A friend asked, during the reign of Emperor Qianlong, the Qing Dynasty was so powerful, why it sent troops four times but could not defeat a small Myanmar ? What needs to be explained is that although the Qing Dynasty's national power was strong when Qianlong was in power, it did not mean that it had excellent military equipment, let alone strong combat effectiveness of its troops.
According to historical records, the total strength of the Qing army in the fourth conquest of Burma was more than 40,000, of which the Eight Banners of Manchuria accounted for about 30%. However, the individual weapons of the Eight Banners soldiers, known as the "elite" Qing army, were nothing more than old-fashioned bows and arrows, swords, spears, and shotguns.
Although the Qing army had a large number of 2,000 to 3,000 kilograms of copper cannons, nine-section cannons, mountain-splitting cannons, , these old-style artillery had slow loading, short range, and limited power. Even the temporary wooden fences built by the Burmese army could not be destroyed (the lead fired Most of them pass through the gaps in the wooden fence).
In contrast, the Burmese army’s weapons are generally better than those of the Qing army. At that time, Myanmar was at the peak of the Yonggiya Dynasty ( Konbaung Dynasty ). Its national power was growing day by day, and its rulers were shrewd and capable. They conquered Siam, invaded Yunnan, and competed with Western colonists at sea. It was called the "small country in Southeast Asia" "Ba".
Through purchasing and looting (Burmese pirates were very rampant in Southeast Asian waters at that time), the Burmese army obtained many foreign guns and cannons from the British, French, Portuguese and other Western colonists. According to historical records, the Burmese once intercepted two French arms transporting ships at sea and obtained 1,300 rifles, 40 artillery pieces of various types, and a large amount of ammunition.
Perhaps due to the large number of pirates, the Burmese army's water combat effectiveness also exceeded that of the Qing army. Its battle length was about 6 to 7 feet long, with 20 rowers on each side. The bow was equipped with a cannon that could be rotated and adjusted, and the sides of the ship were densely covered with shotguns. The traffic was swift and the firepower was swift and fierce.
In late September 1766, 3,000 Burmese troops attacked the strategic military location New Street by land and water and defeated the Qing army. An important factor was the use of the power of warship artillery.
The unfavorable climate and geographical conditions also greatly offset the Qing army's national strength advantage. The battlefield of the Burmese expedition was characterized by mountains and rivers and dense vegetation. It was difficult for the Qing army to display their riding and shooting skills, and they were often ambushed and attacked by the Burmese army who were familiar with the terrain.
Moreover, due to the inconvenience of transportation, the logistical problems of the Qing army on the expedition (to support the 40,000 Qing army, it required the dispatch of millions of civilians and tens of thousands of mules and horses) has been unable to be solved.
The most terrible thing is that the Qing army has always suffered from the raging "smoke miasma" (tropical diseases mainly malaria). According to historical records, there were about 1,000 people in the Qing army on the front line. As many as 800 people died of miasma, and more than 100 people were sick. The entire army was almost wiped out before the war started.
In the face of severe infectious diseases, the Qing army, regardless of high or low, lost its resistance. Even the senior generals on whom Emperor Qianlong placed high hopes and the imperial guard Fuling'an (son of Fu Heng and brother of Fu Kang'an) who participated in the pacification of Junggar were also killed. Died of illness on the front line in 1767.
In 1769, Qianlong ordered the fourth expedition to Burma. This time the Qing Dynasty spent a lot of money to win. It raised 8.5 million taels of silver for military expenses alone (twice the total military expenses of the previous three conquests of Burma), and mobilized more than 40,000 Eight Banners, Green Camp, and Chieftain soldiers from across the country to equip them with military equipment. There are more than 60,000 mules and horses, hundreds of artillery pieces of various types, and the Fujian Navy is also allowed to cooperate with the army in operations. The appointed commanders such as Fu Heng, Agui, Shu Hede, Aligun are also long-time commanders. An outstanding general who has experienced battles.
In this battle, the Qing Dynasty went all out and was determined to win. Unfortunately, due to miasma infection and combat casualties, less than three months after the start of the Burma War, the strength of the Qing army dropped sharply to 13,000, a reduction of more than 70%, and most of them died of diseases. For example, of the 8,000 elites commanded by Fu Heng himself, only more than 2,000 were left when they arrived at Xinjie.
As the epidemic became more serious, among the senior generals of the Qing army, deputy general Ali Gun, commander-in-chief Wu Shisheng and Ye Xiangde , and deputy capital commander Qi Lingzabu died of miasma. Coach Fu Heng also fell ill and suffered from diarrhea. At that time, the war situation was already very unfavorable to the Qing army. If they continued to fight, they might repeat the mistakes of the previous three failures.Fortunately, due to years of war, Burma was very consumed and exhausted, so it took the initiative to negotiate a peace, finally giving Qianlong a way to call it quits.
In fact, before Qianlong's conquest of Burma, most of the dynasties that attacked the Indochina Peninsula did not get any good results - the Song Dynasty conquered Jiaozhi, Yuan Shizu Kublai Khan3 conquered Annan, and the Ming Dynasty conquered Annan, but they all failed in the end. And return.
Not to mention the ancient Central Plains dynasties, even the later empire that was rich in the world, had a powerful military, and developed science and technology also paid a heavy price for attacking Burma. It took more than 60 years (1824 to 1885) and three wars to bring it to an end. Conquer, but the remote areas were still beyond the reach of the British.
