Zhang Xinsheng, formerly known as Zhang Yongxing, also known as Zhang Huimin, Zhang Yuguo and Wang Lichuan, was born in March 1896 in Beigou Village, Penglai County, Shandong Province, and moved with his parents to Kuandian County, Liaoning Province at an early age. In 1915, he was admitted to Tianjin Nankai Middle School and joined the Kuomintang in 1922. He joined the Communist Party of China in December 1932. On January 5, 1937, he was killed by the Japanese army in Qiqihar City for carrying out intelligence work for the Third International.
Although the life of martyr Zhang Xinsheng was short, he pursued the truth and was unswerving. What is introduced here is his experience of participating in the Northeast People's Anti-Japanese Salvation Congress and organizing the anti-Japanese struggle of the Volunteer Army from September 1931 to May 1933.
Gao Pengzhen (middle)
In 1931, the Japanese invaders brazenly launched the "918" incident. Chiang Kai-shek adopted a policy of non-resistance, and the Northeast Army was ordered to withdraw to within Shanhaiguan, causing the Japanese army to drive straight in and soon occupy Shenyang, Changchun, Anshan, Fushun and other important cities. At that time, just as Zhang Xinsheng recalled in an article: "After '9/18,' all those who had a history of activities in the northeast were arrested if they did not flee, that is, they were arrested, and of course I could not be an exception." On September 19, after the Japanese army invaded and occupied Andong, it immediately ordered the arrest of Zhang Xinsheng, who had been engaged in revolutionary activities in Andong for many years and had a great influence, and sent troops to raid the Zhang family several times. Zhang Xinsheng was saved from death because he had infiltrated Shenyang a few days ago.
On the night of the incident, Zhang Xinsheng was staying at the home of a friend in Daxiguan, Shenyang. He witnessed the japanese army's wanton crime of bloody massacres on our soil. On the third day after the incident, together with several comrades from Liaoning, they disguised themselves as refugees, boarded a train into the United States, and came to Beiping. At first, Zhang Xinsheng still had illusions about the authorities, thinking that the Japanese army entered Shenyang, and by accident, the Northeast Army was not prepared for a while, temporarily retreated, and the Northeast Authorities would plot a counterattack and would never abandon the Northeast. However, after zhang Xinsheng lived in Beiping for a week, he found that "the government only had one way to report the League of Nations, and there was no other way to do it", and he could not help but be disappointed. At this time, Zhang Xinsheng attended the inaugural meeting of the "Northeast People's Anti-Japanese Salvation Congress" held at the Xidan Fengtian Hall in Beiping on September 27. The congress decided to "mobilize the Northeast militia, scattered soldiers, and bandits to form an anti-Japanese guerrilla force to strike at the Japanese aggressors." After the meeting, Zhang Xinsheng decided to throw his pen into congrong, and put forward a request to Wang Huayi, the head of the association, to go out of customs to form an anti-Japanese armed force, which was immediately allowed. As a result, Zhang Xinsheng became the first person sent by the association to send Guan, and sneaked back to Shenyang at the end of September.
After arriving in Shenyang, Zhang Xinsheng immediately found a friend surnamed Jin, showed him the purpose and determination of the trip, and asked him to introduce it on his behalf. Looking at his thin body and leaning forward, Kim worried that he would not be used to that kind of life. Zhang Xinsheng immediately said: "Looking at the current situation, Japan already has long-term ambitions for the northeast. If the government is not prepared to recover the Northeast, and if the people do not swear to resist to the death, the Northeast will die forever in Japan. At this time, there is really no way to survive except to organize armed resistance of the people. He knew that he had no time to worry about it, but the country was broken and the family was destroyed. His passionate feelings touched Jin quite a bit, and he immediately introduced Zhang Xinsheng to Gao Pengzhen in Montenegro County.
On October 2, Zhang Xinsheng disguised himself and embarked on the journey to Xinlitun. On October 3, Zhang Xinsheng broke through the obstacle and came to gao Pengzhen's residence in Yaojiawobao in Heishan County, where he was welcomed by Gaobu.
Zhang Xinsheng is not good at riding horses, nor does he know how to shoot, so everything has to be learned from scratch. In addition to learning equestrianism, he also helped Gao Pengzhen make pamphlets every day, writing notices and posting slogans aimed at arousing the people, which was highly appreciated by Gao Pengzhen. Zhang Xinsheng also helped Gao Pengzhen reorganize the ranks, cancel the names of "Zizi" and "Pick-and-Roll" and name it "Northeast National Salvation Army." After rectification, the ranks were disciplined and their numbers multiplied. At the end of October, when Zhang Xinsheng and Gao Pengzhen were on a move to the North Camp in Heishan County, they were attacked by local garrisons. Since the vast majority of the members of the National Salvation Army were peasants and had no military training, there were many people who fled without a fight in a hasty battle. In this regard, Zhang Xinsheng suggested to Gao Pengzhen that "it is not possible to introduce more people with military experience to come to guide and step up training." It is also suggested that people be sent to the Jinzhou government and "ask them to order all the organs in western Liaoning to assist and cooperate without destruction." Gao Pengzhen took Zhang Xinsheng's suggestion and immediately sent someone to the Jinzhou government. Zhang Xinsheng was also ordered to invite military instructors. On November 6, Zhang Xinsheng returned from Shenyang to the Beiping Salvation Congress to report on his work. After listening to Zhang Xinsheng's report, leaders of the National Salvation Congress, Wang Huayi, Yan Baohang, Lu Guangji, and others, decided to transfer Zhang Xinsheng to work in the Military Department of the Salvation Congress and to be responsible for liaison and guidance to the various volunteer armies in western Liaoning. After Zhang Xinsheng returned to Shenyang from Beiping, he invited more than 20 military personnel, including Shi Chunqing, Xu Datong, Wang Shaofan, Zhang Gongran, and Meng Zhaorui, to come to the National Salvation Army. Gao Pengzhen was very happy and decided to immediately conduct reorganization training for the National Salvation Army and instructed Zhang Xinsheng to take full responsibility.
The combat effectiveness of the National Salvation Army, which has been reorganized and trained, has been enhanced. Gao Pengzhen, assisted by Zhang Xinsheng, led this team to negotiate with the Japanese at the border of western Liaoning and Rehe. On November 25, 1931, Gao and Zhang commanded the National Salvation Army to attack a Japanese squad at Jinwutaizi in Xinmin County. On December 3, it attacked the Black Mountain, killing more than 120 Japanese soldiers. 42 large guns, 4 machine guns, 15 pistols, 3,000 rounds of ammunition, and 78 Yanmars were obtained. Forcing the Japanese troops stationed at Xinlitun on the Chase Line (Dahushan to Tongliao) to withdraw for a time. On December 30, the Japanese army forced into Jinzhou, the Northeast Army withdrew to Kannai, and the National Salvation Army launched an attack on the Shijiazi Station of the Chase Line, killing 20 Japanese troops and cutting off the Chase Line for a time.
On January 3, 1932, Jinzhou fell, Gao Pengzhen and Zhang Xinsheng led their troops to cooperate with Geng Jizhou's Fourth Road Volunteer Army, and on the evening of the 4th, they launched an attack on Xinmin County, a major town on the Shenshan Line. Immediately afterward, Gao Pengzhen and Zhang Xinsheng marched westward, and on the 12th, they killed 46 Japanese soldiers under the command of Lieutenant Zhizhi of The Northern Wutaizi of Xinlitun. At this time, the morale of the National Salvation Army was greatly boosted, and it attacked with victory. In early February, the Japanese army was ambushed at the Xinmin Liangshan Pot and 26 more enemy were annihilated. The National Salvation Army turned to liaoxi and inflicted heavy losses on the Japanese army everywhere, making the Japanese soldiers panic and marveling that western Liaoning had become a "bandit world".
In addition to giving Gao Pengzhen great assistance in army building and military command, Zhang Xinsheng also gave Great help to Gao Pengzhen politically, enabling Gao Pengzhen to constantly strengthen his determination to resist Japan. When the National Salvation Army became more and more powerful and directly threatened the Japanese and puppet forces, the enemy sent a traitor named Chen Ding to recruit and co-opt the National Salvation Army. Zhang Xinsheng saw through the enemy's plot and engaged in a skillful struggle with Gao Pengzhen against the enemy. In the end, Captain Yamazaki Echisho and four other personnel who came to collect the personnel were executed at the North Yingzi Crooked Neck Mountain, completely smashing the Japanese army's conspiracy to appease.
On the eve of the Spring Festival in 1932, when Zhang Xinsheng was ordered to return to the Beiping Salvation Congress to work, his lung disease recurred, but he completely ignored it and threw himself into the work of the Military Department of the Salvation Congress. At the same time, he also submitted a book to the magazine "New China", with the title of "Return from a Bloody War", signed "Lichuan" and published articles continuously to introduce the deeds of the Anti-Japanese National Salvation Army in western Liaoning and the Japanese army to the people of Guannei. In May 1932, Zhang Xinsheng transferred to Anton, disguised as a cargo man selling combs, and traveled a long way to the Tangju Fifth Department in Tonghua to inspect. After the Dragon Boat Festival, he returned to Beiping and reported to the Salvation Congress on the situation of Tang Ju's five departments. Soon, the Salvation Congress sent special personnel to escort the radio station by sea to support Tang Ju's fifth department. On June 30, the Military Department of the Salvation Congress decided to transfer Zhang Xinsheng to work in the Second Army of the Volunteer Army, and he went with an illness. In August and September, through Li Yufu's introduction, Zhang Xinsheng became acquainted with Wang Xingrang, who appointed the secretary of the Youth League in the western suburbs of Beiping. When Zhang Xinsheng learned that Wang Xingrang was a member of the Communist Party, he actively learned from Wang Xingrang the Communist Party's experience in guerrilla warfare. Wang Xingrang learned about Zhang Xinsheng's early activities in Anton and the identity of the Left Wing of the Kuomintang, and after requesting the approval of the organization, Wang Xingrang directly worked on Zhang Xinsheng. Through his contacts with the communist Wang Xingrang, Zhang Xinsheng realized that only the Communist Party could shame our country and the people, and he expressed to Wang Xingrang his determination to work for the Communist Party. In October, Zhang Xinsheng was transferred back to Beiping. In the winter of that year, when Ma Shichang, who lived in Zhang Xinsheng's house, wanted to visit Li Guangchen, who was in an important position in the Kuomintang, Zhang Xinsheng immediately said to Ma with indignation: "Chi corruption is useless, there is no need to go." At this point, Zhang Xinsheng and the Kuomintang completely parted ways. In December of that year, through the introduction of Wang Xingrang, Zhang Xinsheng joined the Communist Party of China in Beiping. Soon, the organization transferred his relationship to the Hebei Provincial Military Commission and participated in the work of the Provincial Military Commission. Since then, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, Zhang Xinsheng has used his public status in the National Salvation Congress to provide the party with a large amount of information about various volunteer armies. He also introduced the backbone of the workers during the Anton activities to Wang Xingrang, providing favorable conditions for Wang Xingrang to come to Anton to carry out underground activities.
At the beginning of 1933, the volunteer armies in the northeast retreated to the Rehe River and along the Great Wall. The Salvation Congress sent Zhang Xinsheng to inspect. Under the circumstance that the volunteer army was armed with ammunition and had no food, shelter, and clothing, so that military discipline was lax and the people's hearts were scattered, he demanded that all the volunteer troops strictly restrain them, and on the other hand, he sent a telegram to the National Salvation Congress to solve the problem as soon as possible. Through Zhang Xueliang, the Salvation Congress transferred a batch of ordnance and materials, and then sent people to the local government to negotiate and solve the problem of food and housing for the volunteer army. Soon, the Japanese army captured the great wall pass and the provincial capital of Rehe, Zhang Xueliang was forced to leave the country, and He Yingqin was appointed as the acting chairman of the Beiping Army Branch. On April 29, He Yingqin ordered the reorganization of the volunteer army in Hebei, ordering that "all those who do not obey the order will be suppressed." On May 31, He Yingqin signed the traitorous Tanggu Agreement with Japan. Subsequently, he also ordered the banning of anti-Japanese mass organizations in the Pingjin area, and at the same time, the three regiments of the gendarmerie raided the Northeast People's Anti-Japanese Salvation Congress, and the Salvation Congress was forced to disband.
Although the Northeast People's Anti-Japanese Salvation Congress was dissolved, Zhang Xinsheng's will to resist Japan and save the country was not weakened. In the spring of 1933, he happened to meet Liu Jinzhong, a classmate at Nankai Middle School in Tianjin. Liu Jinzhong, who was in charge of intelligence work in Shanghai at that time, out of his understanding and trust in Zhang Xinsheng, briefed him on the policies of the Communist Party and the Comintern toward Japanese imperialism, pointing out that only through the leadership of the Communist Party could the whole country be launched to resist war and restore the northeast. In this regard, Zhang Xinsheng was deeply inspired, and under the recommendation and introduction of Liu Jinzhong, he joined the Comintern Intelligence Organization. Subsequently, Zhang Xinsheng was ordered to enter Northern Manchuria via Anton, and after a period of training, began to engage in secret intelligence collection of information on the activities of the Japanese invaders throughout northeast China (mainly in Northern Manchuria). Since then, Zhang Xinsheng has struggled to defeat the Japanese aggressors on another, more arduous and dangerous front.
Author Affilications: Party History Research Office of Dandong Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China
Image: From the web
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