My life

Author: Feng Yuxiang
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1999-04-01
Features: Feng Yuxiang (1882-1948), styled Huanzhang. Originally from Chaohu County, Anhui, he was born in Qing County, Hebei. He joined the army in his youth. In 1902, he switched to Yuan Shikai's New Army. After the outbreak of the Xinhai Revolution, he participated in the Lu'an Uprising. From 1912 onwards, he successively held positions such as Company Commander, Brigade Commander, and Commander of the Sixteenth Mixed Brigade of the Imperial Army. In 1914, he was ordered to lead his troops into Shaanxi to suppress the Bai Lang Uprising. In 1921, he became the Commander of the Eleventh Division and the Chief Military Commander of the Western Shaanxi Bandit Suppression Force. That same year, in August, he was appointed Military Governor of Shaanxi. In April 1922, the Second Zhili-Fengtian War broke out, and he led his troops out of Shaanxi to support the Zhili clique, becoming the Military Governor of Henan. Later, he was appointed as the Inspector-General of the Imperial Army. In September 1924, the Second Zhili-Fengtian War broke out, and he was appointed as the Commander of the Third Army. In October, he launched the Beijing Coup, imprisoning the President Cao Kun and overthrowing the Zhili warlord regime. He then joined Hu Jingyi and Sun Yue to form the National Army, serving as the Commander-in-Chief and Military Commander of the Army. He issued a declaration advocating for peace and sent a telegraph inviting Sun Yat-sen to come north to lead the nation. In January 1925, he was appointed as the Supervisor of Northwest Border Defense, and his troops were renamed the Provisional Northwest Imperial Army. In 1926, he traveled to the Soviet Union for study and joined the Kuomintang en route. In August of the same year, he returned to China and was appointed as the Kuomintang Representative of the National Army by the Central Committee of the Kuomintang. In September, he led a military oath-taking ceremony in Wuyuan and became the Commander-in-Chief of the National Army Allied Forces, leading troops into Gansu and Shaanxi. In November, he captured Xi'an. In the spring of 1927, his forces were reorganized into the Second Group Army of the National Revolutionary Army, and he served as the Commander-in-Chief, leading his troops eastward across the Tong Pass to join the Northern Expedition Army in Central China. Afterward, he participated in Chiang Kai-shek's "purge" of communists. In October 1928, he was appointed as the Vice President of the Executive Yuan and Minister of Military Affairs of the National Government, but later left Nanjing after a disagreement with Chiang Kai-shek over military demobilization. In 1930, he formed an anti-Chiang alliance with Yan Xishan and Li Zongren, engaging in the Central Plains War against Chiang Kai-shek. After the September 18th Incident, he strongly advocated for resistance against Japan. In May 1933, he launched the formation of the Chahar People's Anti-Japanese Alliance Army in Zhangjiakou, serving as the Commander-in-Chief and leading his troops to resist Japanese forces. In 1936, he was appointed as the Vice Chairman of the Military Council of the National Government. After the outbreak of the War of Resistance Against Japan, he successively served as the Commander-in-Chief of the Third and Sixth War Zones. After Japan's defeat in the war, he advocated for peace and democracy, opposing Chiang Kai-shek's civil war and autocratic policies. In September 1946, he visited the United States. In 1948, he joined the Revolutionary Committee of the Kuomintang and was elected as the Chairman of the Central Political Committee. In July of the same year, he returned to China from the United States. On September 1, 1948, he perished after his ship encountered a disaster in the Black Sea. My Life is the memoir of Mr. Feng Yuxiang, recounting his life from birth to the victory of the Northern Expedition. Broadly speaking, it provides a vivid portrayal of the political and military landscape of the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China, detailing the growth trajectory of a former soldier into an influential patriotic democratic fighter. The book is written in plain language, with progressive ideas and a high sense of patriotism and love for the people, making it worth reading. It is now reprinted based on the photolithographic edition of the Republic Series compiled and published by Shanghai Bookstore, to be shared with readers.