made plans for his own interests when signing some treaties, and committed unforgivable sins to the country and the people, so he was selfish and failed at the same time.

History is an exploration. As descendants, we are not qualified to characterize him as a "traitor". History is beyond someone's control. We remember his achievements and learn from his failures. To be fair. Historians follow the principle of "closing coffins" and try to look at history. Many people have died and lost their careers. After decades and hundreds of years, there is still no conclusion. It is said that China people used to be rich, but now they are thin, but because of word of mouth and conformity, they are more eccentric than the former. History is far and near, and achievements follow. The so-called predecessors planted trees and later generations enjoyed the cool. In today's China, how can we keep drinking water from leaking? Looking back at history, I scribbled under the lamp, not asking Hefei to smile at the grave, but asking me to say "the son of a willing heart knows me" in the middle of the night, but asking for something worth filing: knowing without saying anything, turning a blind eye, and doing nothing.

On Li Hongzhang's Contribution to Westernization Period

Before the Sino-Japanese War, Li Hongzhang devoted himself to westernization. The hard work of our predecessors should not be discarded. The following are:

Shanghai Tongzhi established a foreign language museum in the first month of the second year.

Jiangnan Machinery Manufacturing Bureau was established in August of the fourth year of Tongzhi in Shanghai.

Machinery Bureau was established in Tianjin in October, 2009.

Prepare for trade with Japan, and send personnel to Tongzhi in December 9.

It is planned to set up a foreign fort in Dagu in April of the tenth year of Tongzhi.

Choose students who study in the United States in the first month of the eleventh year.

Please open a coal mine in May of the eleventh year of Tongzhi.

In November of the eleventh year of Tongzhi, a ship was engaged in China Merchants.

In November of the first year of Guangxu, an armored ship was organized.

Please send envoys in November of the first year of Guangxu, Japan.

Please set up Westernization Bureaus in each province, including design and calculation, maps, steam engine, art of war, artillery, chemistry, electricity and other fields, and select officials familiar with current affairs to make some changes in the examination order, so as to open up new fields of Westernization in December of Guangxu first year.

Wu Mi was sent to Germany to learn amphibious ordnance skills in March of Guangxu.

In November, Guangxu sent Fujian Shipping Administration to study abroad.

Guangxu bought the armored ship for the first time in February of the sixth year.

Tianjin Guangxu established the Naval Academy in July of the sixth year.

Guangxu founded the North-South Ocean Telegraph in August of the sixth year.

Please open the railway in December of Guangxu six years.

Kaiping Mining Bureau was established in April of Guangxu seven years.

Guangxu founded the company Ship-to-Britain Trade in June of the seventh year.

In November of the seventh year of Guangxu, businessmen took over the telegrams of various provinces.

In February of Guangxu eight years, Lushun Wharf was built.

The layout of starting a business to run textiles was in April of Guangxu eight years, Shanghai.

Wu Beitang was founded in May of the 11th year of Guangxu.

December 13th year of Guangxu, Mohe Gold Mine.

Beiyang Navy became an army in the 14th year of Guangxu.

Yiguang was built in May, 20th year of Guangxu in Tianjin.

Li Hongzhang was the most outstanding diplomat in the late Qing Dynasty. He devoted the rest of his life to China's diplomatic career. Although he signed almost all the traitorous treaties, he did his best as a diplomat in the international environment at that time. All the foreign relations negotiations failed because of 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. In order to hide their incompetence, these people can only blame Li Hongzhang, a servant who works directly. 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.

The signing of the unequal treaties and the Westernization Movement were the two most important events in Li Hongzhang's life. These two things determine the evaluation of him by history and future generations. But we don't know how many historical facts are buried in it, so our comments can't be used as the final evaluation standard. Even the comments given by historians, I think, are debatable. In my opinion, Li Hongzhang is not a traitor, but his merits and demerits are mixed, which may be worse to some extent.

However, I think we should not only judge a historical figure by what he has done, but also pay attention to his inner feelings. You know, what he does is not necessarily what he wants to do. "Autumn wind sword solitary minister tears, sunset general altar standard. The dusty atmosphere overseas is still there and it is not appropriate to wait and see. " This was done by Li Hongzhang before his death. The dying man speaks the truth. What can we read from this poem?

He did his best for the invaders and diplomacy, but for China, he was a loser. He did not change the status quo of China and led China to prosperity. His Westernization, sending overseas students and establishing Beiyang Navy were all aimed at safeguarding his feudal rule and his own interests. Li Hongzhang, commander-in-chief of beiyang fleet, governor of Zhili and minister of Beiyang, had an unshirkable responsibility for the failure of Westernization and beiyang fleet. Li Hongzhang's evaluation of himself is "a paperhanger who repairs broken houses", which shows that Li Hongzhang has realized the superiority of western system in his later years, and he did not dare to push open broken houses and build new ones. It shows that his weakness and feudal nature are also defending himself. All movements that do not touch the feudal system are doomed to failure. Westernization and navy under the feudal system are just "sheep in wolf's skin", and they can't beat wolves after all. As Commander-in-Chief of beiyang fleet, Cixi misappropriated huge military expenditure to celebrate her birthday. Li Hongzhang doesn't know what military expenditure means. Which is more important? He didn't protest or stop it. What does this mean? A Beiyang minister who was worried about military expenses had a large legacy after his death. What does this mean? Is this also a historical mistake? Is it forced by imperialism? Everything about him shows the same problem.

Li Hongzhang, who didn't lead China to prosperity, was still a loser after all. You can't just let him take the blame, because one person's strength can't change the whole of China, so in a sense, Li Hongzhang has made great contributions to the nation.