Battle of Palikao

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Battle of Palikao
Part of Second Opium War

Cousin-Montauban leading French forces during the 1860 campaign.
Date 21 September 1860
Location Baliqiao
Result Decisive Anglo-French victory
Belligerents
Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom
Flag of France French Empire		 Flag of Qing Dynasty Qing Dynasty
Commanders
James Hope Grant
Charles Guillaume Cousin-Montauban		 Sengge Rinchen
Strength
10,000 combatants 30,000 combatants
Casualties and losses
1,000 (French casualties) 25,000

The Battle of Palikao, or Battle of Baliqiao (French: Le Combat de Palikao, Chinese: 八里桥之战, lit. "Battle of the Eight-Mile Bridge"), was a decisive action fought at the bridge of Baliqiao, eight miles from Imperial Palace in Beijing, by British and French forces during the Anglo-French expedition to China (Second Opium War), on the morning of 21 September 1860. It allowed Western forces to take the capital Beijing and defeat the Qing Empire.[1]

Contents

[edit] Battle

The combined Anglo-French force which had recently occupied Tianjin engaged a Chinese army numbering some 30,000-strong at Baliqiao. A fierce battle ensued, with the Anglo-French force inflicting massive losses on the Chinese Qing army and invading Beijing thereafter.[2]

On the Chinese side, Sengge Rinchen's 10,000 troops including elite Mongolian cavalry were completely annihilated after several doomed frontal charges against concentrated firepower of the Anglo-French forces.

Historians estimate the losses on the Chinese side as about 25,000. The French, in contrast, lost only 1,000 soldiers. The French troops were led by Charles Guillaume Cousin-Montauban, who was then awarded the title of Count of Palikao by Napoléon III. The British land forces were commanded by Sir James Hope Grant.[3]

[edit] Aftermath

The British commander, James Hope Grant
The British commander, James Hope Grant
Charles Cousin-Montauban received the title Count of Palikao from Napoleon III after the battle.
Charles Cousin-Montauban received the title Count of Palikao from Napoleon III after the battle.

With the Qing army devastated, Emperor Xianfeng fled the capital, leaving his brother, Prince Gong, to be in charge of negotiations.

The Anglo-French forces entered Beijing on 6 October. British-French troops in Beijing began looting the Beijing Summer Palace and Old Summer Palace (Yuan Ming Yuan) immediately (it was full of valuable artwork). After Harry Smith Parkes and the surviving diplomatic prisoners were freed, Lord Elgin ordered the Old Summer Palace be burnt down starting on 18 October. The destruction of the Forbidden City was even discussed, as proposed by Lord Elgin to discourage the Chinese from using kidnapping as a bargaining tool, and to exact revenge on the mistreatment of their prisoners.[4]

The Qing court agreed to all Western demands, including the payment of indemnities, the acceptance of foreign diplomats at the imperial court in Beijing, and the liberization of the Opium trade.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Mourre, p.500
  2. ^ Boulger, p.383
  3. ^ Grant, Sir James Hope in Encyclopædia Britannica, 11th edition
  4. ^ Endacott, George Beer. Carroll, John M. [2005] (2005). A Biographical Sketch-book of Early Hong Kong. HK University press. ISBN 9622097421

[edit] References

  • Mourre, Michel (1968) Dictionnaire D'histoire Universelle Éditions universitaires
  • Boulger, Demetrius Charles (1893) China Kessinger Publishing ISBN 1417916273

[edit] Further reading

  • Luxembourg, Rosa The Accumulation of Capital Chapter 28: The introduction of the commodity economy [1]

[edit] External links