Multimedia Collection
The Naval Battle of 1894
VHS
110 minutes
PN1997 .C461 1983
The Naval Battle of 1894 is one of the most successful historical spectacles to be produced by the Changchun Studio. The film is based on actual personalities and events that led to the Sino-Japanese War of the 1890's. In 1894, the Qing Dynasty was in grave trouble. The Japanese had for years harbored the wish to provoke war with China in order to get more concessions and take over more territory. Now they were aided by corrupt officials within the Qing Court. These ministers, headed by Li Hongzhang, advocated "peace whatever the cost," leading to a policy of non-resistance when Chinese warships were attacked by the Japanese. Not all the ministers were so complaisant, though. Deng Shichang was one patriot who wanted to fight Japan to the death. Commanding the Battleship Zhiyuan, he fought a spectacular sea battle and, though outnumbered by the Japanese and betrayed by ministers at home, he was able to send the invaders to a watery grave before his ship, too, was sunk.
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