-known to posterity as "Marshal Lee"
-born in 1844
-early life shrouded in some mystery due to his very poor birth
-and as a result some legends about it have grown
-lucked out as an uneducated kid (in a way) because he got balloted to join the army as a cadet
Offices held
1859-1863: Cadet at Nanjing Military Academy
-brand-new military academy established to train a modern military on the western model
-early enlister who's technically too young but nobody really cares too much because Bai China needs men
1863-1865: Lieutenant in the Bai Chinese Army
-sent to Shaanxi and Gansu to clean up Han-Hui clashes
-in this position Lee is notable in that he tries to establish unity between the two in the name of stability
1865-1869: Captain in the Bai Chinese Army
-rises in position amidst the death of his commander
-successfully brings his frontier area to peace within Bai rule
1869-1875: Major in the Bai Chinese Army
-gets increasing responsibilities in pacification campaign
-which he's effective at, and he is well-known and regarded in this era as unambitious
1875-1876: Lt. Colonel in the Bai Chinese Army
1876-1886: Colonel of the Bai Chinese Army
1886-1890: General of the Bai Chinese Army
1890-1901: Marshal of the Bai Chinese Army
-doesn't have much experience but raised by Heads of China > 1888-1901 Dazheng Emperor [*overthrown*]
-because felt he's too inexperienced to threaten the government
-despite this essentially kickstarts the Russo-Chinese War (1893-9)
-by moving Bai Chinese regiments into disputed territory
-has a mostly successful career during its duration
-and capture of Vladivostok, caught on camera, makes him world-famous
1901-1926: President of the United Provinces of China
Lee and the Gray
-world-famous Calotype of Marshal Lee flying the Green Standard military banner over Vladivostok Railway Station during Russo-Chinese War (1893-9)
-surrounded by soldiers wearing the cheap conscript gray uniform, thus the name
-Lee looks very striking in his crisp uniform which, even in grayscale, makes him look distinct from his soldiers
-almost overnight this calo becomes a iconic symbol of the Chinese war effort
-printed all over the place
-makes him a hero
-after his military coup and takeover of China, a very large painted version put on the Nanjing Drum Tower
-and despite the downfall of the TTT dictatorship he prototyped he's so beloved for his military prowess and some of his conduct as president it's still up