李鸿章与淮军西征(1868-1870)

Li Hongzhang and the Huai Army's Western Expedition(1868-1870)

平定捻军后,清廷多次下旨添调淮军西征。李鸿章不愿再与左宗棠共事,极力避免淮军卷入西征事务,但清廷改命淮系将领潘鼎新赴陕。由于缺乏明确的饷源,潘鼎新迟迟不出,麾下鼎军亦遭裁撤。同治九年正月,左宗棠兵败金积堡,西北军情恶化,清廷改命李鸿章督办陕西军务,有意以李代左。恰在此时,天津教案与刺马案突然爆发,李鸿章取代曾国藩出任直隶总督,刘铭传接替李鸿章继续督办陕西军务。陕甘地区由湘淮二系共维大局。

After the Qing court put down the Nian Army,it issued several orders to send the Huai Army to the west.Li Hongzhang did not want to work with Zuo Zongtang anymore and tried his best to avoid involving the Huai army in the Western Expedition.But the Qing court ordered the Huai army general Pan Dingxin to go to Shaanxi.Due to the lack of funds,Pan delayed his departure,and his army was cut.In the first month of the 9th year of Tongzhi,Zuo Zongtang was frustrated when attacking Jinjibao,and the military situation in the northwest was deteriorating.The Qing court ordered Li Hongzhang to lead his army into Shaanxi,intending to replace Zuo Zongtang.At this time,the Tianjin missionary case and the assassination of Ma Xinyi case broke out.Li Hongzhang replaced Zeng Guofan as the Governor-general of Zhili,and Liu Mingchuan succeeded Li Hongzhang in being in charge of the Shaanxi military.In Shaanxi and Gansu,the overall situation was jointly controlled by the Hunan Faction and Huai Faction.