Liu Chih
Encyclopedia
Liu Chih was a prominent Kuomintang
military and political leader in the Republic of China
.
in 1924 and became a field commander during the Northern Expedition. He became friends with many important allies of Generallissimo Chiang Kai Shek and they proved to be extremely helpful to his rise in the KMT government.
and expanding KMT military power throughout the 1930s by defeating Chinese Communist forces in Henan
Province. Chiang Kai Shek rewarded him by appointing as governor of Hennan Province and named a county after him. When the Second Sino-Japanese War
broke out, Liu was named as deputy commander of the first war zone and commander-in-chief of the 2nd Army Group. By this time he seemed to gradually lost his military prowess when the Imperial Japanese Army
easily overwhelmed his forces and breakthrough the Chinese defensive lines despite being greatly outnumbered. Liu was forced to abandon much of Hebei
province in North China and this defeat contributed to the 1938 Yellow River flood
and he was relieved from his posts by Chiang. When the nationalist government retreated to Chongking
, Chiang again named him as commander of the city's air defense, when but the Japanese air force started the bombing of Chongking
, Liu proved to ineffective to provide much leadership to stop the Japanese terror raids and raise civilian morale, plus dismissed in 1942. In 1942 he succeeded General Li Zongren
as commander-in-chief of the fifth war zone. When War with Japan was over, he was named as pacification director of Zhengzhou
garrison, controlling first and fifth war zones. When the Campaign of the North China Plain Pocket
broke out in the summer of 1946, he failed to destroyed the communist forces under Marshal Liu Bocheng
and Deng Xiaoping
and was relieved of his command once more. In the fall of 1948, He became the commander-in-chief of the Suppression General Headquarter of Xuzhou Garrison
, controlled some 920,000 nationalist soldiers, but when his capable deputy commander-in-chief Du Yuming
was recalled to Manchuria
to salvage the nationalist positions there when Marshal Lin Biao
launched the iaoshen Campaign] on September 12, 1948. He was panicked and did not organized an effective defensive line when communist commander Su Yu
attacked Xuzhou in the Huaihai Campaign
, although President Chiang Kai Shek again dispatched Lieutenant General Du Yuming
to save the situation, but Liu's ineffective leadership and timidness has already doomed KMT position in central China. When the communist forces finally defeated the nationalist troops the next year and deputy commander-in-chief Du Yuming
was captured, Liu was again fired by Chiang Kai Shek, who was lucky enough to escape Xuzhou via plane.
then made a living in Indonesia
as a Chinese language teacher, in 1953 he was allowed to return to Taiwan
as a political advisor to Chiang Kai Shek. He was decorated with the Order of Blue Sky and White Sun
, he died in Taiwan in 1972.
, many of his colleagues called him The Long-legged general or President Chiang's Lucky General, to poke fun of his uselessness on battlefield and shamelessness when many other talented officers were not promoted for heroic deeds and he was brazenly enough to accept such high positions. Even the first lady Soong May-ling
said to President Chiang Kai Shek:" There are many people spoke negatively about General Liu Zhi, Are You still going to use him?" Chiang replied calmly:" Liu is a mess on battlefield, but he is more obedient than all my commanders."
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...
military and political leader in the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
.
Biography
Liu was born into a peasant family in Jiangxi province in 1892. His parents died when he was young and he was raised by his grandfather. He was educated in a local school before travelling to Japan to receive advanced education. When the Japanese government started to expel Chinese students on behalf of the Manchurian imperial government, he return to China and enrolled in military academies in Wuhan. In 1914 he entered the Baoding Military Academy and after services in numerous regional armies, Liu joined the faculty of the Whampoa Military AcademyWhampoa Military Academy
The Nationalist Party of China Army Officer Academy , commonly known as the Whampoa Military Academy , was a military academy in the Republic of China that produced many prestigious commanders who fought in many of China's conflicts in the 20th century, notably the Northern Expedition, the Second...
in 1924 and became a field commander during the Northern Expedition. He became friends with many important allies of Generallissimo Chiang Kai Shek and they proved to be extremely helpful to his rise in the KMT government.
Rise and fall in the KMT government
He was instrumental in defeating Chiang's rival warlords in the Central Plains WarCentral Plains War
Central Plains War was a civil war within the factionalised Kuomintang that broke out in 1930. It was fought between the forces of Chiang Kai-shek and the coalition of three military commanders who had previously allied with Chiang: Yan Xishan, Feng Yuxiang, and Li Zongren...
and expanding KMT military power throughout the 1930s by defeating Chinese Communist forces in Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
Province. Chiang Kai Shek rewarded him by appointing as governor of Hennan Province and named a county after him. When the Second Sino-Japanese War
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
broke out, Liu was named as deputy commander of the first war zone and commander-in-chief of the 2nd Army Group. By this time he seemed to gradually lost his military prowess when the Imperial Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
easily overwhelmed his forces and breakthrough the Chinese defensive lines despite being greatly outnumbered. Liu was forced to abandon much of Hebei
Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
province in North China and this defeat contributed to the 1938 Yellow River flood
1938 Yellow River flood
The 1938 Yellow River flood was a flood created by the Nationalist Government in central China during the early stage of the Second Sino-Japanese War in an attempt to halt the rapid advance of the Japanese forces...
and he was relieved from his posts by Chiang. When the nationalist government retreated to Chongking
Chongqing
Chongqing is a major city in Southwest China and one of the five national central cities of China. Administratively, it is one of the PRC's four direct-controlled municipalities , and the only such municipality in inland China.The municipality was created on 14 March 1997, succeeding the...
, Chiang again named him as commander of the city's air defense, when but the Japanese air force started the bombing of Chongking
Bombing of Chongqing
The bombing of Chongqing was part of a terror bombing operation conducted by Imperial Japanese Army Air Service and Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service on the Chinese provisional capital of Chongqing, authorized by the Imperial General Headquarters.A conservative estimate places the...
, Liu proved to ineffective to provide much leadership to stop the Japanese terror raids and raise civilian morale, plus dismissed in 1942. In 1942 he succeeded General Li Zongren
Li Zongren
Li Zongren or Li Tsung-jen , courtesy name Delin , was a prominent Guangxi warlord and Kuomintang military commander during the Northern Expedition, Second Sino-Japanese War and Chinese Civil War...
as commander-in-chief of the fifth war zone. When War with Japan was over, he was named as pacification director of Zhengzhou
Zhengzhou
Zhengzhou , is the capital and largest city of Henan province in north-central China. A prefecture-level city, it also serves as the political, economic, technological, and educational centre of the province, as well as a major transportation hub for Central China...
garrison, controlling first and fifth war zones. When the Campaign of the North China Plain Pocket
Campaign of the North China Plain Pocket
The Campaign of the North China Plain Pocket is also called the Breakout on the Central Plains by the Communist Party of China, and it was a series of battles fought between the nationalists and the communists during the Chinese Civil War, resulting in successful communist breakout from the...
broke out in the summer of 1946, he failed to destroyed the communist forces under Marshal Liu Bocheng
Liu Bocheng
Liu Bocheng was a Chinese Communist military commander and Marshal of the People's Liberation Army.Liu is known as one of the "Three and A Half" Strategists of China in modern history...
and Deng Xiaoping
Deng Xiaoping
Deng Xiaoping was a Chinese politician, statesman, and diplomat. As leader of the Communist Party of China, Deng was a reformer who led China towards a market economy...
and was relieved of his command once more. In the fall of 1948, He became the commander-in-chief of the Suppression General Headquarter of Xuzhou Garrison
Suppression General Headquarter of Xuzhou Garrison
June 29, 1948, the Xuzhou Command Headquarters of ROC Army reorganized as General Suppression Headquarters of Xuzhou Garrison . Liu Chih headed as the commander in chief, Du Yuming, Li Yannian, Feng Yeahann, Liu Ruming, Han Te-ch'in, Sun Zhen as deputy commanders in chief, and Li Su-Cheng served...
, controlled some 920,000 nationalist soldiers, but when his capable deputy commander-in-chief Du Yuming
Du Yuming
Du Yuming was a Kuomintang field commander active in the Sino-Japanese War theatre of World War II and in the Chinese Civil War from 1945 to 1949....
was recalled to Manchuria
Manchuria
Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
to salvage the nationalist positions there when Marshal Lin Biao
Lin Biao
Lin Biao was a major Chinese Communist military leader who was pivotal in the communist victory in the Chinese Civil War, especially in Northeastern China...
launched the iaoshen Campaign] on September 12, 1948. He was panicked and did not organized an effective defensive line when communist commander Su Yu
Su Yu
Su Yu was a Chinese Communist military leader. He was considered by many to be among the best commanders of the PLA only next to Lin Biao and Liu Bocheng. Su Yu fought in the Sino-Japanese War and in the Chinese Civil War...
attacked Xuzhou in the Huaihai Campaign
Huaihai Campaign
Huaihai Campaign or Battle of Hsupeng was a military action during 1948 and 1949 that was the determining battle of the Chinese Civil War. It was one of the few conventional battles of the war. 550,000 troops of the Republic of China were surrounded in Xuzhou and destroyed by the communist...
, although President Chiang Kai Shek again dispatched Lieutenant General Du Yuming
Du Yuming
Du Yuming was a Kuomintang field commander active in the Sino-Japanese War theatre of World War II and in the Chinese Civil War from 1945 to 1949....
to save the situation, but Liu's ineffective leadership and timidness has already doomed KMT position in central China. When the communist forces finally defeated the nationalist troops the next year and deputy commander-in-chief Du Yuming
Du Yuming
Du Yuming was a Kuomintang field commander active in the Sino-Japanese War theatre of World War II and in the Chinese Civil War from 1945 to 1949....
was captured, Liu was again fired by Chiang Kai Shek, who was lucky enough to escape Xuzhou via plane.
Taiwan
Liu first fled to Hong KongHong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
then made a living in Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
as a Chinese language teacher, in 1953 he was allowed to return to Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
as a political advisor to Chiang Kai Shek. He was decorated with the Order of Blue Sky and White Sun
Order of Blue Sky and White Sun
The Order of Blue Sky and White Sun with Grand Cordon is the Republic of China's second highest military award. Created in 1929, it is awarded for "outstanding contributions to national security under foreign invasion" and is second only to the Order of National Glory...
, he died in Taiwan in 1972.
Evaluation
General Liu Zhi's early military career was full of victories and successes, but he seemed to lose his combat skills after the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese WarSecond Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
, many of his colleagues called him The Long-legged general or President Chiang's Lucky General, to poke fun of his uselessness on battlefield and shamelessness when many other talented officers were not promoted for heroic deeds and he was brazenly enough to accept such high positions. Even the first lady Soong May-ling
Soong May-ling
Soong May-ling or Soong Mei-ling, also known as Madame Chiang Kai-shek or Madame Chiang was a First Lady of the Republic of China , the wife of Generalissimo and President Chiang Kai-shek. She was a politician and painter...
said to President Chiang Kai Shek:" There are many people spoke negatively about General Liu Zhi, Are You still going to use him?" Chiang replied calmly:" Liu is a mess on battlefield, but he is more obedient than all my commanders."