Everyone in the world knows that the incident in southern Anhui was a watershed in the cooperation between the KMT and the Communist Party, but few people know one of the masterminds behind this tragedy. He was a cadre of the Beiyang warlords, and later became Chiang Kai-shek's right-hand man. For his own selfish interests, he did not hesitate to betray the old master, and even waved a knife at his compatriots when the nation was in danger. The blood of 7,000 soldiers stained the land of southern Anhui red, and also stained his hands. However, the wheels of history rolled forward, and the once invincible general was finally reduced to a bitter and repentant old monk. How did he go from being a powerful warlord to this? What kind of power made him convert to Buddhism in his later years and atone for his sins? What kind of ups and downs has this person experienced in his life?
From the Beiyang Heroes to the Kuomintang generals
In 1917, Shangguan Yunxiang, a young man from Shandong, stepped into the door of Baoding Military Academy. This military academy, founded by Yuan Shikai, has cultivated countless military talents in modern China. Here, Shangguan Yunxiang not only received strict military training, but also got to know Ye Ting, who would become an opponent in the future. Two years later, with the dream of making a contribution, Shangguan Yunxiang graduated from the military academy.
At that time, China was divided by warlords and the political situation was turbulent. The young Shangguan Yunxiang knew that in order to gain a foothold in the troubled times, he must choose a strong backer. After careful consideration, he chose Sun Chuanfang, who was rising at the time. Sun Chuanfang was a rising star among the Beiyang warlords, controlling the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions, and ambitiously plotting to expand his sphere of influence.
In 1923, Sun Chuanfang decided to expand into Fujian. Shangguan Yunxiang seized this opportunity and took the initiative to invite Ying to participate in the battle. In the Battle of Fujian, he showed extraordinary military talent. With flexible tactics and decisive decision-making, Shangguan Yunxiang made many military exploits, and was soon promoted from an ordinary officer to battalion commander, and then to regiment commander. This series of promotions made Shangguan Yunxiang stand out in Sun Chuanfang's army.
In 1925, Zhang Zuolin, a warlord of the Feng family, decided to expand southward. In the face of a strong enemy, Sun Chuanfang urgently needed a capable man to resist the attack from the north in the future. He thought of Shangguan Yunxiang, who had repeatedly performed miraculous feats, and ordered him to lead his army north to meet the battle. This mission is both a challenge and an opportunity for Shangguan Yunxiang. He knew very well that if he could successfully repel the Feng army, he would not only be able to consolidate his position in Sun Chuanfang's mind, but also make a name for himself in the military circles.
Shangguan Yunxiang led the troops day and night to rush to the front line. He carefully studied the enemy's situation and worked out a set of ingenious defensive strategies. In a crucial battle in November, Shangguan Yunxiang commanded well and successfully inflicted heavy losses on the main force of the Feng army led by Zhang Zongchang. This victory not only consolidated Sun Chuanfang's rule in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions, but also made Shangguan Yunxiang's name resounding in military circles.
However, the good times were short-lived. In 1926, the National Revolutionary Army launched the Northern Expedition, and Sun Chuanfang's power soon faced collapse. In a series of battles, Sun's army was defeated and his elite troops were lost. Shangguan Yunxiang had to lead the remnants to flee in all directions, and the former majesty was gone.
It was at this time that the political situation changed again. Chiang Kai-shek went into opposition, and the Kuomintang fell into division. Shangguan Yunxiang was keenly aware that this might be his chance to make a comeback. He decided to take advantage of this opportunity and lead his troops to attack Jiangnan. However, this adventure did not bring him the expected victory. On the contrary, a series of failures made Shangguan Yunxiang realize that following Sun Chuanfang could no longer realize his political ambitions.
At this critical moment, Chiang Kai-shek sent people to persuade Shangguan Yun to do the opposite and jointly go on a northern expedition. Faced with this tempting proposal, Shangguan Yunxiang fell into deep thought. He weighed the pros and cons and finally made a decision to change his fate - betraying Sun Chuanfang and defecting to Chiang Kai-shek.
This decision marked the transformation of Shangguan Yunxiang from a general of a Beiyang warlord to a member of the Kuomintang. While this shift was controversial, it did open a new political career for Shangguan Yunxiang. In the years that followed, he would become a member of Chiang Kai-shek's command, participating in many important battles and eventually playing a key role in the Southern Anhui Incident.
Planning and execution of the Southern Anhui Incident
At the end of 1940, China's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression entered a phase of stalemate. On the surface, the Kuomintang and the Communist Party still maintained a situation of cooperation against Japan, but secretly, Chiang Kai-shek was already planning how to weaken the power of the Communist Party. In early December, Chiang Kai-shek secretly summoned Shangguan Yunxiang and issued a secret order to him: take advantage of the opportunity of the New Fourth Army to go north to resist Japan and encircle and suppress it.
After Shangguan Yunxiang received this order, he immediately began careful preparations. He knew very well that in order to successfully encircle and suppress the New Fourth Army, it was necessary to have detailed information on the other side. To this end, Shangguan Yunxiang sent a liaison staff officer named Wen Yuan to infiltrate the military headquarters of the New Fourth Army under the pretense of coordination.
With his excellent camouflage skills, Wenyuan successfully won the trust of the top brass of the New Fourth Army. By chance, he secretly copied the troop deployment map of the New Fourth Army. At the end of December, Wen Yuan hurriedly returned to Shangguan Yunxiang's headquarters with this precious information.
Shangguan Yun, who got the troop deployment map, was like a tiger with wings. Based on intelligence, he developed a sophisticated encirclement plan. He divided his troops into several routes and set up an ambush on the path that the New Fourth Army had to pass. At the same time, he also mobilized a large number of artillery troops, ready to deliver a fatal blow to the New Fourth Army at a critical moment.
On January 4, 1941, the New Fourth Army began to move north. Shangguan Yunxiang's troops quietly followed the rear of the New Fourth Army according to the predetermined plan. In the early morning of January 5, when the vanguard of the New Fourth Army entered the Yunling area, Shangguan Yunxiang ordered a surprise attack.
The sudden attack caught the New Fourth Army off guard. Ye Ting, the commander of the New Fourth Army, initially thought that this was a misunderstanding, and he sent Xiang Ying, the deputy commander of the army, to negotiate. However, Xiang Ying soon discovered that this was not a misunderstanding, but a well-planned encirclement and suppression operation.
The battle quickly spread. Shangguan Yunxiang's troops took advantage of the terrain to form a multi-layered encirclement of the New Fourth Army. Although the New Fourth Army resisted hard, it was inferior in terms of strength and firepower, and soon fell into a difficult situation.
In order to break through the encirclement, Ye Ting ordered the troops to break out. However, due to a mistake by the guide, the breakout force went in the wrong direction and missed the best opportunity. At the same time, the rainy weather for several days also brought great difficulties to the operations of the New Fourth Army.
Under these circumstances, Ye Ting decided to personally go down the mountain to negotiate with the Kuomintang army. He recalled that he and Shangguan Yunxiang were once classmates at the Baoding Military Academy, hoping to resolve the crisis through personal relationships. However, when Ye Ting came to the Kuomintang position, he was immediately detained.
The news of Ye Ting's capture was transmitted back to the positions of the New Fourth Army, completely shattering their illusions about a peaceful settlement. In the ensuing battle, Xiang Ying, deputy commander of the New Fourth Army, and Zhou Zikun, chief of staff, unfortunately died. Only more than 2,000 people led by Fu Qiutao successfully broke through, and most of the rest of the soldiers died heroically.
The entire encirclement and suppression operation lasted about half a month, far shorter than Chiang Kai-shek's expected three months. With this "merit", Shangguan Yunxiang's position in the Kuomintang army was even more stable. However, he may not have realized that this operation not only caused a large number of casualties among his compatriots, but also became the fuse for the complete rupture of the cooperation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party.
The news of the incident in southern Anhui soon spread throughout the country, causing a huge shock. Many people cannot understand why the anti-Japanese forces are still killing people when the nation is in danger. After learning the news, Zhou Enlai angrily wrote the poem "Strange injustices through the ages, a leaf in the south of the Yangtze River", expressing his strong condemnation of this incident.
For Shangguan Yunxiang, the Southern Anhui Incident was an important turning point in his military career. Although this operation won him the appreciation of Chiang Kai-shek in the short term, it also gave him a bad reputation for "slaughtering his compatriots". This stain will become a nightmare that he cannot get rid of in the years to come, and eventually lead him to choose a completely different path in life in his later years.
The embarrassing situation of the master
After the Southern Anhui Incident, Shangguan Yunxiang's military career reached its peak. Chiang Kai-shek spoke highly of the "success" of this operation, and not only praised Shangguan Yunxiang's "loyalty" and "ability" many times in private, but also commended his "merits" in public. In February 1941, Shangguan Yunxiang was promoted to lieutenant general and appointed deputy commander of the Fifth Theater of Operations.
However, the hidden worries of the Meritorious Lord soon became apparent. Although Chiang Kai-shek was ostensibly fond of Shangguan Yunxiang, he was actually wary of this general who could decisively carry out the order of "purging and suppressing". At a military meeting, Chiang Kai-shek hinted at Shangguan Yunxiang, hoping that he would keep a low profile and not excessively flaunt the "merits" of the Southern Anhui Incident.
Shangguan Yunxiang was keenly aware of the change in Chiang Kai-shek's attitude. He began to be cautious, and rarely mentioned the Southern Anhui Incident in public. However, this caution did not completely dispel Chiang Kai-shek's doubts. In early 1942, when the KMT's top brass was discussing whether to include the Southern Anhui Incident in the annual military conference report, Shangguan Yunxiang unexpectedly expressed opposition. He claimed that the incident was "not worth mentioning" and that the focus should be on other aspects of the war against Japan.
Although this move temporarily calmed Chiang Kai-shek's doubts, it also caused dissatisfaction among other generals. Some people believe that Shangguan Yunxiang is denying his "merits" and disrespecting Chiang Kai-shek. Others suspect that he is trying to cover up something. In any case, this decision made Shangguan Yunxiang's situation in the army more delicate.
As time passed, Shangguan Yunxiang was gradually pushed out of the center of power. In 1943, he was transferred out of the Fifth War Zone and reappointed as chairman of Hubei Province. This seemingly elevated transfer actually removed him from the military decision-making circle. During his stay in Hubei, Shangguan Yunxiang worked hard to implement some livelihood reforms, but due to the lack of real power and resources, the results were not significant.
In 1944, the Japanese army launched the Battle of Henan-Xianggui, and the Kuomintang army was defeated one after another. At this critical moment, Shangguan Yunxiang took the initiative to ask Ying, hoping to return to the front line. However, Chiang Kai-shek did not take his advice and transferred him to Chongqing, in the rear, as a member of the Military Council. This position, while it sounds important, is actually just a fictitious title and doesn't have any real power.
Shangguan Yunxiang, who was squeezed out of the center of power, began to reflect on his past. The shadow of the incident in southern Anhui has always hung over him, and the faces of those compatriots who sacrificed themselves have appeared in his mind from time to time. He began to wonder if he had made the right decision and whether he was worth carrying such a heavy moral burden for his own personal gain.
After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War in 1945, Shangguan Yunxiang hoped to be able to regain reuse. He repeatedly expressed his loyalty to Chiang Kai-shek, and even took the initiative to ask Ying to participate in the suppression of the Communists. However, Chiang Kai-shek's attitude towards him was always cold. In a private conversation, Chiang Kai-shek euphemistically said that Shangguan Yunxiang's "merits" were sufficient, and that he should consider "retiring after completing his achievements."
These words made Shangguan Yunxiang completely understand that he had no future in the Kuomintang. He began to look for other ways out, and even considered whether he should join the Communist Party. However, the shadow of the incident in southern Anhui prevented him from taking this step. He knew very well that his hands were stained with the blood of Communist Party soldiers, and even if he surrendered, he would not be able to gain trust.
In this situation of internal and external difficulties, Shangguan Yunxiang began to seek spiritual solace. He came into contact with Buddhism, hoping to calm his inner turmoil through religious beliefs. In 1947, he was ordained a monk in a temple in Chongqing, and his legal name was "Gumu". The decision shocked the entire KMT's top brass and cast doubt on his true intentions.
However, for Shangguan Yunxiang, this may be the only path he can choose. In the pure land of Buddhism, he hopes to atone for his past sins and to find inner peace. However, the wheels of history did not stop turning because of his ordination. The smoke of the civil war between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party soon swept across the country, and Shangguan Yunxiang had to face the consequences of his past choices again.
Self-redemption in old age
On October 1, 1949, the People's Republic of China was founded. This historic moment had a profound impact on Shangguan Yunxiang. Although he had become a monk, the great shock of the regime change reached the temple where he was located. Faced with the birth of New China, Shangguan Yunxiang fell into deep introspection.
In the early days of the new regime, Shangguan Yunxiang chose to live in seclusion. He locked himself up in a small remote temple in Chongqing, chanting sutras and worshipping Buddha every day, trying to cleanse his guilt from his inner guilt through religious practice. However, the shadow of the past lingers. In the dead of night, the faces of the soldiers who died in the Southern Anhui Incident would appear in his mind.
In 1951, the Central People's Government promulgated the Policy on the Handling of War Criminals. This policy gave some high-ranking Kuomintang generals the opportunity to turn themselves in. When Shangguan Yunxiang learned of this news, he began to seriously consider whether he should surrender to the new government. After a fierce battle of ideas, he finally decided to face his past.
At the beginning of 1952, Shangguan Yunxiang took off his monk's robe, changed into ordinary civilian clothes, and came to the Chongqing Municipal Public Security Bureau to surrender. He gave a detailed account of his role in the Southern Anhui Incident and expressed his willingness to accept any form of punishment. The public security officers were surprised that the former high-ranking Kuomintang general voluntarily surrendered and immediately reported his situation.
Considering Shangguan Yunxiang's special status and attitude of voluntarily surrendering, the new government decided to take lenient treatment against him. He was placed on a farm for labor reform while undergoing political studies. On the farm, Shangguan Yunxiang truly experienced the life of ordinary working people for the first time. Together with other re-education workers, he farmed the land and fed the pigs, experiencing manual labor that he had never experienced before.
This experience had a profound impact on Shangguan Yunxiang. Through his contacts with ordinary peasants, he began to understand why the Communist Party was able to gain the support of the broad masses of the people. He also came to realize how the values he had embraced in the past were divorced from the interests of the people.
In 1956, after four years of labor reform, Shangguan Yunxiang was released early. The new government allowed him to return to Chongqing to live, taking into account his age and health. However, Shangguan Yunxiang did not choose a comfortable life, but took the initiative to continue to contribute to society.
In the following years, Shangguan Yunxiang began to devote himself to social welfare. He used his past connections and influence to raise funds for education in Chongqing. He also often gives presentations at schools, telling the younger generation about his experiences and telling them to cherish peace and love the motherland.
In 1960, Shangguan Yunxiang began writing his memoirs. In this book, he not only recorded in detail his participation in the Southern Anhui Incident, but also deeply reflected on his motives and choices at that time. He confessed that he had been blinded by personal interests and the desire for power and had made unforgivable mistakes. After the publication of this memoir in 1962, it attracted a lot of attention from society.
In 1965, Shangguan Yunxiang, who was already over seventy years old, made a surprising decision again. He decided to go to the southern Anhui region to personally visit the survivors of the incident and the families of the victims. This journey was full of hardships, but Shangguan Yunxiang insisted on completing this process of self-redemption. He bowed and apologized to the families of each victim and donated his savings over the years to the local Martyrs' Memorial.
This trip to southern Anhui touched Shangguan Yunxiang a lot. After returning to Chongqing, he began to participate more actively in social activities. He often gave lectures at universities and secondary schools, telling young people about the cruelty of war and the value of peace. He has also been interviewed by the media on many occasions, openly repenting of his mistakes and calling on society to cherish the hard-won peace and reunification.
In 1968, the Cultural Revolution swept across the country. Although Shangguan Yunxiang has been committed to self-redemption for many years, his past has become the target of criticism. However, in the face of criticism, Shangguan Yunxiang showed extraordinary calm. He said: "My sins have long been imprinted on my conscience, and no outward punishment is worse than inner condemnation." "
After the end of the Cultural Revolution, Shangguan Yunxiang's later life became peaceful. He continued to devote himself to public welfare and donated all his savings to the Chongqing Education Foundation. In 1978, at the age of 88, Shangguan Yunxiang died in Chongqing. According to his last wishes, his ashes were scattered on the Yunling Mountains in southern Anhui, and rested with the soldiers who died in the incident.
Judgment and reflection on history
Shangguan Yunxiang's life was full of ups and downs, from a senior Kuomintang general to a monk, and then to surrender after the founding of New China, his experience has become a microcosm of China's historical changes in the 20th century. With the passage of time, the evaluation of Shangguan Yunxiang and the Southern Anhui Incident in which he participated was also constantly changing, which triggered extensive discussions in the academic community and society.
In 1978, China began to implement a policy of reform and opening up. This major turning point not only brought about rapid economic development, but also provided a more open environment for historical research. Against this backdrop, some historians have begun to re-examine the Southern Anhui Incident and the role of Shangguan Yunxiang.
In 1980, a group of scholars from the Institute of History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences began a systematic study of the Southern Anhui Incident. They tried to reconstruct the truth of the incident by consulting a large number of archival materials and interviewing survivors and related personnel. In this study, special attention was paid to the role of Shangguan Yunxiang. The study points out that although Shangguan Yunxiang played an important role in the incident, he was also a product of the complex political environment at the time. The report also affirmed Shangguan Yunxiang's self-reflection and social contributions in his later years.
The study sparked a heated discussion in the academic community. Some scholars believe that the Southern Anhui Incident should be viewed from a broader historical perspective, and analyzed in the context of the cooperation and division between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party. They pointed out that although Shangguan Yunxiang's actions were reprehensible, they also reflected the power struggle within the Kuomintang and the suspicion of the Communist Party at that time.
In 1985, a TV series called "Wind and Rain in Southern Anhui" was broadcast on CCTV, which attracted wide attention from all walks of life. This drama is set against the backdrop of the Southern Anhui Incident, creating a complex character image based on the prototype of Shangguan Yunxiang. The play shows the process of this character from the execution of orders, to the inner struggle, to the final confession. Although the plot is artistically processed, it still provokes the public to think about this period of history.
In the 1990s, with the easing of relations between China and Taiwan, scholars on both sides of the strait began to engage in dialogue on some historical issues. In 1997, at an academic symposium on cross-strait history held in Nanjing, the southern Anhui incident became one of the hot topics of discussion. Taiwanese scholars brought some new historical materials, including some internal documents from the top echelons of the Kuomintang at the time, which provided new perspectives on the decision-making process of Shangguan Yunxiang.
After entering the 21st century, the study of Shangguan Yunxiang has shown a trend of diversification. In 2005, a young historian published a paper in Modern History Research, trying to analyze Shangguan Yunxiang's behavioral motivations from a psychological perspective. The paper draws on Shangguan Yunxiang's memoirs and testimony from other people involved in an attempt to reconstruct his state of mind at the time of the decision to attack. Although this research method has caused some controversy in the academic community, it has also opened up new ideas for the study of historical figures.
In 2010, on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Southern Anhui Incident, many universities and research institutions at home and abroad held relevant commemorative activities and academic seminars. At these events, scholars not only reviewed the event itself, but also discussed the far-reaching impact of the event on later KMT-CCP relations. Some scholars have pointed out that the Southern Anhui Incident was an important turning point in the rupture of KMT-CCP cooperation, and Shangguan Yunxiang's role reflected the limitations of individual choices under specific historical conditions.
In 2015, a documentary called "The General's Lost" was launched on multiple video platforms. Through a large number of historical materials and expert interviews, this documentary comprehensively reviews Shangguan Yunxiang's life, especially emphasizing the process of self-redemption in his later years. The documentary sparked a heated discussion online, and many young people learned about this little-known history for the first time through this work.
In 2020, some historians began to try to place Shangguan Yunxiang's experience in a global context. They contrast Shangguan Yunxiang with military generals in other countries who changed positions in civil wars, and explore the moral dilemmas faced by soldiers in turbulent times. This research method provides a new perspective for understanding Shangguan Yunxiang's behavior.
In recent years, with the further opening of archives and the innovation of research methods, the research on Shangguan Yunxiang and the Southern Anhui Incident is still continuing. Historians generally believe that the study of this event and its related figures is of great significance for understanding modern Chinese history. It not only reflects the political complexity of a particular historical period, but also provides valuable material for us to think about the relationship between the individual, politics and morality.