<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="1" > background</h1>
On March 19, 1644, Li Zicheng, the King of Xinshun, led a peasant army to capture the Ming capital Beijing, and the Chongzhen Emperor Zhu Youjian, accompanied by the eunuch Wang Cheng'en, hanged himself at Coal Mountain. Li Zicheng had not yet warmed Chongzhen's dragon chair, and only a month later, the Former Liaodong Commander-in-Chief Wu Sangui and the Eight Banner Army led by Dolgun joined forces to defeat Li Zicheng.
In order to gain legitimacy, the Shunzhi Emperor personally presided over the worship of the Chongzhen Emperor, thinking that the former Chongzhen Emperor was mourning, and announced to the world that the Manchu Qing was the successor of the Ming Dynasty, and the Manchu Qing entered the customs to avenge the Chongzhen Emperor.
If you stand in the context of the times at that time, if you agree that the Qing Dynasty that occupied Beijing was a legitimate regime, you would most likely be regarded as a joke. Because, compared with the Southern Ming regime in Nanjing, the Qing regime that had just entered the customs was actually a weak side.
Compared with the Southern Song Dynasty, which was partial to the south in history and continued the 152-year-old State, the fame of the Southern Ming regime was undoubtedly much smaller.
Because people's impression of Nanming now is mainly two points:
First, the State Zuo was too short, and the stranglehold of the Southern Ming Yongli Emperor Zhu Youluo by Wu Sangui marked the complete demise of the Southern Ming, which was only 17 years after Chongzhen committed suicide in 1644, which is really not worth mentioning.
Second, the people were miserable, the overall offensive of the Manchu Qing army against the Southern Ming was smooth, in addition, in the process of the Manchu Qing's attack to the south, there were "Ten Days of Yangzhou", "Three Massacres of Jiading", and the Battle of Jiangyin, in which all the people in the city were killed, which added a lot of tragic and magnificent colors to the Southern Ming.
If we only look at these isolated incidents, we feel that the Southern Ming Anti-Qing And southern Song Dynasties resisted the Yuan, both were weak and small sides stubbornly resisted the strong enemy, and in the end, although they failed, they could still sing and cry.
But in fact, at least during the Hongguang regime, the situation in the Southern Ming was much better than that in the Southern Song Dynasty.
The question arises: Why was the Southern Song Dynasty able to form a more effective resistance to the Yuan army, while the Southern Ming Dynasty was defeated in just a dozen years?
The answer is infighting!
Next, let's look at the extent of infighting between the different regimes of the Southern Ming Dynasty and the process of their demise.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="7" > Hongguang Daming: </h1>
In May 1644, after learning of the death of the Chongzhen Emperor, the Ming dynasty officials in Jiangnan immediately supported Zhu Yousong, the Prince of Fu, to take the throne in the capital of Nanjing, with the era name "Hongguang". Nanjing was the capital of the Ming Empire during the Zhu Yuanzhang period, although the capital was moved to Beijing by Zhu Di, the ancestor of Ming Cheng, but Nanjing as the capital still retained a complete set of bureaucratic system, theoretically, as long as the Zhu family is on the throne as emperor, the backup government of Nanjing can immediately begin to operate.
At this time, the Hongguang regime looked promising. First of all, the reigning Fu Wang Zhu Yousong was of relatively pure blood, and such a bloodline gave the Hongguang regime a higher legitimacy. Secondly, the cards in the hands of the Hongguang regime are very good:
1. It has the economic center of the Empire, the southeast coastal region, while the northern and southwestern regions are relatively stable compared with the wars, and their financial situation is better guaranteed.
2. The advantages of terrain and military resources, in addition to the natural danger of the Yangtze River, there are about 120,000 "four towns in the north of the River" soldiers and horses, if the Southern Ming regime can use the "natural danger" and the four towns of soldiers and horses properly, not only can delay the offensive of the Qing army, but also can effectively counterattack the Qing army.
3. In terms of strength, the Southern Ming was superior, and the total strength of the Manchu Qing Eight Banners (including the Mongolian Eight Banners and han Eight Banners) at this time was less than 150,000; while the strength of the four towns in the north of shan Jiang was at least 120,000, and Zuo Liangyu in Wuchang was also known as a mercenary of 500,000, even if Zuo Liangyu's army was cut in half, the Southern Ming still had more than 300,000 troops, even if it could not counterattack the Manchu Qing, defensive resistance should be more than enough.
Gao Jie and Huang Degong have always been at odds, Gao Jie even ambushed Huang Degong, and Huang Degong was not a fuel-saving lamp, and immediately after Gao Jie was stabbed to death, he immediately went to grab Gao Jie's territory; the generals of the four towns in Jiangbei were at odds with each other, and the incentive policy given by Nanming had already stirred up the four towns in Jiangbei into a pot of porridge. Zuo Liangyu in Hubei was even more amused, not only disagreeing with Ma Shiying, the first assistant of the cabinet at the time, but also dissatisfied with the Hongguang Emperor. In addition to Huang Degong's death, Liu Liangzuo, Liu Zeqing, and Zuo Menggeng, the son of Zuo Liangyu, were successively surrendered to Qing, in addition to huang Degong's death.
The Manchu Qing army can be said to be fighting more and more, and the more they fight, the stronger they are. In the end, the Nanming Hongguang regime, which could have made great achievements, almost all fell without a fight, except for Shi Kefa and Huang Degong. On May 23, 1645, the city of Nanjing was destroyed, and the Hongguang Emperor was captured and executed by the Qing army the following year, and the Hongguang regime collapsed. In the battle against the Qing army, the Southern Ming emperors were busy with infighting, and the Shi Kefa department stationed in Yangzhou was only more than 10,000 people at this time, although during the war Shi Kefa asked the Hongguang Emperor for help several times, but did not wait for reinforcements. After the fall of the Hongguang regime, the power of the Manchus and Southern Ming dynasties underwent a real reversal.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="13" >Longwu Daming:</h1>
In June 1645, The Tang Emperor Zhu Yujian, with the support of Zheng Zhilong, was proclaimed emperor with the era name Longwu.
Unlike the Hongguang Emperor, the Longwu Emperor had a strong desire to recover the lost territory, and as soon as he ascended the throne, he announced that he would "restore the imperial family and expel the Qing soldiers, so as to destroy the inheritance of my grandfather." Emperor Longwu not only had the determination, but also had a specific plan, he first formulated the strategic policy of first Nanjing (half merit) and then Beijing (full merit), and first sent the university scholar Huang Daozhou to the Zhejiang and Anhui regions in July. In August, Huang Binqing was ordered to lead a water division to "go from Funing to Ningning, Shao, Jin, Qu and other places, join forces to attack and restore nandu." After the fall of the Hongguang regime, because of the shaving order, it caused fierce resistance from the people in the Jiangnan region, which slowed down the progress of the Manchu Qing army to the south, and at the same time, the Northern Expedition of Emperor Longwu was also supported by the local people.
However, as a local magnate, Zheng Zhilong was not highly motivated to "recover the lost land" and "send troops to the Northern Expedition", and he was more concerned about whether his strength was damaged, so Zheng Zhilong reacted passively to the strategy of Emperor Longwu, and when the Manchu Qing army attacked south, Zheng Zhilong surrendered decisively. The establishment of the Longwu regime was inseparable from the support of local forces such as Zheng Zhilong, but the primary purpose of Zheng Zhilong was not to ensure the survival of the Southern Ming regime, and their real concern was to maintain their own power from damage. Therefore, the national policy formulated by the Longwu regime could not be supported by the local magnates, and the failure was expected. In September 1646, the Longwu Emperor Zhu Yujian was captured, and then died of hunger strike, and the Southern Ming Longwu regime collapsed.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="17" > Yongli Daming:</h1>
After the fall of the Longwu regime, in November 1646, the Ming Dynasty Governor of Guangxi, Qu Shiyun, proclaimed Zhu Youluo the Prince of Gui as emperor, with the era name Yongli. At this time, most of Nanming's previous advantages had been eliminated, and there were not many of its own advantages left, and what could really compete with the Manchu Qing army was the remnants of the former Daxi regime. After Zhang Xianzhong's death, due to the consideration of the actual situation, his subordinates Sun Kewang, Li Dingguo, Liu Wenxiu, and Ai Nengqi led the people to submit to the Yongli regime of the Southern Ming Dynasty.
After that, the former generals of the Great Western Army began to actively organize military operations against the Qing army, and in the subsequent military operations, Li Dingguo's military talents were fully brought into play. In the battle against Guilin, Li Dingguo defeated Kong Youde, the king of Southern Qing, and forced Kong Youde, the king of Dingnan, to set himself on fire and die; in the battle of Hengzhou, Hunan, Li Dingguo beheaded The Prince of Qingjingjin, Nikan, in front of the battle. Li Dingguo successively beheaded the two kings of the Qing court, known in history as the "two famous kings", such a brilliant battle record, li Dingguo's reputation was greatly enhanced, and even let the Qing court have a plan to divide the river with Li Dingguo.
However, Li Dingguo's constant victories aroused Sun Kewang's suspicion and jealousy, and Sun Kewang, who remained at the base camp, calculated Li Dingguo everywhere. Former comrades-in-arms eventually developed into death. In August 1657 (the eleventh year of the Yong calendar and the fourteenth year of Shunzhi), Sun Kewang personally led an army of 100,000 to attack Li Dingguo.
Although Li Dingguo only had more than 30,000 people, Sun Kewang was still not Li Dingguo's opponent, sun Kewang's men turned against him, and finally only more than 50 horsemen of the 100,000-strong army fled with him. Unable to bear the defeat, Sun Kewang ran to Changsha with a cigarette, surrendered to the Qing court, and became the leading party of the Qing court. With Sun Kewang, the "leading party", the Qing army finally found out the details of the Southern Ming army.
The Southern Ming Yongli regime in the midst of the storm not only had to face infighting in the army, but also had to face a timid emperor like a rat, Zhu Youluo.
The Yongli Emperor Zhu Youluo was extremely afraid of the Manchu Qing attack, his only thought was to run as far as he could, and in order to save his life, he was baptized into Catholicism, hoping that God would bless him. However, there were leading parties in the front and many obstacles in the rear, and Li Dingguo's strategy toward the Qing army gradually changed from active to passive, and Li Dingguo ultimately did not guarantee the survival of Zhu Youluo, who had a strong desire to survive.
In 1659, Zhu Fled to Burma and was taken in by the Burmese king Mang Da. In 1661, Wu Sangui led a large army to suppress the territory, and Mang Da's brother Mang Bai took the opportunity to launch a coup d'état and kill his brother to succeed to the throne. On August 12, 1661, Mang Bai launched the Curse of Water and killed the Yongli Emperor's attendant Guards. Subsequently, the usurper Mang Bai "sent the Yongli Emperor Zhu Youluo back" to Yunnan, and on June 1, 1662, the Yongli Emperor's father, son, and 25 of their dependents were strangled to death by bowstrings in Kunming's grate slope. At this point, the Southern Ming regime came to an end.
In general, these three regimes will find:
All three regimes have a common feature in the process of decay, that is, internal friction.
The terminally ill and infighting-ridden Southern Ming regime naturally had no possibility of confrontation in the face of an all-out attack from an emerging empire. It is even more unlikely that the military and the people will work together to fight against the most powerful empire at that time for decades like the Southern Song Dynasty. In the final analysis, Nanming's chance to turn the tables was consumed alive by himself.