Morale was low amongst the soldiers as a profession with low respect and low pay as the remnants of opium usage remained within the ranks of the military. Corruption was virulent on all sides, with many of the contracted European advisors lacking qualifications, while some of the Qing side provincial official saw these projects as an opportunity for embezzlement. In order to create its own manufacturing base, the Qing court had to hire multiple advisors from Europe such as Charles Gordon from Great Britain, and import the raw materials from abroad, all of which were costly endeavors. Due to the nature of the Qing military structure, matters of training and coordination largely fell upon provincial leaders who had no incentive to exchange information or resources. Yet though these reforms were heavily invested in by the Qing government, without systemic changes, they were largely ineffective. Telegraph lines and railroads were also a part of this plan. It was in this time that China established its first modern military academies and attempted to build its own muskets and a naval fleet using European technologies. Improvements were attempted in three main fields: military equipment, infrastructure, and education. This brought forth a thirty year period of reform efforts under the Self-Strengthening movement between 1861-1895. After reaching a compromise, the Qing reformists and conservatives strived for one thing: to become stronger through the adaptation of Western military technology without touching any systemic social reforms. From the mortars to the siege howitzers, the British equipment was far superior to anything in the Qing arsenals. Despite the presence of stiff resistance from conservatives in the Qing court to social reforms, all of the Qing officials had to admit that the technology brought forth by the foreign forces were a force to be reckoned with. The effect of the Taiping Rebellion was the emergence of a unified front of the Self-Strengthening movement.
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