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− | == The sleeping Giant awakes 1793-1841 == |
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⚫ | In 1793, the British emissary Lord Macartney arrives in Beijing, presenting Britain's newest technological achievements. Macartney himself should achieve a trading agreement with China- and he convinced the Chinese. Unlike OTL's |
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⚫ | Although China's economic policy was very tolerant (compared to OTL), the British income was still too low- too many shillings ended up in the Imperial coffers! China was still the world's most prosperous Empire and endowed with a considerable military power, but foreign traders and missionaries were still harshly treated- at least from the Westerners' view. Finally, the smuggling of opium, |
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+ | ==The Sleeping Giant Awakes, 1793–1841== |
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− | == The Opium War: The first clash of civilizations == |
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⚫ | In 1793, the British Empire's emissary Lord Macartney arrives in Beijing, presenting Britain's newest technological achievements. Macartney himself should achieve a trading agreement with China - and he convinced the Chinese. Unlike OTL's Emperor Qianlong, the Son of Heaven agreed, but also demanded the British to support China with the most modern technologies, for the Emperor was not yet corrupted by Heshan and lacked imperial arrogance. The trade relations between Britain and China improved, though China was rather interested in technology than commerce, and Chinese scholars should travel abroad and study the ways of the West, despite the protests of the old Confucian gentry. On the other hand, the spreading of Christianity was prohibited. By the 6th year of Jiajing (Qianlong's successor), most of these scholars returned - indeed, their mission was a success. The Chinese still regarded the British as an inferior, barbaric race, but their technological advance was held in high esteem, yet Western political thought was confronted with mistrust by Confucian scholars and officials. Army and navy were thoroughly reformed and (given that corruption would have been not that widespread) the administration's efficiency increased. Further delegations were sent to the West, especially after the Napoleonic Wars. Now other countries than Britain were interested in the Chinese market, and the technological transfer went on. By the late 1820s, the Chinese government exploited Manchuria's hills, rich in iron ore and coal. A rail road network was introduced, and the army further modernised (due to China's exports, there were enough funds to do so), but the old division in Eight Banners and Green Standard Army remained. Ironclads, heavy artillery, et cetera, were now no longer imported but produced by China herself, while military experts from Britain, France and the German states were invited to improve the army's military strength. Imposing the reform of the Qing military system proved to be a strenuous struggle; finally a few ''Elite'' Troops, modeled after the Prussian Army, were established. They were directly under the command of the Xin Da Jiang Jun, a new military rank. The Western-style Chinese units thus formed a separate part of the Army; of course, concurrence with the Eight Banners and the Green Standard Army were to be expected. |
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− | The British intelligence in China, successfully misinformed by military counter-agents, provided no to little information about Chinese military capacity, and the Chinese anti-Opium campaign and treatment of British nationals was a useful excuse to declare war on China. After initial victories, the huge Chinese fleet, composed of steam-propelled ironclads and heavy junks crushed the British expeditionary forces. Eager for revenge, the Chinese staff proposed a punitive expetion to British ndia and Malaya, and the Chinese forces conquered Malacca and Singapore by 1842. Aided by Tibetan and Burman auxiliaries, Kolkat and the Bengal lands were similarly overran in the same year. Meanwhile, the Dutch and Portuguese remained neutral, fearing the superior and modern Chinese army- The press in Europe was shocked about the so-called Yellow Peril, and Tsarist Russia offered help to Great Britain. However, a Chinese pre-emptive strike led the Chinese military destroyed all hopes for Russia to expand into Manchuria. Instead, Russia had to cede vast territories in the Second Treaty of Nertchinsk (1844), in which Russia also had to assure no further expansion into Turkestan. However, the Daoguang emperor ordered to halt the punitive expedition, as he claimed that the "Western barbarians are already punished. They have learned now what it means to contradict the will of the Heaven's Son and the superiority of All that is benath the Heavens. They will certainly send Us tributes now and there is no need to pursue them anymore." An assessment, that bore in fact a grain of truth. The treaty of Guangzhou (1846, when Britain finally accepted its defeat) was an international afffair of tremendous importance. For the first time, British ambassadors were ready to kowtow before the Chinese emperor. The Lord Palmerston, who attended the treaty in lieu of Queen Victoria was shocked as he was required to do the same. After initial protest, he consented. British merchants were stripped of all privileges they had when trading with China. Instead, the export of luxury goods like porcelain and tea was transferred into the hands of merchants from less hostile Western Powers and the native gonghang (or cohong). Furthermore, Britain had to deliver several Opium smugglers who were executed on the spot in China. The final, and most humiliating concession Britain had to make, however, was to abandon its colonies in South East Asia, while the territory of British India was greatly reduced. She had to confirm the "independence" of Burma, Bhutan and Nepal, while the Chinese created a cordon sanitaire of independent Indian principalities. The demand for annual tribute and an annual delegation was dropped, as European educated diplomatic advisors pointed out that "they are still too benighted to accept the conventions of our culture". It is said that the emperor was enraged by this. |
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⚫ | Although China's economic policy was very tolerant (compared to OTL), the British income was still too low - too many shillings ended up in the Imperial coffers! China was still the world's most prosperous Empire and endowed with a considerable military power, but foreign traders and missionaries were still harshly treated- at least from the Westerners' view. Finally, the smuggling of opium, unofficially backed by British traders, formed a reason for Chinese intervention: in 1840, the new Governor of Guangzhou, Lin Zexu ordered the destruction of large opium amounts. |
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+ | ==The Anglo-Chinese War: The First Clash of Civilizations== |
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− | == 1848 and its consequences == |
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+ | China later westernised fast. For 101 years, the Chinese seized the Middle East, Asia, Pacific lands, Russia, Eastern Europe and the Balkan States. The Chinese later invaded the eastern half of the Mediterranean islands. The British wanted to stop the expansion, so they both went to war. With China extremely filled with technology, they defeated the British. |
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+ | ==1845: Daoguang, a Warlike Emperor == |
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⚫ | China's |
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+ | Alarmed about what happened in Burma, the plans of the Chinese Court shifted to expansion. While war would remain a tedious issue in Southeast Asia (due to the climate), China's forces were superior to the hopelessly outdated Vietnamese, Khmer and Siamese armies (though still somewhat behind the European ones). During the Southern Campaign, plans already made by the Wanli Emperor of the Ming dynasty were finally implemented. The obvious outcome of the war was swift, and while the rulers of the defeated countries actually had to do nothing more then reaffirming their tributary relationship to the Qing Empire, the Chinese command did everything to fortify tactically important places in the new protectorates (e.g. by building coastal fortresses along the shorelines of Vietnam). Similarly, the Himalayan regions controlled by the Qing government faced large troop movements towards the Southern borders (actually the border to British India). |
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+ | |||
+ | ==1848 and Its Consequences== |
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⚫ | China's victory (at least from the Chinese viewpoint) in the Anglo-Chinese ("Opium") War sparked a new wave of nationalism among the intellectuals, especially those who already had contact with Western culture. This however, was not beneficial to the monarchy, as a new class of Western-educated, reformist students and officials was growing in power. In fact, it was European tactics and technology, employed by more "modern" Han Chinese military functionaries, not the Manchu military aristocracy that "won" the war. |
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Though still believing in the superiority of their Confucian culture, these young Chinese were convinced that they could use the Western methods to overthrow the loathed Manchu, who have displayed their weakness in leadership. A new dynasty was in the making. |
Though still believing in the superiority of their Confucian culture, these young Chinese were convinced that they could use the Western methods to overthrow the loathed Manchu, who have displayed their weakness in leadership. A new dynasty was in the making. |
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The Daoguang Emperor lost most of his support by the progressive officials, who already formed a very powerful clique. Meanwhile, the failed revolutions of 1848 left a strong impression for many diplomatic delegations. |
The Daoguang Emperor lost most of his support by the progressive officials, who already formed a very powerful clique. Meanwhile, the failed revolutions of 1848 left a strong impression for many diplomatic delegations. |
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− | Despite the fact that these revolutions were all more or less brutally suppressed or |
+ | Despite the fact that these revolutions were all more or less brutally suppressed or even betrayed, many educated Chinese (who did not belong to the gentry) became supporters of European "democracy". To some, a violent revolution was the only way to replace the eroding Qing tyranny with Chinese self-rule. |
⚫ | Then the aforementioned progressive officials - military and civilian alike - plotted against the Qing. The ensuing Civil War split the Middle Kingdom, since two parties were struggling for power: the more conservative but pragmatic gentry and bureaucratic nobility, and the modernist forces, adherents of a constitutional monarchy. The former, loyal to the Qing (but only for the sake of their own interests) rescued the dynasty from being overthrown in the North. Prosperous Southern China became a modern, "constitutional" but nonetheless authoritarian monarchy, governed by a self-proclaimed heir of the Ming Imperial family. |
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− | even betrayed, many educated Chinese (who did not belong to the gentry) became supporters of European "democracy". To some, a violent revolution was the only way to replace the eroding Qing tyranny with Chinese self-rule. |
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+ | This civil War that swept the land was hard to bear for the populace, yet finally the Qing government was powerful enough to destroy the short-lived (later) Ming Empire. In 1852, (with a death toll of over 5 millions), the so-called uprising was crushed; the Southern governors formerly loyal to the rebels quickly became turncoats. Meanwhile, the Imperial court realised that internal reforms were indispensable if the power of the Qing dynasty should be upheld. In the 1850s, laws became more restrictive (as the lands had to be purged of rebels), but the more liberal monarchist officials did everything to improve the relationship of the Chinese towards an otherwise alien government. A simple parliament was introduced, with political parties (whose members still had to pass Imperial Examinations), and the wearing of the pigtail became facultative. The new Xianfeng Emperor, merely a puppet, agreed. The following emperors exerted no longer heavy influence on politics, with some exceptions. |
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⚫ | Then the aforementioned progressive officials -military and civilian |
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+ | Soon, its empire lived to the present day. |
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− | == Conflicts and colonialism == |
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− | After the emergence of two powerful Chinese states the Western powers and Japan were stunned. The most fearsome threat was of economic nature. The huge Chinese factories kept producing goods of high quality, but the true quality was their sheer masses that ruined industrialization In Europe and America. While Northern China clung to the classical sino-centric foreign policy or tributary system, Southern China became an increasingly aggressive colonial power. The Qing easily extended their influence into Siberia and Central Asia, as well as the Pamirs. Persia and the Ottoman Empire sensed strong Chinese presence for the first time. The Later Ming however inherited the Southern tributary satellites of the formerly unified China. Several Indian and Himalayan states, Burma, Vietnam, Malaya and other South East Asian states were transitionally transformed from vassals into colonies. Two opportunistic wars allowed the Ming forces to grab large parts of OTL Indonesia and the whole of the Philippine Islands, while her influence was extended in the PAcific. |
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− | == |
+ | ==See also== |
− | |||
− | The Central Powers urged the Northern Chinese government to join them, as the Northern Chinese Army was in many regards superior to the Russian forces. A swift two-fronts war would eliminante the threat of Russia early one. Southern China, which emhnjtrality. Meanwhile, the Northern Chinese Navy made preparations to conquer Alaska, a remote Russian province (which was never sold to the US) and the Pacific Coast of Canada. There were also plans to attack Japan, as the Empire was an ally of Great Britain. |
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− | |||
− | Indeed, the Russian Army, which was in a poor constitution, was an easy prey for the modern Qing Army. Russia was forced to capitulate in 1915, and the country fell into anarchy. Weapons were sent to Germany, Turkey and Austro-Hungary, while Chinese troops used the Trans-Siberian Railway to enter Europe. It was clear that France and Italy would lose this War, and Grand Marshal Yuan Shikai stated that "we are finally able to get some pieces of the African cake", referring to Italy's colonial possessions. But the surprising Anglo-Japanese counter-attack stunned the Qing staff. Troops fom the Commonwealth and Japan quickly advanced into Korea, Shandong and Manchuria. Desperate, the Qing had to withdraw their troops from Europe, as they were facing defeat and above all, insurgency. Though by 1916 the Central Powers had won the war on the continent, Britain was determined not to surrender, and things got even worse as relations with the US cooled. In a secret telegraph, the Empire of Great Qing offered the cssion of territories to the Later Ming in order to turn the tide of the war. Indeed, the secret Treaty of Suzhou allowed it for the Ming to claim all of British India and even naval hegemony in the Pacific. Southern China entered the war, and started by conquering the Japanese East Indies, while the Ming navy launched in invasion towards Japan. |
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− | Japan had to capitulate in February 1917, and Australia was overrun by a Sino-Chinese amphibious assault- yet nowbody knew that another imperial power would enter the Great War on the side of the Entente: The United States of America. Sunzi always said that Prolonged Warfare is to be avoided; indeed, his words weren't truer than in this case. |
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− | == See also == |
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− | |||
− | *[[1911 List of Nations (Long live the Qing)]] |
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*[[List of Nations (Long live the Qing)]] |
*[[List of Nations (Long live the Qing)]] |
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− | *[[Timeline (Long live the Qing)]] |
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− | |||
⚫ | |||
[[Category:Long live the Qing!]] |
[[Category:Long live the Qing!]] |
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⚫ |
Revision as of 22:07, 22 September 2015
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The Sleeping Giant Awakes, 1793–1841
In 1793, the British Empire's emissary Lord Macartney arrives in Beijing, presenting Britain's newest technological achievements. Macartney himself should achieve a trading agreement with China - and he convinced the Chinese. Unlike OTL's Emperor Qianlong, the Son of Heaven agreed, but also demanded the British to support China with the most modern technologies, for the Emperor was not yet corrupted by Heshan and lacked imperial arrogance. The trade relations between Britain and China improved, though China was rather interested in technology than commerce, and Chinese scholars should travel abroad and study the ways of the West, despite the protests of the old Confucian gentry. On the other hand, the spreading of Christianity was prohibited. By the 6th year of Jiajing (Qianlong's successor), most of these scholars returned - indeed, their mission was a success. The Chinese still regarded the British as an inferior, barbaric race, but their technological advance was held in high esteem, yet Western political thought was confronted with mistrust by Confucian scholars and officials. Army and navy were thoroughly reformed and (given that corruption would have been not that widespread) the administration's efficiency increased. Further delegations were sent to the West, especially after the Napoleonic Wars. Now other countries than Britain were interested in the Chinese market, and the technological transfer went on. By the late 1820s, the Chinese government exploited Manchuria's hills, rich in iron ore and coal. A rail road network was introduced, and the army further modernised (due to China's exports, there were enough funds to do so), but the old division in Eight Banners and Green Standard Army remained. Ironclads, heavy artillery, et cetera, were now no longer imported but produced by China herself, while military experts from Britain, France and the German states were invited to improve the army's military strength. Imposing the reform of the Qing military system proved to be a strenuous struggle; finally a few Elite Troops, modeled after the Prussian Army, were established. They were directly under the command of the Xin Da Jiang Jun, a new military rank. The Western-style Chinese units thus formed a separate part of the Army; of course, concurrence with the Eight Banners and the Green Standard Army were to be expected. Although China's economic policy was very tolerant (compared to OTL), the British income was still too low - too many shillings ended up in the Imperial coffers! China was still the world's most prosperous Empire and endowed with a considerable military power, but foreign traders and missionaries were still harshly treated- at least from the Westerners' view. Finally, the smuggling of opium, unofficially backed by British traders, formed a reason for Chinese intervention: in 1840, the new Governor of Guangzhou, Lin Zexu ordered the destruction of large opium amounts.
The Anglo-Chinese War: The First Clash of Civilizations
China later westernised fast. For 101 years, the Chinese seized the Middle East, Asia, Pacific lands, Russia, Eastern Europe and the Balkan States. The Chinese later invaded the eastern half of the Mediterranean islands. The British wanted to stop the expansion, so they both went to war. With China extremely filled with technology, they defeated the British.
1845: Daoguang, a Warlike Emperor
Alarmed about what happened in Burma, the plans of the Chinese Court shifted to expansion. While war would remain a tedious issue in Southeast Asia (due to the climate), China's forces were superior to the hopelessly outdated Vietnamese, Khmer and Siamese armies (though still somewhat behind the European ones). During the Southern Campaign, plans already made by the Wanli Emperor of the Ming dynasty were finally implemented. The obvious outcome of the war was swift, and while the rulers of the defeated countries actually had to do nothing more then reaffirming their tributary relationship to the Qing Empire, the Chinese command did everything to fortify tactically important places in the new protectorates (e.g. by building coastal fortresses along the shorelines of Vietnam). Similarly, the Himalayan regions controlled by the Qing government faced large troop movements towards the Southern borders (actually the border to British India).
1848 and Its Consequences
China's victory (at least from the Chinese viewpoint) in the Anglo-Chinese ("Opium") War sparked a new wave of nationalism among the intellectuals, especially those who already had contact with Western culture. This however, was not beneficial to the monarchy, as a new class of Western-educated, reformist students and officials was growing in power. In fact, it was European tactics and technology, employed by more "modern" Han Chinese military functionaries, not the Manchu military aristocracy that "won" the war. Though still believing in the superiority of their Confucian culture, these young Chinese were convinced that they could use the Western methods to overthrow the loathed Manchu, who have displayed their weakness in leadership. A new dynasty was in the making. The Daoguang Emperor lost most of his support by the progressive officials, who already formed a very powerful clique. Meanwhile, the failed revolutions of 1848 left a strong impression for many diplomatic delegations. Despite the fact that these revolutions were all more or less brutally suppressed or even betrayed, many educated Chinese (who did not belong to the gentry) became supporters of European "democracy". To some, a violent revolution was the only way to replace the eroding Qing tyranny with Chinese self-rule. Then the aforementioned progressive officials - military and civilian alike - plotted against the Qing. The ensuing Civil War split the Middle Kingdom, since two parties were struggling for power: the more conservative but pragmatic gentry and bureaucratic nobility, and the modernist forces, adherents of a constitutional monarchy. The former, loyal to the Qing (but only for the sake of their own interests) rescued the dynasty from being overthrown in the North. Prosperous Southern China became a modern, "constitutional" but nonetheless authoritarian monarchy, governed by a self-proclaimed heir of the Ming Imperial family. This civil War that swept the land was hard to bear for the populace, yet finally the Qing government was powerful enough to destroy the short-lived (later) Ming Empire. In 1852, (with a death toll of over 5 millions), the so-called uprising was crushed; the Southern governors formerly loyal to the rebels quickly became turncoats. Meanwhile, the Imperial court realised that internal reforms were indispensable if the power of the Qing dynasty should be upheld. In the 1850s, laws became more restrictive (as the lands had to be purged of rebels), but the more liberal monarchist officials did everything to improve the relationship of the Chinese towards an otherwise alien government. A simple parliament was introduced, with political parties (whose members still had to pass Imperial Examinations), and the wearing of the pigtail became facultative. The new Xianfeng Emperor, merely a puppet, agreed. The following emperors exerted no longer heavy influence on politics, with some exceptions.
Soon, its empire lived to the present day.