Among the four famous ministers of the late Qing Dynasty, Zhang Zhidong was a difficult figure to evaluate, and his life was extremely complicated. There is no doubt that Zhang Zhidong is an important figure in modern Chinese history and a well-known westerner, who has made many contributions to modern industry, education, military, culture and other aspects.
One
Zhang Zhidong was an official in Beijing in his early years and belonged to the Qing school. Since the seventh year of Guangxu, he served as the governor of Shanxi, successively serving as the governor of Liangguang, the governor of Huguang, and the acting governor of Liangjiang, and in his later years he joined the military aircraft department until his death in 1909. Two years after his death, the Wuchang Rebellion broke out and the Qing Dynasty collapsed. As a result, he was the last important figure in the upper echelons of the ruling class in the 268-year history of the Qing Dynasty to die.
Judging from Zhang Zhidong's life, he, like many modern characters, has a contradictory personality, and he reflects the intricate contradictions and reflects the characteristics of the times. At that time, China was already a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society, the national contradictions and class contradictions were very acute, and the feudal thing was about to withdraw from the stage of history, but it was not yet dead, it was still quite powerful; capitalism had been born, but it had not yet grown and expanded. The old is not dead, the new is born, and it is in a transitional period. Zhang Zhidong's remarks, actions, and thoughts reflected the characteristics of the times at that time.
On the one hand, Zhang Zhidong was a resistance faction and a patriot in all foreign wars; on the other hand, he was also a defender of the semi-colonial and semi-feudal ruling order. On the one hand, at the beginning of China's modernization, he learned from the West, opened factories, built railways, ran schools, and advocated new things, and made great contributions; on the other hand, he was obsessed with old things and old ideas, and did everything possible to maintain them. This contradiction in his body typically reflects the characteristics of the era in the late Qing Dynasty.
Although Zhang Zhidong is a contradictory figure and has made meritorious contributions in his life, in general, he has done many things that are beneficial to the country and the nation and to future generations. His life's achievements and career are very prominent.
Two
Throughout his life, Zhang Zhidong actively, enthusiastically, and wholeheartedly devoted himself to the foreign affairs movement, and was the most important foreign affairs faction after Li Hongzhang. His achievements are the most important in running the Hanyang Iron Works. At that time, there was no experience, no lack of funds, and no understanding of science and technology, it can be said that Zhang Zhidong groped forward in the dark, and the difficulties and problems were unimaginable.
However, Zhang Zhidong still braved difficulties and resistance, worked hard to start a business, and finally built the largest and most advanced copper and iron factory in Asia at that time. In fact, Zhang Zhidong did not have to bother to build a factory at all, he could be pampered and do nothing like most bureaucrats. However, he was still not afraid of difficulties and persevered, and this spirit of persisting in struggle and serving the country and the people was very valuable.
In terms of education, Zhang Zhidong opened many colleges and new-style schools, and sent students to study in Japan. At that time, the two lakes were the most official-funded international students, accounting for a quarter of the country, and Huang Xing, Song Jiaoren, and Cai Yi, who we are familiar with, were among the best.
Zhang Zhidong also contributed to the formation and training of the new army. The self-strengthening army he organized and trained became a model for revitalizing the army after the Sino-Japanese War, and yuan shikai started at the same time as the training of troops at the small station, and his sixth town of the Hubei New Army was different from the Beiyang army, its thinking was very enlightened, so the revolutionary youth poured in in large numbers, the revolutionary ideas were widely spread, and later became the initiator and main force of the Wuchang Uprising.
Although Zhang Zhidong himself was a bureaucrat with his own limitations, he opened factories, built railways, and trained troops to consolidate feudal rule, but the result went in the opposite direction, digging the corners of Qing rule and cultivating his own gravediggers, which was completely unexpected by him.
However, he did do a lot of things, objectively beneficial to the country and the nation. There were hundreds of governors of the late Qing Dynasty, and how many of them were willing to do this? Who is willing to run an industry, open a school to beg for food, and make a mess of money to raise funds? At that time, many bureaucrats thought that Zhang Zhidong was doing stupid things, and some people ridiculed him for his great achievements, and our descendants should understand more about the difficulties he encountered as a pioneer and the hardships he contained as a pioneer.
Three
What was Zhang Zhidong's attitude in the war against aggression? It can be said that throughout his life he opposed foreign aggression and was a resistance faction. This can be examined from his thoughts, ideas, and actions in his three earlier events.
The first thing is the issue of Ili negotiations. Tsarist Russia invaded and occupied Ili, and the treaty of Livadia signed by The reverent signed lost power and humiliated the country, and the whole country was in an uproar. At this time, Zhang Zhidong, together with Zhang Peilun and Chen Baochen, took the lead in opposing it, forcing the Qing government to send Zeng Jize to revise the treaty. Although in the end it was still an unequal treaty, it also somewhat saved some rights, and it should be said that Zhang Zhidong's patriotic words and deeds had produced practical results.
The second thing was the Sino-French War. Because Zhang Zhidong tried his best to lead the battle, the Qing government transferred him from the Inspector of Shanxi to the governor of Liangguang, and in fact he presided over the war. Zhang Zhidong resolutely resisted and actively prepared for war. He made several suggestions, one of which was to ask the imperial court to use Liu Yongfu.
At that time, there was a dispute over whether to use Liu Yongfu, Zhang Zhidong advocated reuse, and the imperial court heeded his advice and gave Liu Yongfu an official title and a nominal viceroy. In addition, he also used the veteran general Feng Zicai, Feng Zicai was already retired at home, Zhang Zhidong invited him out of the mountain, gave him military power, and finally achieved the famous Zhennanguan Victory.
In addition, Zhang Zhidong also strongly supported Liu Mingchuan in Taiwan to fight against the French army, funded 300,000 taels of military salaries, and sent Cantonese troops to support. In the Sino-French War, Zhang Zhidong was not the commander-in-chief, but in fact he sat in the rear to command and dispatch, and it can be said that his merits were remarkable.
The third incident was the Sino-Japanese Sino-Japanese War. In order to resist the enemy, he transferred a large number of liangjiang and Huguang troops to the north and borrowed money to support the northeast war of resistance, and his attitude was very positive. When maguan was negotiated, Zhang Zhidong was resolutely opposed to the cession of Taiwan, and he boldly declared: If the contract is signed, "sitting on the Chixian Shenzhou and becoming a foreign land by itself, the empress dowager and the emperor will be like the history books of later generations." The sharp edge pointed directly at Cixi and Guangxu.
When Japan cut off Taiwan and the Taiwan people fiercely resisted, the imperial court cut off Taiwan's support, and Zhang Zhidong disregarded the imperial court's ban and raised funds by HSBC to aid Taiwan's resistance to Japan.
Four
In China's modern history, very few ministers in high positions and holding certain powers have resolutely opposed aggression, which can be said to be rare. Lin Zexu and Zuo Zongtang are more prominent, and Zhang Zhidong is also one. Although he did not lead his troops to the front, he stood on the side of the resistance faction all his life, and at the crucial moment, he had words and deeds, could consider the interests of the nation, and had a strong patriotic ideology, which deserved full recognition.
Of course, Zhang Zhidong himself is a figure of the transitional era, and the conflict between new and old ideas is very clear in him. He was a minister of the Qing Dynasty, loyal to the imperial court and maintaining feudal rule; he admired Confucianism and maintained the ethics of the program, both of which ran through his thoughts and actions. The times are moving forward at a rapid pace, he can't keep up with the times, and gradually becomes a laggard.
The Penghu Restoration was a turning point in Zhang Zhidong, when the conflict between the old and the new was very obvious. He originally supported the change of law and was also very friendly to Kang Liang, especially when the Governor of Huguang received Liang Qichao, who was only a person at that time, and the courtesy was no less than that of the guests. In addition, Yang Rui of the Six Gentlemen of Wushu is Zhang Zhidong's proud protégé and has a close relationship, and Liu Guangdi is also recommended by him.
However, there was a gradual divergence between Zhang Zhidong and the Reformers, and they moved towards confrontation. At first, it was only academic, Zhang Zhidong had opinions on public education, but later developed into political differences, opposing the "civil rights theory", and finally turning against Kang Liang. Later, he wrote the "Persuasion Chapter" against the reformists and suppressed Tang Caichang's self-reliant army, which was an army engaged in armed struggle under the leadership of Kang Youwei and in the name of Qin Wang.
In short, Zhang Zhidong is a contradictory figure, he has done a lot of good things, and he has also resolutely resisted in previous foreign wars, which is the biggest difference between him and Li Hongzhang. But he also has many old things in him, which cannot keep up with the progress of the times and lag behind the times. But then again, not keeping up with the times was a common flaw in the historical figures of that period, and we can't be too harsh on Zhang Zhidong.