Huai Army

Huai Army
淮軍
Active	1862–1894
Country	Great Qing
Nickname(s)	Anhui Army
Engagements	Taiping Rebellion, Sino-French War, First Sino-Japanese War
Commanders
Notable commanders	Li Hongzhang

The Huai Army (Chinese: 淮軍; pinyin: Huái jūn), named for the Huai River, was a Qing dynasty military force raised to contain the Taiping Rebellion in 1862. It was also called the Anhui Army because it was based in Anhui province. It helped to restore the stability of the Qing dynasty. Unlike the traditional Green Standard Army or Eight Banners forces of the Qing, the Huai Army was largely a militia army, based on personal rather than institutional loyalties. It was armed with a mixture of traditional and modern weapons. Li Hongzhang, a commander in the Xiang Army, created the Huai Army in October 1861. It succeeded the Xiang Army. The Huai Army was succeeded by the New Army and the Beiyang Army, which were created in the late 19th century.

Before recovering Anqing in late 1861, Zeng Guofan ordered his student Li Hongzhang to bring some of the Xiang Army back to Anhui, Li's homeland, for military service, and to organize an independent force under Li Hongzhang's command. Their total strength was 25,000 soldiers. This force included some Taiping soldiers in Anqing who had surrendered. Li combined these forces into one army, and after three months of training they fought their first battle, the Battle of Shanghai (1861).

Li Hongzhang was in overall command of the Huai Army, which was part of the new series of regional armies, known as the Yong Ying, introduced into China after the Nian Rebellion. Unlike the Manchu Eight Banners or the Green Standard Army, officers in these regional armies were not rotated, the officers chose the soldiers under their command and formed paternalistic relationships with them. These armies were equipped with modern weapons.

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