The artillery of the Sino-French War, which took place from August 1884 to April 1885, was a critical component of the French military strategy. The French forces, equipped with modern weapons such as the Chamelot-Delvigne revolver, the Gras rifle, and the Hotchkiss machine gun, had a significant advantage over the outdated Chinese weaponry. The French also utilized steam-powered gunboats to bombard Chinese coastal defenses, causing substantial damage to China's economy and infrastructure. This technological superiority contributed to the French victory and the subsequent Treaty of Tientsin, which recognized the French protectorates of Tonkin and Annam.


In contrast, during the First Sino-Japanese War from July 1894 to April 1895, the Chinese forces had a variety of artillery pieces, including British pattern guns ranging from 67 to 76mm, both muzzle and breechloaders, as well as 88mm Krupp field mortars and 8cm mountain and field pieces. These were manufactured at the Nankin armaments factory and were composed of hardened bronze. Despite these armaments, the Chinese were ultimately outflanked by the Japanese infantry, cavalry, and artillery, leading to a decisive Japanese victory and the Treaty of Shimonoseki.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog