Mauser In China: Mauser-China 1885 Mod.80 Contract

In early 1885, Mauser sold 6000 Serbia Mod.80 to China. The backstory of 1885 contract is straightforward, the Sino-French war broke out in December 1883. Chinese forces lost substantive man power and equipment. China’s then capability of arm manufacturing was too weak to supply its own troops use. They had to buy any rifles and ammunition they could find in the global market.

Main ground battles took place in North Vietnam abreast to Guangxi Province and Taiwan. Guangxi Province was one of two provinces that under the jurisdiction of Governors-General of Liang’guang who is accounted to raise and equip forces to defend French invasion.

To meet desperate needs of firearms, then Governors-General of Liang’guang, Zhang Zhidong, filed a report to the Emperor on November 13, 1884 asking for purchasing 20000 rifles and 10 million rounds of ammunition. The Emperor authorized Li Hongzhang, Governor-General of Zhili, to buy these weapons per Zhang’s request.    

Chinese Minister in Berlin, Xv Jingcheng and former minister Li Fengbao, who was deputed to scure the first Mauser-China contract, received Li’s instruction to purchase 20000 Mauser rifles 10 million rounds of ammunition two days later. 

Minister Xv was traveling to Kiel to visit building progress of two Chinese ironclad battleships. He went back to Berlin immedicably when he received the order on November 17. Chinese wanted to receive all rifles within five months. However, as the minister reported none of manufactures had enough in stock rifles to supply to China. He managed to obtain 11000 rifles from two manufactures for 50000 sterling pounds while the remaining 9000 rifles would not be made only if Chinese paid first instalment of 20000 pounds. 

In actual china paid 53000 pounds for first 11000 rifles each with 500 rounds of ammunition. Li Hongzhang’s memorial to the Emperor dated December 28 reveals more details of the first 11000 rifles. Minister Xv firstly approached OEWG for 5000 rifles then negotiated an agreement with Mauser for 6000 rifles of Serbian Model. Mauser sold these rifles for 44 marks apiece plus 4.5 marks for a bayonet. China paid additional 4 marks for freight and insurance per rifle.
Li Hongzhang received Minister’s report on November 18 and relayed the results to Board of Ministers for Foreign Affairs, (總理衙門, Zong Li Ya Men) asking for funds. He claimed that his office was running out of money so he wished the board could permit him to allocate fund from the loan borrowed by Chester Holcombe in US. And his plan was not approved until December 1 1884. According to Minister Xv’s report that his reprehensive had inspected rifles by November 27. 

Financing the procurement was difficult. Li Hongzhang telegraphed Chinese Counselor in DC Cai Guozhen about the board decision of allocating fund to Minister Xv at the same day that Li received. I do not know the real reason why Counselor Cai did not transfer the money after Li had telegraphed him twice urging him to do so on November 20 and 27 respectively. Cai responded on November 27 that it was unsuccess to transfer the money on November 26 due to the loan had been stipulated for specific purpose. 

On December 18 Minister Xv urged Li Hongzhang that the consignment had been stored at the harbor waiting to be shipped as soon as the payment would has been fulfilled. Li had to ask the Board for one more time. The next day, the emperor decreed Li to raise money from his provincial treasury. In Li’s memorial to the Emperor dated December 27 that he granted 29652.47 taels of silver to Minister Xv. The contemporary exchange rate of 1 sterling pounds to 3.955699 taels of silver. 
Minister Xv reported the consignment was shipped to Canton on December 26. On March 7, Minister Li Fengbao telegraphed Li Hongzhang that rifles had been delivered. The original plans was to deliver 5000 to Canton and 6000 to Shanghai. Being afraid of seizure by French navy, all rifles were routed to Canton instead.