从分化瓦解到借助俄美调停——第二次鸦片战争前期清政府的对外政策浅析

第二次鸦片战争爆发后 ,为进一步扩大侵略权益 ,英法俄美四国公使相继率兵船北上 ,联合向清政府提出修约要求。对此 ,清政府的策略有一个从分化瓦解到借助俄美进行调停的转变过程。然而 ,无论是分化瓦解还是借助俄美调停 ,都是清政府从传统的外交体制出发以应对西方列强侵略的具体措施。这一过程不仅体现了清政府对西方殖民者侵略本质的无知 ,而且显示出清政府在与西方列强交涉时的无能 ,清政府也因此付出了沉重的代价。

From Splitting Up to Resorting to Russian and American Mediation

After the breakout of the Second Opium War, the envoys from Britain, France, Russia and US took the joint action to demand the Qing government to revise the treaties with them. The countermeasure taken by the Qinggovernment changed from trying to split up the four powers to resorting to Russian and American mediation. This process based on the traditonal diplomatic practice of the Qing government showed its ignorance of the aggressive nature of the Western powers and its incompetency to deal with them. As a result it had to pay dearly.