The real reason why the British and French allied forces "burned the Yuanmingyuan" is to destroy the evidence that they plundered China's historical relics and antiques.
According to historical records, in 186, the tenth year of Xianfeng, the Opium War broke out, and the British and French allied forces invaded Beijing and occupied Yuanmingyuan. Wen Fengfu, the chief minister of Yuanmingyuan, threw himself into the sea. With the support of British Prime Minister Pa Max Don, Erkin, the leader of the British army, ordered the Yuanmingyuan to be burned down. 3,5 British and French troops rushed into the Yuanmingyuan and set fire to it. The fire raged for three days, which made the Yuanmingyuan and its nearby Qingyi Garden, Jingming Garden, Jingyi Garden, Changchun Garden and Haidian Town burn to ruins. Nearly 3 eunuchs, maids and craftsmen in Anyou Palace were buried in the sea of fire, and this world-famous forest garden was reduced to ruins. This is the famous Chinese shame "burning Yuanmingyuan" incident in history.
Yuanmingyuan is located in Haidian District, the western suburb of Beijing. It was built in 48 years of Kangxi and consists of Yuanmingyuan, Changchun Garden and Qichun Garden. Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty gave the park to Yong Zhengdi and named it Yuanmingyuan. After more than 15 years of history, it has concentrated a large number of manpower and material resources, organized countless skilled craftsmen, and poured the blood and sweat of millions of working people into a grand and beautiful detached palace. Every summer, the Qing emperors came here to escape the heat, listen to politics and handle military and political affairs, so they were also called "Summer Palace". Yuanmingyuan, with its large scale, numerous cultural relics and architectural specifications, has reached the peak of ancient garden art in China. It is also a national museum of historical relics in China for thousands of years.
According to statistics, there are about 1.5 million looted items in Yuanmingyuan, ranging from bronze ritual vessels in China in the pre-Qin period to famous paintings and calligraphy in the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties and all kinds of rare treasures. After the British and French allied forces looted it, they destroyed the evidence of plunder by fire, which made it impossible for China to count the number and whereabouts of cultural relics. This is the real intention of the British and French allied forces to burn the Yuanmingyuan.
After plundering the treasures, in order to cover up their heinous crimes, they did not hesitate to set fire to destroy the trace. Nor does it rule out the vicious abnormal psychology that I would rather destroy since I can't take it away.
Let's be clear here: Yuanmingyuan was burned twice: in the second Opium War in 186, and Eight-Nation Alliance invaded China in 19.
in 186, there were more than 15, British troops and 7, French troops. Led by Erjin and Ge Luo respectively, they looted and burned in Yuanmingyuan from October 6 to October 9.
The French wanted to take the lead in robbery,
The British took the lead in arson.
In 19, Britain, France, the United States, Japan, Germany, Italy, Austria and Russia, these eight robbers teamed up to rob Yuanmingyuan again.
*** has robbed more than 1.5 million cultural relics, and destroyed countless pieces. In order to hide their crimes, the eight robbers set fire to Yuanmingyuan again.
After the Yuanmingyuan was burned for the first time, the Qing government planned to rebuild it, but after repairing part of it, it was found that the project was too huge and it cost too much money, so it was left unattended.
After the Yuanmingyuan was robbed and burned for the second time, local warlords and ignorant civilians, like scavengers, dug up all the stones and soil in Yuanmingyuan.
So the eight robbers in Yuanmingyuan were killed by their partners. But his body was carved up by local warlords and ignorant civilians.
Yuanmingyuan took 15 years to build after Kangxi, Yongzheng, Qianlong and Jiaqing dynasties. It was murdered by Britain, France, the United States, Germany, Italy, Austria and Russia, local separatist warlords, ignorant civilians and the government of the late Qing Dynasty.
In the junior middle school history textbook, the history teacher who burned Yuanmingyuan didn't elaborate on it, and the textbook was extremely incomplete, including the movie "Burning Yuanmingyuan" which was filmed later, and some of them were burned inexplicably. So why did the British-French Coalition forces (whether it was the British-French Coalition forces or Eight-Nation Alliance) burn the Yuanmingyuan? What is the real reason?
Later, a Frenchman who participated in the mission wrote a memoir, describing the situation at that time: We were trapped in a wooden prison, tied with hemp rope, and exposed to the hot sun for several days, without water or food, and many people died violently in the high temperature.
The news reached Britain and France, which shocked the whole country. The nationals of Britain and France thought that China people had violated international regulations and universal values first, so Britain and France decided to retaliate at the cost of burning a palace, and the price was Yuanmingyuan.
Before the fire broke out, the British special officials in Qing Dynasty posted a public notice in Beijing, telling the time and place of the fire, which meant that the people of China would not go, but the people of China went anyway. The British and French allied forces were robbing, and the China people were robbing themselves. Eunuchs and slaves were not idle, and later grave robbers went in to steal, which gradually evolved into a dilapidated scene to this day.
This is the whole story, so we can list the main reasons why the British and French allied forces burned down as follows:
Second, foreigners and missionaries were persecuted. In order to kill two birds with one stone, the imperial court used the feelings of the Boxer Rebellion to kill foreigners and missionaries everywhere. The ministers of various countries asked the Qing court to ban the Boxer Rebellion, but there was no response.
third: the concession was attacked and the ambassador was killed. With the connivance of the Qing court, the Boxer Rebellion wantonly attacked the foreign embassies' concessions, and Cleander, the German ambassador, went to the Prime Minister's yamen to ask for protection on behalf of all countries, and was killed by the Qing army in an ambush on the way, which led to the fuse of war. Since then, the Qing court was forced to declare war on eleven countries at the same time.
fourth: another important reason for burning Yuanmingyuan is to destroy the evidence of robbery.
Fifth: Burn the confidence of China people, which is the most important point. In the Second Opium War, the British and French allied forces were defeated when they landed in Dagukou, Tianjin, which was unacceptable to the arrogant Britain and France. If they entered Beijing again, they would not return empty-handed. They did not choose to burn the Forbidden City, but the Yuanmingyuan. Because Yuanmingyuan was the garden of ten thousand gardens in the world at that time, it represented all the rights, status and wealth of the feudal empire of the Qing Dynasty. China and France chose to burn this supreme Yuanmingyuan, which also burned the dignity of the Qing court and the confidence of the people, and beat you to the ground.
I will answer the question of boating in the long river of history.
In modern history, the pain of the Second Opium War may be the most unforgettable scene for the rulers of the Qing Dynasty. For thousands of years, the most sacred imperial power in the eyes of Chinese people was mercilessly mocked by the West. The British and French allied forces marched into Beijing, and thousands of troops could not guarantee the safety of Beijing. If the British and French allied forces entered no one's land, Xianfeng fled to Jehol, leaving the heart of the country behind the hands of the allied forces and bringing a heavy shock to the central system of the whole country. For China at that time, especially for the literati, this was a great shame and catastrophe that had never been seen in history. "There was an insurrection in the sea country, which was unknown since ancient times. In the Ming dynasty, there was a police of the enemy, and there was no balance between the sea countries, and it was a direct crime against Chixian County in China." The war started in Guangdong and spread to the city of Beijing. "The atmosphere of the barbarians approached, and the police were counted overnight, and people were perplexed, and the city moved in an endless stream. All government officials were far away, and ten rooms were empty." The allied forces entered from Andingmen, "Defending the city, ... trying to defend the soldiers on our city, we will take my artillery positions, lift them under the city, and accept them in the ditches." Another 46 statues of barbarians were set up. In the past, the scene of Beijing was like a flood, and there was nothing left, which gave the people the most violent shock.
British and French allied forces threatened to shell Beijing and destroy the palace; Then he rushed into the Yuanmingyuan, a famous royal garden that has been in operation for more than 15 years, integrated the achievements of Chinese and Western architectural arts, and gathered ancient and modern art treasures and ancient books and classics. First, he plundered it and then set it on fire. They claimed that "it is the emperor's favorite residence, and destroying it is not only a fatal blow to his feelings, but also a heavy blow to his arrogance." "It is necessary for us to leave a permanent mark nearby to show our treachery and cruel indignation towards the Qing government to warn the future. This is the real cause of burning Yuanmingyuan. " The Yuanmingyuan was burned down. "The huge empire suddenly capsized in its own ashes ... It seems to be just a sign, and it may not come true, because there is still time for China to rehabilitate itself and learn from them how to keep its subjects stable and catch up with the pace of historical progress in the current crisis."
first of all, it is to cover up and destroy the robbery certificate. At that time, the British and French allied forces, like robbers, brazenly robbed Yuanmingyuan in broad daylight. They have looted all the treasures that can be taken away in Yuanmingyuan. Burning the Yuanmingyuan on fire can not only cover up your own banditry, but also make a statement to the outside world. It was in order to cover up and destroy the robbery certificate that they chose to burn Yuanmingyuan.
Secondly, it is to force the Qing Dynasty to sign the contract quickly. War is a means, not an end. They started the war for some political and economic purpose. War is just a means for them to achieve their goals. Burning down the Yuanmingyuan can deter the rulers of the Qing Dynasty, break their psychological defenses and make them sign contracts as soon as possible.
finally, I want to kill with one blow and end the war as soon as possible. At that time, the number of British and French Coalition forces was small, and they were far away from home. At first, the Qing government might not be able to react. However, as long as the Qing government came to its senses and spared no effort to strangle them, even if they were severe, they would be mired in a quagmire and might even be wiped out. Therefore, it is better to bring the new victory, set a fire again, show their toughness, make the Qing government more afraid, get benefits by themselves, and quickly end the war and get away with it.
forced and coerced by Britain, France and other countries, in October 186, Prince Gong, the younger brother of Xianfeng, stayed in Beijing. It was forced to exchange the ratification documents of Tianjin Treaty with Britain and France, and signed the Beijing Treaty between China and Britain and France, recognizing that Tianjin Treaty was completely effective, opening Tianjin as a commercial port, allowing Britain and France to recruit Chinese workers to go abroad, ceding Kowloon Division to British Hong Kong, and so on, which made western powers grab a series of new privileges from China. When the news reached the provinces, the whole country trembled. Zeng Guofan, who is fighting the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, "received a message from Prince Gong, and learned that Luan Yu had been out on a tour of the Jehol. The atmosphere was only 2 miles close to the capital, and he wept for it. I don't know what to do." His trepidation and bewilderment are enough to describe the general mentality of the whole country under this shock, so people sadly call it "the change of Geng Shen"
Thank you for asking. This question is quite interesting. Why do you say that?
Because it reminds me of a song "Red Rose" by Eason Chan, in which there is a lyric that says: "What you can't get is always in turmoil ..." Doesn't this scene just correspond to the ugly face of the British and French allied forces that "if you can't get it, you will destroy them"?
Speaking of the incident that the British and French allied forces burned the Yuanmingyuan, I can't help but think of the film The Godfather. This is a gangster film directed by francis ford coppola and starring Marlon Brando and Al Pacino. The film is adapted from mario puzo's novel of the same name and tells the development of a gangster family headed by Vito Don Coleon. In 1973, the film won the 45th Academy Award for Best Film, Best Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay.
This film mainly tells the story of the Corleone family. Under the leadership of the old godfather vito corleone, the youngest son, Mike, went through a series of hardships and finally grew up to be a godfather. As for the old godfather vito corleone, when he was a child, his father was killed by Don Qiao Qi, the local mafia leader. Under the cover of his mother, he was able to escape to the United States and became the godfather after various difficult struggles.
And this story of Vito shows that "cutting grass should be rooted out, otherwise there will be endless troubles". This is the same as "the British and French allied forces burned the Yuanmingyuan". Now that they have robbed it like bandits, why not "do the good man to the end" and burn it all at once?
such behavior is short-sighted after all. After all, the way of grabbing material resources can't last long, because the building of "honesty" and "civilization" has been built, and violations of the rules will eventually be punished!
It's not reliable to cover up the crime. How can these two robbers care about other people's opinions after years of looting? They burned Yuanmingyuan to tell the left-behind staff of the Qing government that they would not agree to all the conditions, and then they would burn down the Forbidden City!
When the Qing Dynasty was weak, it was the time when the great powers looted. The British and French allied forces looted and burned the Yuanmingyuan, which happened during the Second Opium War. On October 6, 186, the British and French allied forces attacked the Yuanmingyuan in the northwest suburb of Beijing, and broke into the Yuanmingyuan the next day. This treasure house, which has been run by the Manchu royal family for more than 15 years and has countless treasures, blinded the robbers' glasses at that time and began a large-scale robbery.
Up to now, we can't count how many treasures have been robbed, but we can see from the collections of British Museum, Louvre Museum, Ji Mei Museum, Danfeng Bailu Palace, etc. that at least nearly 1, treasures with artistic and archaeological value have fallen into the hands of robbers, not counting the items robbed by British and French allied soldiers. The specific figures cannot be counted, but they are absolutely astronomical.
according to the robber's habit, it is natural to set fire to the robbery. When they robbed everything they could and smashed everything they couldn't, in order to force the Qing government to compromise as soon as possible and cover up their robbery crimes, the British and French allied forces sent 3,5 soldiers to set fire everywhere on October 18, and the Yuanmingyuan began to be devastated. A large number of books and materials, all pavilions and pavilions were set on fire, and hundreds of eunuchs and maids were killed in the fire.
The commander of the British army shamelessly said: This move (burning Yuanmingyuan) will alert and shock China and Europe, and its effect is far beyond the imagination of people thousands of miles away. Although this is shameless, it also shows that the main purpose of the British and French Coalition forces to burn the Yuanmingyuan is to shock the Qing government and make it compromise and yield in fear.
Sure enough, just as the fire broke out in Yuanmingyuan, Prince Gong Yixin, who stayed behind, promised all the conditions of the British and French allied forces and all the conditions of the invaders, and soon signed the Beijing Treaty.
if you fall behind, you will be beaten! We are not ashamed of the evil deeds of the robbers, but in the final analysis, we are still ignorant and incompetent in Manchu. It is better to strengthen ourselves than to blame the robbers! Who dares to rob the Qin emperor when he is in Hanwu? If only they didn't rob others!
ever heard of murder and arson? In history, the nature of western powers burning Yuanmingyuan is basically the same as that of murder and arson, which is completely destroying criminal evidence. When the British and French allied forces captured Beijing, they were captured by the magnificent Yuanmingyuan.