The War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression was an extremely arduous anti-aggression war in China's history, and in this great war of anti-aggression, millions of officers and soldiers in China sacrificed their precious lives to defend their homeland and defend the country. Among the millions of soldiers who died on the battlefield, the highest rank was General Zhang Zizhong, commander-in-chief of the Right Wing Army group of the Fifth Theater and commander-in-chief of the 33rd Group Army.
Zhang Zizhong was born in Shandong to a family of eunuchs, and in 1911, Zhang Zizhong, who was studying at the Beiyang Law and Politics School, secretly joined the League. In 1916, under the introduction of a friend, Zhang Zizhong joined Feng Yuxiang's troops, and Feng Yuxiang saw that he was dignified, tall and heroic, and had a high level of education, so he directly appointed him as a lieutenant, and then entered the officer training regiment to learn various tactics. Zhang Zizhong, because of his bravery in battle and outstanding military talent, soon became Feng Yuxiang's right and left arm, and was heavily relied on by Feng Yuxiang.
In May 1930, the Central Plains War broke out, and the two sides invested up to 1.3 million troops. Zhang Zizhong, who was the commander of the Sixth Division at the time, defeated the Second Division of Zhang Zhizhong, an elite unit of the Chiang Clan, and repeatedly relieved Feng Yuxiang of his predicament. At the end of the Central Plains War, Zhang Xueliang, the commander of the Northeast Army, who had been sitting on the mountain and watching the tiger fight, gave up his neutral position and announced his support for Chiang Kai-shek and the Jin Sui Army, and all the units of the Northwest Army were defeated. After the defeat in the Battle of the Central Plains, all the units of the Northwest Army were absorbed by Chiang Kai-shek, but Zhang Zuolin, Song Zheyuan and other generals of the Northwest Army were unwilling to surrender to Chiang Kai-shek and led the remnants to retreat to the southern Jin region, and Zhang Zizhong's troops were the most complete of the various units at that time.
On January 6, 1931, the remnants of the Northwest Army in southern Jin were incorporated by Zhang Xueliang into the Third Army of the Northeast Border Defense Army, with Song Zheyuan as the commander and Zhang Zizhong as the commander of the 38th Division. In June of the same year, Chiang Kai-shek reorganized the national army, and the Third Army of the Northeast Border Defense Army was renamed the 29th Army of the National Revolutionary Army. In 1933, the Great Wall War of Resistance broke out, the 29th Army was ordered to Xifengkou to block the Japanese attack, Song Zheyuan, Zhang Zizhong, Feng Zhi'an, Liu Ruming and other generals of the Northwest Army led their troops to inflict heavy casualties on the Japanese army. In January 1935, under the cover of aircraft artillery and tanks, more than 2,000 Japanese troops launched an attack on the Longmenso area where the 112th Brigade of the 38th Division was located, and the officers and men of the 38th Division and the Japanese army fought fiercely for three days, annihilating more than 800 enemy troops.
After the outbreak of the Lugou Bridge Incident in 1937, the officers and men of the 29th Army rose up to resist, but later in the battle, the 29th Army was ordered to retreat to the rear to avoid being surrounded by the Japanese army, resulting in the total annihilation of the army. In order to slow down the Japanese army, General Zhang Zizhong served as the mayor of Peiping and negotiated with the Japanese army, and when he sent Qin Dechun, deputy commander of the 29th Army, to leave Beiping, he said to him: "You have become a national hero this time, and I am afraid that I will become a traitor." Zhang Zizhong was very sad in his heart at that time, and public opinion throughout the country scolded him as a traitor, and even his own family suffered with him.
After the safe evacuation of the 29th Army, Zhang Zizhong fled Beiping under the escort of his subordinates and arrived in Nanjing. Under the intercession of Feng Yuxiang, Li Zongren, Song Zheyuan and others, Chiang Kai-shek did not punish Zhang Zizhong, and also expanded the 38th Division into the 59th Army, and Zhang Zizhong served as the commander of the 59th Army. In order to wash away the shame, Zhang Zizhong would be a pioneer every time he fought, and the training of soldiers was also very strict, during the Battle of Xuzhou in 1938, Zhang Zizhong led the 59th Army to clash with Linyi and the Japanese Banyuan Division, and the Sakamoto Brigade fought fiercely for dozens of days, saving Pang Bingxun's troops and causing heavy casualties to the Japanese army. However, in this battle, the 59th Army also suffered heavy casualties, and the 38th Division of the 59th Army was left with more than 3,000 people from 15,000 people.
During the Battle of Zaoyi in 1940, Zhang Zizhong led more than 1,500 officers and soldiers deep into the hinterland of the Japanese army, but due to intelligence leaks, he was besieged by more than 6,000 Japanese troops. Zhang Zizhong led his troops to a fierce battle with the Japanese army for one day and one night, when his subordinates wanted to cover his retreat, but he refused. In the end, Zhang Zizhong's army was completely destroyed, and Zhang Zizhong was killed in battle. After Zhang Zizhong's sacrifice, his wife died on hunger strike, and Chiang Kai-shek buried his husband and wife together in the foothills of Meihua Mountain in Chongqing.