试论晚清财政危机下的海防塞防之争

Discussion on the Financial Crisis of Late Qing Dynasty and the Argument between Coastal Defense and Frontier Defense

晚清财政收支状况发生了巨大变化,入不敷出,面临空前的财政危机。在此之际,海疆和陆疆同时爆发了危机,从而引发了以"筹饷"为导火线的海防与塞防之争。海防与塞防之争是在国家财政捉襟见肘时,对海防与塞防孰轻孰重的权衡以及如何有效分配有限的战略资源和实现国家安全战略的论战。清政府权衡利弊,最终选择了海防与塞防并重。

Stepping into the late Qing Dynasty,the Qing government＇s fiscal balance had undergone tremendous changes and even couldn＇t make ends meet,facing an unprecedented financial crisis.Meanwhile,both coastal defense and frontier defense crisis broke out,causing the great argument of frontier defense and coastal defense.It was not only a debate about how to efficiently allocate limited strategic resources but also how to alter the security strategy as a result of the state＇s direly financial strait.The Qing government made a policy decision of paying equal attention to both frontier defense and coastal defense after weighing the pros and cons.