Allowed the pro-Japanese Fengtian clique to defeat Zhili clique
46-586: Feng Yuxiang Duan Qirui Matsumuro Takayoshi Cao Kun The Beijing Coup ( Chinese : 北 京 政 變 ; pinyin : Běijīng Zhèngbiàn ) was the October 1924 coup d'état by Feng Yuxiang against Chinese President Cao Kun , leader of the Zhili warlord faction . Feng called it the Capital Revolution ( Chinese : 首 都 革 命 ; pinyin : Shǒudū Gémìng ). The coup occurred at
92-641: A "good warlord", and his remains were buried with honors in 1953 at the sacred Mount Tai in Shandong . His tomb is located immediately to the east of Tianwai Village square ( 36°12′25.86″N 117°6′7.95″E / 36.2071833°N 117.1022083°E / 36.2071833; 117.1022083 ). His widow Li Dequan served as Minister of Health of the People's Republic of China . Many of Feng Yuxiang's former subordinates joined or merged into Kuomintang National Revolutionary Army and fought with distinction in
138-562: A crucial moment in the Second Zhili–Fengtian War and allowed the pro-Japanese Fengtian clique to defeat the previously dominant Zhili clique. Followed by a brief period of liberalization under Huang Fu , this government was replaced on 23 November 1924, by a conservative, pro-Japanese government led by Duan Qirui . The coup alienated many liberal Chinese from the Beijing government. In 1923 Cao Kun became president by bribing
184-538: A major victory outside Tianjin . Wu and his remaining forces fled to central China where they met up with his ally Sun Chuanfang . All of north China was divided between the Fengtian clique and Feng Yuxiang, whose forces were renamed the Guominjun (Nationalist Army). Zhang Zuolin took the prosperous northeast while Feng was left with the poor northwest. After the coup, Feng placed Huang Fu as acting president of
230-628: A mixture of paternalistic Christian socialism and military discipline. He forbade prostitution, gambling and the sale of opium and morphia. From 1919 he was known as the "Christian General". In 1923 British Protestant Christian missionary Marshall B. Broomhall said of him: He was reputed to have liked baptizing his troops with water from a fire hose . However, no such incident is mentioned in Sheriden's detailed biography, or in Broomhall's account. Both Broomhall and Sheriden say that baptism
276-538: The Anti-Fengtian War . Six days after this Li Dazhao led a so-called First United Front movement to topple Duan's provisional government, calling it the Capital Revolution. Feng wanted to support this but changed his mind, preferring to concentrate his forces on Zhang's army. As a result, the Capital Revolution movement collapsed. While the defeat of the powerful Zhili clique paved the way for
322-634: The First Zhili–Fengtian War in 1922. It was at this time that Feng also began to move closer to the Soviet Union . Within the Zhili clique Feng was demoted by Wu Peifu and sent to guard the southern suburbs of Beijing. In 1923 Feng was inspired by Sun Yat-sen and secretly plotted with Hu Jingyi and Xue Yue to overthrow Wu Peifu and Cao Kun , who controlled the Beiyang government . When
368-546: The Kuominchun , abbreviated as GMJ and KMC , was a military faction founded by Feng Yuxiang , Hu Jingyi and Sun Yue during China's Warlord Era . The KMC had control of much of Northwest China , including Shensi , Chahar and Suiyuan , hence its other name, the Northwest Army (西北軍; not to be confused with the later army of the same name under Yang Hu-ch'eng ). The Guominjun was formed when Feng betrayed
414-602: The National Assembly . His Zhili clique , whose military was commanded by Wu Peifu , had already established itself as the dominant military force in China through a succession of resounding military victories. However, Cao was not satisfied with being just a strongman and wished the prestige of being officially titled head of state . After ousting President Li Yuanhong from office, Cao openly offered $ 5,000 to any member of parliament who would elect him president. There
460-783: The Nationalist government , including brief army commands at the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937. He spent his later years supporting the anti-Chiang Revolutionary Committee of the Kuomintang before his death in 1948. Feng was born in Chaohu , Anhui . As the son of an officer in the Qing Imperial Army , Feng spent his youth immersed in military life. He joined the Huai Army when he
506-546: The Second Sino-Japanese War . They include Song Zheyuan , Tong Linge , Zhao Dengyu , Sun Lianzhong , Liu Ruming , Feng Zhi'an , Yang Hucheng , Ji Hongchang and Zhang Zizhong . Notable exceptions were Sun Liangcheng and Qin Dechun , who collaborated with the Japanese. Other generals, after serving a lengthy term in the warlord era, retired to live a life of pleasure. Sir Richard Evans , author of Deng Xiaoping and
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#1732765971362552-585: The Second Zhili–Fengtian War began in 1924, Feng was in charge of defending Rehe against the Fengtian clique. However, he switched sides and seized the capital in the Beijing Coup on 23 October 1924. This turnabout prompted Shandong warlord Zhang Zongchang to join the Fengtian and led to a decisive defeat of the Zhili forces. Hence, Feng's coup brought far-reaching political changes in China. Feng imprisoned Zhili-leader and president Cao Kun, installed
598-516: The Zhili clique during the Second Zhili–Fengtian War with the Fengtian clique in 1924. The Guominjun occupied Beijing , captured Zhili leader Cao Kun and expelled former Qing dynasty emperor Puyi from the Forbidden City . In late 1925, Fengtian general Guo Songling defected to the KMC; this sparked the Anti-Fengtian War against Zhang Zuolin . The Guominjun was incorporated into
644-722: The "Committee for Recovering the Four Provinces of the Northeast". Chiang Kai-shek, fearing that Communists had taken control of the Anti-Japanese Allied Army, launched a concerted siege of the army with 60,000 men. Surrounded by Chiang Kai-shek and the Japanese, Feng Yuxiang resigned his post and retired to Tai'an in Shandong. Between 1935 and 1945 Feng Yuxiang supported the KMT and held various positions in
690-684: The 3rd War Area. In this capacity Feng led Chinese forces early in the defense of Shanghai , but he was quickly relieved in favor of Zhang Zhizhong and later Chiang himself. After World War II he traveled to the United States, where he was an outspoken critic of the Chiang regime and of the Truman administration's support for it. While there, he went to Gen. Joseph Stilwell 's house in California, as he admired Stilwell. Barbara Tuchman tells
736-407: The Beijing government. Huang initiated several reforms on Feng's behalf, including the expulsion of Titular Emperor Puyi from the Forbidden City and abolishing the role of the old bell and drum towers as the official timepiece. However, Huang refused to guarantee foreign privileges and Zhang Zuolin became despondent at his one-time ally. The only major agreement Feng and Zhang made was to dissolve
782-753: The Generalissimo's leadership. Feng rebelled against Chiang and was defeated during the Central Plains War of 1930. The coup was mentioned in Bernardo Bertolucci 's film The Last Emperor , though it erroneously claims the president fled the capital instead of being put under house arrest. Feng Yuxiang Feng Yuxiang ( simplified Chinese : 冯玉祥 ; traditional Chinese : 馮玉祥 ; pinyin : Féng Yùxiáng ; IPA: [fə́ŋ ỳɕi̯ɑ́ŋ] ; 6 November 1882 – 1 September 1948), courtesy name Huanzhang (焕章),
828-569: The Kuomintang's National Revolutionary Army as the "Second Collective Army" in 1928 during the Northern Expedition , and fought alongside the KMT to defeat Fengtian forces ( National Pacification Army ) and capture Beijing. In 1929, Feng grew increasingly dissatisfied with Chiang Kai-shek 's regime; the Guominjun launched a full rebellion with Yan Xishan and Li Zongren ’s army, the Central Plains War , in 1930. However, Feng
874-613: The Making of Modern China , described Feng as "an honest man" in his book. Peter R. Moody wrote in the Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science "Many of Feng's allies might dispute this, since he betrayed every one of them." Guominjun The Guominjun ( traditional Chinese : 國民軍 ; simplified Chinese : 国民军 ; pinyin : Guómínjūn ; Wade–Giles : Kuo -min -chün ), also known as
920-660: The Nationalist army and government. In October 1935 Chiang invited him to Nanjing to serve as the vice-president of the Military Affairs Commission . He held the nominal position until 1938 and remained a member of the council until 1945. During the Xi'an Incident , when Chiang Kai-Shek was held prisoner by rebellious warlords, Feng immediately called for Chiang's release. After the Second Sino-Japanese War began in 1937 he briefly served as Commander-in-Chief of
966-673: The Nationalists in the Northern Expedition and merged his Guominjun with the National Revolutionary Army . The Nationalists vanquished the Zhili faction in the south and Feng asserted control over much of north-central China. Zhang Zuolin was forced to withdraw the Fengtian forces back to Manchuria. In August Feng went to the Soviet Union and returned in September. In October 1928 Feng Yuxiang
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#17327659713621012-525: The Zhili and Fengtian cliques in the Anti-Fengtian War , and he retreated to the northwest. In 1926, Feng joined the Kuomintang 's successful Northern Expedition . He later resisted Chiang's consolidation of power in the Central Plains War and was forced to retire, but in 1933 organized a new army which successfully drove the Japanese Army out of Chahar . In the 1930s, Feng held positions in
1058-457: The autumn of 1924 the Zhili clique went to war with Zhang Zuolin's Fengtian clique in the Second Zhili–Fengtian War . With Wu at the helm of Zhili 's armies, it was expected to be victorious. If the Fengtian clique was destroyed, the Zhili clique could finish off its few remaining rivals in the south with ease. Early on 23 October 1924, however, Feng Yuxiang's Beijing defense troops seized control of key government buildings, public utilities and
1104-698: The campaign against Zhang Xun and was restored to his rank. In February 1918 he was ordered to suppress the Constitutional Protection Movement , but proclaimed his support for peace talks in Hubei and was stripped of titles but permitted to stay in command of his forces. The capture of Changde in June earned him back his titles. By August 1921 he was promoted to command a division and was based in Shaanxi. Feng, like many young officers,
1150-484: The discredited National Assembly and create a provisional government with the pro-Japanese but relatively competent Duan Qirui as its head. Plans were made to hold negotiations for national reunification among Feng, Zhang, Duan and Sun Yat-sen. These were fruitless and Sun died in Beijing in March 1925. Feng and Zhang came to blows when Fengtian General Guo Songling defected to the Guominjun on November 22 and started
1196-567: The early 1930s criticizing Chiang Kai-shek's failure to resist Japanese aggression. On 26 May 1933, Feng Yuxiang became commander-in-chief of the Chahar People's Anti-Japanese Army Alliance, with Ji Hongchang and Fang Zhenwu as frontline commanders. Ji Hongchang's army, numbering over 100,000 men according to Feng, pushed against Duolun , and by July 1933 drove the Japanese and Manchukuoan troops out of Chahar Province . By late July Feng and Ji Hongchang established, at Zhangjiakou ,
1242-516: The long-term success of the Northern Expedition by the Nationalist Party, its greatest impact was to buy time for the Kuomintang to build up its National Revolutionary Army . Had the coup not happened, the Zhili clique would surely have finished off the Kuomintang after defeating the Fengtian clique. Feng was saved from losing all his power by allying with Chiang Kai-shek during the Northern Expedition, but later became disillusioned with
1288-668: The more liberal Huang Fu , evicted the last Emperor Puyi from the Forbidden City and invited Sun Yat-sen to Beijing to resurrect the Republican government and reunify the country. Despite being severely ill already, Sun came to Beijing and died there in April 1925. Feng renamed his army the Guominjun or the National People's Army. To counter pressure from the Zhili and Fengtian factions, he invited Duan Qirui to take on
1334-733: The next four years defending Yuan's regime. In July 1914, as a brigade commander, he participated in the suppression of the Bailang Peasant Uprising in Henan and Shaanxi . During the National Protection War of 1915–16 he was sent to Sichuan to fight the Anti-Yuan National Protection Army, but secretly communicated with revolution leader Cai E . In April 1917 he was stripped of his military rank but still led his old troops in
1380-527: The nickname the "Christian General". He became a warlord in Northwest China, based in Shaanxi , and rose to a high rank within the Zhili clique . In 1924, Feng launched the Beijing Coup , which knocked the Zhili out of power, and re-organised his troops as the Guominjun . He brought Sun Yat-sen to Beijing for negotiations on re-unification, but this was not realized. In 1926, Feng was defeated by
1426-522: The presidency. Nevertheless, Feng was defeated by a Zhili–Fengtian alliance in the Anti-Fengtian War in January 1926. He lost control of Beijing and retreated to Zhangjiakou , where his army became known as the Northwest Army. In April 1926 Sun Yat-sen's successor, Chiang Kai-shek , launched the Northern Expedition from Guangzhou against the northern warlords. Feng threw his support behind
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1472-418: The roads leading into and out of Beijing. Cao Kun was placed under house arrest and stripped of his presidency. Upon receiving news of the coup, the Fengtian commanders Zhang Zongchang and Li Jinglin used this opportunity to launch a major offensive and broke the Zhili clique's frontline, putting them in a favorable military position. Zhang Zuolin took full advantage of the coup, pursued the Zhili army and won
1518-522: The semi-Zhili-affiliated Feng Yuxiang , became increasingly dissatisfied with Cao and Wu Peifu . Feng's sympathies lay with Sun Yat-sen 's Kuomintang government in Guangzhou , and Japan had also supplied Feng with 1.5 million yen (via warlord Zhang Zuolin) in hopes that he would agree to topple the Cao government. The Japanese wanted to remove the Zhili government due to its strong anti-Japanese policy. In
1564-653: The story: "a few days after her husband's death, Mrs. Stilwell was upstairs at her home in Carmel, California when a visitor was announced with some confusion as 'the Christian.' Mystified, she went down to find in the hall the huge figure and cannonball head of [Feng Yuxiang], who said, 'I have come to mourn with you for Shih Ti-wei , my friend. ' " Feng Yuxiang also visited and lived for several months in Berkeley, California, during his stay as visiting scholar. Although he
1610-417: Was 11 as a deputy soldier (Fu Bing, 副兵), the lowest rank in the army, he received a uniform and food, but no salary, unlike regular soldiers. By the age of 16 he had proved himself and became a regular. Unlike other soldiers who gambled away their pay, Feng saved his salary and used a portion of it to help out other soldiers in need, especially those deputy soldiers (Fu Bing, 副兵), like he had once been, and so he
1656-458: Was a Chinese warlord and later general in the National Revolutionary Army . He served as Vice Premier of the Republic of China from 1928 to 1930. At the start of the 1911 Revolution , Feng was an officer in the ranks of Yuan Shikai 's Beiyang Army . He initially joined forces with the revolutionaries, but came to support Yuan's regime . In 1914, he converted to Christianity, earning him
1702-639: Was appointed as Vice President of the Executive Yuan and War Minister of the Republic of China by President Chiang Kai-shek. Feng's patriotism was a basic motivation. Because of atrocities he saw Japanese soldiers commit during the Sino-Japanese War of 1895, Feng promised that he would fight the Japanese to death if he ever became a soldier. Every year on the anniversary of Japan's 21 Demands in 1915 he and his officers wore belts on which
1748-453: Was defeated and what was left of the faction was absorbed into the KMT. The Guominjun was very sympathetic to Sun Yat-sen 's Kuomintang government in Guangzhou , but due to geographic isolation they were independent of one another. The Guominjun was unusual for being an ideological army with its troops indoctrinated in Christian, socialist , and nationalist teachings. It also cared for its troops with welfare and education programs which
1794-617: Was involved in revolutionary activity and was nearly executed for treason. He later joined Yuan Shikai 's Beiyang Army and with the help and advice of Chinese diplomat Wang Zhengting , converted to Christianity in 1914, being baptized into the Methodist Episcopal Church . Feng's career as a warlord began soon after the collapse of the Yuan Shikai government in 1916. Feng, however, distinguished himself from other regional militarists by governing his domains with
1840-414: Was massive public outrage against Cao's plan, but he succeeded despite a counter-bribe to not elect him, offered by Zhang Zuolin , Duan Qirui and Sun Yat-sen . Inaugurated on Double Ten Day that year (i.e., 10 October 1923) with a newly minted constitution, President Cao subsequently neglected his duties as president to concentrate on defeating the rival warlord factions . One of Cao's subordinates,
1886-411: Was murdered; others deny it. The same descendants also learned from their father that many believed Feng was murdered by political adversaries. Allegedly, those who knew details of the shipboard fire and its circumstances had reported that Feng and his daughter perished in the middle of night, with their cabin door(s) locked from the outside. The Chinese Communists under Mao Zedong classified Feng as
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1932-524: Was never a Communist himself, he was close to them in his final years. According to descendants whose father was raised by Feng Yuxiang in his household, he was inspired by the elder Feng's example of service to country and countrymen to serve in the military. He died in a shipboard fire on the Black Sea while en route to the Soviet Union in 1948, along with one of his daughters. Some believe he
1978-747: Was popular among his comrades-in-arms. Feng was hard-working and motivated, and in 1902 he was reassigned to Yuan Shikai 's newly established Beiyang Army . During the Xinhai Revolution of 1911 Feng joined the Luanzhou Uprising against the Qing Court and supported the revolutionaries in the South. The uprising was suppressed by the Beiyang Army and Feng was imprisoned by Yuan Shikai . In 1914 he regained military rank and spent
2024-450: Was taken very seriously and that not all of Feng's troops were baptized. Journalist John Gunther , in his 1939 book Inside Asia , specifically denied that such mass baptisms took place. In the early 1920s Feng rose to prominence in the Zhili clique of warlords, named so because their base of power was centred around Zhili Province . This Zhili clique defeated the Fengtian clique , headed by Zhang Zuolin , father of Zhang Xueliang , in
2070-563: Was very rare at the time. This created a very determined, cohesive fighting force with high morale. The Guominjun's main foreign backer was the Soviet Union which had vied with the Japanese Empire for influence over the Fengtian clique. The Soviets were keen on building a relationship with Feng as he was seen as more ideologically acceptable. However, despite Feng's portrayal by outsiders as sympathizer of communism, and his claims to be an adherent of Sun Yat-sen's left-leaning teachings,
2116-673: Was written "In Memory of the National Humiliation of May 7th". By early 1929 Feng grew dissatisfied with Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist government in Nanjing. He joined Yan Xishan and Li Zongren to challenge Chiang's supremacy, but was defeated by Chiang in the Central Plains War . Chiang then incited anti-Yan Xishan and Feng Yuxiang sentiments among the Chinese Muslims and Mongols, encouraging them to topple their rule. Stripped of his military power, Feng spent
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