Abstract: Weng Tonghe，as the emperor’s tutor and key minister strongly advocated a war of resistance against Japan and played a key role in the process of war-time policy-making in the Qing court。After its defeat,the Qing court suffered the unprecedented humiliation and hardship of losing troops,paying indemnities,and ceding territory，Weng was censured then for “advocating war and harming the country” and many historians today still reproach him for his pro-war stance。This writer believes that at a time when China faced Japanese aggression，Weng’s advocacy of a war of resistance and the pursuit of peace through war was a correct political choice arising out of motives of loyalty to the throne and patriotism。It represented the just voice of the government and the people and as such should not be condemned.Considering the balance of Chinese and Japanese forces at the time,the outcome was not inevitable.Chinese defeat was due only to the corruption of the Qing court and opposition to the war by the pro-peace faction led by Li Hongzhang who,though in charge of the war effort，sued for peace and gave up the initiative on the battlefield.