On April 17, 1895, the Qing Dynasty’s plenipotentiary representatives were Li Hongzhang, Li Jingfang, and the Japanese plenipotentiary representatives Ito Hirobumi and Mutsu Somitsu, signed the Shimonoseki Treaty at Shimonoseki, Japan.
Shimonoseki Negotiations
The Shimonoseki Treaty is the most unequal treaty signed since the Nanjing Treaty. According to the treaty, the Qing Dynasty not only had to pay 200 million taels of silver to Japan, but also needed to cede the Liaodong Peninsula, Taiwan Island and its affiliated islands, and the Penghu Islands to Japan, and open Shashi, Chongqing, Suzhou, and Hangzhou as trade ports to allow Japan. People set up factories in trade ports. Although Japan abandoned the Liaodong Peninsula under the interference of Russia, France, and Germany, the Qing Dynasty paid an extra 30 million taels of silver for the "Liaodong peninsula."
After the news of the signing of the Shimonoseki Treaty came out, the government and the public were in an uproar. Many people of insight have expressed that they would rather fight another battle with the Japanese army than accept this humiliating peace treaty.
Huguang Governor Zhang Zhidong advocated moving the capital to Taiyuan and abolishing the contract to fight again: "The lone army is expedition, and all grains and bombs are shipped by sea. The rule of division of troops is weak. If the army is not regulated, it will not be able to support it if it is defeated." Song Qing, the assistant of Beiyang Military Affairs, called the Qing court to oppose the signing of the Shimonoseki Treaty: "I am willing to serve the country with the best soldiers in the world!"
Zhang Zhidong
So, what did the Qing court think? In fact, the Qing court also had the idea of breaking the contract and fighting again.
After Li Hongzhang and Ito Hirobumi signed the "Shimonoseki Treaty" in Japan, the treaty did not take effect immediately. It needs to be approved by the emperors of the two countries before it can take effect. Emperor Guangxu did not quickly ratify the Shimonoseki Treaty, but explored the possibility of breaking the contract and fighting again.
Emperor Guangxu
On April 25, under the instruction of Emperor Guangxu, the Military Aircraft Department respectively called Liu Kunyi, the governor of Liangjiang who led the Hunan army stationed on the front line of the Liaohe River, and Wang Wenshao, the acting governor of Zhili stationed in Tianjin, to inquire about their View: "However, at the moment when the opportunity is pressing, peace and war are at stake, and we should make decisive decisions. Liu Kunyi and Wang Wenshao are observing the overall security of the current situation and whether the military situation and war are reliable, and express their opinions. According to the truth,Don't use the words of wandering ambiguity and perfunctory responsibilities. "The Military Aircraft Department asked them to express their views clearly and clearly, and don't use ambiguous words to perfuse the blame.
Liu Kunyi was a very determined minister of the main battle party in the imperial court. As early as the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, he proposed it. "If you have money to make indemnities, it is better to use soldiers for two years." It is believed that "with two years of military service, the salary required is only tens of millions, which is less than half of the compensation, and the more they will spend." After the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895 came to an end, Liu Kunyi said He was ordered to lead the Hunan Army to the front line with the intention of turning the tide. However, Liu Kunyi’s efforts to rectify military affairs were in vain due to the defeat of the Huai Army.
Liu Kunyi
This time, Liu Kunyi still supports the Japanese army to continue Anti-Japanese War. He said that Gyeonggi’s defenses are tight, with many soldiers and generals, and the Japanese do not dare to rush deep. Win. It may not be that he will drive straight ahead, and I will be devastated. "If the Japanese really dared to go deep alone, they would be surrounded and attacked by various Qing troops.
Compared with Liu Kunyi's optimism, Wang Wenshao was much more cautious. Wang Wenshao was a man who survived the Xianfeng, Tongzhi, and Guangxu dynasties and stood firm. The veteran is very sleek in his life. He is not easy to express his opinions and must not offend any colleague. Even if he must express his opinions, he always pretends to be deaf and dumb, and was nicknamed "oil-soaked loquat nucleus". Loquat nucleus is very important. It’s slippery. Wouldn’t it be indescribably smooth to soak in oil?
Wang Wenshao’s reply was very interesting. On the one hand, he claimed that in the army under his command, Nie Shicheng had a certain fighting capacity, and “a battle is bound to be” On the other hand, he also said that the rest of the troops inside and outside the customs “dare not to make assumptions” and do not know their combat effectiveness.
Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895
Wang Wenshao did not explicitly oppose the breach of contract and fight again, but said, “Now things are invincible. Losing is a solitary bet, and it is different from the situation before the agreement was not negotiated." He believes that if you really want to fight another one, you must win, otherwise the consequences will be very serious.
Wang Wenshao deserves to be an official "old man" Youtiao", said a big call, which means nothing.
On May 1, Emperor Guangxu received replies from Liu Kunyi and Wang Wenshao.The ministers were summoned for discussion. Most ministers felt that Liu Kunyi was too optimistic, and together with the military minister Weng Tonghe, who was the main warrior, he couldn't believe it: "Although Liu is ready to fight again, Tong Lie quite picks one or two movable words, it is not really sure.
At this critical time, Li Hongzhang poured a basin of cold water. Li Hongzhang has always hoped that the Qing court will perform on schedule. He worried that the Qing court would break the contract and fight again, which would bring serious consequences. To this end, Li Hongzhang specifically called the Prime Minister’s Office of National Affairs: “Japan has restored Russia and allowed to return to the entire Liaoning Province. Taiwan cannot repeat itself.”
Li Hongzhang
Although Li Hongzhang is no longer the governor of Zhili, he has There is a lot of influence in the court. Emperor Guangxu did not follow Liu Kunyi's suggestion.
At that time, the views of Russia, France, and Germany were also influencing the breach of contract and fighting again.
If the three countries support the Qing court to break the contract and fight again, even if they even threaten Japan by force, Emperor Guangxu is confident to continue fighting. However, the reason why Russia, France, and Germany intervened in returning Liaoning was only to contain Japan's sphere of influence, and not to really help the Qing Dynasty. Without the support of Russia, France, and Germany, the Qing court had to give up the idea of breaking the contract and fighting again.
On May 8, 1895, representatives of the Qing Dynasty and Japan exchanged the ratifications of Emperor Guangxu and Emperor Meiji in Yantai, marking the official entry into force of the Shimonoseki Treaty. At this point, the Sino-Japanese Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895 was finally settled.
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