Add Bookmark | Recommend this book | Back to the book page | My bookshelf | Mobile Reading

Free Web Novel,Novel online - All in oicq.net -> Historic -> Taiping blood

Volume 1: Fierce Battle in Changsha Chapter 431: Britain and France Prepare for War

Previous page        Return to Catalog        Next page

    In fact, as soon as he learned of the disastrous defeat in Taku, Napoleon III, who was far away in France, ordered Admiral Amulin, Minister of the Navy, and Marshal Landon, Minister of War, to prepare for an "expedition" against China.  The "expedition" should be based on the four pillars, forming land forces, forming combat fleets, transportation and military supplies stations, and formulating combat plans.

    The initial consideration was to form a large "expeditionary" army of about 18,000 people.  But Napoleon III¡¯s wife, Empress Eugenie, strongly supported launching a large-scale ¡°expedition¡± against China.  The Ministry of War once planned to establish four new Juav light infantry regiments, mainly composed of volunteers, plus more than a thousand Belgian soldiers to form a force.  However, due to problems and economic factors that arose during the implementation process, especially in order not to make Britain feel the pressure from France to increase its army strength, France reduced the planned strength quite a bit when it formally reviewed the plan.

    In fact, the British would not agree to France sending a large number of troops to China that exceeded the British army.  Secondly, France also wisely gave up its plan to send war horses, also known as cavalry, to China.  Colonel Dupin regretted this, but expressed his understanding, saying: "the demand for an alliance with England frustrated these too large plans However, since the extreme sensitivities of our neighbors have since been respected, we therefore  Hopefully, the friendly entente between Britain and France will remain stable."

    London and Paris jointly studied how to organize a military "expedition" and formulated a combat plan. The coordination and cooperation required far exceeded the last war in which the British and French combined fleets went to the Far East.  The total strength of the two armies was determined to be 20,000, and the British army was 12,000.  Most of them were drawn from the troops stationed in India, including 8,000 French troops.

    In the process of organizing the "expedition" army.  French Navy Captain Bougevos played an important role.  He was sent to London by General Amulan to communicate with the British in advance and prepare with them for the joint operation that the French and British forces would conduct on the same battlefield.  Colonel Brzeva represented the Navy Department, and Colonel Ribble represented the War Department. They studied various aspects of the future "expedition" with representatives of the British army, such as troop allocation, coordination between coalition forces, personnel and material transportation, and rear bases.  Attack targets etc.  The means of capturing Tianjin - by land or water - were also studied.  As for the highest political goal of seizing Beijing, the coalition was still hesitant at the time.

    The concerns of the coalition forces are still old. British politicians are worried that after seizing Beijing, the Manchu Qing Dynasty will quickly collapse, allowing the Taiping Rebellion to quickly unify all of China.  The French emperor showed great enthusiasm. He even suggested joining the Taiping Army to send troops together. He was happy to see a Christian country in the east replacing the barbaric and ignorant Manchu Qing Dynasty.  But the British viewed the Taiping Army with caution.  Especially for the Western King, the last unpleasant experience due to Temple Street and Sakhalin made the British feel the political courage of the Western King. It is conceivable that if the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom represented by the Western King rules the Far East, there will be an emergence in the East.  For a powerful country with the same land and population as Russia, Britain's interests in the Far East will surely be damaged.

    So, in the discussion of whether to occupy Beijing.  There were serious differences between Britain and France.

    Fortunately, both sides compromised in the end. This battle must be fought. The extent of the fight will depend on the progress of the war. The British were also worried that just occupying Tianjin would not lead to the submission of the Manchu Qing Dynasty.

    The French side chose Major General Montauban as the commander-in-chief of the French army. He is a veteran soldier stationed in Africa.  He spent most of his life in Algeria, where he was well-known.  He has won about 12 awards for this purpose.  The most outstanding military exploit was the capture of Emir Abdel-Kader on the Moroccan border.

    On the day when the British and French notes declaring war were sent to Suzhou, the 63-year-old General Montauban was received by Emperor Napoleon at the Compi¨¨gne Palace. The British and French issued the note declaring war in advance did not affect their military operations. Grant's fleet returned to Shanghai and continued  Rushing back to Hong Kong, their initial target of attack is still Guangzhou.

    Like the Palace of Fontainebleau, the Compi¨¨gne Palace is also the royal family's favorite vacation spot. Starting from the feast of Saint Eugenie on November 15th every year, the emperor likes to govern here.  Napoleon III asked General Montauban whether he felt strong enough to withstand the fatigue of the "expedition" that might last a long time and the harsh climate that might be hot or cold.  Montauban answered with pride that he had spent 27 years in Africa and never got sick. On the contrary, his body became stronger due to the fatigue of the war.

    The emperor picked up a map of China from the royal table and handed it to him, and then asked him to see Count Goschi.  Gonzalez was the First Secretary of the French Mission in China. He was present during the Dagu incident and was sent back to China to report the fiasco to the government.  This diplomat was responsible for imparting to General Montauban all his knowledge of the people and events of the Chinese Empire.  Then, as the commander-in-chief of the "expedition" force against China, Montauban was introduced to the palace dignitaries and Queen Eugenie.

    In view of the remoteness of the war zone, General Montauban also has some special powers, such as the power to appoint officers at all levels below the colonel and to award honors below the fourth level of the Legion of Honor.

    Napoleon III also decreedLieutenant Colonel Schmitz, one of the border adjutants, is the chief of staff of the "expeditionary" army.  The artillery was commanded by Colonel Benzmann.  The engineering force was led by Lieutenant Colonel Deloulay, a close confidant of General Montauban who was on a mission in Cochin China at the time.  Administrative matters were handled by Assistant Quartermaster Dube, but he himself (when organizing the "expeditionary" force) no longer had to return from China!

    The French cavalry commander Rebull was sent to the British army as a special commissioner; and the British Colonel Foley came to General Montauban as a liaison officer.  There is also a group of additional officers with no specific duties to accompany the "expedition", and if necessary to replace the official incumbent

    Colonel Dupin, with an expert eye, highlighted the difficulties involved in conducting such an "expedition".  He wrote: "Assembling fleets and armies for expeditions is a more difficult matter than people usually imagine. The selection of generals, the quality of soldiers, and the issuance of clear and accurate orders to control possible problems and avoid conflicts  , stipulating health precautions, the quantity and quality of various military supplies that need to be transported, etc.; all of this constitutes a whole composed of combat effectiveness assessment and special military supplies. If this whole is to be coordinated well, there must be a strong sense of proportion.  In particular, we must rely on rich experience. At this point, we should learn from the Taiping Army in the Far East. This army pays special attention to the preparation of logistical support, and they do it better than us."

    The French combat force includes 2 infantry brigades, belonging to different arms, with a total of 5,600 people, including 1,600 naval officers and soldiers.  The 1st Brigade is commanded by Brigadier General Ranman and includes four infantry battalions (two battalions of light infantry), the 101st Infantry Regiment, 2 engineer companies (320 men) and 1 engineering platoon.  The 2nd Brigade was commanded by Brigadier General Colino and also included 4 battalions, including the 102nd Infantry Regiment led by Colonel O'Malley.  The 2nd Marine Battalion led by Colonel Vassone, and 4 artillery squadrons (1,200 men), 1 company of bridgemen and 1 platoon of fuzemen.

    It is worth noting that the French "expeditionary" army has no cavalry, only a small escort of about 50 light cavalry, responsible for following the commander-in-chief and diplomatic representatives.  General Montauban could also rely on France's modern navy and a suitable fleet (it already had warships with steel hulls, steam engines and propellers).  Since Napoleon III came to power, he has not been stingy in naval funding.  Admiral Amulan, Minister of the Navy, was busy assembling the necessary troop transport ships, and at the same time purchased three fast steam ships from the United Kingdom (namely, the "Japan", the "European" and the "Weser").  Accelerate the construction of new ships, charter merchant ships, etc.  The French fleet consists of 42 propeller ships, 6 steamers, 13 sailing ships, and 87 chartered or chartered ships for transport.

    Of course, don¡¯t forget the 21 warships already in the French Navy in the Far East.  Among them, 16 gunboats were able to cross the Baihe sandbar and go up the river.  These iron detachable gunboats were equipped with 30 cm rifled cannons.  With powerful firepower and mobility, they will play an active and effective role.  However, it must be pointed out that the navy's strength may have been reduced during the review.  Fleets departing from French ports will rendezvous with ships already in the China Sea.

    This "expedition" is also equipped with a medical team with strong medical skills.  Led by Chief Doctor Castano, it includes 40 military doctors and 8 pharmacists.  There is also a religious office.  There was Father Tregaro, the senior chaplain with the army, and Father Zhu Ya, a Protestant priest. They also had another task, which was to meet with the local Archbishop of the Taiping Army after arriving in Shanghai. Of course, the French did not know that the Taiping Army was  There is no archbishop. If there is, it is the leader Hong who is still trapped in Tianjing.

    At the beginning of the Crimean War in 1854, the British army was quite rigid and had almost no combat effectiveness.  It can even be said that the management is very chaotic, the command is incompetent, military supplies are poor, and medical services are even lacking.  In short, there are many slack officials and no fighting spirit among the soldiers.  However, the general revitalization of the British army was rapid and complete.

    The British conducted very extensive military cooperation with the Taiping Army in the Far East. While the British taught the Taiping Army how to fight hot weapons warfare, they also learned the Taiping Army¡¯s serious attitude towards logistics, especially in terms of medical support.  When Grant and Tan Shaoguang were on the Northern Expedition to Temple Street, they had visited the Taiping Army camp. Grant had a particularly vivid memory of the strange rules in the camp. The Taiping Army stipulated that soldiers' socks must be kept dry, and soldiers without tasks must clean them every day.  The mosquitoes, rats, and ants in the camp even have to pay a certain number of rat carcasses per head.  Later, Grant learned that this approach of the Taiping Army cut off the transmission routes of most infectious diseases, and he immediately recommended this experience to the country.

    Grant is still the commander-in-chief of the British "Expeditionary Force". He has assembled a group of prestigious teams under his command, the main part of which is also two divisions.  The First Division was led by Major General Michel (equivalent to the French Brigadier General at the time) and had two brigades and 11 regiments (including 3 Indian regiments).  The second division was led by Major General Napier and had two field artillery squadrons and one siege artillery squadron. They were sent from Britain via Egypt and were equipped with new Armstrong cannons that fired with breech guns.  3 artillery corps commanded by Brigadier Croton (equivalent to Colonel)??Command.  There is also a company of Queen's Engineers and cavalry, dispatched by Brigadier General Battle.

    The British cavalry has 1,340 people (40 officers, 400 British soldiers, and 900 Indian soldiers), including 2 "Queen's Guard Dragoons" teams and 2 irregular Indian Sikh cavalry regiments, consisting of Fanner and Puro.  Led by Major Bin, the two majors later stole the show in the "Expedition". Their record against the Manchus was enough to be recorded in history, but their record against the Taiping Army was another story.

    The 1st Sikh Cavalry Regiment commanded by Major Probin is composed entirely of volunteers and is stationed in Lucknow, central India.  The regiment traveled 600 miles in 18 days, then took a train to Calcutta, where it boarded a ship and sailed to Hong Kong, where the British troops gathered.

    As British military reporters Wu Shili, Tulloch and others later pointed out, during this expedition, the British army paid special attention to the establishment of management and medical services offices. They referred to the practices of the Taiping Army in many aspects.

    For the British, it is easier to organize an "expeditionary" army.  They have many troops stationed in India and Cape Town, including infantry and cavalry. They can be sent to mainland China relatively easily via Hong Kong, and their baggage transportation problems are also greatly reduced.  They bought many horses in Cape Town and put them on stable ships to send to the battlefield.

    The British army already has a powerful fleet in Chinese waters, with 61 propeller warships, most of which are gunboats, 10 ships, and 16 sailing ships.  Secondly, the British chartered a large number of merchant ships, as many as 135 ships.  Including the ships sent to the Far East from India, Cape Town and other places, Grant's fleet reached an astonishing number of more than 300 ships of various types.

    Compared with the 60,000 troops sent during the Crimean War, the British and French "expeditionary" troops against China only numbered 20,000, which can only be regarded as a small army.  However, if Lieutenant Colonel Wu Shili, the quartermaster assistant of the British army camp, is to be believed, Britain has never sent such well-organized, effective and sophisticated troops once a war breaks out.  Even everything necessary for the health and comfort of the soldier was not neglected.  He even dared to say that the preparations for this "expedition" were "perfect."  However, Lord Elgin believed that the cost of this "expedition" was huge and highly disproportionate to its goals.

    Sir Elgin¡¯s prediction was extremely accurate. Just as Britain and France were preparing intensively for war, a very unpleasant incident broke out in India that made the British very unhappy
Didn't finish reading? Add this book to your favoritesI'm a member and bookmarked this chapterCopy the address of this book and recommend it to your friends for pointsChapter error? Click here to report