李鸿章对甲午战争的反思——以1896年欧美之行为例

Li Hongzhang's Reflection on the First Sino-Japanese War:Taking His Trip to Europe and America as an Example

对于中国而言,甲午战争既是一段屈辱的历史,也是中国近代民族觉醒进程中的转折点。而作为战争亲历者的李鸿章对这场战争的惨败同样有着切肤之痛。于是,他在特殊的历史机缘下开启了欧美八国之行。在出访期间,他不仅对战争失利的教训进行了深入的反思,更意在为中国谋求在战后和平发展的有利条件。但是,由于中国和西方国家在实力上的悬殊,他未能得偿所愿。

For China, the First Sino-Japanese War is not only a part of its humiliated history, but also a turning point of national awakening in China＇ s recent history. As a witness of this war, Li Hongzhang felt a tremendous pain over the tragic loss of this war. His travel to the eight different countries in Europe and America was carded out on a special occasion. While he was on his visit, he had a thorough examination of China＇ s loss in the war, and intended to look for favorable conditions for China＇ s development in the peace after the war. However, because of the tremendous gap in national power between China and western countries, his endeavor proved to be futile.