Late Qing Military Reform (1901-1911)

After the 1900 War, Qing Dynasty was at a critical moment. Domestic trouble and foreign invasion threatened it, therefore, the Qing Government carried out new politics to support itself. Military institution reform was one of the main content. And this thesis mainly tells how the modern military institution formed by depicting the development of military institution at the end of Qing Dynasty and analyzing its features and influences. Moreover, this thesis insights the achievements of the military modernization at the end of Qing Dynasty.This thesis is classified into four parts as follows.The first part is about Organization and training of the New-style Land forces.This part mainly describes the military institution of New-style Land forces and specific organization and training. This part is very important.The New-style Land forces' administrative organization underwent a range of development, from the Drill Office to the Land forces Ministry and still to the Military Consultative Repository. The organization and drilling of the New-style Land forces showed characteristics of the western countries. The New - style Land forces' service system formulated which marked the establishment of the modern military service system in China. The New-style Land forces' officer system laid a foundation of the modern military officer system. And the New-style Land forces' rear-service institution reform also showed modern characteristics.The second part expounds the reconstruction of the modern navy.After the Sino-Japanese War(1894-1895), Qing Dynasty made great efforts to reconstruct the navy. The main achievement was the establishment of the Navy Ministry. Also included were the addition of navy, the naval port's preparation and navy's organization.The third part talks about the establishment of the modern military education system.In 1904, the Drill Office issued the universal land force's school-system which marked the fundamental construction of modern military education system. Qing Dynasty constructed a whole set of new-style school-system and educational administrative system from costal cities to inland's district and from center to locality. The new-style military education was standardized, systemized, specialized and universalized.The fourth part is about characteristics and remarks of military reform at the and of Qing Dynasty.China had its social, political and economic situations. Compared with western counterparts, the military institution reform at the end of Qing Dynasty showed the following notable features: the reform was deeply influenced by Japanese military institution; The reform was filled with conflicts between the central government and the local governors; The financial difficulties restrained severely the development of the reform.The military institution reform at the end of Qing Dynasty marked the establishment of Chinese military modernization and also created further influence.The achievements of military institution reform couldn't resolve all the problems, that economic power and the turbulence of the social environment. All the above conditions decided, there must exist some deficiencies in the military institution reform at the end of Qing Dynasty.