Northern Expedition (Taiping Rebellion)

The Northern Expedition was a failed campaign by the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom against the Qing dynasty during the Taiping Rebellion. Its purpose was to capture Beijing and then complete an encirclement of northern and western China. Launched in May 1853, the Northern Expedition would travel from Jiangsu to Zhili before being destroyed in early 1855.

Planning
The Northern Expedition was conceived by Yang Xiuqing shortly after the fall of Nanjing. It was intended to march northward to Beijing before turning westward and ultimately meeting with concurrent Western Expedition in Sichuan. The Taiping believed that such a pincer movement could capture all of western and northern China. It was also intended to, in conjunction with the Western Expedition, relieve pressure on the Taiping's holdings caused by the Qing's formation of the Northern and Southern Fronts.

Execution
The Northern Expedition, under the command of Lin Fengxiang and Li Kaifang, departed Yangzhou on May 8, 1853. In Pukou, the Expedition received reinforcements from Nanjing and advanced toward Chuzhou, Anhui. Initially, the force moved rapidly through Anhui and then Henan, leaving no supply stations or garrisons behind and declining to besiege any well-defended cities. The force continued to recruit locals as it marched, swelling to a size of approximately 70,000-80,000 by the time they reached Huaiqing.

Abandoning its prior strategy, the Northern Expedition unsuccessfully besieged Huaiqing for two months. This was nothing short of disaster for the expedition; the Qing inflicted heavy losses on the Taiping and Beijing gained valuable time to prepare for the coming army. After abandoning the siege, the Northern Expedition marched though Shanxi to Zhili. However, it did not immediately storm Beijing but instead marched towards Tianjin. This allowed the imperial army time to regroup, enabling the Qing to successfully counterattack, with its generals going so far as breaking the dikes of the Grand Canal to flood the rebels. A relief army was sent north from Anqing in early 1854, but it was never able to reach the Northern Expedition.

Assessment
A critical error was the Northern Expedition's decision to forego attacking Beijing in favor of Tianjin. Had the Taiping immediately besieged Beijing, it is likely that it would have fallen. Tactical blunders, severe weather, and shortages of provisions also contributed to the campaign's failure. Ultimately, the Northern Expedition was a complete disaster, with the almost the entire force being destroyed by March 31, 1855.