中日甲午战争中清军失败,朝野上下纷纷议奏练兵事宜。光绪二十年(1894)十二月,清政府派胡燏棻编练 “定武军” ,从天津、山东、河南等地招募兵士,总兵额4750人。翌年九月,胡燏棻将驻军由马厂转到小站,利用老盛军营盘,聘用洋人作教习、教官,购买西洋先进武器,仿效西法操练。
        光绪二十一年(1895)十月,清政府批准袁世凯接管定武军,督练新建陆军,十一月一日,袁世凯到小站接任后,又扩招步队骑兵,总兵额达到7300人。新建陆军基本上采用了近代德国的陆军制度,军队分为步、马、炮、工、辎各兵种。
        光绪二十二年(1896)初,袁世凯建立“行营武备学堂” 。继而开办了速成武备军官学校,后称“讲武堂” 。专门抽调在职的哨官和哨长,到讲武堂轮流学习。袁世凯在军中还设有“学兵营” ,集中训练步兵操法。
        新建陆军的武器,全部由外国购进。炮兵装备德国炮; 步兵使用奥国造曼利夏步枪;骑兵使用曼利夏马枪和战刀; 军官一律6响左轮手枪和佩刀。领、哨官兵号衣鞋袜一律黑色; 官弁服装肩部和袖口处有红色官阶标志。
        新建陆军的技术训练,在洋教习的指挥下进行。袁世凯通过中国驻德公使聘请了10多名德国军官,充当新建陆军的教习,还专门成立了教习处(后改为洋务局),德国教习定出各种规章制度,并监督执行。
        新建陆军设有旧式军队所没有的参谋职能、电讯联系和军乐队等。其训练法则,是注重选募、厚给军饷、培养将领、严格训练等。
        新建陆军的先进建制装备和训练技术与其封建统治、“恩威并济” 的权术及 “家兵家将” 的军阀旧习,形成了当时袁世凯一套特殊的、畸形的制军方法。
        袁世凯的小站练兵,不仅是中国军队近代化之始,而且是北洋军阀的形成之本,是北洋军阀集团的奠基工程。从光绪二十一年 (1895)至光绪二十五年 (1899),在短短的五六年时间里,袁世凯便成为北洋军阀集团的首脑人物; 并由军事集团成为统治全国的政治军事集团。
        从小站练兵起家的北洋军阀,升迁到督军以上的有34人,其中出了4个民国总统和1个行总统职权的临时执政 (袁世凯、冯国璋、徐世昌、曹锟和段祺瑞); 从1912年3月13日至1928年6月3日,北洋政府共有46届政府总理,其中有在小站练兵或任北洋六镇官佐及亲信的9人 (唐绍仪、赵秉钧、段祺瑞、徐世昌、江朝宗、王士珍、靳云鹏、张绍曾、贾德耀)先后担任了北洋政府17届政府总理。

        

·晚清新式军队

        The Qing Government surrendered to Japan at the endof the Sino-Japanese War. Officials of Qing fervidlydiscussed to train army as the present Qing army wasso fragile. In December 1894,the Qing Governmentappointed Hu Jumao to organize the so-called "DingwuArmy" and recruited 4,750 soldiers from Tianjin,Shandong and Henan Province. In September 1895,Hu stationed the army from Machang to Xiaozhan,theformer barracks of Sheng Army. He hired foreigners asdrillmasters,equipped the army with advanced westernweapons and trained the army in the western style.
        In October 1895,the Qing Government authorizedYuan Shikai to supervise the Dingwu Army. By adding4,750 soldiers of 10 barracks of Dingwu Army,the armytotaled 7,300,which were adapted to new-style landforce of the modern German military system.
        In the beginning of 1896 (the 22th year of EmperorGuangxu),Yuan opened the fast military school,whichlater was called "Jiangwutang Military School." Headsand deputy heads were chosen to be trained. Yuan alsoset up the "Student Barrack" in the army to train infantryskills.
        Weapons for the new army were all boughtfrom foreign countries. Artillery was equipped withGerman cannons; infantry,Australian guns; andcalvary,Australian guns and swords. All officers usedfiveshooters and rapiers. Both officers and soldiers woreblack uniforms. The officers had red rank badges on theshoulders and cuffs.
        The foreign instructors trained the new army onmilitary skills and strategies. Yuan Shikai,throughChina`s envoy to Germany,hired more than 10 Germanofficers as instructors. He set up the Instruction Office,later reformed it into Bureau of Foreign Affairs. TheseGerman instructors drew out rules and regulations andsupervised their implementation in the army.
        There were brainmans,telecommunication andbrass band in the new army. The reforming of the armyconcentrated on enrollment,good payment,leadershipand strict disciplines. Advanced facilities and training,together with Chinese warlords` finesse,formed thespecial training style of Yuan`s army.
        Yuan`s army training in Xiaozhan was the start ofChina`s military modernization. It also set up the basis ofnorthern warlords. Within five years from 1895 to 1900,Yuan Shikai turned from a military head of northernwarlords to the leader of a national political and militarygroup. Among the officers trained in Xiaozhan,34 werepromoted as warlords; four became presidents of theRepublic of China (Yuan Shikai,Feng Guozhang,XuShichang and Cao Kun). Of all the Prime Ministers ofBeiyang Government from March 13,1912 to June 3,1928,nine had been trained in Xiaozhan or related tothe Beiyang Army,such as Tang Shaoyi,Zhang Bingjun,Duan Qirui,Xu Shichang,Jiang Chaozong,WangShizhen,Jin Yunpeng,Zhang Shaozeng,and Jia Deyao.

        

·晚清新式军队