Cheng Qian (; 31 March 1882 – 5 April 1968) was a Chinese army officer and politician who held important military and political positions in both the

Republic of China Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

and the

People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

.Wolfgang Bartke, ''Who was Who in the People's Republic of China: With more than 3100 Portraits'', Volume 1 (A-O) p.p. 64-65, KG Saur, Munich 1997Yuwu Song, ''Biographical Dictionary of the People's Republic of China'', p. 47, McFarland & Company, 2013 Educated at the

Imperial Japanese Army Academy The was the principal officer's training school for the Imperial Japanese Army. The programme consisted of a junior course for graduates of local army cadet schools and for those who had completed four years of middle school, and a senior course f ...

and

Waseda University Waseda University (Japanese: ), abbreviated as or , is a private university, private research university in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as the Tōkyō Professional School by Ōkuma Shigenobu, the fifth Prime Minister of Japan, prime ministe ...

, he first met

Sun Yat-sen Sun Yat-senUsually known as Sun Zhongshan () in Chinese; also known by Names of Sun Yat-sen, several other names. (; 12 November 186612 March 1925) was a Chinese physician, revolutionary, statesman, and political philosopher who founded the Republ ...

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

, becoming an early supporter. Later, under Chiang Kai-shek, he was one of the most powerful members of the

Kuomintang The Kuomintang (KMT) is a major political party in the Republic of China (Taiwan). It was the one party state, sole ruling party of the country Republic of China (1912-1949), during its rule from 1927 to 1949 in Mainland China until Retreat ...

, notably serving as Chief of Staff of the Military Affairs Commission during the Second Sino–Japanese War. In August 1949, as

Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

Hunan Hunan is an inland Provinces of China, province in Central China. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the Administrative divisions of China, province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangxi to the east, Gu ...

, he peacefully surrendered to

Mao Zedong Mao Zedong pronounced ; traditionally Romanization of Chinese, romanised as Mao Tse-tung. (26December 18939September 1976) was a Chinese politician, revolutionary, and political theorist who founded the People's Republic of China (PRC) in ...

's advancing Communist forces, joined the

Revolutionary Committee of the Kuomintang The Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang (RCCK; also commonly known, especially when referenced historically, as the Left Kuomintang or Left Guomindang), commonly abbreviated in Chinese as Minge (), is one of the eight minor demo ...

and, after the founding of the People's Republic of China, went on to serve as Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission (1949–1968), Governor of Hunan (1952–1967) and Vice Chairman of the

National People's Congress The National People's Congress (NPC) is the highest organ of state power of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The NPC is the only branch of government in China, and per the principle of unified power, all state organs from the Sta ...

(1954–1968), among other posts.Wolfgang Bartke, ''Who was Who in the People's Republic of China: With more than 3100 Portraits'', Volume 1 (A-O) p.p. 64-65, KG Saur, Munich 1997Yuwu Song, ''Biographical Dictionary of the People's Republic of China'', p. 47, McFarland & Company, 2013

Early life and education

Born into a prosperous landlord family in

Liling Liling () is a county-level city and the 12th most populous county-level division in Hunan Province, China; it is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Zhuzhou. Located on the middle eastern margin of the province, the city i ...

, Cheng received a classical

Confucian Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China, and is variously described as a tradition, philosophy, religion, theory of government, or way of life. Founded by Confucius ...

education and at the age of the 16 he obtained the Xiucai (the first degree in the imperial civil service examination), and then studied at the Yuelu Academy in

Changsha Changsha is the capital of Hunan, China. It is the 15th most populous city in China with a population of 10,513,100, the Central China#Cities with urban area over one million in population, third-most populous city in Central China, and the ...

. Here he began to understand the current political situation and decided to give up a civil career in favor of the military, and so entered the Hunan Military Academy, being then sent to study in

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

at the Tokyo Shimbu Gakko, a military official preparatory academy. While in Tokyo, he met Huang Xing, Li Liejun, and

Song Jiaoren Song Jiaoren (, ; Chinese name, Given name at birth: Liàn 鍊; Courtesy name: Dùnchū 鈍初; 5 April 1882 – 22 March 1913) was a Republic of China (1912–1949), Chinese republican revolutionary, political leader and a founder of the Kuom ...

, future nationalist leaders, who fascinated him with their ideas. Magnifying glass Cheng Qian used during the Northern Expedition

In 1905 Cheng met

and joined the ''

Tongmenghui The Tongmenghui of China was a secret society and underground resistance movement founded by Sun Yat-sen, Song Jiaoren, and others in Tokyo, Empire of Japan, on 20 August 1905, with the goal of overthrowing China's Qing dynasty. It was formed ...

'', a secret revolutionary society, committed to overthrow the

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...

and modernize China. In 1907, Cheng graduated from the

as an

artillery Artillery consists of ranged weapons that launch Ammunition, munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during sieges, and l ...

lieutenant (artillery, especially

field artillery Field artillery is a category of mobile artillery used to support army, armies in the field. These weapons are specialized for mobility, tactical proficiency, short range, long range, and extremely long range target engagement. Until the ear ...

was to be his specialty throughout his military career). One of his classmates was

Tang Jiyao Tang Jiyao () (August 14, 1883 – May 23, 1927) was a Chinese general and warlord of Yunnan during the Warlord Era of early Republican China. He was military governor of Yunnan from 1913–1927. Life Tang was born in Huize county in 188 ...

. Cheng then returned in China, where he was assigned by the Qing imperial government to train a New Army in

Sichuan Sichuan is a province in Southwestern China, occupying the Sichuan Basin and Tibetan Plateau—between the Jinsha River to the west, the Daba Mountains to the north, and the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau to the south. Its capital city is Cheng ...

Province under the overall command of Zhu Qinglan.

Republic of China

After the outbreak of the

Xinhai Revolution The 1911 Revolution, also known as the Xinhai Revolution or Hsinhai Revolution, ended China's last imperial dynasty, the Qing dynasty, and led to the establishment of the Republic of China (ROC). The revolution was the culmination of a decade ...

, Cheng took part in the Wuchang Uprising and immediately after he participated in the Battle of Changsha. With the establishment of the

, Cheng was appointed military commander of

. However, as

Yuan Shikai Yuan Shikai (; 16 September 18596 June 1916) was a Chinese general and statesman who served as the second provisional president and the first official president of the Republic of China, head of the Beiyang government from 1912 to 1916 and ...

staged his coup to control the Republic, Cheng tried to revolt, but then fled to Japan, where he joined the

and entered

, studying for a degree in

Political Economy Political or comparative economy is a branch of political science and economics studying economic systems (e.g. Marketplace, markets and national economies) and their governance by political systems (e.g. law, institutions, and government). Wi ...

. Shortly after, Yuan Shikai tried to proclaim himself

Emperor The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...

, causing the National Protection War. Cheng returned to Hunan to enlist rebel soldiers in Cai E's army. During the Constitutional Protection Movement he was first appointed military commander of Changsha, then Deputy Minister of War in Sun Yat-sen's

Guangzhou Guangzhou, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Canton or Kwangchow, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Guangdong Provinces of China, province in South China, southern China. Located on the Pearl River about nor ...

Government. He was put in charge of training troops in Guangzhou, and then took part in the

Northern Expedition The Northern Expedition was a military campaign launched by the National Revolutionary Army (NRA) of the Kuomintang (KMT) against the Beiyang government and other regional warlords in 1926. The purpose of the campaign was to reunify China prop ...

. From 1925 to 1927 he was the General commanding the 6th Army, and briefly served as Chairman of the Government of the

Hunan Province Hunan is an inland province in Central China. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangxi to the east, Guangdong and Guangxi to the south, and Guizhou and Chon ...

in 1928. In 1926 he was elected a member of the Central Executive Committee of the Kuomintang. It was in these years that Cheng first met and collaborated with

, as the Kuomintang and the Communists were working together during this time under the direction of the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

(namely, the

First United Front The First United Front , also known as the KMT–CCP Alliance, of the Kuomintang (KMT) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), was formed in 1924 as an alliance to end Warlord Era, warlordism in China. Together they formed the National Revolution ...

), with Mao at one time serving as Cheng's assistant in political and propaganda affairs. In the following years, Cheng served in several capacities, including Chief of General Staff of the Military Affairs Commission (which was chaired by Chiang Kai-shek himself) from 1935 to 1937. When the Second Sino–Japanese War began, Cheng Qian was made Commander in Chief of the 1st War Zone in July 1937, responsible for defending

Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...

(then named Beiping),

Hebei Hebei is a Provinces of China, province in North China. It is China's List of Chinese administrative divisions by population, sixth-most populous province, with a population of over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital city. It bor ...

and the strategic Beijing–Hankou railway, while also concurrently serving as Governor of

Henan Province Henan; alternatively Honan is a province in Central China. Henan is home to many heritage sites, including Yinxu, the ruins of the final capital of the Shang dynasty () and the Shaolin Temple. Four of the historical capitals of China, Luo ...

from 1937 to 1939. Cheng Qian was recalled from the 1st War Zone in 1938 to serve as Director of the Generalissimo's Headquarters. From 1940 to 1944 he was Vice Chairman and Deputy Chief of Staff of the Military Affairs Commission, and from 1944 to 1945 he was acting

Chief of Staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supportin ...

. After the war ended, Cheng sided with the conciliatory faction in the Kuomintang. In 1947 he was elected in the

Legislative Yuan The Legislative Yuan () is the unicameral legislature of the Republic of China (Taiwan) located in Taipei. The Legislative Yuan is composed of 113 members, who are directly elected for four-year terms by people of the Taiwan Area through a ...

(in the first election after 14 years) and contested the Vice Presidency of the Republic of China in March 1948, barely losing it to

Li Zongren Li Zongren ( zh, c=李宗仁, p=Lǐ Zōngrén; 13 August 1890 – 30 January 1969), also known as Li Tsung-jen, courtesy name Delin (Te-lin; zh, p=Délín), was a Chinese warlord, military commander and politician. He was vice-president an ...

, supported by Chiang Kai-shek. Afterwards, he was appointed Governor of his native Hunan once again.Wolfgang Bartke, ''Who was Who in the People's Republic of China: With more than 3100 Portraits'', Volume 1 (A-O) p.p. 64-65, KG Saur, Munich 1997Yuwu Song, ''Biographical Dictionary of the People's Republic of China'', p. 47, McFarland & Company, 2013

People's Republic of China

As the

Chinese Communist Party The Communist Party of China (CPC), also translated into English as Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is the founding and One-party state, sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Founded in 1921, the CCP emerged victorious in the ...

forces gained ground, Chiang Kai-shek stepped down in January 1949; after the collapse of peace talks in April, the

People's Liberation Army The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the military of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the People's Republic of China (PRC). It consists of four Military branch, services—People's Liberation Army Ground Force, Ground Force, People's ...

crossed the

Yangtze River The Yangtze or Yangzi ( or ) is the longest river in Eurasia and the third-longest in the world. It rises at Jari Hill in the Tanggula Mountains of the Tibetan Plateau and flows including Dam Qu River the longest source of the Yangtze, i ...

. Cheng Qian in early August decided to surrender, and so Hunan was peacefully handed over to Mao Zedong's forces.Wolfgang Bartke, ''Who was Who in the People's Republic of China: With more than 3100 Portraits'', Volume 1 (A-O) p.p. 64-65, KG Saur, Munich 1997Yuwu Song, ''Biographical Dictionary of the People's Republic of China'', p. 47, McFarland & Company, 2013 Invited by Mao to Beijing to attend the Inaugural Session of the

Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) is a political advisory body in the People's Republic of China and a central part of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)'s United front (China), united front system. Its members adv ...

, Cheng was then appointed to very significant offices in the new Communist People's Republic. Notably, he served as:Wolfgang Bartke, ''Who was Who in the People's Republic of China: With more than 3100 Portraits'', Volume 1 (A-O) p.p. 64-65, KG Saur, Munich 1997Yuwu Song, ''Biographical Dictionary of the People's Republic of China'', p. 47, McFarland & Company, 2013 * Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission (1949–1968) * Governor of Hunan (1952–1967) * Vice Chairman of the

(1954–1968) * Vice Chairman of the

(1956–1968) * Vice Chairman of the Central–South Military and Government Administration Council, responsible for overseeing political and military affairs in

Guangdong ) means "wide" or "vast", and has been associated with the region since the creation of Guang Prefecture in AD 226. The name "''Guang''" ultimately came from Guangxin ( zh, labels=no, first=t, t= , s=广信), an outpost established in Han dynasty ...

Hainan Hainan is an island provinces of China, province and the southernmost province of China. It consists of the eponymous Hainan Island and various smaller islands in the South China Sea under the province's administration. The name literally mean ...

Henan Henan; alternatively Honan is a province in Central China. Henan is home to many heritage sites, including Yinxu, the ruins of the final capital of the Shang dynasty () and the Shaolin Temple. Four of the historical capitals of China, Lu ...

Hubei Hubei is a province of China, province in Central China. It has the List of Chinese provincial-level divisions by GDP, seventh-largest economy among Chinese provinces, the second-largest within Central China, and the third-largest among inland ...

and

Guangxi Guangxi,; officially the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People's Republic of China, located in South China and bordering Vietnam (Hà Giang Province, Hà Giang, Cao Bằn ...

(1949–1954) During the

Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a Social movement, sociopolitical movement in the China, People's Republic of China (PRC). It was launched by Mao Zedong in 1966 and lasted until his de ...

, Cheng Qian was among the non-communists that Mao Zedong and

Zhou Enlai Zhou Enlai ( zh, s=周恩来, p=Zhōu Ēnlái, w=Chou1 Ên1-lai2; 5 March 1898 – 8 January 1976) was a Chinese statesman, diplomat, and revolutionary who served as the first Premier of the People's Republic of China from September 1954 unti ...

prevented from being attacked. In Hunan, he was succeeded by Li Yuan after a revolutionary committee under Li Yuan's chairmanship was formed there. He died in Beijing on 15 April 1968 aged 86.

References

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Cheng, Qian 1882 births 1968 deaths Tongmenghui members People of the 1911 Revolution Waseda University alumni Chinese military personnel of World War II Republic of China politicians from Hunan National Revolutionary Army generals from Hunan Vice chairpersons of the National People's Congress Politicians from Zhuzhou People's Republic of China politicians from Hunan Governors of Hunan Members of the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang Victims of the Cultural Revolution Chinese revolutionaries Philosophers from Anhui Republic of China people who surrendered to the Chinese Communist Party