Flag-waving Fleet: The Rise and Fall of Modern Chinese Navy

Author: Jiang Ming
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-08-01
Features: On September 17, 1894, the Japanese Navy and the elite of the Beiyang Fleet of the Qing Dynasty engaged in a bloody battle on the Yellow Sea in Dandonggou. Over 100 years later, the heroic deeds of Liu Buchan, Deng Shichang, and others still stir the blood. The Beiyang Fleet, once hailed as the world's sixth-largest, was defeated. Where did it go wrong? Please read the work of historian Jiang Ming—The Fleet with the Dragon Flag Flying—The Rise and Fall of Modern Chinese Navy. The author examines history with a modern perspective, focusing on comparative studies of naval forces both at home and abroad, offering his own observations and analyses on coastal defense and frontier defense, naval development strategies, the late Qing government and the political faction of the Qing stream. For many lesser-known events in the history of modern Chinese navy, this book provides supplementary details. For example, it vividly describes the specific details of the "Dingfar" ironclad ship from its purchase, training to its sinking in the Battle of Weihai. The work is highly readable. Therefore, this book is not only valuable for historians or professionals but also serves as an excellent read for laypeople and middle school students. This book is a microcosm of modern Chinese social history. It starts from the backdrop of major international disputes between China and foreign countries in the second half of the 19th century and the important diplomatic and defense decisions of the late Qing government, summarizing the lessons of the rise and fall of the modern Chinese navy, which once ranked ninth in the world. It explains how the corruption of the Qing government and the oppression of foreign powers ultimately failed to realize the dream of "learning from the barbarians to restrain the barbarians." The insights it offers cannot be replaced by ordinary history textbooks. This book provides a profound and broad historical context for us to study socialist theory, carry out patriotic education, and especially for young people to strengthen their understanding of modern history.
Author Bio: Jiang Ming was born in 1957 and graduated from the History Department of Fudan University in 1984. Currently, he serves as the Deputy General Manager of the Shanghai headquarters of China Galaxy Securities Company. He has published works such as The Annals of Modern Chinese Navy History and The Adjusted Gaze.
Table of Contents
Preface I
Preface II
Foreword to the First Edition
Foreword to the Revised Edition
Chapter 1: The Dawn of Naval Affairs (1861-1874)
Chapter 2: North and South Advance Together (1875-1884)
Chapter 3: Before and After the Battle of Machiang (1884-1885)
Chapter 4: The Establishment of the Naval Ministry (1885-1894)
Chapter 5: The Formation of the Beiyang Fleet (1885-1894)
Chapter 6: The Battle of the Yellow Sea and the Demise of the Beiyang Fleet (1894-1895)
Chapter 7: The Second Peak of Naval Development (1895-1911)
Main Reference Books