Ever Victorious Army

The Ever Victorious Army, in Chinese Changsheng Jun, was a minor imperial army of the Qing dynasty that fought rebels in late nineteenth century China. It was directed and trained by Europeans. It fought against the rebels of the Nian and Taiping Rebellions, and although it was active for only a few years, from 1860 to 1864, it was instrumental in putting down the Taiping Rebellion. It was the first Chinese army trained in European techniques, tactics and strategy, which makes it an early example of a Western-style force raised inside a Chinese imperial army structure to serve the Qing court during a period of widespread internal rebellion.