Zhang Jinghui

Zhang Jinghui
Zhang Jinghui
Prime Minister of Manchukuo
In office
May 1935 – August 1945
Preceded by Zheng Xiaoxu
Succeeded by none
Personal details
Born 1871
Tai'an, Liaoning, Empire of China
Died 1 November 1959(1959-11-01) (aged 88)
Fushun, People's Republic of China
Political party Concordia Association

Zhāng Jǐnghuì (simplified Chinese: 张景惠; traditional Chinese: 張景惠; Wade–Giles: Chang Ching-hui); 1871 – 1 November 1959) was a Chinese general and politician during the Warlord era. He is noted for his role in the Japanese puppet regime of Manchukuo in which he served as its second and final Prime Minister.

Biography

Zhang Jinghui was born in Tai'an, southwest of Mukden, Liaoning Province. The area was a battlefield in the First Sino-Japanese War, and Zhang joined the Honghuzi irregular cavalry forces of the Manchurian warlord Zhang Zuolin at an early age. These forces were recruited as mercenaries by the Japanese during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1904. In the final years of the Qing dynasty, Zhang Zuolin was appointed Viceroy of Three Northeast Provinces with his base at Fengtian, and with the Xinhai Revolution, managed to obtain recognition of his forces as part of the new Republic of China military. At that time, Zhang Jinghui was appointed commander of the Beiyang Army’s 27th Infantry Brigade. However, with the death of Yuan Shikai in 1916, the Beiyang Army split into several mutually hostile factions. Zhang Jinghui deserted Zhang Zuolin to join with Wu Peifu's Zhili clique. He later rejoined Zhang Zuolin and served as his Minister of War in the Beiyang Government from May 1926 to June 1927. He then served as Minister of Enterprises in the Beiyang Government from June 1927 to June 1928. Within the year he was appointed governor of the Harbin and China Eastern Railway Special District in northern Manchuria. However, following the death of Zhang Zuolin in the Huanggutun Incident on June 4, 1928 Zhang Jinghui’s relations with his successor, Zhang Xueliang and Zhang Jinghui participated in a national unity conference called by Kuomingtang leader Chiang Kai-shek in January 1929 in Nanjing.

However, the political balance was changed after the Mukden Incident and the successful invasion of Manchuria by the Japanese Kwantung Army in 1931, Zhang called a conference in his office on 27 September 1931 to organize an "Emergency Committee of the Special District", with the goal of achieving the secession of Manchuria from China. Following the expulsion of pro-Kuomintang General Ma Zhanshan from Qiqihar, Zhang proclaimed his territory to be self-governing, and was inaugurated as governor on 7 January 1932.[1] Uncertain of the intentions of the Soviet Union to the north, and unable to withstand the Japanese military presence to the south, Zhang reached an agreement with Japanese, and accepted an appointment as governor of Heilongjiang Province in the new Japanese-run state of Manchukuo. However, his refusal to leave his stronghold in Harbin to take up residence in Qiqihar, created friction with the Kwangtung Army leadership.[2]

However, when Ma Zhanshan agreed to terms with the Japanese on 14 February 1932 in exchange for the post of Governor of Heilongjiang Province, Zhang was set aside. Ma later revolted in April 1932 and Zhang took his place as Minister of Defense of the Empire of Manchukuo.

On 21 May 1935, Zhang succeeded Zheng Xiaoxu as Prime Minister of Manchukuo at the instigation of the Kwantung Army over the objections of Emperor Puyi.[3]

As Prime Minister of Manchukuo, Zhang preferred to take a passive figurehead role, allowing the Japanese advisors seconded from the Kwantung Army to handle all aspects of day-to-day administration, while he spent his days copying Buddhist sutras. Reviled by modern Chinese historians for his pro-Japanese stance, and nicknamed “the Tofu Prime Minister” even in his lifetime,[4] Zhang was recorded to have only once spoken out against the Japanese administration – to criticize the forced sale of lands to Japanese colonists. In 1943, he was the official delegate from Manchukuo to the Greater East Asia Conference held in Tokyo.

Also in 1943, a false report was published in Time Magazine stated that Zhang had poisoned his family and killed his Japanese advisor and other members of the Manchukuo government before committing suicide.[5]

Zhang held the position of Prime Minister until the collapse of Manchukuo following the Soviet Red Army's invasion of Manchuria in August 1945.

Following World War II Zhang was held in custody by the Soviet Union in Siberia and was extradited to the People's Republic of China in 1950, where he was imprisoned at the Fushun War Criminals Management Centre. He died of heart failure fourteen years later in 1959.

References

  1. ^ Mitter, The Manchurian Myth, pp. 79.
  2. ^ Mitter, The Manchurian Myth, pp. 128.
  3. ^ Yamamuro, Manchuria Under Japanese Domination. Pp. 170.
  4. ^ Japanese wikipedia
  5. ^ "CHINA: Noble End of Chang Ching-hui". TIME. Monday, Jan. 04, 1943. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,790656,00.html. Retrieved May 22, 2011. 
  • Rana, Mitter (2000). The Manchurian Myth: Nationalism, Resistance, and Collaboration in Modern China. University of California Press. ISBN 0520221117. 
  • Yamamuro, Shinichi (2005). Manchuria Under Japanese Domination. University of Pennsylvania Press. ISBN 0812239121. 

External links

Government offices
Preceded by
Ma Zhanshan
Minister of Defense (Manchukuo)
March 1932-May 1935
Yu Zhishan
Preceded by
Zheng Xiaoxu
Prime Minister of Manchukuo
May 1935-August 1945
office abolished
Preceded by
Zhang Yanqing
Foreign Minister (Manchukuo)
May 1937-July 1937
Chuichi Ohashi

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Zhang Jinghui — (chinesisch 張景惠 / 张景惠 Zhāng Jǐnghuì, W. G. Chang Ching hui; Zì 叙五 Xùwŭ, W. G. Hsü wŭ; * 1871 in …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Zhang Jinghui — ou Chang Ching hui (張景惠), né en 1871 à Tai an, mort le 1er novembre 1959, était un militaire et un homme politique chinois, qui fut le premier ministre de l État du Mandchoukouo. Biographie Il s …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Meng Jinghui — b. 1966, Beijing Theatre director The work of celebrated avant garde director Meng Jinghui is integral to the renewed popularity of Huaju (spoken drama). Meng is a resident director of the National Theatre Company of China in Beijing. He is also… …   Encyclopedia of Contemporary Chinese Culture

  • Befriedung von Mandschukuo — Teil von: Zweiter Japanisch Chinesischer Krieg Japanische Truppen in der Mands …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • First Zhili–Fengtian War — War Part of Warlord era Date April 10, 1922 June 18, 1922 Location Zhili, China Result …   Wikipedia

  • Mandchoukouo — 满洲国 滿洲國 Mandchoukouo (Nation de Mandchourie) 1932 – 1945 …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Politics of Manchukuo — Manchukuo Politicians. Front row, from left: Yu Zhishan (于芷山), Minister of military affairs; Xie Jieshi (谢介石), Ambassador to Japan; Xi Qia, Chief of imperial household agency; Zhang Jinghui, Prime Minister; Zang Shiyi, President of the senate; Lü …   Wikipedia

  • Manchukuo — Manchu State (1932–1934) (Great) Empire of Manchuria (1934–1945) 滿洲國 / 满洲国(Chinese) Mǎnzhōuguó 満洲国 (Japanese) Manshū koku (1932–1934) (大)滿洲帝國 / …   Wikipedia

  • Zheng Xiaoxu — Prime Minister of Manchukuo In office 9 March 1932 – May 1935 Preceded by none Succeeded by Zhang Jinghui …   Wikipedia

  • Manchoukouo — Mandchoukouo 满洲国 滿洲國 Mandchoukouo (Nation de Mandchourie) 1932   1945 …   Wikipédia en Français

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”