Author: Tommy, our team

in 1888 is the military-industrial memorable year in the history of the lateQing Dynasty: Qing Jinling Machinery Bureau successful imitation of a new typeof firearm. This type of gun can fire, load or even fire a shellautomatically. It can fire 600 bullets per minute, which can be calledinfinite fire output. Its "primitive" gun is a Mark Qin machinegun, known as the "father of automatic weapons". In 1888, theseemingly backward Qing Dynasty successfully mastered this high-end technology.

What does this technology mean? As far as European and American powers areconcerned, the Mark Qin machine gun was born in the United States in 1884, andas the "empire where the sun never goes down," the British adoptedthe Mark Qin machine gun as standard equipment in 1891. However, in 1888,the Qing Dynasty set the threshold of world-leading gun technology.

Therefore, the so-called "Li Hongzhang's despised Mark Qin machinegun" circulating on the Internet can basically rest on the face of theJinling Machine Bureau, thus achieving a successful breakthrough.

However, this breakthrough was only a "routine manifestation" of themilitary industry in the late Qing Dynasty. More than one Mark Qin machinegun? In 1890, the Jiangnan Machine Bureau ignited another force andsuccessfully copied the "Man Rixia Continuous Fire Gun". Sincethen, this rifle that can be manually loaded and continuously fired has becomeanother weapon of the Qing Army. What about contemporary Japan? Itwas not until the Sino-Japanese War of 1893 that Japan developed a Murata-stylebursting gun with only a small number of troops. Most Japanese troops canonly be equipped with single-fire artillery. Just looking at the guy intheir hands, they are a little worse than the Qing army.

More proud than guns, there are blue cannons.

During the two Opium Wars, the Qing Dynasty suffered enough artillerylosses. It is also difficult to remember after losing power andhumiliating the country. Since then, we have spared no effort to imitateand develop the world's advanced artillery. In 1878, the Jiangnan ManufacturingBureau successfully copied the Armstrong gun, and its firepower level wascomparable to the famous European Krupp gun. Compared with the Japaneseartillery in the same period, the range alone has almost doubled.

On the eve of the Sino-Japanese War of 1894, the artillery technology of theQing Dynasty made great progress year after year. In 1887, the JiangnanManufacturing Bureau successfully manufactured a 203 mm 180-pound full steelcannon. In the past, only the European and American powers had exclusivetechnology, and the military personnel of the Qing Dynasty successfully brokethe ice. Compared with contemporary Japanese artillery, it is a full tenyears ahead. At that time, senior military personnel of the Qing Dynastyhad an international reputation of "as skilled as any European factoryworker".

It can be said that in the era of the Westernization Movement in the late QingDynasty, which was advertised as "self-improvement," Qing armypersonnel took the lead in sounding the horn of self-improvement in modernChina. Even in theory, after the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War, theywould compete with the Japanese for nuclear energy, even if they would not sayany strategic and tactical skills. The hard guys such as heavy machineguns, bursts of guns, and breech guns in the Qing army crushed a large part ofthe Japanese army in various ways. Even if they dispersed their maliciousstrikes, they were also responsible for throwing the Japanese army into the seato feed fish.

But what about the real situation? However, from the Korean peninsula toLiaodong, the Qing army with some tough men in his hands was chased all theway. The advanced weapon in hand was a masterpiece of countless militarypersonnel in the late Qing Dynasty. It was thrown everywhere at will, and wasthen picked up cheerfully by the Japanese army. Instead, they gave themilitary industry to others and made wedding dresses in vain.

Why is this happening?

During the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, reports from Shanghai's Shenbaorevealed the tip of the iceberg: the daily training of the Qing Army was almosta sheep-raising. The so-called training and inspections basicallydisappeared on weekdays. Officials at all levels spend a lot of time andmoney every day. Until the superior came to inspect, "The rattanshort sword is not a joke." It was a show.

Even on the battlefield where life and death are at stake, officers cannot giveup their happy lives. For example, before the famous Pyongyang bloody warof the Sino-Japanese Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, most of the more than 30battalions of the Qing Army "gathered in Pyongyang to buy wine andsongs," except for a few troops. Beating is very lively, and then

if the Japanese describe it, there are still suspicions of "defilement". Russiandiplomat Marvingo even described the Qing military's basic military posturewithout even carrying a gun. In addition, many soldiers have two guns, inaddition to a combat rifle, and an opium pipe. Therefore, "in accordancewith European standards, none of the Qing army is a qualified soldier."

In the Qing army's battle with the Eight-Power Allied Forces, the performanceof the Qing army further confirmed Ma's irony: every time the Qing armyencountered an enemy, it was chaotic Shuffle, but can't beat a fewenemies. Obviously, ammunition reserves are sufficient, even if thefighting is fierce, there will still be some foreign soldiers. Instead, assoon as people rushed into the crowd, they immediately sent the girl to run.

What is even more shameful is that this well-equipped Qing army did not havethe courage to defeat foreigners while bullying the common people. Thefront line was disastrous. The Allied Powers are approachingBeijing. However, the Qing army first burned and ransacked thecity. "The officers and men are more ferocious than thebandits." Of course, there are also some "dutyful" Qingtroops: At that time, a Russian army unit was handed over to the person incharge of Beijing, but found that the Qing army did not rob it at Tiger God Camp,but gathered all in the military camp to play cards, and it was easy. caught.

Such a Qing, even if the Westernization Movement is more vigorous, it is stillsuch an advanced weapon. After all, it cannot be taken away.

References: Tang Hongsheng's Battle of the Qing Army and the Eight-Power AlliedForces, You Yongbin's On the Fighting Spirit of the Qing Army in theSino-Japanese War of the Sino-Japanese War, and Liu's On the Construction ofthe Military Industry in the Late Qing Dynasty

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