Why did Zeng Guofan succeed? Why did Hong Xiuquan fail?
Personally, I think the main reasons can be summarized into four:
First, Zeng Guofan loved learning and read many books; Hong Xiuquan did not like learning and read very few books.
Secondly, Zeng Guofan was a Jinshi and was a high-level intellectual; Hong Xiuquan was a failed scholar with only a medium level of education.
Thirdly, Zeng Guofan firmly believed in the Confucian ideal of life of "cultivating oneself, regulating the family, governing the country, and bringing peace to the world"; Hong Xiuquan denigrated the "Tao of Confucius and Mencius" and believed in Western Christianity.
Fourth, in China during the Qing Dynasty, traditional Confucianism was still the "mainstream ideology" of society, so Zeng Guofan was able to get the support and support of most scholar-bureaucrats, scholars, and intellectuals in the society; Hong Xiuquan burned down everywhere Private schools and academies hate Confucianism and promote "God-worshiping societies." This is undoubtedly an enemy of scholars across the country, and is denounced as "heresy" by mainstream society.