Fujian People's Government
Encyclopedia
The People's Revolutionary Government of the Republic of China (1933-34) , also known as the Fujian People's Government (Chinese: 福建人民革命政府; pinyin: Fújiàn Rénmín Zhèngfǔ), was a short-lived anti-Kuomintang
government in the Republic of China
's Fujian
Province. The rebellion that led to its formation and its collapse are known as the Fujian Incident (閩變 Mǐnbiàn or 福建事變 Fújiàn Shìbiàn) or Fujian Rebellion.
In November 1933, some leaders of the National Revolutionary Army
's 19th Route Army
including Cai Tingkai, Chen Mingshu
, and Jiang Guangnai
, who had gained fame for their role in the January 28 Incident
, were deployed to southern China to suppress communist rebellion, but instead they negotiated peace with the rebels. In alliance with other Kuomintang forces under Li Jishen
(李濟深), the 19th Route leaders broke with Chiang Kai-shek
and took control of Fujian where they were stationed and, on November 22 1933, proclaimed a new government. The chairman of the government was Li Jishen, Eugene Chen (陳友仁) was foreign minister, Jiang Guangnai was finance minister, and Cai Tingkai was military head and governor of Fujian Province. A flag of red (proletariat) over blue (peasantry) with a yellow star was used and the Chinese era name
of the new state was "Republic of China" (中華共和國) with its founding being year one. The 19th Route Army was renamed the People's Revolutionary Army.
Chen Mingshu led the newly created Productive People's Party
while it had support from the "Third Party
". The Chinese Youth Party
considered supporting them but were put off by their leftism and lack of realistic sustainability. The rebellion initially enjoyed popular support among most Fujianese but high taxes to support the army decreased its popularity. In addition, the new government's decision to break continuity by issuing a new flag, new symbols, and occasionally removing the portrait of Sun Yat-sen
caused hesitation in many quarters. After adopting a wait and see approach, the New Guangxi clique
declined to support the rebels.Feng Yuxiang
was widely expected to be supportive but he stayed silent. Chen Jitang
and Hu Hanmin
were sympathetic to their goals but condemned them for dividing the country. The fear of a new civil war at a time of Japanese aggression was the biggest reason why the rebellion had very little popularity.
The rebels were motivated by, among other things, personal disagreements with Chiang Kai-shek, opposition to perceived appeasement of Japan
, and their assignment to the then relatively poor Fujian. The goals of the new government included the overthrowing of the Kuomintang government in Nanjing
, various social and political reforms, and a stronger resistance to foreign interference in China. The rebellion brought a temporary halt to the central government's Fifth Encirclement Campaign
in southeast China. However, implied or promised aid to the rebellion from the Communist Party
's Jiangxi Soviet
failed to materialize due to opposition by the 28 Bolsheviks
and the effort began to collapse.
The Kuomintang responded to the rebellion first with air attacks and, in January 1934, with a ground offensive that quickly led to the defeat to the formerly prestigious 19th Route Army. On 13 January 1934, the government was defeated and its leaders fled or defected to Chiang Kai-shek's forces.
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
government in the Republic of China
Republic of China (1912–1949)
In 1911, after over two thousand years of imperial rule, a republic was established in China and the monarchy overthrown by a group of revolutionaries. The Qing Dynasty, having just experienced a century of instability, suffered from both internal rebellion and foreign imperialism...
's Fujian
Fujian
' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...
Province. The rebellion that led to its formation and its collapse are known as the Fujian Incident (閩變 Mǐnbiàn or 福建事變 Fújiàn Shìbiàn) or Fujian Rebellion.
In November 1933, some leaders of the National Revolutionary Army
National Revolutionary Army
The National Revolutionary Army , pre-1928 sometimes shortened to 革命軍 or Revolutionary Army and between 1928-1947 as 國軍 or National Army was the Military Arm of the Kuomintang from 1925 until 1947, as well as the national army of the Republic of China during the KMT's period of party rule...
's 19th Route Army
19th Route Army
19th Route Army was an army in the Republic of China led by General Cai Tingkai. It gained a good reputation among Chinese for fighting the Japanese in Shanghai in the January 28 Incident in 1932...
including Cai Tingkai, Chen Mingshu
Chen Mingshu
Chen Mingshu was a Chinese general and politician. He graduated from Baoding Military Academy and participated in the Northern Expedition. He was briefly premier after Chiang Kai-shek stepped down in December 1931...
, and Jiang Guangnai
Jiang Guangnai
Jiang Guangnai was a general and statesman in the Republic of China and the People's Republic of China.-Defense of Shanghai:He became a bodyguard to Sun Yat-sen and, in 1932, was promoted to General and Commander in Chief of the 19th Route Army, leading it in the successful Defense of Shanghai...
, who had gained fame for their role in the January 28 Incident
January 28 Incident
The January 28 Incident was a short war between the armies of the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan, before official hostilities of the Second Sino-Japanese War commenced in 1937.- Naming :...
, were deployed to southern China to suppress communist rebellion, but instead they negotiated peace with the rebels. In alliance with other Kuomintang forces under Li Jishen
Li Jishen
Li Jishen was a Chinese military commander and statesman. He served as commander of the Fourth Army of the Republic of China, governor of Guangdong, military affairs commissioner, and acting president of the Whampoa Military Academy...
(李濟深), the 19th Route leaders broke with Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek was a political and military leader of 20th century China. He is known as Jiǎng Jièshí or Jiǎng Zhōngzhèng in Mandarin....
and took control of Fujian where they were stationed and, on November 22 1933, proclaimed a new government. The chairman of the government was Li Jishen, Eugene Chen (陳友仁) was foreign minister, Jiang Guangnai was finance minister, and Cai Tingkai was military head and governor of Fujian Province. A flag of red (proletariat) over blue (peasantry) with a yellow star was used and the Chinese era name
Chinese era name
A Chinese era name is the regnal year, reign period, or regnal title used when traditionally numbering years in an emperor's reign and naming certain Chinese rulers . Some emperors have several era names, one after another, where each beginning of a new era resets the numbering of the year back...
of the new state was "Republic of China" (中華共和國) with its founding being year one. The 19th Route Army was renamed the People's Revolutionary Army.
Chen Mingshu led the newly created Productive People's Party
Productive People's Party
The Productive People's Party was a short-lived leftist political party formed during the Fujian Rebellion in November 1933. It was formed by officers of the National Revolutionary Army's 19th Route Army. They were disaffected by Chiang Kai-shek's domination of both the Kuomintang and the...
while it had support from the "Third Party
Chinese Peasants' and Workers' Democratic Party
The Chinese Peasants' and Workers' Democratic Party is one of the eight non-communist, legally recognised political parties in the People's Republic of China that follow the direction of the Communist Party of China and is a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.The...
". The Chinese Youth Party
Chinese Youth Party
The Young China Party , also known as the Chinese Youth Party, is a minor political party in the Republic of China...
considered supporting them but were put off by their leftism and lack of realistic sustainability. The rebellion initially enjoyed popular support among most Fujianese but high taxes to support the army decreased its popularity. In addition, the new government's decision to break continuity by issuing a new flag, new symbols, and occasionally removing the portrait of Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen was a Chinese doctor, revolutionary and political leader. As the foremost pioneer of Nationalist China, Sun is frequently referred to as the "Father of the Nation" , a view agreed upon by both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China...
caused hesitation in many quarters. After adopting a wait and see approach, the New Guangxi clique
New Guangxi clique
After the founding of the Republic of China, Guangxi served as the base for one of the most powerful warlord cliques of China: the Old Guangxi clique. Led by Lu Rongting and others, the clique was able to take control of neighbouring Hunan and Guangdong provinces as well...
declined to support the rebels.Feng Yuxiang
Feng Yuxiang
Feng Yuxiang was a warlord and leader in Republican China. He was also known as the Christian General for his zeal to convert his troops and the Betrayal General for his penchant to break with the establishment. In 1911, he was an officer in the ranks of Yuan Shikai's Beiyang Army but joined...
was widely expected to be supportive but he stayed silent. Chen Jitang
Chen Jitang
Chen Jitang , also spelled Chen Chi-tang, was born into a Hakka family in Fangcheng, Guangxi, China. He joined the Chinese Revolutionary Alliance in 1908 and began serving in the Guangdong Army in 1920, rising from battalion to brigade commander...
and Hu Hanmin
Hu Hanmin
Hu Hanmin was one of the early leaders of Kuomintang , and a very important right-winger in Kuomintang.-Biography:Hu Hanmin was qualified as juren at 21 years of age. He studied in Japan since 1902, and joined Tongmenghui as an editor of 《Minbao》 in 1905. From 1907-1910, he participated in...
were sympathetic to their goals but condemned them for dividing the country. The fear of a new civil war at a time of Japanese aggression was the biggest reason why the rebellion had very little popularity.
The rebels were motivated by, among other things, personal disagreements with Chiang Kai-shek, opposition to perceived appeasement of Japan
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
, and their assignment to the then relatively poor Fujian. The goals of the new government included the overthrowing of the Kuomintang government in Nanjing
Nanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
, various social and political reforms, and a stronger resistance to foreign interference in China. The rebellion brought a temporary halt to the central government's Fifth Encirclement Campaign
Fifth Encirclement Campaign
The Fifth Encirclement Campaign is an abbreviated name used for several different encirclement campaigns launched by the Nationalist Government with the goal of destroying the developing Chinese Red Army and its communist bases in several separate locations in China during the early stage of...
in southeast China. However, implied or promised aid to the rebellion from the Communist Party
Communist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
's Jiangxi Soviet
Jiangxi Soviet
The Chinese Soviet Republic , also translated as the Soviet Republic of China or the China Soviet Republic, and often referred to in historical literature as the Jiangxi Soviet , was a state established in November 1931 by the future Communist Party of China leader Mao...
failed to materialize due to opposition by the 28 Bolsheviks
28 Bolsheviks
The 28 Bolsheviks were a group of Chinese students who studied at the Moscow Sun Yat-sen University from the late 1920s until early 1935, also known as the "Returned Students". The university was founded in 1925 as a result of Kuomintang's founder Sun Yat-Sen's policy of alliance with the Soviet...
and the effort began to collapse.
The Kuomintang responded to the rebellion first with air attacks and, in January 1934, with a ground offensive that quickly led to the defeat to the formerly prestigious 19th Route Army. On 13 January 1934, the government was defeated and its leaders fled or defected to Chiang Kai-shek's forces.