| The process of military modernization in Northeast China began in the late Qing Dynasty,with the late Qing Dynasty’s new policy was a period of rapid development in the modernization of military affairs in Northeast China.In 1860,due to Russia’s occupation of over 1 million square kilometers of territory in Northeast China,the core area of the Northeast region was directly threatened by Russia.In order to consolidate border defense,the Qing government gradually lifted the restrictions on mainland Chinese people going to Northeast China for land reclamation,and banditry gradually emerged as mainland immigrants gathered.In order to maintain local security,the generals of the three provinces selected the Eight Banners soldiers of their own province and organized them into a army.However,the organization and training of the army did not change the nature of the Northeast Eight Banners’ hereditary military system,so the management effect was not ideal.In 1885,the Qing government established the Minister of Military Training in the three provinces of Northeast China in order to rectify the military affairs in Northeast China.The first Minister,Mu Tushan,also took charge of his duties during his tenure.But the successor Ding’an was constrained by accumulated habits,causing the construction of military in the three provinces to once again stagnate.In the Sino Japanese War of 1894-1895,the Northeast Army suffered heavy losses.After the Sino Japanese War of 1894-1895,major powers engaged in interest struggles in the Northeast region.Against the backdrop of the intensifying border crisis,the generals of the three provinces successively carried out military construction work in their respective provinces,such as rectifying the military establishment,establishing new military education,strengthening border defense,and achieving certain results.However,the above construction activities only made partial adjustments to the traditional military training and defense system,and did not fundamentally change the weak military situation in Northeast China.In 1900,during the Boxer Rebellion,the military power in the Northeast region was completely lost under the Russian invasion.Based on the principle of the Russian government supervising Manchuria,Russia deprived China of the right to retain its military forces in the Northeast region and only allowed China to train armed forces in the nature of a police force in the Northeast region.In order to restore military power in the Northeast region,Sabao,Changshun,and Zengqi successively negotiated with the Russian side and prompted Russia to agree to China’s expansion of the forces in the Northeast region.At the same time,Zengqi and Changshun actively raised weapons and military salaries,which to extent stabilized the chaotic local situation after the Boxer Rebellion.Under the intervention of foreign powers,the Qing government restored China’s military power in Northeast China through the Treaty of Settlement of the Three Provinces in 1902,and laid the foundation for the formation and training of the New Army and patrol teams in the three provinces.After the Russo-Japanese War,Japan signed the Treaty of Portsmouth with Russia,which established the sphere of influence of Japan and Russia in Northeast China and China’s sovereign status in the Northeast region.However,Japan and Russia continued to increase their troops and conduct military reconnaissance activities around the rights and interests of Northeast China.The bandits which were pacified by Japan and Russia during the war also disrupted the security of Northeast China.Zhao Erxun,Dagui and Cheng Dequan took advantage of the opportunity of both Japan and Russia being greatly weakened after the war to reorganize the armed forces of the provincial police force.Successively established army academies in this province as the foundation for cultivating military talents.At the same time,the provinces of Shengjing and Jilin followed the orders of the Military Training Department and conducted small-scale New Army formation and training within their respective provinces.The military construction in the Northeast region entered a new stage.In 1906,Xu Shichang discovered that there were shortcomings in the military affairs of Northeast China,such as the uneven armed establishment of the police force,the insufficient number of the New Army troops,the variety of new weapons,and the insufficient scale and level of military education.In 1907,Xu Shichang,who had been promoted to the position of Governor General of the three provinces,transferred one division and two brigades of the Beiyang Army to Northeast China to strengthen the garrison forces in the region,which considering the weakness of military affairs in Northeast China and the role of ensuring stability in Northeast China in safeguarding China’s sovereignty.At the same time,Xu Shichang coordinated military leadership,education,and logistics institutions in Northeast China;According to the regulations of the patrol team established by the Ministry of the Army,the armed forces of the three provincial guard teams were reorganized and unified the chaotic organization of the three provincial guard teams since the Boxer Rebellion.On the basis of inheriting the achievements of military construction during the tenure of Xu Shichang,the successors of Governor Xi Liang and Zhao Erxun coordinated the formation and training of the New Army in the three provinces,and actively eliminated redundant personnel and expenses,thus a relatively complete modern military system was estabished in the Northeast region.At the same time,the governors of the three provinces were directly responsible for the military and political affairs of Fengtian.They utilized it as a hub for the military and political affairs of the three provinces and established a defense system in Fengtian with the New Army and the Patrol Corps.Jilin Governor Zhu Jiabao,Chen Zhaochang,and Yanji Border Affairs Supervisor Wu Luzhen actively carried out diplomatic activities with Japan around the issue of Yanji and advocated the use of force as a backup for diplomatic relations with Japan.At the same time,actively implemented the requirements of Xu Shichang,Xi Liang’s training patrol team and the New Army,ultimately successfully completed the training task.Zhou Shumo,the governor of Heilongjiang,and Song Xiaolian,the deputy governor of Hulunbuir,actively compiled and trained the New Army,established the three provinces veterans’ reclamation,and strengthened China’s military forces in Hulunbuir and Aihui,which playing an important role in restoring the border defense system of Heilongjiang.During the New Deal period of the late Qing Dynasty,the military construction activities carried out by the local officials in Northeast China resulted in differences in construction results due to financial constraints,chaotic military system,and differences in the quality of military commanders.However,the above-mentioned military construction activities to some extent ended the mixed situation of military affairs in Northeast China since the Boxer Rebellion,stabilized the chaotic local situation in Northeast China,and promoted the process of military modernization in Northeast China. |
