甲午战争中北洋水师上层人物的心态——营务处总办罗丰禄家书解读

The Mood of the Leadership of the Northern Navy during the Sino Japanese War in 1895: Interpreting the Family Correspondence of Quartermaster General Luo Fenglu

北洋水师营务处总办罗丰禄的数十封未刊家书真实地反映了北洋水师上层在中日交战时的精神状态和内心活动。早在战争爆发前 ,李鸿章、罗丰禄等人 ,即从思想认识上将抵御外辱视作“开衅”,行动上则抱定“海上断不用兵”的宗旨。因此 ,在甲午战端甫开 ,日本大举进兵之际 ,北洋水师即奉行避敌自保的方针 ;当日本在辽东半岛登陆时 ,北洋水师则避往威海 ;最后 ,当日本在山东半岛荣成登陆时 ,北洋水师仍是“蠖屈于威海”,宁肯坐困待毙 ,也不执行光绪帝提出的遇有倭船即英勇出击的积极战略方针。罗丰禄作为营务处总办 ,主持对外交涉 ,是李鸿章与北洋水师之间承上启下的关键人物 ,在战事吃紧、形势危殆的情势下 ,罗氏不在筹划战事上用心思 ,却整日苦苦思念妻妾 ,家书络绎 ,几无虚日。他甚至利用在北洋的关系网 ,在荣成战役爆发前夕 ,将其侄从“康济”练船上撤退下来 ,送其还家。这种弥漫于北洋上下的畏惧、自私、不负责任的心理状态 ,是导致清廷在与日军较量中惨败的重要原因。

A decade of unpublished letters home from Luo Fenglu, the Quartermaster General of the Northern Navy, truthfully and precisely reflect the state of mind and the thoughts of the leadership of the Northern Navy during the Sino Japanese War in 1895. Before the breakout of the war, officials such as Li Hongzhang and Luo Fenglu felt that defense against foreign aggression was “provocation”, and held to a policy of “using no military force at sea”. Therefore, at the outset of the war, when the Japanese Army attacked in force, the Northern Navy pursued a policy of self preservation and avoiding the enemy. When the Japanese landed on the Liaodong Peninsula, the Navy made way to Weihai. Finally, when the Japanese landed on the Shandong Peninsula at Rongcheng, the Navy continued to “cowered at Weihai”, preferring to wait for death rather than carry out Emperor Guangxu's aggressive strategy of attacking Japanese vessels wherever they were met. As Quartermaster General, Luo Fenglu was a key link between Li Hongzhang and the Northern Navy. However, despite the seriousness of the situation, Luo did not occupy himself with preparations for battle, but rather missed his wife and concubines and wrote letters to them almost everyday. He even used his connections in the Navy to recall his nephew from the warship Kangji and send him back home before the breakout of the battle of Rongcheng. Such an attitude of fear, selfishness and carelessness taken by officials and servicemen of the Navy was an important factor leading the disastrous failure of the Qing court in the war.