甲午战争中的督办军务处

Military Affairs Supervision Bureau during Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895

设立督办军务处是甲午战争爆发后,清政府在危机关头的一项救急之举,也是清统治阶层内部各派政治力量相互斗争、相互妥协的结果。其建置:设督办大臣1人、帮办大臣1人、会办大臣4人;由文案、营务、粮饷等处构成;办公场所设于神武门外九门提督公所;办公经费由户部拨给100万两白银,根据办差需要,陆续支取。督办军务处在军机处"散值"之后继续商议军务,其主要职能是会商战局、部署军事、监督谕旨的落实、议奏条陈、查看被保举官员、接收各地军情奏报、管理近畿粮台、办理京师巡防事务、节制董福祥部等3支大军。由于无章可循、办事随意,督办大臣精力、才力严重不足,内部分歧严重等因,督办军务处在战局中的实际作用非常有限。

The establishment of the Military Affairs Supervision Bureau was on one hand an emergency move of the Qing government at the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, and on the other hand the result of the conflict and com- promise among various political factions within the Qing ruling class. The organization included one minister of supervision, one minister of assistant superintendence and four ministers of second superintendence; and it consisted of offices of official documents, barracks business and troop provisions. The bureau was located outside the Shenwu Gate, and it was allocated 1 million taels of silver by the Ministry of Revenue, to be withdrawn and used when necessary. When the Privy Council ＂were off duty＂ , the Military Affairs Supervision Bureau took over the duty to negotiate military affairs, its main functions covering the discussion of war situations, the deployment of military forces, the supervision of imperial edict implementation, the han- dling of military situation presentations from around the whole country, the arrangement of capital city patrol and so on. The actual role of this agency was rather limited for following deficiencies ： there were no rules and regulations to follow ; the super- vising ministers were lacking in energy, resources and talents; staff members were sharply divided in opinions.