HIS284H5 Midterm: term midterm.docx
Document Summary
The self-strengthening movement ( or ), c 1861 1895, was a period of institutional reforms initiated during the late qing dynasty following a series of military defeats and concessions to foreign powers. To make peace with the western powers in china, prince gong was made regent, grand councilor, and head of the newly formed zongli yamen (office of foreign affairs). By contrast, empress cixi was virulently anti-foreign, but she had to accommodate prince gong because he was an influential political figure in the qing court. She would, however, become the most formidable opponent of reform as her political influence increased. The majority of the ruling elite still subscribed to a conservative confucian worldview, but following china s serious defeats in the first and second opium wars, several officials now argued that in order to strengthen itself against the. West, it was necessary to adopt western military technology and armaments.