King of Beiyang

"The army is indeed a problem. The Huai Army has hardly fought any battles in recent years. Over time, its combat effectiveness has become weaker and weaker."

The same applies to the Beiyang Army and other Beiyang-affiliated units.

Even though they were considered better than other Green Standard Army and Eight Banner Army soldiers, they were probably no match for the modern Japanese army.

Third brother, what can you do about this?

Li Hongzhang asked.

"Father, I originally wanted to reorganize the Beiyang Army and the Huai Army and train them according to Western training methods. But after thinking about it, I gave up on this plan."

The generals of the Beiyang Army and the Huai Army, even those who were my father's subordinates, were loyal to him.

However, reorganizing their troops would inevitably harm their interests.

Cutting off someone's livelihood is like killing their parents.

In the current situation, it's best not to provoke them, lest things get complicated.

Li Jingyuan said.

Li Hongzhang nodded repeatedly; of course he understood this principle.

The practice of drawing salaries without working was widespread in the military. This was true even in the Beiyang Army and the Huai Army.

Once the entire Beiyang Army and Huai Army are reorganized, the interests of these generals will naturally be lost.

Will they still be loyal to Li Hongzhang then?

"Father, I plan to establish a marine corps, modeled after Western countries. In any case, the first priority is to build a force capable of fighting."

With a truly powerful force at our disposal, we will be much more at ease dealing with the Japanese in the upcoming wars, as well as reorganizing the Beiyang Army and the Huai Army in the future.

Li Jingyuan continued.

This idea was approved by Li Hongzhang.

As long as the interests of those generals are not affected for the time being, they will still obey Li Hongzhang's orders.

Even if they were given the choice between the imperial court and Li Hongzhang, they would most likely side with Li Hongzhang.

"I know about the Marine Corps. In Western countries, this force is mainly used for amphibious landing operations." Li Hongzhang knew a little about it.

"Yes, Father. Amphibious landings and amphibious operations are only one aspect of the Marine Corps' responsibilities. At the same time, the Marine Corps can also be used in ground operations."

Before returning home, I had already ordered a batch of weapons from Krupp and Ludwig Löwe.

These weapons will all be used to equip the Marine Corps.

Once the Marine Corps is fully operational and combat-ready, we will be even more confident in facing any challenge.

Li Jingyuan said confidently.

  

Li Hongzhang frowned. He could tell that Li Jingyuan seemed to have no respect for the imperial court whatsoever. As for loyalty, that was even more of a stretch.

"Third brother, no matter what, I have lived an upright life and have always been loyal to the Qing Dynasty. The court, especially the Empress Dowager, has been incredibly kind to me. Therefore, I do not wish for you to do anything treasonous!" Li Hongzhang reminded him.

Li Jingyuan nodded. He knew very well that Li Hongzhang had always considered himself a loyal subject of the Qing Dynasty.

This loyalty is almost ingrained in their very bones.

But if a knife is really held to his throat, he can't just not fight back, can he?

Regardless, Li Jingyuan must first build up a powerful fighting force.

In this way, whether facing the Japanese invaders or the nobles and princes of the imperial court, there would be more room for maneuver, instead of being at the mercy of others.

"Third brother, if you want to establish a marine corps, you'll need manpower. Here's what we'll do: on the Beiyang Army side, the Tianjin Coastal Defense Training Army has 14 battalions of infantry and artillery, totaling 5,000 men. The Yi-character Army stationed in Lushun has 9 battalions, totaling 4,500 men. The Beiyang Guards stationed in Weihai have 4 battalions, totaling 2,000 men."

On the Huai Army side, the Ming-character army stationed at Dalian had 12 battalions, totaling 6,000 men. The Qing-character army stationed at Lushun had 8 battalions, totaling 4,000 men.

"Whichever unit you fancy, you can transfer there."

Li Hongzhang was very supportive of Li Jingyuan's plan to form a marine corps.

It should be noted that the Huai Army and the Beiyang Army combined only number a little over 60,000.

Li Jingyuan shook his head; these troops all had strong old-style military habits.

Whether they were generals, officers, or soldiers, they were all seasoned veterans.

Without large-scale reorganization—that is, reducing the number of old, young, and seasoned soldiers—and then conducting long-term training, they simply cannot be put to the battlefield. Or rather, they cannot be expected to fight the Japanese invaders on the battlefield.

Therefore, Li Jingyuan didn't even consider these troops a threat.

"Father, it would be better to recruit good men directly for the Marine Corps. Also, there are many refugees in Zhili, Henan and Shandong provinces due to disasters."

Recruiting able-bodied men from among these refugees and providing them with sufficient resettlement allowances can also yield enough soldiers.

Li Jingyuan answered.

Li Hongzhang knew that recruiting new soldiers and training them could indeed prevent the troops from picking up bad habits.

However, it also requires a long period of training to become combat-ready.

Since Li Jingyuan had already made up his mind, Li Hongzhang stopped trying to persuade him.

"However, Father, I hope you can agree to give me all the graduates of the military academy this year, as well as the graduates of the next two years."

The Marine Corps was in its early stages and needed a large number of mid- to low-ranking officers.

Ideally, the military academy's enrollment should be further expanded. All the outstanding students should be sent to study in the German Empire. I can cover all the necessary expenses!

The military academy was undoubtedly the cradle of generals in the late Qing Dynasty. Many famous generals, especially those from the Beiyang clique, graduated from here.

"Okay, no problem!" Li Hongzhang readily agreed.

Both the Beiyang Army and the Huai Army had somewhat rigid or inflexible systems.

The graduates of the military academy also did not have good prospects after graduation.

Li Jingyuan's plan to establish a marine corps also provided everyone with an opportunity to distinguish themselves.

Subsequently, Li Jingyuan began actively planning the establishment of the Marine Corps.

The elites from the military academies that Li Jingyuan had taken to study in the German Empire returned quickly.

Although Li Jingyuan gave them a month's leave, how could they sit still?

Many people go home for a short visit, stay for a few days, and then rush back.

After studying in the German Empire for several years, everyone wanted to make a difference; they certainly didn't want to waste their youth like this.

Li Jingyuan, on the other hand, also needs everyone's help.

At the very least, establish the structure of the Marine Corps first. Then, let these elites recruit soldiers from all over the country.

Training can only begin once all personnel are in place.

With only a little over a year left until the First Sino-Japanese War, we must hurry.