Minister of Military Aircraft or Governor of Zhili, which has higher status and greater power?

Mondo History Updated on 2024-03-05

As a respected role in the Qing Dynasty's ** system, the governor of Zhili sat on a heavy army and shouldered the heavy responsibility of guarding the capital. When we turn our attention to the Minister of War, what are their respective roles?

A curious ** person proposed such a comparison, and the imperial history gave an in-depth insight into it.

Founded in the wise strategy of Emperor Yongzheng, the Military Aircraft Department was originally set up for the Northwest War, and its efficiency and secrecy won the favor of the emperor. Since the eighth year of Yongzheng, the Military Aircraft Department has gradually risen, replacing the cabinet and becoming the core of real decision-making.

Although his responsibilities were clear, in order to prevent the ministers from monopolizing power, Emperor Yongzheng skillfully maintained control, making the Minister of Military Aircraft a temporary dignitary with no fixed rank and adjustable according to the emperor's will.

Theoretically, they were selected by important ministers above the second rank in Beijing, such as scholars and scholars, but in practice, such as the Yong, Qian, and Jia periods, the military ministers were from prominent backgrounds, and most of them were also scholars, and their power and status were extraordinary.

In the Qing Dynasty, although there was no official title of prime minister, scholars were often regarded as hidden prime ministers, especially those who held heavy military positions. Since the Yongzheng period, the Military Aircraft Department has become the core stage of national decision-making, and even the appointment and dismissal of local governors must be proposed by him and finally decided by the emperor.

Until Xianfeng ascended the throne, the emperor, who had strong self-esteem, did not rely on the Minister of War and Aircraft at first, but relied on his mentor Du Shoutian. However, after Du Shoutian's death, Xianfeng briefly returned to the Military Aircraft Department, but the rise of Su Shun once again caused him to alienate the military aircraft and hand over the power of the government to Su Shun.

In Xianfeng's imperial road, the influence of the Military Aircraft Department experienced ups and downs.

Original text: Emperor Xianfeng was wary of the Minister of Military Aircraft, and the status of the Military Aircraft Department declined. The turning point is Prince Gong? The proposal to set up the Prime Minister's National Affairs Yamen marked the shift of the imperial court's focus to the outside world.

After the Opium Wars, diplomacy and trade became an issue, and despite the emperor's reluctance, the Qing dynasty could no longer avoid the Western powers. The establishment of the Prime Minister's Yamen weakened some of the powers of the Military Aircraft Department, making the powers of the Minister of Military Aircraft and the Prime Minister go hand in hand, and jointly influenced the national decision-making in the late Qing Dynasty.

Since the second year of Yongzheng, the birth of the governor of Zhili is quite diverse, and he has been transferred from the second grade or more of the capital to the ** monk. However, after Qianlong, his appointment was gradually standardized, synchronized with the appointment and dismissal procedures of provincial governors.

Although it was known as the head of the eight governors of the Qing Dynasty, in fact, its status did not surpass much before Xianfeng. It was Li Hongzhang who really made a leap in the status of the governor of Zhili, who opened a new chapter in the ninth year of Tongzhi in his dual capacity - the governor of Zhili and the minister of Beiyang.

Li Hongzhang's tenure was not only his personal glory, but also an important turning point in the history of the governor of Zhili.

Although the title of Minister of Beiyang seems to be rankless, it is"Prime Minister's Yamen"The key in the"Errands"。Since Li Hongzhang took over, his role has been like the leader of ***, responsible for all external exchanges.

At first, ambassadors preferred to seek solutions at the Prime Minister's Yamen, but the traditional bureaucrats there were unable to effectively solve the problem by communicating with each other.

In the face of difficulties, Prime Minister Yamen often blamed Li Hongzhang for difficult problems. As a result, the center of gravity of international affairs gradually shifted to Tianjin, which gradually became the core stage of the Qing Dynasty's foreign exchanges.

Li Hongzhang's titles not only included the Governor of Zhili and the Minister of Beiyang, but he was further promoted to the rank of Scholar of the Mandarin Palace and the core head of the Navy Yamen. As the head of the cabinet, his official rank is unrivaled and he is in the first rank.

In fact, although the naval yamen set up a meeting, Li Hongzhang's actual control was unmatched, because the Beiyang Navy was the symbol of the imperial maritime power he single-handedly built.

With the support of the powerful Huai Group, the status of the Huai Army has been improved since the eradication of the Twist and Twist, and it has become a national regular army, stationed in important provinces across the country, and its strength cannot be underestimated.

Following Li Hongzhang, the governors of Zhili, such as Ronglu and Yuan Shikai, also held heavy troops, and Ronglu's Wuwei Army and Yuan Shikai's new army all showed their military influence.

Therefore, since Li Hongzhang, the role of the governors of Zhili is no longer just the guardian of the frontier, and their status has surpassed the traditional military and aircraft ministers to become the core figures of military and political affairs with real power.

The key to revealing the answer lies in historical evolution: before Li Hongzhang or Zeng Guofan, the governor of Zhili was less powerful than the minister of military aircraft; However, after the wheel of the times advanced, the status of the Minister of Military Aircraft was not as prominent as that of the Governor of Naoli.

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