In the world of chaos

Author: Huang Qichang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-02-01
Features: In the first half of the 20th century, the Jin warlord group ruled Shanxi for 38 years, with its leader Yan Xishan becoming a "unshakable" figure. People felt the unique and cunning survival method of this warlord group: for its own survival, it sometimes allied with the Zhili and Fengtian armies to fight the Northwest Army, and then allied with Feng Yuxiang to overthrow Jiang Jieshi, leading a million troops into battle in the Central Plains. Facing the national crisis, it played a "dance on three eggs" game in its relationships with the Kuomintang and Communist Party of China, as well as with the Japanese and puppet forces. It promoted "protecting the territory and ensuring the safety of the people" by building narrow-gauge railways, striving to establish its own economic system centered on finance and arms industries to create its own independent kingdom. After the victory in the War of Resistance against Japan, it opposed the ceasefire between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party of China, tying itself to Jiang Jieshi's civil war, and ultimately led to its own downfall. The irony of history lies here: the cleverness of the Jin warlord group was also the source of its tragedy.