General Jin Yinan said in the book "Why China": The battle between the Qing Dynasty and the great powers was not that they did not dare to fight, but that they were indeed fought, but they were defeated worse than each time, and the losses were greater than the losses, and the losses were more than once.
Why is this happening? Some modern historians say: There are no emperors in the Great Qing Dynasty, and there are no traitors in the Great Qing. This means that the demise of the Qing Dynasty is very special. In the past, it was because the emperor was too corrupt, but the Qing Dynasty was not like this, Daoguang, Xianfeng, Tongzhi, and Guangxu were all good emperors who worked hard to govern, and both the main war faction and the main peace faction could also consider from the perspective of safeguarding the interests of the imperial court.
Some people also say that the defeat of the Opium War was because Daoguang removed Lin Zexu from his post and used a group of capitulationists, which is actually the fulfillment of history for one person. Lin Zexu was removed from his post, preserving his reputation from history. But if we don't withdraw the forest, will we surely win the Opium War? Kim Yinan doesn't think so.
"Why China" shows that the reason why the Qing Dynasty perished is mainly because in the face of the capitalist system, the feudal system has reached the end of history.
According to historical records, Jiaqing, Daoguang years of the wind and wind, the most important annual expenditure is to control the river, but the real river management cost to the project is less than 1/10, the rest is squandered clean. After the Daoguang Emperor ascended the throne, although he was very frugal and worked hard to govern, he had no choice but to fall to the mansion.
Daoguang was still a little stronger, he was very uncomfortable after the signing of the Treaty of Nanjing, but what happened to the Xianfeng Emperor? When he escaped to the Rehe River, he did not forget to drink deer blood, and he also had to take with him more than a hundred deer, which was only after the ministers tried to persuade him.
"Why China" also points out a large number of relevant details of Cixi to make the problem more telling. Cixi and Guangxu did realize the importance of coastal defense, and Cixi also said that the significance of the navy is very important, and it is by no means comparable to ordinary policies, but why did she embezzle naval funds to repair the Summer Palace?
Because this matter is not contradictory to Cixi, the ironclad ship is an important tool used to maintain the rule, and the Summer Palace is an important tool for enjoying life, and everything is taken for granted. So he had to support the navy, and he also had to let the minister who stopped him from repairing the garden get out, which was not contradictory at all.
Speaking of the Guangxu Emperor's father, when he presided over the naval gate, it was precisely at a critical moment when Cixi should return Guangxu's power. Of course, he knew that Cixi liked dictatorship and was worried that his son would always be an emperor, but he did not want to anger Cixi, so he could only be careful to flatter.
In his mentality, the Navy Yamen became a platform for saving himself, fulfilling his son, and deliberately offering him. When he was the minister of the navy, his greatest concern was not naval construction, but whether his son, the Guangxu Emperor, could take power safely. Therefore, during the Tongzhi Emperor period, he was still firmly opposed to the cultivation of the garden, but later he still embezzled naval military funds.
In addition to him, there is Li Hongzhang. Li Hongzhang was also opposed at first, but later agreed. First, he borrowed 5 million marks from a German bank, and then raised 2.6 million taels from various places in the name of the navy. The reason for this is also because of the political calculations of the officialdom.
How much of the Navy's expenses have been misappropriated is still unclear. Some people say it is 30 million taels. "Why China" believes that this figure is somewhat exaggerated, and the most accurate should be 12 million to 14 million two.
And this money should not be said to have been embezzled by Cixi, but rather that Guangxu's father and Li Hongzhang and other naval leaders let it out. Those who were the most effective in forming the Navy in those years also contributed the most when they misappropriated naval funds later. Those who were most opposed to the construction of the garden at that time also contributed the most when they tried every means to raise funds to build the garden.
This paradox was also reflected in the Guangxu Emperor's teacher, Weng Tonggong. He was originally a main war faction, but he could still embezzle naval funds to alleviate the tight finances of the imperial court, and even wanted to weaken Li Hongzhang and weaken the Beiyang Fleet. "Why China" sighed: The result of the fight is that the unfortunate one can only be the Qing Dynasty Navy. With a large amount of financial resources for internal friction, how can we meet the challenge of a strong enemy?
It is not easy for us to go from a century of vicissitudes to national rejuvenation in China, and General Jin Yinan's "Why China" reveals the mystery of China's development and tells the game contest in China's rise. It starts from the Opium War and continues to the modern Sino-US trade war, which makes us understand why this troubled nation can stand tall in the forest of the world.
"Why China" interprets the Chinese road for us, writes about China's strength, and highlights China's self-confidence. It is the culmination of General Jin Yinan's 30-year creative career, selected as a key publication on the theme of the Propaganda Department, and is a moving epic of struggle, which can be purchased by clicking on the link below.