中日甲午戰(zhàn)爭中清軍失敗，朝野上下紛紛議奏練兵事宜。光緒二十年(1894)十二月，清政府派胡燏棻編練 “定武軍” ,從天津、山東、河南等地招募兵士，總兵額4750人。翌年九月，胡燏棻將駐軍由馬廠轉(zhuǎn)到小站，利用老盛軍營盤，聘用洋人作教習(xí)、教官，購買西洋先進武器，仿效西法操練。
光緒二十一年(1895)十月，清政府批準袁世凱接管定武軍，督練新建陸軍，十一月一日，袁世凱到小站接任后，又擴招步隊騎兵，總兵額達到7300人。新建陸軍基本上采用了近代德國的陸軍制度，軍隊分為步、馬、炮、工、輜各兵種。
光緒二十二年(1896)初，袁世凱建立“行營武備學(xué)堂” 。繼而開辦了速成武備軍官學(xué)校，后稱“講武堂” 。專門抽調(diào)在職的哨官和哨長，到講武堂輪流學(xué)習(xí)。袁世凱在軍中還設(shè)有“學(xué)兵營” ,集中訓(xùn)練步兵操法。
新建陸軍的武器，全部由外國購進。炮兵裝備德國炮； 步兵使用奧國造曼利夏步槍；騎兵使用曼利夏馬槍和戰(zhàn)刀； 軍官一律6響左輪手槍和佩刀。領(lǐng)、哨官兵號衣鞋襪一律黑色； 官弁服裝肩部和袖口處有紅色官階標志。
新建陸軍的技術(shù)訓(xùn)練，在洋教習(xí)的指揮下進行。袁世凱通過中國駐德公使聘請了10多名德國軍官，充當(dāng)新建陸軍的教習(xí)，還專門成立了教習(xí)處(后改為洋務(wù)局),德國教習(xí)定出各種規(guī)章制度，并監(jiān)督執(zhí)行。
新建陸軍設(shè)有舊式軍隊所沒有的參謀職能、電訊聯(lián)系和軍樂隊等。其訓(xùn)練法則，是注重選募、厚給軍餉、培養(yǎng)將領(lǐng)、嚴格訓(xùn)練等。
新建陸軍的先進建制裝備和訓(xùn)練技術(shù)與其封建統(tǒng)治、“恩威并濟” 的權(quán)術(shù)及 “家兵家將” 的軍閥舊習(xí)，形成了當(dāng)時袁世凱一套特殊的、畸形的制軍方法。
袁世凱的小站練兵，不僅是中國軍隊近代化之始，而且是北洋軍閥的形成之本，是北洋軍閥集團的奠基工程。從光緒二十一年 (1895)至光緒二十五年 (1899),在短短的五六年時間里，袁世凱便成為北洋軍閥集團的首腦人物； 并由軍事集團成為統(tǒng)治全國的政治軍事集團。
從小站練兵起家的北洋軍閥，升遷到督軍以上的有34人，其中出了4個民國總統(tǒng)和1個行總統(tǒng)職權(quán)的臨時執(zhí)政 (袁世凱、馮國璋、徐世昌、曹錕和段祺瑞); 從1912年3月13日至1928年6月3日，北洋政府共有46屆政府總理，其中有在小站練兵或任北洋六鎮(zhèn)官佐及親信的9人 (唐紹儀、趙秉鈞、段祺瑞、徐世昌、江朝宗、王士珍、靳云鵬、張紹曾、賈德耀)先后擔(dān)任了北洋政府17屆政府總理。

·晚清新式軍隊

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.

·晚清新式軍隊