Italy's national humiliation - the Sanmen Bay incident, behind the Qing court's complete victory, was to induce the eight-nation alliance to invade China

Italy's "Three Gate Bay" dreams shattered

The Sanmenwan Incident in 1899 was a remarkable diplomatic victory for the Qing government. Italy, a seemingly insignificant small country, dared to make a non-divisive request to the Qing Dynasty, but it was completely refuted. This incident not only stopped Italy's aggressive ambitions, but also saved the face of the Qing Dynasty in front of the foreign powers to a certain extent.

But a careful analysis shows that this so-called "big victory" is actually based on some false information. The Qing court at that time did not have a thorough understanding of the domestic political situation in Italy, and mistakenly believed that Minister Savago was only impulsive and would back down if deterred. As everyone knows, there are also great differences within the Italy government about this overseas adventure.

Minister Savago's insistence in Beijing went beyond the mandate of the Roman government. The Minister for Foreign Affairs did not support the move, and the Minister of the Interior agreed that such a risky move would cost more money than it would cost. But the arrogant minister was stubborn and kept putting pressure on Rome in an attempt to force this plan forward.

In the eyes of the Qing court, Italy's so-called "offensive" was nothing more than a bluff and no real action. But in fact, Italy did send warships to approach the coast of Shandong, but it was shocked by the momentum of the Beiyang Naval Division's preparations, and finally did not dare to act rashly.

It can be said that the "complete victory" of the Sanmenwan incident stemmed more from the fact that the Qing court had grasped some false information and misjudged the situation. For the old guards of the time, this was undoubtedly a successful diplomatic contest that strengthened their resolve to resist the great powers. But as the Boxer Rebellion later showed, this false victory ultimately led to even greater national humiliation.

As is often the case in history, victories often do not come by the name. Although the outcome of the Sanmenwan incident temporarily saved the face of the Qing government, it also buried more serious disasters. The conceit and blind optimism of the Qing government eventually led to the bitter lesson of 1900. This may be a heavy revelation left by the Sanmen Bay incident to future generations.

Although the Sanmenwan incident was a phased victory for the Qing government, from a longer-term perspective, this exaggerated sense of self-esteem laid a hidden danger for the later national humiliation.

At the same time as the Sanmen Bay Incident began, the Boxer Rebellion was gradually emerging. These conservative forces hit it off with the Qing court, believing that as long as they maintained a hard-line attitude, they would be able to expel all foreign invaders once and for all. But they clearly underestimated the strength and determination of the great powers.

When the Boxer Rebellion broke out in 1900, the iron hooves of the Eight-Nation Alliance army trampled all over the city of Beijing, which was undoubtedly a slap in the face for the self-righteous Qing court. The complacency of the previous Sanmenwan incident has seriously distorted their judgment of the situation. In the face of the disparity in foreign troops, the Qing court's military strength could not compete at all, and it could only watch as its ruling throne was smashed with a bang.

This humiliating defeat not only shattered the vanity of the Qing court, but also completely destroyed their fear of foreign powers. From then on, the Qing Empire could no longer be arrogant in front of the foreign powers and became the object of slaughter. The root cause of all this can undoubtedly be traced back to the bluff and self-absorption of the Qing government during the Sanmenwan incident.

It is not difficult to find that history tends to punish those forces of conceit and inflatability in a cruel way. The outcome of the Sanmenwan Incident seems glorious, but the national humiliation of Gengzi in 1900 that it ultimately led to is the real outcome of the Qing court. This is undoubtedly a profound warning to future generations: pride and arrogance are often the only way to failure.

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