Han Shizu

Chapter 1579 Military Reform 2
Any change in affairs is accompanied by pros and cons, which should be viewed from both positive and negative sides. At the moment of change, it is also necessary due to the development of the situation.If we do not take realistic conditions, disregard objective laws, rely on the emperor or those in power to pat their heads to make decisions, and insist on going our own way, then it is not reform, but a toss that will bring disaster to the country and the people.

The imperial court of the Han Dynasty or Emperor Liu decided to reform the military system. Naturally, he did not receive a few remonstrances, and after hearing some advice, he became enthusiastic and made a decision.

In the front, it has been brewing for several years, and it has been concluded after many investigations and comprehensive considerations.The financial pressure is also an objective situation and a practical need.

Of course, it’s not that there’s really any problem with Dahan’s finances. The income from major tax items such as the current two taxes, commercial tax, salt, iron, tea and cotton is enough to maintain the normal operation of the country’s military administration, and it will be safe for ten years .

What Zhao Pu and other ministers considered was not to suppress the army, nor did they think that the government's finances would collapse if they did not disarm.

National defense consolidation, border maintenance, army building, these major issues related to national security and political stability, they also understand the importance, but they feel that in peacetime, maintaining such a large army at such a high price is really useless. Necessary, military spending can and should be limited, at least to a healthy level.

Emperor Liu has been maintaining Han unification over the years, and has also been constantly adjusting his governance, becoming more pragmatic and focusing on the present.But this does not mean that he has completely lost his vision and no longer possesses foresight.

As the emperor of the empire, the heaviness of the crown also forced him to make some long-term considerations, instead of waiting for the impending situation to deal with it hastily.At least, he is unwilling to passively solve the problem after more than ten or twenty years, when the problem is deep and the situation is so serious that it has to be changed.

Of course, it is still unknown whether he can live for 20 years, but as long as he is still in power, he must do what he can and should do, and try not to throw the problem to the successor.This is the responsibility of Emperor Liu as the "founding country" king, and it is also due to his personality.

However, there is a very important problem in any reform, that is, while correcting current disadvantages and alleviating old contradictions, it is also necessary to pay attention to the emergence of new problems and the expansion of new contradictions. This is very necessary.

In so many rounds of reforms in the past, there are countless cases that prove this point. There is no birth of a new policy, and the reform of the new system can be done once and for all, with no harm.Therefore, in this regard, the monarchs and ministers of the Han Dynasty are still very rational.

Judging from this military system reform, if it is successful and can be implemented step by step according to the plan formulated by the central government, then in the future, the military expenditure of the big man can be effectively controlled, and the national finances can become more rational and healthy.

This is a benefit and the fundamental purpose of the reform, but at the same time, it also brings new problems and new contradictions between national finance and national defense construction.If this problem cannot be resolved, then the reform is hardly a success, and may even have disastrous consequences.

One of the most critical issues is how to maintain the rule, how to consolidate national defense, and how to ensure the security of the vast territory of the Great Han after the large-scale dismantling of the army and the reduction of military expenditures.

For the abolished military, they must find alternatives to their original responsibilities of homeland defense and public security suppression. The number of officers and soldiers can be reduced, but not at the expense of national security.

Therefore, reducing the size of the army is only the first step in the reform of the military system, followed by the formation of a force that can fill in the lack of national defense, that is, the township soldiers.

After years of construction, Dahan has already established a basic system of rural soldiers across the country. Among the annual military expenditures, there is also a part of the allocation for weapons, training, and supplies of rural soldiers, which is the responsibility of the provincial capitals.

According to the regulations for building rural soldiers in the Han Dynasty, all the volunteers who are listed on the list will receive 45-60 days of training from the subordinates of the capital during the slack every year, including basic training and the indoctrination of military regulations. The price can be exempted Certain labor.

During the war years, these volunteers with basic training experience were undoubtedly the most important and reliable source of soldiers for the Han army, and the main recruiting target of the Privy Council, which effectively supplemented the consumption of unification and foreign wars.

However, with the passage of time and the advent of peace, the organizational construction of the township soldiers has entered a state of stagnation, whether it is financial investment or training.

After all, when the big man is invincible all over the world, and when the war is actually going away and the society restores stability and stability, people's attention will naturally be diverted from the war, and their minds will be completely focused on the hard work of livelihood.

The Daozhou on the border is acceptable, and the environment and folk customs are also suitable for the development of the township soldiers. Coupled with the strong support from the army and the capital, the construction of the township soldiers in the border areas has been maintained at a relatively high level, and the atmosphere is also very strong. Li Jilong said that the border It is also a fact that Di Xiangyong takes more responsibility for border defense affairs.

In contrast, the situation in the inland Daozhou is obviously not optimistic. Although the people of the Han Dynasty still practice martial arts and are guided by the government, for most people, the cost of practicing martial arts is still high, and there are not so many people. devoted time and energy to it.

After the reform of the military system of the Han Dynasty, the construction of the township soldiers will also be intensified.Unlike the previous training that was kept basically simple, the rural soldiers under the reform had higher requirements on them, assumed greater responsibilities, improved their status in the Han army, and improved their treatment.

Of course, this refers to those township soldiers who have been selected and enriched into the national defense system of the Han Dynasty.Not only the frontiers need supplements after the reduction of regular troops, but for local Daozhou, they will also become auxiliary troops for the garrison.

The strategy drafted by the Privy Council is to select the strong and strong soldiers from the township soldiers and organize them into a semi-army army called regiment training. It is to redesign a force in the military system of the Han Dynasty. This force will fill the national defense. Defensive gaps.

According to the requirements put forward by the Privy Council, the local regiments should maintain at least 40 days of training every year, and must undertake the responsibility of maintaining public order, and serve in other places.The group training on the border lasts for three years. After the three-year period expires, they will be transferred back to their hometown. The age limit is also relaxed to [-] years old.

The most important thing is that these regiments are not paid for military training except for wars or special tasks such as suppressing bandits and rebellions. Instead, the imperial court exempts these regiments from the family tax, two taxes, and two people per household per year.

The normal expenses for training these regiments by the imperial court are only daily training, clothing, ordnance, and supplies, and the requirements for equipment are also lower.Of course, compensation for casualties is also given, which is also inferior to registered officers and soldiers.

The construction of regiment training is also the most important and fundamental measure implemented by the imperial court in the reform of the military system, and the savings in military expenses come from it.

There is no doubt that regiment training is much weaker than the court's regular troops, and the impact of disarmament cannot be made up for by mere regiment training, and the national defense strength of the big man will drop significantly.

However, on the basis of basically guaranteeing national defense, the goal of maintaining a normal military expenditure can be achieved, and at the same time, the military system of the Han Dynasty can be further improved.

As for the whole reform of the military system, the only army that has not changed is probably the Suwei army that defends Emperor Liu. It is the emperor's personal soldiers, and it is the last line of defense to guard the imperial city and defend Emperor Liu. , Its strength will not be shaken.

In addition, the Fanbing, which was once a part of the Han army, was also abolished. The court no longer maintained the basic establishment, and some of the meritorious and heart-to-hearts of the Han army would be selected to be incorporated into the Han army.

When war breaks out, when necessary, temporary recruitment, temporary expenditure, and organization of operations are carried out. This is also a consideration for eliminating the military threat of the Hu people.Of course, troops such as the Southwest Flying Moat Army are still retained, and they are no longer considered Fanbing.

(End of this chapter)