Li Hongzhang

Li Hongzhang became a leading figure in the Self-Strengthening Movement, promoting modernization of China's military and industry. He established arsenals, shipyards, and telegraph lines, and modernized the Beiyang Fleet to counter foreign threats.

Li Hongzhang commanded the Huai Army in campaigns against the Taiping rebels, recapturing Suzhou and other cities. His military efforts helped crush the rebellion and restore Qing control over eastern China.

Li Hongzhang oversaw the creation of the Beiyang Fleet, the most modern naval force in Asia at the time. The fleet was intended to defend China's coasts but was largely destroyed in the First Sino-Japanese War in 1894.

Li Hongzhang negotiated and signed the Treaty of Shimonoseki with Japan, ending the First Sino-Japanese War. The treaty ceded Taiwan and the Pescadores to Japan, recognized Korean independence, and imposed a large indemnity on China.

Li Hongzhang was the chief Qing negotiator for the Boxer Protocol, which ended the Boxer Rebellion. The agreement imposed a massive indemnity on China, allowed foreign troops in Beijing, and further weakened Qing sovereignty.