Chapter 193 Li Hongzhang discusses coastal defense (1)
After the treaty was signed, all the ministers of the Prime Minister's Office jointly reported: Japan is stationed in Taiwan, knowing full well its rationale, but suffering from the weakness of our preparations. It can be traced back to the provocation of the British and French forces in the Gengshen period, which caused great pain and caused great pain. At that time, I was in a bind, and I needed to work hard to cheer myself up, but so far I have not been able to strengthen myself.
There is little unity, many dissent, and the outsiders are not fully aware of the situation, resulting in a sudden enemy situation and being panicked and unprepared. Now Japan is provoking a provocation. As a small country, it is unruly and has no way to defend itself. The Western countries are watching the changes and are even more unable to save them. The Prime Minister's Yamen has drawn up six urgent matters concerning troop training, equipment simplicity, shipbuilding, salary raising, employment, and long-term management. It invites the Minister of Northern and Southern Oceans and the Governor General of Binjiang and Coastal Coasts to discuss it in detail, so as to alleviate the current urgent tasks and benefit the country in the long run.
On November 19, 1874, Ding Richang, the governor of Jiangsu, also requested the construction of giant ships, the construction of forts, the selection and training of the army, the selection of officials, the establishment of admirals for the East, North and South Sanyang, and the establishment of a machine bureau.
Emperor Tongzhi accepted the report and said: "The Prime Minister's office on the affairs of various countries has reported that coastal defense should be urgently planned. Please discuss in detail the urgent matters that need to be handled." After detailed deliberation by Li Hongzhang and others, practical measures will be implemented step by step and will be reviewed within one month. In addition, there is another important plan, that is, it should be reported together, and no blame should be filled with empty words. Ding Richang continued to draw up six articles of the Marine Corps Charter, and also prepared and revised them accordingly.
Li Hongzhang, the governor-general of Zhili, received the order, grinded it for several days, and then wrote: "I will check that the treaties between various countries have been finalized and cannot be changed." Every mouth of the river and the sea has its doors open, making it a common place for us and the enemy. If nothing happens, we live together but have different intentions, and suspicion is inevitable; if there is police, we will be deceitful, and it will be even more difficult to deal with it. In this situation, it seems that there is no defense. However, the matters of negotiation are becoming more and more complicated day by day, and the other tribe relies on force and threats, and everyone can cause provocations. Since the establishment of Westernization, the cases that have been settled repeatedly have been nothing but compromises.
As of this year, the matter of Japan's invasion of Taiwan has been issued by the Prime Minister's Yamen, Wang, and the envoy. It is almost impossible to control the bald lips, but Shengming is still in charge. He has repeatedly ordered the ministers in the border areas to prepare for strict defenses, mobilize troops, gather ships, and purchase sharp weapons. , Building forts, all at the same time, although they are not yet sure, the sound is stronger after all. The chieftain was fearful of the public opinion externally and frightened the military power internally, but he gradually responded to the situation. It was not a hindrance to the national system and the people's sentiments, and it was not necessarily in the power of the ministers to save him.
When the Taiwan incident first broke out, I kept my mouth shut and discussed with the Prime Minister's Office, saying that it was clear that the situation was peace but that I would prepare for war in secret. Peace between the common people could be achieved quickly and last long. The foreigners are ignorant of the situation and use military force to suppress them. We want to defeat them with our pen and tongue, but this is inevitable. The husband was prepared for an emergency, but he was caught off guard. If he had prepared in advance, the Japanese soldiers would not have dared to come. Wu De said that the defense could be delayed in one day.
This is the six-point statement of the Prime Minister's Yamen, which summarizes the current urgent tasks and the long-term plans for the future. When asking about the important strategies for rescue, it is not easy to deal with it suddenly. Talents are rare, funds are difficult to raise, and the territory is difficult to change. Therefore, it is difficult to get out of the habit. If you follow the rules and do not change, even if you are fortified every day, it is like drawing a cake.
However, what is urgent today is to break through stereotypes and seek reality. Why say that? In the past dynasties, most of the prepared borders were in the northwest. Their strengths and weaknesses, as well as the shape of the guest and the host, were all the same, and there were still boundaries between China and the outside.
Today, the southeastern sea covers more than ten thousand miles, and various countries trade and preach with ease, gathering in the capital and the hinterland of each province. Yang holds the name of reconciliation, but Yin embraces the plan of devouring. When trouble occurs in one country, it is instigated by other countries. This is actually a change that has not happened in thousands of years. The speed of ships and telegraphs is as fast as thousands of miles; the sophistication of military equipment and machinery is a hundred times greater than the workmanship. Wherever the cannonballs reach, they are invincible. Water and land passes are not enough to restrict them, and they are powerful enemies that have not been seen in thousands of years. This is how things have changed due to foreign invasion. But I still want to make it legal. For example, doctors treat diseases without asking what the symptoms are, and just rely on ancient prescriptions, but they have not seen any effect.
Ten years after the Gengshen and Xianfeng reigns, the barbarians were introverted and had a weak moral character. They all became angry and generous and argued for expulsion. Discussions from outside the situation are not aware of the difficulties in the situation, and they ask how to strengthen oneself and how to resist insults. It is the basis for confusion. Since ancient times, there has never been a soldier who did not know himself and the enemy and was able to decide the victory. If the enemy's strengths and weaknesses have not yet been clearly understood, but if you want to show off your ambition and make a desperate move, isn't it just child's play for the motherland?
Although I am dull and dull, I have been in the army for more than ten years, but I have never dared to shrink back. I am willing to worry about my father. However, I have been involved in foreign affairs for a long time, and I have a relatively wide knowledge and knowledge. I have a deeper understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of others. However, Huan Yuan has not yet caught up with the number of paid talents in the world, and he is more limited to established laws and involved in public discussions. Although he wants to inspire, he has no reason. Yi said, if you are poor, you will change, and if you change, you will be successful. If the general situation remains unchanged, then war and defense will not be reliable, and peace will not last long.
I would like to prepare detailed and practical measures one by one based on the original proposal of the Prime Minister's Yamen. Seconded opinion, slightly extended. Ding Richang's presentation found some that could be harvested, and he reviewed and drafted them together in preparation for the offering of cud. Please still ask the ministers in the court to discuss in detail and make a decision. In short, if you want to rectify coastal defense today, there is no other way to start without reform and employment. I, the Emperor, care about Fu Nian.
The importance of the country and the people is important. The times are extremely difficult and dangerous, and I always feel unsatisfied. It is not necessary to adhere to routines to save redundant expenses, seek military strength, and cultivate talents. Talents are especially important, so that all people with lofty ideals in the world are aware of Western affairs, and the common people can expect to gradually become better at training troops, making weapons, and building ships. Deeds of sincerity, especially those that last for years, will be of benefit.
At present, we must strive to maintain a peaceful situation, and we will be prepared to defend ourselves in the future. It is not appropriate to start a fight on our own. The other tribe may be extremely rude and respond as a last resort. All the reasons for the detailed discussion in compliance with the order will be carefully prepared and recorded. Each item will be covered and a list of tools will be prepared and presented to the emperor for inspection. Fuqi Emperor's holy teachings. I would like to play.
I would like to summarize the urgent matters that need to be handled in the original memorial of the Prime Minister's Yamen, and provide practical measures one by one. I will also incorporate the various sections of Ding Richang's continuation into a detailed proposal, and respectfully submit it to the emperor for review.
1. An article on military training in the original poem, internally stated: If you want to be able to defend yourself against foreign aggression, it will be more difficult than defeating the thieves, and your soldiers should be more sophisticated than defeating the thieves. This is a theory that will not be published. The thieves who returned to Gaifa Nian Temple were all common people from the mainland. Although they were brave and persevering, their weapons were not as sophisticated as those of the official army. They could suppress and appease them at the same time. If the foreign country is originally an enemy country, and they only rely on the strength of their troops to win, but their weapons are stronger than mine and their skills are better than mine, then they will win temporarily but will eventually lose.
If the enemy invades from inside the sea channel, he will need to train his navy immediately. However, all countries are island barbarians who regard water as their home. Their ships and cannons have been refined for a long time and are beyond the reach of the Chinese navy. There is more land than water in China, and the army is still the foundation of the country. If the army is well trained, it can still fight fiercely after the enemy soldiers land on the beach; if the forts are arranged properly, they can still resist the enemy ships when they enter. However, the old methods of bows, arrows, knives, spears, and Taiwanese guns used by Qi Ying and Lv Ying were definitely not enough to control the foreigners, nor were they enough to destroy the local bandits.
That is to say, the military training in Zhili was repeatedly selected and reorganized, and recently it began to also practice foreign guns and small explosives. It can be used to suppress internal invaders, but it is not believed to be used to ward off external troubles. The soldiers trained in each province are roughly the same. Few use foreign guns, and even fewer use back-door guns and explosives. Their strength can only be improved but not reduced. They can only be trained with foreign weapons in order to win, but cannot stick to the old system. To save money.
