Preface
During the Qing Dynasty, the Taiping Army, as a legendary military force, has always been known for its combat effectiveness and organizational ability. And those famous generals of the Qing Dynasty, the evaluation of the Taiping Army has aroused widespread attention.
They believed that although the Taiping army did not have many elite soldiers, its combat effectiveness was extremely strong, which was enough to make the Hunan army at that time feel fearful. So, what was so remarkable about this army, and what led to its demise?
1. Ulantai's "Strange Stories"
In 1852, the Battle of General Bridge in Guangxi was a concentrated demonstration of the Taiping Army's combat effectiveness. Under the command of Ulantai, a famous general of the Eight Banners of the Qing Dynasty, there were more than 500 "firearms battalions" with strong firepower, all armed with Western weapons.
However, when he witnessed seven Taiping soldiers chasing more than 1,000 Qing soldiers and beating them, and also attacked the camp on the top of the mountain, using the Qing army's artillery to bombard him, Ulantai was grief-stricken and couldn't help but sigh: "The slaves see very well at the bottom of the mountain, and there are only seven thieves." With a thousand soldiers, it is not as good as seven thieves. Highlight beyond reason. "
Ulantai's words showed the bravery of the Taiping soldiers. They came from the Liangguang area, and they had gained remarkable combat experience in the long-term "Tuke Weapon Fight." The so-called "Tuke armed fighting" here refers to the conflict between the local peasants and the government forces.
The Liangguang region has always been the hardest hit area of peasant uprisings, and these Taiping soldiers were accustomed to confronting powerful officers and troops since they were young, so they have accumulated strong combat skills and courage.
More importantly, they believed in the worship of God and had a strong belief in the ideals of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. Worship of God was the spiritual pillar of the Taiping Army, which not only gave them religious comfort, but also filled them with great confidence and determination in their cause. In the face of the Qing army's attack, these Taiping soldiers would rather die than give in, vowing to fight to the end for the realization of the ideals of the heavenly kingdom.
Ulantai's "anecdotes" undoubtedly shocked the entire Qing army camp. As a famous general of the Eight Banners, the firearms battalion he led can be described as the elite of the elite, but when facing only seven Taiping soldiers, he was not an opponent at all. This is enough to show that the fighting power of the Taiping Army is breathtaking.
2. Zuo Zongtang's "exclamation"
With the deepening of the war, the combat effectiveness of the Taiping Army also impressed Zuo Zongtang and Li Hongzhang. When Zuo Zongtang led his army to the east to conquer Zhejiang and Jiangsu, he witnessed the might of the Taiping army. He sighed: "Qingpu and Jiading are two places, and the reversal has come suddenly. The fear of long hair is also with me. Entrusted to it, the true feelings are revealed. "
It turned out that when the reinforcements of the Taiping Army arrived, not only the Huai Army and the Hunan Army under Zuo Zongtang were frightened, but even the British and French Far East Fleets did not dare to act rashly, and could only rely on the superiority of firearms to counterattack. The fear of foreigners for the Taiping Army can be seen.
This situation also made Zuo Zongtang deeply touched. As a famous minister of Zhongxing in the Qing army, the Huai army and the Hunan army led by him can be described as the elite of the elite, but when facing the Taiping army, he had to retreat. This shows that the Taiping army was so strong in combat effectiveness that even the most elite units of the Qing army could hardly deal an effective blow to it.
And Zuo Zongtang's "fear of long hair" shows the fear of foreigners for the Taiping Army. At that time, the Anglo-French coalition army, with advanced weapons and equipment, once ran rampant and domineering on the Chinese battlefield. But in the face of the fierce offensive of the Taiping army, they also had to retreat, and could only rely on their firepower superiority to barely resist. This is enough to show that the Taiping Army's combat effectiveness is so strong that even foreigners dare not despise it.
Zuo Zongtang's exclamation is undoubtedly the highest praise for the combat effectiveness of the Taiping Army. As the top general in the Qing army, he can praise the Taiping Army so much, which shows the strength of this peasant rebel army. This also gives us a deeper understanding of the heroic deeds of the Taiping Army.
3. Zeng Guofan's "surprise"
As the head of the four "Zhongxing Famous Ministers", Zeng Guofan was also afraid of the combat effectiveness of the Taiping Army. He wrote in his family letter: "This time the killing of more than 1,000 real thieves in the third base has made the dog rebel a great decline, and he has won a great victory in a large city on weekdays, but he has not been able to kill many real thieves." "
What we refer to here is the battle of more than 10,000 people led by Bao Chao and Cheng Daji of the Hunan army in 1861 to attack Chigangling. Only more than 1,000 elite soldiers of the Taiping Army under Chen Yucheng defended the city, but they fought bravely and fought a bloody battle with the Hunan army for more than a month, and the Hunan army suffered heavy casualties. In the end, the Hunan army had to lure the back three bases and completely annihilated this Taiping army.
Zeng Guofan sighed that the so-called great victory of the Hunan army in the past was actually not a "real thief". Only this time, the elimination of more than 1,000 elite soldiers of the "old brothers" under Chen Yucheng greatly damaged the vitality of the Taiping Army. It can be seen that these "old brothers" under Chen Yucheng are indeed well-deserved "real thieves".
Zeng Guofan's words showed his deep fear of the Taiping Army's combat effectiveness. As the top general in the Qing army, the Hunan army he led can be described as the elite of the elite, but when facing the more than 1,000 elite soldiers of the Taiping army under Chen Yucheng, he had to pay a heavy price to win.
This is enough to show the bravery of the Taiping soldiers, and even the strongest troops in the Qing army could not easily defeat them. Zeng Guofan's "surprise" also reflected the status of the Taiping Army in the entire Qing army camp.
Not only were they superior in combat effectiveness, but even the most elite units of the Qing army could hardly deal an effective blow to them. This is also the highest praise for the combat effectiveness of the Taiping Army, and it also gives us a deeper understanding of the heroic deeds of this peasant rebel army.
4. Chen Yucheng's "bravery"
Chen Yucheng and Li Xiucheng were the two famous generals of the Taiping Army. Their bravery and skill in fighting are something that even the enemy cannot but admire. Hu Linyi once said: "Today's official and military rivals are only the four-eyed dog (Chen Yucheng's nickname), and the rest are not afraid." "
And Zeng Guofan was even more frightened of Chen Yucheng, and bluntly said, "Since the Han and Tang Dynasties, I have never seen such a strong thief." Most of the "old brothers" under Chen Yucheng came from the Liangguang area, and they had experienced countless "local and guest weapon fights" and accumulated rich practical combat experience. In addition, he believes in God-worshipping religion and is unswervingly loyal to the ideals of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, which is why he is so strong in combat.
As one of the main generals of the Taiping Army, Chen Yucheng's military talent can be described as outstanding. Even after the Tianjing Incident, his main force was heavily defeated, but he still relied on his excellent command skills to lead the remnants of the army to fight the enemy, and once put the Qing Dynasty in a desperate situation. This stubborn will to fight is really terrifying to the enemy.
The "four-eyed dog" mentioned by Hu Linyi is a derogatory term for Chen Yucheng. But this nickname instead became the other party's awe of him. As the chief general of the Taiping Army, Chen Yucheng's combat effectiveness was so strong that even the most elite troops in the Qing army could hardly deal an effective blow to him.
Zeng Guofan even said bluntly that since the Han and Tang Dynasties, he has never seen such a strong "thief". This is enough to show the outstanding military talent of Chen Yucheng. It was not until 1864 that Chen Yucheng was completely annihilated by Zeng Guofan's Hunan army, and this tenacious army was finally destroyed.
But even so, the heroic deeds of Chen Yucheng and his "old brothers" will surely go down in history and be remembered for centuries. In order to realize the ideals of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, they swore to die one after another, and this spirit will surely become a model for future generations to follow.
5. Li Xiucheng's "Excellence"
Compared with Chen Yucheng, Li Xiucheng's army combat effectiveness may be slightly inferior, but his personal comprehensive ability was considered unparalleled at that time. Liang Qichao once commented that Li Xiucheng's comprehensive ability is a notch stronger than Li Hongzhang, the first person in foreign affairs.
Gordon was even more blunt: "The ministers of the Qing Dynasty now, whether they are Prince Gong or Li Hongzhang, are not as good as Li Xiucheng. It can be seen that Li Xiucheng is indeed a masterpiece of a generation, but he lacks enough platforms.
As another chief general of the Taiping Army, Li Xiucheng's military talent is also outstanding. Although most of the troops under his command were rebel troops recruited from Hubei and Jiangxi in the later period, as well as the "miscellaneous army" that broke away from Shi Dakai and went north, and their quality was uneven, but with Li Xiucheng's excellent command, they were still able to gallop across Jiangsu and Zhejiang, which caused great pressure on the Qing army.
This outstanding command talent also made Li Xiucheng stand out among the Qing Dynasty ministers at that time. Liang Qichao and Gordon's evaluations are undoubtedly the highest praise for Li Xiucheng. As the leader of a peasant rebel army, his comprehensive ability surpassed that of the top ministers of the Qing Dynasty at that time, which is enough to show his extraordinary talent.
It's a pity that Lee so-sung has always lacked enough platforms to display his talents. If he can get better resources and support, I believe he will be able to lead the Taiping Army to more brilliant achievements. But even so, his military talent and personal charisma will surely become a model for future generations to learn from.
epilogue
There were many reasons for the eventual collapse of the Taiping Army, but the most crucial thing was that they had to contend with powerful opponents such as the regular Qing army, local armed forces, and the Anglo-French alliance at the same time, and the pressure was too great.
This peasant uprising was an impressive force of combat effectiveness and the excellence of its commanders. Their heroic deeds will surely go down in history and will be remembered for centuries.
The rise and fall of the Taiping Army reflected a microcosm of China's social turmoil in modern times. Their unyielding devotion to the realization of their ideals will surely serve as a model for future generations to follow.