Feng Yuxiang
Feng Yuxiang was a prominent Chinese military leader who played a significant role in the early 20th century during a transformative period in China. He joined the army at the age of fourteen and quickly rose through the ranks, becoming a battalion commander by 1910. Notably, he participated in the 1911 Chinese Revolution, declaring independence from the Manchu court. His military prowess helped him defeat conservative forces attempting to restore the Manchu dynasty in 1917 and led to the overthrow of the warlord government in 1924, displacing the last emperor from the Forbidden City.
Feng was an important figure in the Nationalist movement and, in 1926, he committed his troops to the Nationalist Party (Guomindang) under Sun Yat-sen, aiming for national unification and resistance against foreign imperialism. By 1927, he was a commander in the Nationalist Revolutionary Army and played a key role in the Northern Expedition. Despite his initial successes, he faced defeat in a rebellion against former ally Chiang Kai-shek in 1930, leading to a period of retirement. Feng Yuxiang, often referred to as China's "Christian general," was known for his disciplined troops and continued to be involved with the Nationalist Party until his death in August 1948 while returning from the United States.
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Feng Yuxiang
Warlord
- Born: September 26, 1882
- Birthplace: Xingji, Qing County, Hebei Province, China
- Died: September 1, 1948
- Place of death: Aboard a Russian ship
Also known as: Feng Yü-hsiang
Born: September 26, 1882; Xingji, Qing County, Hebei Province, China
Died: September 1, 1948; aboard a Russian ship
Principal wars: Chinese Revolution, Chinese Civil War
Principal battle: Beijing (1924)
Military significance: Feng helped overthrow the Qing Court in 1911 and prevented conservatives from restoring the Manchu emperor.
Feng Yuxiang joined the army at age fourteen and was promoted to battalion commander in 1910. He joined the Chinese Revolution in 1911 and declared independence from the Manchu court. In 1917, Feng’s troops defeated the conservatives’ effort to restore the Manchu rulers. In 1924, Feng overthrew the warlord government and forced the last Manchu emperor out of the Forbidden City in Beijing.
In 1926, Feng and his troops pledged collectively to join Sun Yat-sen’s Nationalist Party (Guomindang) to fight for the country’s unification and against foreign imperialism. In 1927, he became commander of the Second Army Group of the Nationalist Revolutionary Army (400,000 strong) and helped complete the Northern Expedition (1926–1928) with Chiang Kai-shek. In 1928, he became vice president of the Executive Yuan and defense minister. Feng was famous as China’s “Christian general,” and his troops were known for better discipline. However, in 1930, he was defeated in a rebellion against his former ally Chiang and was forced to retire, although he was later reinstated in the Nationalist Party. Feng died on his way home from the United States in August, 1948.
Bibliography
Feng, Yu-hsiang. “Why I Broke with Chiang.” The Nation, November 15, 1947, 522–525.
He, Husheng, ed. Ten Great Warlords of Republican China. Beijing: China Wenlian Press, 1995.
Sheridan, James F. Chinese Warlord: The Career of Feng Yu-hsiang. Stanford, Calif.: Stanford University Press, 1966.