Changes in any affairs are accompanied by pros and cons, and they should be viewed from both sides. At the moment of change, it is also necessary as the situation develops. If we do not rely on realistic conditions and objective laws, rely on emperors or those in power to make decisions, and insist on going our own way, then it is not a revolution, but a fool's errand that harms the country and the people.
The Han Dynasty court or Emperor Liu decided to reform the military system. Naturally, it was not just after receiving a few admonitions and listening to some suggestions, he made a decision with enthusiasm and heart.
It has been brewing for several years, and only after many investigations and comprehensive considerations have we finally reached a conclusion. The pressure faced by the finance is also an objective situation and a practical need.
Of course, it is not that there is really any problem with the Han Dynasty's finances. The current income from major tax items such as two taxes, commercial taxes, salt, iron, tea and cotton is enough to maintain the normal operation of the country's military administration. It should be fine in ten years. .
What Zhao Pu and other ministers considered was not to suppress the army, nor did they think that the imperial government's finances were really at a point where they would collapse if they did not disarm.
They also understand the importance of national defense consolidation, border maintenance, and military building, which are major events related to national security and political power stability. They just feel that in peacetime, maintaining such a large army at such a high cost is really not feasible. If necessary, military spending can and should be limited, at least to a healthy level.
Emperor Liu has been maintaining the Han Dynasty over the years and has been making constant adjustments in governance, becoming more pragmatic and focused on the present. But this does not mean that he has completely lost his vision and no longer has foresight.
As the emperor of the empire, the heavy weight of the crown also forced him to make some long-term considerations, instead of waiting for things to happen and then hastily dealing with them. At least, he is not willing to passively solve the problem more than ten or twenty years later when the problem is so deep and serious that it has to be changed.
Of course, it is still unknown whether he can live another twenty years, but as long as he is still in office, he must do what he can and should do resolutely, and try not to leave the problem to his successor. This was Emperor Liu's responsibility as the "founding" king, and it was also dictated by his character.
In any reform, there is a very important issue, that is, while correcting current shortcomings and alleviating old contradictions, it is also necessary to pay attention to the emergence of new problems and the expansion of new contradictions. This is very necessary.
In the past many rounds of changes in the Han Dynasty, there are countless cases that prove this point. The birth of any new policy or new system reform can be achieved once and for all, with no harm to all benefits. Therefore, in this aspect, the monarchs and ministers of the Han Dynasty were still very rational.
Judging from this military reform, if it succeeds and can be implemented step by step according to the plan formulated by the central government, then in the future, the military expenditure of the Han Dynasty can be effectively controlled, and the national finance can become more rational and healthy.
This is a benefit and the fundamental purpose of the reform, but it also brings new problems and new contradictions between national finance and national defense construction. If this problem cannot be solved, the reform will not be successful and may even have disastrous consequences.
The most critical issue is how to maintain rule, how to consolidate national defense, and how to ensure the security of the Han Dynasty's thousands of miles of territory after large-scale army dismantling and military expenditure reduction.
The disbanded military must find alternative solutions for their original responsibilities of homeland defense and public security suppression. The number of officers and soldiers can be reduced, but not at the expense of national security.
Therefore, reducing the size of the army is only the first step in the reform of the military system. The next step is to organize a force that can fill the gap in national defense, which is the rural soldiers.
After years of construction, the Han Dynasty has already established a basic rural soldier system across the country. Among the annual military expenditures, there is also a part of the allocation specifically for the weapons, training, and supplies of the rural soldiers, which is the responsibility of each prefecture's governor.
According to the regulations for building rural soldiers in the Han Dynasty, all registered rural soldiers who are volunteers must receive training from the commander-in-chief for 45 to 60 days every year during the slack season, including basic training and the indoctrination of military doctrine. The price is that they can be exempted. A certain amount of labor.
During the war years, these volunteers with basic training experience were undoubtedly the most important and reliable source of soldiers for the Han army. They were the main recruitment target of the Privy Council, effectively supplementing the consumption of unification and foreign wars.
However, with the passage of time and the advent of peace, the organizational construction of rural soldiers has entered a state of stagnation, both in terms of financial investment and training.
After all, when the Han Dynasty conquered all over the world and was invincible, when the war was actually gone and society restored stability and tranquility, people's attention naturally shifted from the war, and their minds were completely focused on the hard work of making a living.
The border states are acceptable, and the environment and customs are suitable for the development of rural soldiers. Coupled with the strong support of the army and the capital, the construction of rural soldiers in the border areas has been maintained at a high level, and the atmosphere is also very strong. Li Jilong said that the border areas It is also true that Jixiang Yong assumes more responsibilities in border defense affairs.
In comparison, the situation in the mainland Daozhou is obviously not optimistic. Although martial arts is still popular among the Han people and has been guided by the government, for most people, the cost of practicing martial arts is still high, and there are not that many of time and energy to be deeply involved.
After the Han Dynasty's military reform, the construction of rural soldiers will also be increased. Different from the previous kind of basic and simple training, the rural soldiers under the reform have higher requirements for them, they have to bear greater responsibilities, their status in the Han army also needs to be improved, and their treatment needs to be improved.
Of course, this refers to those rural soldiers who were selected and enriched into the Han national defense system. Not only the border areas need to supplement the reduction of regular troops, but also the local Daozhou will become the auxiliary troops of the garrison.
The strategy formulated by the Privy Council was to select the strongest among the rural soldiers and organize them into a semi-military force, called regiment training. It was to re-plan a force in the Han military system. This force would supplement the national defense. Gaps in defense.
According to the requirements put forward by the Privy Council, local regiment training must maintain at least two hundred days of training every year, and must assume the responsibility of maintaining public security and serve in other places. Team training on the border lasts for three years. After three years, they will be transferred back to their place of origin. The age limit is also relaxed to forty years old.
The most critical thing is that these regiments are not paid for military training except when they are engaged in war or special tasks such as suppressing bandits and fighting rebellion. Instead, the court exempts these regiment trainees from the middle tax, the two taxes, and the labor service of two people per household per year.
The normal expenses of the imperial court for maintaining these regiments include daily training, uniforms, ordnance, and supplies, and the equipment requirements are also lower. This kind of treatment is cheap compared with the regular soldiers of the imperial court. Of course, casualty compensation must also be paid, which is also inferior to that of active officers and soldiers.
The construction of regiment training was also the most important and fundamental measure implemented by the imperial court in the reform of the military system, and the savings in military expenses came from it.
There is no doubt that regiment training is much weaker than the regular soldiers of the imperial court. The impact of troop reduction cannot be made up by mere regiment training. The national defense strength of the Han Dynasty will be greatly reduced.
However, on the basis of basically ensuring national defense, the purpose of maintaining a normal military expenditure can be achieved, and at the same time, the Han army system can be further improved.
As for the entire military reform, the only army that has not changed is probably the Suwei Army who defended Emperor Liu. They were the emperor's personal soldiers and were the last line of defense to protect the imperial city and defend Emperor Liu. No matter when, their status was , its strength will not waver.
In addition, the Fan soldiers who were once part of the Han army were also abolished. The imperial court no longer maintains the basic establishment. Some of them, who have meritorious service and are devoted to the Han army, will be selected to join the Han army.
When war breaks out, temporary recruitment, temporary expenditure, and organized combat are carried out when necessary. This is also a consideration to eliminate the military threat of the Hu people. Of course, armies such as the Southwest Feiqian Army are still retained, and they are no longer considered to be regular soldiers.
