Speaking of Feng Yuxiang and Yan Xishan, two local warlords, I believe everyone is no stranger. The leader of Feng Yuxiang's Northwest Army, once had 400,000 troops, was known as the King of the Northwest. The leader of the Jin Sui Army in Yan Xishan, with 200,000 mercenaries, was known as the Emperor tu of Shanxi (who ruled Shanxi for 38 years, becoming the longest local warlord in the history of the Republic of China).
In fact, these two had defected to the Beiyang warlords before this, and later the revolutionary army in the south was huge and won the victory in the First Northern Expedition War, and seeing that the Beiyang warlords were about to fall, these two newspapers announced their willingness to support the southern revolutionary army and submit to Dr. Sun Yat-sen. This led to the Second Northern Expedition.
Feng Yuxiang
The First Northern Expedition was owned by the Northern ExpeditionAry Army with eight corps, while in the Second Northern Expedition, Chiang Kai-shek commanded the First Army (as commander-in-chief), Feng Yuxiang served as the commander-in-chief of the Second Army, Yan Xishan,300,000,000,000," and Li Zongren as commander-in-chief of the Fourth Army. The commander-in-chief of the whole army is Chiang Kai-shek, the chief of staff He Yingqin, and the whole army has more than 40 armies and about 700,000 people. However, during this period, in order to consolidate himself, Chiang Kai-shek co-opted Feng and Yan, and married Jinlan with these two great warlords at that time, becoming brothers with different surnames. Those who may know history know that Chiang Kai-shek's worship of brothers with others was also a means in his political career. Anyone who became a brother with him did not seem to have a good ending.
Take Feng Yuxiang and Yan Xishan, for example, both of whom were Brothers of Chiang Kai-shek and were also local warlords, but during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the difference in status between the two men could be said to be far apart.
Yan Xishan
After the outbreak of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression in 1937, Chiang Kai-shek served as chairman of the Nanjing High Command, while Feng Yuxiang was vice chairman. On the surface, it seems that Feng Yuxiang's status is second only to Chiang Kai-shek, but Feng Yuxiang does not have any real power, which can be said to be a false position. With Chiang Kai-shek grasping it with one hand, why do you want vice members to do it? For example, during the Liberation War, in addition to the commander-in-chief Lin Zong, the Northeast Democratic United Army and the Northeast Field Army had several deputy commanders, such as Zhou Baozhong, Lü Zhengcao, Xiao Jinguang, and others who were deputy commanders of the Northeast Field Army. Unless you hold a second-time position, you will also hold another position. For example, during the Liberation War, in addition to the commander of the corps, there were also deputy corps commanders, and these deputy corps commanders would concurrently serve as the commanders of a certain army. If you only serve as a deputy commander, it is estimated that there is no real power.
And Feng Yuxiang, the vice chairman, is considered a superficial scenery, but in fact, he does not have much power. Of course, after that, Feng Yuxiang also served as the commander of the Third and Sixth Theaters, but it was not long before he was withdrawn by Chiang Kai-shek, and gu Zhutong was made in the Third Theater, and Chen Cheng in the Sixth Theater took over. Both of them were his confidants. Feng Yuxiang, who was dismissed from his post, also served as the supervisor of the Third Theater, a member of the National Defense Committee, and the chairman of the Pension Committee of the Army, Navy, and Air Force. In fact, these positions do not have the command authority over the troops.
On the contrary, Yan Xishan's position was exactly the opposite of That of Feng Yuxiang, who served as the commander of the Second Theater in the early days of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, under the command of the Sixth and Seventh Army Corps, sitting on the management of the three provinces (Shanxi, Suiyuan, and Chahar), and he was a life and a military officer. He was a theater commander with real power in his hands, and throughout the war of resistance, Yan Xishan was the commander of the second theater. Just by virtue of this, Feng Yuxiang could not compare with Yan Xishan.
Chiang Kai-shek
Then, why were Feng Yuxiang and Yan Xishan both brothers of Chiang Kai-shek, and why was the difference in status between the two so great during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression?
Although these three people are brothers, they are all walking together for their own interests, and there is no real brotherhood. In addition, Feng Yuxiang was defeated in the Battle of the Central Plains, and the Northwest Army was absorbed by Chiang Kai-shek, and when Feng Yuxiang was armed with no soldiers during the War of Resistance, he became the commander of the Light Pole. It's like a persimmon, and Chiang Kai-shek can pinch it as much as he wants. Yan Xishan, on the other hand, was different, the Sixth Army and the Seventh Army during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression were all reorganized by his Jin Sui Army. There are soldiers in the hands, and the waist pole is hard when speaking. Why? Feng Yuxiang and Yan Xishan were both great warlords, and during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the difference in the status of the two was so large.