Zuo Zongtang was a famous politician and military figure in the late Qing Dynasty. He made many meritorious contributions to the Qing Dynasty. Zeng Guofan, Li Hongzhang, and Zhang Zhidong were also known as the four famous ministers of Zhongxing in the late Qing Dynasty. Zuo Zongtang initiated Westernization among the onlookers. He is one of the representatives of the Western-style faction.
He also led an army to participate in the suppression of the Taiping Rebellion, especially the later reconquest of Xinjiang.
Zuo Zongtang joined the army since he was a child and experienced hundreds of battles of all sizes. In these battles, what made Zong Tang difficult to let go was the last battle before his death, the Sino-French War.
During the Second Opium War, France began to invade Vietnam, which gradually became a French colony.
Since ancient times, China and Vietnam have had close relations and are interdependent.
The expansion of capital is bloody, not only satisfactory. The larger the commodity market and the origin of raw materials, the better. Therefore, the French occupation could not stop only in Vietnam, and it was true.
After the invasion of Vietnam, the flames of war quickly spread to the southeast coast.
In dealing with the French question, the Qing government at that time split into two camps, the main militant faction headed by Zuo Zongtang, Zeng Jize and Zhang Zhidong, and the main peaceful faction headed by Li Hongzhang to ensure the interests of the country. Interest, there are already seven.
Zuo Zongtang appointed himself to supervise the battle and rushed to the frontier.
After Zuo Zongtang took office, he quickly organized an army and made an important contribution to the subsequent war.
At this time, Zuo Zongtang was also very old. Naturally, he could not personally go into battle to kill the enemy.
In the early days of the Sino-French War, China suffered everywhere. France did not quickly invade the border between Vietnam and China, mainly because of environmental concerns.
In the eleventh year of Guangxu, the French army invaded Liangshan, and Pan Dingxin, the governor of Guangxi, retreated without a fight, and soon the French army successfully captured Zhennanguan. Later, due to insufficient armament, the French chose to burn officers and prepare to invade again in the future.
At that time, the veteran Feng Zi was reactivated. With the efforts of the Kurosaki Army and the Kejing Border Defense Army, Zhennanguan quickly established military defensive positions.
Soon after, the French army made a comeback. The veteran general Feng Zicai conquered the defensive line and led his army to fight fiercely with the French army, and finally repelled the French army. So there was the great victory of Zhennanguan.
This great victory was a rare victory in the Sino-French war.
The Qing government did not want to continue to forge ahead and defeat the French army, but wanted to negotiate peace as soon as possible.
In the eyes of the imperial court, if it continues to fight against the French army, it may be able to win, but it is very likely that civil unrest will be detrimental to the rule.
Zuo Zongtang was of course resolutely opposed to this, but he was against the Qing government.
But it doesn't work.
In the end, China and France signed a new Sino-French treaty, and the Qing court recognized France's right to protect Vietnam.
In addition, the Kojindin Border Guard, which contributed to the Sino-French War, was also attacked. Zuo Zongtang wrote a letter complaining to his subordinates and calling for the retreat of the troops.
This battle finally made Zuo Zongtang uneasy.
The new Sino-French Treaty was signed, and the door of southwest China was opened. When Zuo Zongtang died, he couldn't see clearly. His final memorial service expressed his regret and resentment.
When the chancellor went south, he was a big deep bed, Zhang Guowei, and he hated his life and could not see clearly.
In the late Qing Dynasty, there were actually many soldiers like Zuo Zongtang. Unfortunately, the rule of the late Qing Dynasty had decayed, and it was difficult to support the revenge of these soldiers.