Humanistic perspective
Edited the I Nine Song
China's modern history is a history that is difficult for the Chinese people to forget, and the corruption of the late Qing Dynasty made the late Qing forces gradually lag behind the Western powers. In order to open the door of China, the Western powers have launched two Opium Wars, which have made the rights and interests of the Western powers in China more and more.
At that time, the government of the late Qing Dynasty had no choice but to be forced to sign an agreement. After several head-on confrontations with Western powers, the late Qing Dynasty ended in failure. At this time, we clearly realized that we can no longer be complacent, but should take the initiative to learn Western things. With Li Hongzhang, Zhang Zhidong, Zuo Zongtang and others as representative figures, the Western Affairs Movement arose.
In order to consolidate its dominance in the late Qing Dynasty, in addition to advanced weapons and equipment, there were also industrial learning from the West, and in other aspects, it was also constantly learning. Song Yuren is not well known to other Western-style figures.
Song Yuren, an early bourgeois reformist thinker in China, is known as the "first person" in the history of Sichuan to open his eyes to the world. He presided over the Sichuan commercial mining business in Chongqing. Set up the Bureau of Commerce, set up foreign candles, kerosene, coal mines, glass, ash, cigarettes, medicinal materials and other companies, for the Sichuan gentleman business leaders.
In 1894, Song Yuren followed the minister Gong Zhaoyi on an envoy to Europe, during which he conducted a profound investigation and study of the politics, economy, and culture of the European countries. Song Yuren compiled the contents of his investigation into 4 volumes of "Collecting Winds", which introduced Western politics and customs, and further explained and enriched his ideas on reform and reform.
In this year, the Sino-Japanese War broke out, and Song Yuren was in London, not in China. At that time, Song Yuren served as the counselor of the Chinese envoys to Britain, France, Italy, and Belgium, and the minister Gong Zhaoyi returned to China to report for duty. Song Yuren temporarily took over his position when Song Yuren learned of the Sino-Japanese war.
After the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War, Song Yuren always paid close attention to the domestic situation, and when he learned the news that the Qing army had routed in Pyongyang, the Battle of the Yellow Sea had been lost. Song Yuren suddenly remembered a bold idea in his mind, and he wrote to the imperial court: "The Soldiers are few and poor, and they last long enough to be trapped." ”
Because Song Yuren temporarily acted as a minister, he conspired with Yang Yizhi and the interpreter Wang Fenghao to recruit two thousand Australian sailors from Argentina and Chile, ten torpedo boats, and then recruited two thousand Australian sailors to form an army.
After the formation of this army, under the guise of the Australian merchant group and in the name of protecting the merchant group, it went north from the Philippines and made a surprise attack on the Japanese main island. At this time, there must have been a small number of people on the main island of Japan, and this time in the name of the Australian merchant group, and Australia was a British colony at that time. No matter what disputes arose later, japan's power at that time would never oppose Britain.
Song Yuren's idea seems a bit absurd, but its operability is still very strong. After Song Yuren made the relevant plans, he immediately wrote an urgent letter to the imperial court. Hoping to get the support of the imperial court, on the other hand, he contacted Liu Kunyi, Zhang Zhidong, and other governors of Liangjiang to obtain the support of these feudal officials.
In addition to doing these tasks, Song Yuren also made a loan of two million pounds and another one million pounds to the Kangdeket Bank of the United States through some connections to pay for the purchase of the warship. Through a series of efforts, Song Yuren has prepared the military and recruited the combatants. Only waiting for the notice of the imperial court.
Logically, this matter was about to succeed, but after Gong Zhaoyi returned abroad, after learning of Song Yuren's practice, he immediately wrote to the imperial court, saying that Song Yuren was trying to cause trouble. At this time, the late Qing government already had the idea of making peace with Japan, and Li Hongzhang, after learning of Song Yuren's plan, vigorously opposed it.
When Cixi learned of Song Yuren's plans abroad, she also thought that he had "caused a trouble in vain", and immediately ordered that all matters such as purchasing ships and recruiting troops would be nullified, and at the same time summoned Song Yuren to return to China quickly.
Song Yuren's practice is stillborn in this way. By the time Song Yuren returned to China, China and Japan were already discussing the signing of the Maguan Treaty. History did not have if, the defeat of the Sino-Japanese War also marked the defeat of the foreign affairs movement.
After the defeat of the Sino-Japanese War, it also made us more aware that it is not technology that can become stronger if it keeps up.