Northeastern Army
Encyclopedia
The Northeastern Army was the Chinese army of the Fengtien clique until the unification of China in 1928. From 1931 to 1933 it faced the Japanese forces in Manchuria
, Jehol
and Hebei
, in the early years of the Second Sino-Japanese War
.
Zhang Xueliang
commanded this army after the assassination of his father. Prior to the Mukden Incident
it possessed 12 infantry brigades and 3 cavalry brigades (estimated at 179,505 troops) in Manchuria
, in addition to 12 infantry brigades, 2 cavalry brigades and 3 artillery brigades stationed in northern China.[1] This Chinese army was badly underarmed after the retreat from Manchuria, following the Mukden Incident when most of the arsenals and their arms were seized by Japan. Many units were only equipped with handguns, grenades, and traditional Chinese swords. It defended Chinchow against the Japanese in 1931, and Jehol and Hebei against the Japanese Operation Nekka in 1933. Zhang Xueliang
was relieved of command after the fall of Jehol, being replaced by General He Yingqin
.
[2] Battles of the Great Wall - 3/1933, http://www.republicanchina.org/war.html#Chang-Cheng-Zhi-Zhan
Manchuria
Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
, Jehol
Jehol
Jehol could mean either a province or a city:* Jehol Province, former province in northeastern China* Chengde, the capital of above provinceNamed after the province:* Jehol Biota* Jeholodens* Jeholopterus* Jeholornis* Jeholosaurus...
and Hebei
Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
, in the early years of the Second Sino-Japanese War
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
.
Zhang Xueliang
Zhang Xueliang
Zhang Xueliang or Chang Hsüeh-liang , occasionally called Peter Hsueh Liang Chang in English, nicknamed the Young Marshal , was the effective ruler of Manchuria and much of North China after the assassination of his father, Zhang Zuolin, by the Japanese on 4 June 1928...
commanded this army after the assassination of his father. Prior to the Mukden Incident
Mukden Incident
The Mukden Incident, also known as the Manchurian Incident, was a staged event that was engineered by Japanese military personnel as a pretext for invading the northern part of China known as Manchuria in 1931....
it possessed 12 infantry brigades and 3 cavalry brigades (estimated at 179,505 troops) in Manchuria
Manchuria
Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
, in addition to 12 infantry brigades, 2 cavalry brigades and 3 artillery brigades stationed in northern China.[1] This Chinese army was badly underarmed after the retreat from Manchuria, following the Mukden Incident when most of the arsenals and their arms were seized by Japan. Many units were only equipped with handguns, grenades, and traditional Chinese swords. It defended Chinchow against the Japanese in 1931, and Jehol and Hebei against the Japanese Operation Nekka in 1933. Zhang Xueliang
Zhang Xueliang
Zhang Xueliang or Chang Hsüeh-liang , occasionally called Peter Hsueh Liang Chang in English, nicknamed the Young Marshal , was the effective ruler of Manchuria and much of North China after the assassination of his father, Zhang Zuolin, by the Japanese on 4 June 1928...
was relieved of command after the fall of Jehol, being replaced by General He Yingqin
He Yingqin
He Yingqin , also spelled Ho Ying-chin, was one of the most senior generals of the Kuomintang during Republican China, and a close ally of Chiang Kai-shek.-Early years:A native of Guizhou, He was healthy and bookish in his childhood...
.
Sources
[1] Mukden Incident - 9/18/1931, http://www.republicanchina.org/war.html#Mukden_Incident[2] Battles of the Great Wall - 3/1933, http://www.republicanchina.org/war.html#Chang-Cheng-Zhi-Zhan