Emperor Zai Tian Guangxu - Unsuccessful Savior of the Chinese Empire
The article explores the littlestudied issue of the controversial reign of Emperor Guangxu. Conservative China was going through turbulent times. As a result of the wars with the imperialists, the country ended up in a state of semicolony. China had two alternatives: to continue the traditional path of their ancestors, or to change, taking knowledge and technology from the "Western barbarians". Understanding the danger of the current situation, the young and resolute, liberalminded Emperor Guangxu took the path of reforms. The article analyzes the external and internal political situation in China at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries and the factors that prompted the emperor in 1898 to reform the country. The reaction of conservativeminded officials, headed by Empress Cixi, is shown. The authors consider the consequences of the implementation and failure of reforms. They have used materials of Russian, British and Chinese researchers, as well as periodical press of that time.