(S8) Chinese Traditionalist Uprising

The Traditionalist Uprising, also known as the Traditionalist Rebellion, or Chinese Civil War of 1891, was a massive rebellion or civil war that was waged in

China from 1891 to 1893 between the reform-minded Qing dynasty and Chinese traditionalists.

Commanded by Zhang Dechang, the self-proclaimed protector of Chinese traditionalism, the goals of the traditionalists were to preserve the backwards, unenlightened, primitive ways of China; they sought to prevent the modernization that the Qing Court had set out to implement. Instead of just changing the leadership they sought to upturn the entire nation and keep it isolationist. They were widespread and numbered about 7 million strong, with them gaining control of Northern Manchuria and Western China.

For 2 years the Traditionalists occupied and fought in the North and West of China, and caused about 3 million deaths. The Traditionalists were weakened when they had attempted to break through reformist fortifications and lost millions to machine gun fire and artillery. They were ultimately defeated by a combined force of Chinese soldiers, led by Li Hongzhang, numbering about 1.4 million, and a Russian force of about 500,000 men. Through a series of encirclements and strategic movements, the reformists were able to defeat the rebels in just 2 years. Afterwards Li Hongzhang was celebrated as a savior and the Russians that died were commemorated in a memorial built in China.

History

1) Origins

2) Early Years

2.1) Middle Years

2.2) Fall of the Traditionalists

2.3) Aftermath

2.4) Death Toll

3) Military

3.1) Traditionalist Military

3.2) Reformist Military

4) Legacy

Origins
The Qing Dynasty had been slowly falling apart when the Guangxu Emperor came to power. Facing issues such as opium trade, corruption, and humiliation by the Western powers. The population had been rapidly increasing and the Manchu-led Qing Dynasty conservatives were pushing against reform. However they all died, with some suspecting assassination. Li Hongzhang, an advisor to the Guangxu Emperor, had created a list of reforms that would help fix the nation. The traditionalists throughout the nation rose up in anger and declared the Emperor illegitimate, thus initiating the Traditionalist Uprising.