Chiang Kai-shek and the Eight Great

Author: Yin Jiamei
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-03-01
Features: Many of Chiang Kai-shek's "Eight Great" were instructors during the early days of the Whampoa Military Academy. Later, those who held military power in Chiang's group were mostly their students, making them highly influential at the time. This book vividly showcases the personalities, hobbies, talents, and both successes and failures of the in the political arena, love life, and battlefield. The rivalry between Chiang Kai-shek and Zhou Enlai added a layer of mystery to many unique terms that became widely known: Whampoa Three Heroes, Whampoa "Four Evils," Thirteen Great Guards, and the Eight Great. Whampoa gained worldwide attention due to these figures. The Eight Great refer to He Yingqin, Gu Zhutong, Qian Dajun, Jiang Dingwen, Chen Cheng, Chen Chengxun, Liu Zhi, and Zhang Zhizhong, among others. They all rose to prominence as instructors at the Whampoa Military Academy in Guangzhou. Most of those who held military power in Chiang's group were students from the first, second, and third batches of Whampoa. The Eight Great were all promoted by Chiang Kai-shek, progressing from commanders to regional governors.