Battle of Jiangnan (1860)

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Second rout of the Jiangnan Battalion
Part of the Taiping Rebellion (Eastern Expedition)
Date 10 February – 15 May 1860 Location Nanjing and vicinity Result Taiping victory
Belligerents
Qing dynasty Green Standard Army Army Group Jiangnan	Taiping Heavenly Kingdom
Commanders and leaders
Chief Commander Zhang Guoliang † Imperial Commissioner Her Chyun † General Zhang Youliang Luo Zundian	Chief Commander Li Xiucheng Vice Chief Commander Chen Yucheng Yang Fuqing Lai Wenguang Tong Zonghai Li Shixian Hong Rengan
Strength
180,000 men	360,000 men
Casualties and losses
140,000 total ~40,000 KIA 100,000 POW	8,000 KIA

The Battle of Jiangnan (1860), also known as the Second rout of the Jiangnan Battalion (Chinese: 太平軍二破江南大營) took place between the Qing government's Green Standard Army and the army of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom during the Taiping Rebellion. The Green Standard Army twice attempted to besiege Nanjing, capital of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, but was unable to break through. To break the siege of Nanjing, the Taiping forces maneuvered to divert Qing forces by sacking Hangzhou, before quickly moving back to Nanjing to counter-encircle the Qing siege forces and routing the Green Standard Army garrison completely, breaking the siege of Nanjing.

The eastern campaign began in 9 February. Gen. Li Xiucheng of the rebel forces encircled the region of Jiangnan. They approached the Zhejiang provincial capital, Hangzhou, disguised as Qing troops. At Hangzhou, the 60,000 Taiping troops were outnumbered by Qing defenders, so they used several deception tricks such as placing hundreds of flags on a hill giving the impression of large numbers. The city walls were destroyed with explosives on 19 March, and the city was taken soon after. The Mayor of Hangzhou committed suicide after the loss.

Li's daring act attracted the attention of Zhang Guoliang, who ordered Gen. Tidu Zhang Youliang (張玉良), in command of 36,000 troops, to track Li's corps. Li routed Zhang's troops and crippled Army Group Jiangnan. When Zhang Youliang arrived in Hangzhou he believed that Li was occupying the city, but Li's corps had left two days earlier on 19 March and attacked another city while waiting for reinforcements.

In Nanjing Hong Rengan ordered Chen Yucheng's troops to cross the river. Chen commanded over 100,000 men along the river and on 29 April he received the signal to attack from Hong Rengan and began the crossing.

When Chief commander Zhang Guoliang and Imperial Commissioner Her Chyun died the Qing government promoted Zeng Guofan. This changed the course of the war in favor of the Qing and their western allies.

• First Rout of the Jiangnan Battalion
• Second Opium War
• Draft History of Qing

Michael, Franz H. (1966). The Taiping Rebellion: History and Documents.

Elleman, Bruce A. (2001). Modern Chinese Warfare, 1795-1989.

Platt, Steven (2013). Autumn in the Heavenly Kingdom. Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 9780307271730.