“虚不受补”的洋务运动——关于“李鸿章拒购马克沁机枪”的观点修正

The Doomed Failure of Westernization Movement——the improved opinion about Li HongZhang's “miss the boat”

马克沁机枪作为一款曾改变战争模式的武器,在军事技术的发展历程中有着至关重要的地位。但以李鸿章为首的洋务官员在当时并未对该种机枪进行采购,这也成为后人对洋务运动甚至是对李鸿章本人进行批判的佐证。本文通过对该时期相关文献的梳理,确认洋务军工企业在当时已具备自主生产马克沁机枪的能力,并且较大规模地使用了先于马克沁机枪发明的加特林机枪,而没有采购马克沁机枪既是因为该武器本身工艺复杂以及当时国际军事思想的普遍滞后,更是由于洋务运动本身存在的管理模式落后,技术手段匮乏,以及资金严重短缺等原因所致。

As an epoch-making weapon which had altered warfare mode, Maxim-Gun played an important role in process of military technology＇s development. Unfortunately, had been intensely criticized by later generations, the Westernization Group led by Li Hong Zhang were blind to purchase this weapon. However, through the collation of relevant historical documents, this research verifies military industrial enterprises of Westernization Movement did hold the independent capacity of producing this weapon. Invented sooner than Maxim-Gun, the Gatling-Gun was also come into widespread usage by the Qing Dynasty. And the very reasons which made Li Hong Zhang give up purchasing Maxim-Gun were not only the complicated manufacturing process and the outdated military thoughts, but also the backward management, low-technology and insufficient fund of Westernization Movement.