Sun Dianying
Encyclopedia
Sun Diangying (1887 - 1947) was one of the minor warlords during the Warlord Era
.
, Henan
, Sun was originally a bandit in the area of Henan
Anhui
. He gradually extended his influence and power through years. In 1925 Sun joined the National Revolutionary Army
. In 1928, he plotted the notorious looting of the Eastern Mausoleum
of the Manchu
emperors. The tombs desecrated included that of the late Empress Dowager Cixi
. Later, with Feng Yuxiang
and Yan Xishan
, Sun participated in various anti-Chiang Kai-shek
movements.
In 1932-33, when the Japanese forces of the IJA 4th Cavalry and 6th Division in Operation Nekka invaded Jehol
/Rehe
he commanded the 41st Army in effective opposition to the Japanese in the Battle of Rehe
. This slightly rehabilitated his reputation, but he also seized the chance to expand his strength. At the time of the Tanggu Truce
, Sun's troops garrisoned the strategic Peiking Suiyuan railroad.
In May 1933, with Feng Yuxiang
in Chahar
province organizing the Chahar People's Anti-Japanese Army
, Sun too advocated opposition to Japan and criticised Chiang Kai-shek's Central government, yet protested his loyalty to Chiang. The national government feared Sun Dianying would cooperate with Feng's Anti-Japanese Army, allowing them to use the railroad to support their forces. However Sun was also not willing to be involved in a conflict with Chiang. He hoped to be involved in northwest development and control a territory of his own there. In mid June, when Chiang ordered Sun's army to leave the railroad garrison and open up wasteland in Qinghai
he was willing to go. Chiang's troops replaced them in July, cutting off the Anti-Japanese Army from communication with the rest of China.
Chiang intended the allied northwest Ma Sultanates
would have the strength to cope with Sun Dianying and be weakened themselves. Additionally Chiang sent Zhu Shaoliang to the northwest as Gansu
Pacification Director, who for his own benefit, secretly encouraged the three Ma Sultanates to block and prevent Sun from entering his new post. Strong protests from the region, and Chiang's weakness in the area eventually persuaded him to halt Sun's advance through Suiyuan province in November 1933. However his forces became short of food and restive from their inactivity.
In January 1934 with his army threatened with starvation and mutiny, Sun Dianying was forced to march his 60,000 man army west from Suiyuan province into Ningxia
, governed by Ma Hongbin
. Supported by his fellow Ma Clan rulers Ma Hongkui
in Gansu
, and Ma Bufang
with his younger brother Ma Buqing
in Qinghai, Ma Hungpin refused and with the united Ma forces began the Four Ma Jusun Campaign. Both sides battled for three months, with heavy loss to both sides. At last in March Yan Xishan dispatched troops into the battle cutting Sun's avenue of retreat, while Chiang Kai-Shek seized the chance to publicly abolish Sun's various duties. Sun Dianying was compelled to retreat back to Baotou
in the beginning of April, and then went to Taiyuan to live in seclusion, the remnants of his defeated troops were incorporated by Yan Xishan into his provincial forces.
In 1937, when the Second Sino-Japanese War
erupted, Sun resurfaced once again commanding troops against the Japanese, taking command of the Hebei-Chahar Guerillas in 1938. In 1943 he became the General commanding 5th Army. However he surrendered to the Japanese soon after and was given command of 24th Group Army, a unit of Nanjing puppet troops. In August 1943 his command was defeated by PLA
forces in the Linnan Campaign
.
When the Second Sino-Japanese War was over, Sun participated in the Chinese Civil War
on Nationalist's side. In 1947, he was defeated by People's Liberation Army
and was taken prisoner. He died in a POW camp.
Warlord era
The Chinese Warlord Era was the period in the history of the Republic of China, from 1916 to 1928, when the country was divided among military cliques, a division that continued until the fall of the Nationalist government in the mainland China regions of Sichuan, Shanxi, Qinghai, Ningxia,...
.
Biography
Born in 1889 in YongchengYongcheng
-External links:*...
, 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...
, Sun was originally a bandit in the area of 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...
Anhui
Anhui
Anhui is a province in the People's Republic of China. Located in eastern China across the basins of the Yangtze River and the Huai River, it borders Jiangsu to the east, Zhejiang to the southeast, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei to the southwest, Henan to the northwest, and Shandong for a tiny...
. He gradually extended his influence and power through years. In 1925 Sun joined 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...
. In 1928, he plotted the notorious looting of the Eastern Mausoleum
Looting of the Eastern Mausoleum
The Looting of the Eastern Mausoleum was an incident in which some of the major mausoleums of the Qing Dynasty in the Eastern Qing Tombs were looted by troops under the command of the warlord Sun Dianying.-Background:...
of the Manchu
Manchu
The Manchu people or Man are an ethnic minority of China who originated in Manchuria . During their rise in the 17th century, with the help of the Ming dynasty rebels , they came to power in China and founded the Qing Dynasty, which ruled China until the Xinhai Revolution of 1911, which...
emperors. The tombs desecrated included that of the late Empress Dowager Cixi
Empress Dowager Cixi
Empress Dowager Cixi1 , of the Manchu Yehenara clan, was a powerful and charismatic figure who became the de facto ruler of the Manchu Qing Dynasty in China for 47 years from 1861 to her death in 1908....
. Later, with 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...
and Yan Xishan
Yan Xishan
Yan Xishan, was a Chinese warlord who served in the government of the Republic of China. Yan effectively controlled the province of Shanxi from the 1911 Xinhai Revolution to the 1949 Communist victory in the Chinese Civil War...
, Sun participated in various anti-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....
movements.
In 1932-33, when the Japanese forces of the IJA 4th Cavalry and 6th Division in Operation Nekka invaded Jehol
Jehol
Jehol could mean either a province or a city:* Jehol Province, former province in northeastern China* Chengde, the capital of above provinceNamed after the province:* Jehol Biota* Jeholodens* Jeholopterus* Jeholornis* Jeholosaurus...
/Rehe
Rehe
Rehe , also known as Jehol, is a defunct Chinese Special administrative district and later province.-Administration:Rehe was located north of the Great Wall, west of Manchuria, and east of Mongolia. The capital of Rehe was the city of Chengde. The second largest city in the province was Chaoyang,...
he commanded the 41st Army in effective opposition to the Japanese in the Battle of Rehe
Battle of Rehe
The Battle of Rehe was the second part of Operation Nekka, a campaign by which the Empire of Japan successfully captured the Inner Mongolian province of Rehe from the Chinese warlord Zhang Xueliang and annexed it to the new state of Manchukuo...
. This slightly rehabilitated his reputation, but he also seized the chance to expand his strength. At the time of the Tanggu Truce
Tanggu Truce
The Tanggu Truce, sometimes called the Tangku Truce , Japanese , was a cease-fire signed between China and Empire of Japan in Tanggu District, Tianjin on May 31, 1933, formally ending the Japanese invasion of Manchuria which had begun two years earlier....
, Sun's troops garrisoned the strategic Peiking Suiyuan railroad.
In May 1933, with 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...
in Chahar
Chahar (province)
Chahar , also known as Chaha'er, Chakhar, or Qahar, was a province of China in existence from 1912 to 1936, mostly covering territory in what is part of eastern Inner Mongolia. It was named after the Chahar Mongolians....
province organizing the Chahar People's Anti-Japanese Army
Chahar People's Anti-Japanese Army
The Chahar People's Anti-Japanese Army consisted mostly of former Northwestern Army units under Feng Yuxiang, troops from Fang Zhenwu's Resisting Japan and Saving China Army, remnants of the provincial forces from Jehol, Anti-Japanese volunteers from Manchuria and local forces from Chahar and Suiyuan...
, Sun too advocated opposition to Japan and criticised Chiang Kai-shek's Central government, yet protested his loyalty to Chiang. The national government feared Sun Dianying would cooperate with Feng's Anti-Japanese Army, allowing them to use the railroad to support their forces. However Sun was also not willing to be involved in a conflict with Chiang. He hoped to be involved in northwest development and control a territory of his own there. In mid June, when Chiang ordered Sun's army to leave the railroad garrison and open up wasteland in Qinghai
Qinghai
Qinghai ; Oirat Mongolian: ; ; Salar:) is a province of the People's Republic of China, named after Qinghai Lake...
he was willing to go. Chiang's troops replaced them in July, cutting off the Anti-Japanese Army from communication with the rest of China.
Chiang intended the allied northwest Ma Sultanates
Ma clique
The Ma clique or Ma family warlords is a collective name for a group of Muslim warlords in Northwestern China who ruled the Chinese provinces of Qinghai, Gansu and Ningxia from the 1910s until 1949. There were 3 families in the Ma clique , each of them respectively controlled 3 areas, Gansu,...
would have the strength to cope with Sun Dianying and be weakened themselves. Additionally Chiang sent Zhu Shaoliang to the northwest as Gansu
Gansu
' is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east...
Pacification Director, who for his own benefit, secretly encouraged the three Ma Sultanates to block and prevent Sun from entering his new post. Strong protests from the region, and Chiang's weakness in the area eventually persuaded him to halt Sun's advance through Suiyuan province in November 1933. However his forces became short of food and restive from their inactivity.
In January 1934 with his army threatened with starvation and mutiny, Sun Dianying was forced to march his 60,000 man army west from Suiyuan province into Ningxia
Ningxia
Ningxia, formerly transliterated as Ningsia, is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. Located in Northwest China, on the Loess Plateau, the Yellow River flows through this vast area of land. The Great Wall of China runs along its northeastern boundary...
, governed by Ma Hongbin
Ma Hongbin
Ma Hongbin , was a prominent muslim Ma clique warlord in China during the Republic of China era. He was the acting Chairman of Gansu and Ningxia Provinces for a short period.- Life :...
. Supported by his fellow Ma Clan rulers Ma Hongkui
Ma Hongkui
Ma Hongkui , was a prominent warlord in China during the Republic of China era, ruling the northwestern province of Ningxia. His rank was Lieutenant-general. His courtesy name was Shao-yun .- Life :...
in Gansu
Gansu
' is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east...
, and Ma Bufang
Ma Bufang
Ma Bufang was a prominent Muslim Ma clique warlord in China during the Republic of China era, ruling the northwestern province of Qinghai. His rank was Lieutenant-general...
with his younger brother Ma Buqing
Ma Buqing
Ma Buqing was a prominent Ma clique warlord in China during the Republic of China era, controlling armies in the northwestern province of Qinghai.-Life:...
in Qinghai, Ma Hungpin refused and with the united Ma forces began the Four Ma Jusun Campaign. Both sides battled for three months, with heavy loss to both sides. At last in March Yan Xishan dispatched troops into the battle cutting Sun's avenue of retreat, while Chiang Kai-Shek seized the chance to publicly abolish Sun's various duties. Sun Dianying was compelled to retreat back to Baotou
Baotou
Baotou is a mid-sized industrial city in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. Governed as a prefecture-level city, its urban areas are home to a population of approximately 1.78 million, with a total population of over 2.65 million accounting for counties under...
in the beginning of April, and then went to Taiyuan to live in seclusion, the remnants of his defeated troops were incorporated by Yan Xishan into his provincial forces.
In 1937, 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...
erupted, Sun resurfaced once again commanding troops against the Japanese, taking command of the Hebei-Chahar Guerillas in 1938. In 1943 he became the General commanding 5th Army. However he surrendered to the Japanese soon after and was given command of 24th Group Army, a unit of Nanjing puppet troops. In August 1943 his command was defeated by PLA
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...
forces in the Linnan Campaign
Linnan Campaign
The Linnan Campaign was one of the battles of the Eighth Route Army in the Second Sino-Japanese War.As the Weinan Campaign was concluding, the 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army followed up the victory by launching the Linnan Campaign with part of the strength of the Taihang Military Area...
.
When the Second Sino-Japanese War was over, Sun participated in the Chinese Civil War
Chinese Civil War
The Chinese Civil War was a civil war fought between the Kuomintang , the governing party of the Republic of China, and the Communist Party of China , for the control of China which eventually led to China's division into two Chinas, Republic of China and People's Republic of...
on Nationalist's side. In 1947, he was defeated by People's Liberation Army
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...
and was taken prisoner. He died in a POW camp.
Sources
- 民国军阀派系谈 (The Republic of China warlord cliques)
- 中国抗日战争正面战场作战记 (China's Anti-Japanese War Combat Operations)
- Author : Guo Rugui, editor-in-chief Huang Yuzhang
- Jiangsu People's Publishing House
- Date published: 2005-7-1
- ISBN 7-214-03034-9
- China and Eurasia Forum Quarterly, Volume 5, No. 1; Nationalists, Muslim Warlords, and the “Great Northwestern Development” in Pre-Communist China by Hsiao-ting Lin , p. 121-142 (2007)
- ©Central Asia-Caucasus Institute& Silk Road Studies Program
- ISSN: 1653-4212
- http://se2.isn.ch/serviceengine/FileContent?serviceID=10&fileid=E85E4AC4-235D-40BC-F54D-B0B0FF505201&lng=en