He was responsible for Southern Song efforts to recover territories lost in northern China to the Jurchen-led Jin dynasty in their 1142 peace settlement that ended the Jin–Song wars.
In his efforts to begin a military build-up, he had Yue Fei (who had resigned during peace talks with the Jin dynasty, after which he was jailed and poisoned) posthumously promoted and Qin Hui (who led the aforementioned peace talks with the Jin dynasty) demoted.
[1] These efforts were unsuccessful, and the ensuing war was devastating to southern China, resulting in further territorial losses and terrible inflation.
Han Tuozhou is also famous for his opposition to daoxue (the Song's Neo-Confucianist movement) which was banned on his order during the years 1195–99.
This measure was probably undertaken as compensation for the humiliation of Jin confederate Wu Xi (吳曦), whose body was hung on displays in Xingzhou (興州, in modern Lueyang, Shaanxi) and Lin'an.