“东南互保”新探

New Explorations into “South-East Mutual Protection”

“东南互保”是中国近代史上颇富争议的大事件之一。它是在清政府导演下,由东南各督抚具体筹划下出现的;它的出现,有其深厚而广泛的社会基础,并非完全“违背民意”;它的出现,非但没有进一步“丧权辱国”,还在一定程度上维护了国家主权,并且确保江南地区的相对安定,为以后南方经济的发展保存了一丝元气和活力。

South East Mutual Protection”, one of the major disputable issues in the modern Chinese history, was concretely planned by the southeast governors under the direction of the Qing government; actually its appearance did not totally “violate the people s will” because it was based on the deep and extensive social factors; its appearance did not “humiliate the nation and forfeit its sovereignty” further, and to some degree, safeguarded the state sovereignty, assured the southern area a relatively stable situation and saved some vitality for the later development of economy.