李鸿章,清末安徽合肥人,淮系军阀,历任江苏巡抚、湖广总督、直隶总督兼北洋通商事务大臣,掌管清廷外交、军事、经济大权,是洋务派重要首领。在外国资本主义侵略势力“驳骎内向”和中国人民反抗斗争如火如荼的情况下,他认为清政府唯有“变法”才能保护 Li Hongzhang, Hefei, Anhui Huainan warlord at the end of the Qing Dynasty, served as Jiangsu governor, governor of Huguang, Governor of Zhili and minister of commerce and trade of North Ocean, in charge of the diplomatic, military and economic power of the Qing court. In the situation in which the aggressive forces of foreign capitalism “refute the introverted” and the Chinese people’s struggle against the war is in full swing, he believes that the Qing government can protect “the changes” only