S01E31 Taiping Rebellion: Zeng Guofan Starts Attacking

Chinese Revolutions: A History Podcast

S01E31 Taiping Rebellion: Zeng Guofan Starts Attacking

In this episode, we go over the organization of Zeng Guofan's army and the first few years of his campaigns against the Taiping rebels.

We are following the book Autumn in the Heavenly Kingdom: China, the West, and the Epic Story of the Taiping Civil War by Stephen R. Platt for this episode.

Motivating the Army

Zeng Guofan's army recruited in Hunan had local loyalties, but not a strong attachment to the emperor. The soldiers were well paid to shore up their personal motivation to fight well and not steal from locals in areas they moved through.

Songs were composed to instruct soldiers in proper conduct on campaign. Because of the importance of local support to defeating the Taiping, it was critical to prevent soldiers from stealing from local people.

Zeng Guofan's Political Realities

Zeng Guofan had to deal with opposition from local elites, officials, and others. Whatever their reasons, his local opponents made his job extremely difficult to the point that he attempted suicide twice after big defeats.

Some victories helped Zeng Guofan silence some critics, but his work was an uphill battle on both the military and political sides of his mission.

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