After a long period of civil strife and foreign aggression, the Joseon Dynasty gradually realized the weakness of its own army and began to consider military reform to cope with the increasingly severe security situation.
At the end of the 19th century, the Joseon Dynasty began to introduce the Western military system, and was assisted and influenced by the Qing Dynasty of China, the suzerain.
With the help of the Qing Dynasty in China, the Joseon Dynasty began to reform its traditional military system. The Joseon Dynasty wanted to learn from the experience of the Qing Dynasty and adopt the Qing Dynasty's military system to strengthen its own army.
In addition, North Korea has also noted the military strength of Western countries, especially Japan, Russia, and the United States. In order to compete with these countries, the Joseon dynasty began to introduce the military system of the West.
In this context, the Qing Dynasty of China became an important helper in the military reform of the Joseon Dynasty. The Qing Dynasty opened up its military resources and experience, as well as related technology and equipment, to the Joseon Dynasty. At the same time, the Qing government also sent a number of well-known generals and officials to the Joseon Dynasty to provide training and guidance.
In the process of reform, the Joseon Dynasty Xi learned the various systems of the Qing Dynasty, such as the banner, clothing, food, paperwork, and military system, and began to divide the army into two parts: the regular army and the local army.
The regular army was divided into infantry, cavalry, artillery, sailors, and special forces, while the local army was organized by the leaders of each province. At the same time, the Joseon Dynasty also adopted a "conscription order" that called on men over the age of 18 to join the army. These measures led to a significant increase in the morale and combat effectiveness of the Joseon Dynasty's army.
In general, the military reform of the Joseon Dynasty benefited in part from exchanges between the suzerains and the vassals. The Qing Dynasty of China provided important military resources and support to the Joseon Dynasty, promoting its military reform process.
This reform strengthened the military of the Joseon Dynasty to a certain extent, thereby strengthening the military strength of the Joseon Dynasty and preparing for later military conflicts and wars.
However, such exchanges and introductions have also led to some negative effects. In the process of reform, the Joseon Dynasty continued to borrow and import from the outside world, deviating from its own traditional culture and values.
The introduction of these new systems and institutions also caused dissatisfaction among some nobles and intellectuals within Joseon, further weakening the political and cultural cohesion of the Joseon Dynasty.
At the same time, due to the relationship between the Joseon Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty, the Joseon Dynasty was also subject to restrictions and interference from the Qing Dynasty. The Qing Dynasty's power and influence gradually expanded, and from the end of the last century, there was control and intervention in Korea. Korea gradually became a vassal state of the Qing Dynasty and lost some of its autonomy.
In addition, in competition with Western countries such as Japan, Russia, and the United States, although the Joseon Dynasty introduced advanced military technology and equipment, due to various reasons, the degree of equipment and completeness was not comparable to that of Western countries. This also led to heavy losses in the later wars and conflicts of the Joseon Dynasty.
In general, the exchanges between the suzerains and vassals had a great impact on the military reform of the Joseon Dynasty. In the process of being helped and influenced by the Qing Dynasty in China, the Joseon Dynasty continued to absorb and learn Xi Western military system, forming a relatively complete military system.
However, this way of importing and borrowing also led to the lack of cultural and political values of the Joseon Dynasty, as well as the vassal attachment to the Qing Dynasty. As a result of these problems, the Joseon Dynasty was ultimately unable to win in the wars and conflicts that followed.