The Research On The Construction Of Fengtian Coastal Defence Battery In The Late Qing Dynasty

As an important branch of military defense project, the coast fort barbette’s maintask is to guard strategic points, to prevent the enemy landing, to defend the importanttowns inland, to consolidate military harbor security, to protect territorial seas bycooperating with the navy. The construction of Chinese coastal fort barbette takes itsorigin from late Ming dynasty when Chinese defend Japanese pirates, and inheritedthe coastal defense system of the Ming dynasty after the Qing armies enteringShanhaiguan. A large number of coastal fort barbettes were built along the coast.Before the outbreak of First Opium War, certain numbers of forts had fell into disuse,and the rest of forts were not able to resist British warships. During the war, since theQing dynasty navy cannot confront the British navy, the role of coastal fort barbettewas much highlighted.In order to resist invasion, the Qing armies began to adapt coast fort barbettesaccording to the battlefield experience, learn the western architectural technologyabout fort, and copy the western models of fort. These forts, which spread everywhereon China’s coastline, were regarded as “The Great Wall on the Sea”. It existed in theperiod of the struggle against foreign aggression in modern China.The fort becamethe main weapon to confront the invaders and strong spiritual symbol of the Chinese.The construction of the fort was a tough, costly and time-consuming task. The fortplayed an important role in the struggle against foreign aggression in modern China.As the left wing of the coast defense in the district near the royal capital, thesafety of Mukden area are closely related to the safety of Zhili province. It lied in thefar north of The Great Wall on the Sea and took responsibility of guarding the districtnear the royal capital and protecting north eastern province of China. Under theinfluence of Chinese coast defense situation at that time, the construction climax ofthe coast fort barbette in Mukden area had occurred four times. With large quantitiesand various types, it became the model of Chinese coast fort barbette. Viewing fromthe research direction of scholars, most of them focused their study on thedevelopment of Beiyang navy and naval port in Lushun, but seldom study the coast fort barbette in Mukden area. Related researches were mostly focused onGerman-style barbette in Guangxu period. Research about the construction of thecoast fort barbette in Mukden area from the Opium War to the Sino-French war isrelatively insufficient.The aim of this thesis is to introduce the development of Chinese coast fortbarbette in late Qing dynasty by study the coast fort barbette in Mukden area. Thepaper is divided into six parts: the first part introduces the coastal defense geographyof Mukden, status in the coast defense, and situation of the construction of the coastalfort barbettes in the early period. The second introduces the situation of theconstruction of the coastal fort barbettes in Mukden area in the time period betweenthe two Opium Wars in detail with specific historical materials. The third introducesthe situation of the construction of the coastal fort barbettes in Mukden area in thetime period from Japan’s invasion of Taiwan to Sino-French War. Mainly introducesfort barbettes in Lushun. The fourth introduces the situation of the construction of thecoastal fort barbettes in Mukden area in the time period from Sino-French War to FirstSino-Japanese War. Mainly introduces coastal fort barbettes in Dalian. The fifthintroduces the situation of the construction of the coastal fort barbettes in Mukdenarea after the First Sino-Japanese War. Mainly introduces coastal fort barbettes builtby the Russians, and then compared it with those built by Chinese. The sixth discussesthe constructional characteristics and influencing factors of the coastal fort barbettesin Mukden in late Qing dynasty from the aspect of artillery’s improvement, evolutionof offensive pattern, concept of construction of fort barbette, and so on. Through thestudy of the construction of the coastal fort barbettes in Mukden area, the general lawof the construction and development of Chinese coastal fort barbettes in late Qingdynasty could be revealed.