Wen Du is drunk and red-faced.
When it comes to Qing **, ordinary people often associate it with decay and incompetence. Indeed, the weakness of the Qing Dynasty and the humiliation of the state in recent history are unforgettable. In the late Qing Dynasty, China lost a large amount of territory, paid huge amounts of compensation, and was bullied by foreign powers. However, it is not possible to completely deny the late Qing Dynasty**, because they also made positive deeds in some aspects, among which the recovery of Ili is an example.
Back in 1871, Tsarist Russia took advantage of the chaos to invade and occupy Ili in Xinjiang, and China lost this territory for a time. However, ten years later, the Qing ** actually succeeded in recapturing Ili, which was rare in the history of the time. So, how did the Qing ** recapture Ili from Tsarist Russia?
First of all, in the operation to recover Xinjiang, the Qing ** received the full support of Zuo Zongtang, an important minister of the late Qing Dynasty. Zuo Zongtang led this reconquest operation and received the firm support of both the government and the opposition, especially the Empress Dowager Cixi. With the strong support of the imperial court, Zuo Zongtang made careful preparations and raised huge military expenses and materials. Among them, it has to be mentioned that Hu Xueyan borrowed a large amount of ** from foreign banks. Zuo Zongtang, who was old and strong, with a sincere patriotic heart, personally led 60,000 Huxiang children to expedition to Xinjiang at the age of seventy, and the momentum was like a bamboo, quelling the rebellious Agubai, all the way south, until the city of Ili occupied by Tsarist Russia. In order to demonstrate his determination to recover Ili, Zuo Zongtang even personally carried the urn to the front line and declared that he was willing to sacrifice for Ili. This unwavering determination put a lot of pressure on Tsarist Russia, which eventually relented.
Secondly, on the issue of recovering Ili, Zuo Zongtang and Li Hongzhang reached a rare agreement. Zuo Zongtang led the army to press the border, forming a huge pressure on Tsarist Russia;Li Hongzhang, on the other hand, asked Britain to mediate and sent a diplomatic envoy, Zeng Jize, to negotiate with Tsarist Russia. Zeng Jize is the eldest son of Zeng Guofan, has been engaged in diplomatic work, has rich diplomatic experience, and is an excellent diplomat. In the negotiations, Zeng Jize adhered to principles and refused to compromise. The two sides were deadlocked for half a year, and finally through compromise, Qing ** redeemed Yili in the form of indemnity. In other words, China "bought" Ili back by monetary means. Whatever the means, the recovery of Ili is a happy event for the country.
Third, China made good use of the international situation at that time when it regained Ili. At that time, Tsarist Russia was at war with Turkey, and Britain was creating chaos in Central Asia, which made the situation of Tsarist Russia quite difficult. For Tsarist Russia, although it is unwilling to give up Ili, a war with China will make the situation worse and the gains outweigh the losses. Therefore, Tsarist Russia finally chose to compromise, and the Qing successfully recovered Ili by paying reparations.
In general, the success of the Qing ** in recovering Ili benefited from the combined force of multiple factors. Zuo Zongtang's resolute decision and firm will, Li Hongzhang's diplomatic mediation, and favorable factors in the international situation all contributed to this historic event. This successful recovery not only saved a trace of dignity for the Qing Dynasty at that time, but also set up a banner of perseverance for China in the international community.