By Christopher Miskimon
Zuo Zongtang (1812-1885) rose from rural poverty and obscurity in Hunan Province to become a powerful Han Chinese official in a nation controlled by the Manchu. He studied military history and understood the military aspect of geography and knew China had to modernize to survive. Toward that end he constructed arsenals for ordnance production and built China’s first modern naval yard. Zuo also proved himself as a general, leading troops during the Taiping Rebellion in the 1850s and 60s. He played a major part in ending the conflict. Later he led troops in suppressing the Nian Rebellion in 1868 and the Duncan Revolt in the 1870s.
This military leader is a national hero in China, but few have heard of him in the West. This book is a detailed study of Zuo Zongtang which succeeds in informing the reader about this dynamic and skilled general. It covers both his battlefield exploits as well as his efforts to make China technologically competitive with its foreign adversaries.
Struggle for Empire: The Battles of General Zuo Zongtang (Kenneth M. Swope, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis MD, 2024, 417 pp., maps, photographs, notes, bibliography, index, $42.95, hardcover)
Join The Conversation
Comments
View All Comments