Description
Book SynopsisA revisionist study of the career of General He Yingqin, one of the most prominent military officers in China''s Nationalist period (192849) and one of the most misunderstood figures in twentieth-century China. Western scholars have dismissed He Yingqin as corrupt and incompetent, yet the Chinese archives reveal that he demonstrated considerable success as a combat commander and military administrator during civil conflicts and the Sino-Japanese War. His work in the Chinese Nationalist military served as the foundation of a close personal and professional relationship with Chiang Kai-shek, with whom he worked closely for more than two decades. Against the backdrop of the Nationalist revolution of the 1920s through the 1940s, Peter Worthing analyzes He Yingqin''s rise to power alongside Chiang Kai-shek, his work in building the Nationalist military, and his fundamental role in carrying out policies designed to overcome the regime''s greatest obstacles during this turbulent period of Chinese history.
Trade Review'… a balanced account of one of the key figures in the Nationalist era, and shines new light on some of the most important events of that period. Worthing succeeds in demonstrating that He was not the incompetent sycophant or reactionary militarist others have made him out to be, and this book should be required reading for anyone seeking a better understanding of the challenges faced by the Nationalist regime.' Colin Green, Pacific Affairs
Table of ContentsIntroduction; 1. Life and death in a Kunming teahouse; 2. 'Like Bao Shuya and Guan Zhong'; 3. The eastern route army in the northern expedition; 4. 'Without Chiang Kai-shek, there is no He Yingqin!'; 5. Reorganization and its discontents; 6. Trading reputation for time; 7. 'A force for a hundred-year war of resistance'; 8. 'Maybe now the fire is hot enough to fry Ho Ying-ch'in!!!!'; 9. 'A tall building on shifting sand'; Conclusion; Bibliography; Index.
