Battle of Jiangnan (1860)

Second rout the Army Group Jiangnan
Part of the Taiping Rebellion
Date First stage March 1860—8 May; second stage June—September Location Nanjing and surrounding areas Result Decisive Taiping victory, destruction of Army Group Jiangnan, reorganisation of Chinese forces under Zeng Guofan
Belligerents
Qing Dynasty Green Standard Army	Taiping Heavenly Kingdom
Commanders and leaders
†Chief commander Zhang Guoliang  †Imperial Commissioner Her Chyun General Zhang Youliang	Chief commander Li Xiucheng Vice chief commander Chen Yucheng Yang Fuqing Lai Wenguang Tong Zonghai Li Shixian
Strength
180,000 men	360,000 men
Casualties and losses
~40,000 military personnel kia; Prisoner of war100,000	8,000 KIA

The Battle of Jiangnan in 1860, also known as the Second Rout of the Jiangnan Army Group (Chinese: 太平軍二破江南大營; 1857–1860) was a battle between the Qing government's Green Standard Army and the army of the Taiping Rebellion. The Green Standard Army twice attempted to besiege Nanking, capital of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, but was defeated on both occasions by the rebels.

Jiangnan

General Li Xiucheng of the rebel forces encircled the region of Jiangnan, taking over Hangzhou in the process, leading to its mayor committing suicide.

Li's daring act attracted the attention of Zhang Guoliang who ordered Gen. Tidu Zhang Youliang (張玉良), in command of 36,000 troops, to track Li's corps. Li routed Zhang's troops and crippled the Army Group Jiangnan. When Zhang Youliang arrived in Hangzhou he believed that Li was occupying the city but Li's corps had left two days earlier on March 19 and attacked another city while waiting for reinforcements.

In Nanjing Hong Rengan ordered Chen Yucheng's troops to cross the river. Chen commanded over 100,000 men along the river and on 29 April he received the signal to attack from Hong Rengan and began the crossing.

Zeng Guofan

When Chief commander Zhang Guoliang and Imperial Commissioner Her Chyun died the Qing government promoted Zeng Guofan. This changed the course of the war in favor of the Qing and their western allies.

See also

• First Rout of the Jiangnan Battalion
• Second Opium War
• Draft History of Qing

References