People who have watched the anti-Japanese drama and are familiar with the history of the anti-Japanese war know a general named Zhang Zizhong, who is a senior general of the Kuomintang and a national hero that the whole Chinese must remember.
Speaking of Zhang Zizhong, we have to start from the fact that he did not fight a battle and did not lose Peiping with a single shot. In 1937, Japan launched a full-scale invasion of China, after the "Lugou Bridge Incident", the Japanese army was ready to attack Beiping, the Pingjin area at that time was guarded by the commanders of the Twenty-ninth Army Song Zheyuan and Zhang Zizhong, the two believed that as long as they had good relations with the Japanese, they could defend Pingjin, but this time Japan made up its mind, until the soldiers came to the city, Song Zheyuan and Zhang Zizhong realized that Beiping was afraid that it could not be defended. Song Zheyuan took the main force away on the pretext of "retaining a little foundation for the Northwest Army" and left the Pingjin area to Zhang Zizhong. The main force did not withdraw, and the victory with the Japanese army was not very large, and now the main force has withdrawn, relying on Beiping to take some residual troops, it is impossible to defend the Japanese siege. After Song Zheyuan took away the main force, Zhang Zizhong said: I am afraid that I am going to become a traitor!
After some ideological struggle, Zhang Zizhong posted a notice to the people of An min and let the Japanese army enter the city, and the Japanese army took Beiping City without spending a single soldier, and Zhang Zizhong surrendered without a fight and absconded out of the city. Since this day, Zhang Zizhong's name has spread throughout the country: Traitor! Be loyal!
In the month of the destruction of Beijing, Zhang Zizhong lived in self-shame, he wrote a blood letter to Chiang Kai-shek, wanting to atone for his sins, but he never got reused again, until Li Zongren's strong recommendation, coinciding with Chiang Kai-shek's employment, let Zhang Zizhong act as the commander of the Fifty-ninth Army, and it was also this opportunity that Zhang Zizhong began a life of "atonement".
In February 1938, the Battle of Linyi. Zhang Zizhong led the Fifty-ninth Army, supported Pang Bingxun's troops, stubbornly defended Linyi, fought a bloody battle for seven days and seven nights, and defeated the Fifth Division of the Japanese "Iron Army", and it was precisely this battle that not only made the Japanese re-understand Zhang Zizhong, but also let the people of the whole country re-understand Zhang Zizhong, not a traitor, but an active anti-Japanese resistance.
In March 1938, at the Battle of Xuzhou, Zhang Zizhong and his troops specifically picked the most dangerous work to do dirty work. Before each battle, Zhang Zizhong would write a suicide note and destroy it if he came back alive. In 1939, Zhang Zizhong was promoted to commander-in-chief of the Thirty-third Army, and also the commander-in-chief of the Right Wing Corps of the Fifth Theater, for more than a year, no large and small battles were lost, and in each battle, Zhang Zizhong rushed to the front line to fight personally.
In May 1940, the Battle of Zaoyi, Zhang Zizhong's last battle. On May 15, the Japanese inadvertently determined the exact location of the headquarters of the Thirty-third Army, so they led more than 5,000 people to surround Zhang Zizhong's headquarters, and Zhang Zizhong had only 1,500 people around him. This time, Zhang Zizhong decided not to escape from the front, gave up the opportunity to break through, and decided to hold his position. On the morning of the 16th, the Japanese army launched a general attack, zhang Zizhong insisted on commanding the battle on the front line, and he was shot several times and still did not retreat half a step.
A bullet was shot into Zhang Zizhong's abdomen, and the fallen Zhang Zizhong was stabbed into the body by the bayonets of the Japanese soldiers, martyred himself, and atonement for his loss of Peiping.
The Japanese soldiers who stabbed Zhang Zizhong to death found a fountain pen in Zhang Zizhong's pocket with the words "Zhang Zizhong" engraved on it. The Japanese soldier was surprised that the commander-in-chief of the Thirty-third Army, in such an environment, fought with his men until the last moment. The chief of staff of the Thirty-ninth Division of the Japanese Army, Zhuan Tian Shengshou, had several encounters with Zhang Zizhong, knelt down to arrange Zhang Zizhong's appearance, and buried him after cleaning. The Japanese troops present saluted Zhang Zizhong's tomb collectively, and the Japanese army also interjected the news of Zhang Zizhong's death on the radio and expressed their most sincere respect for him.
On the Nationalist side, the 38th Division and the 179th Division, upon learning of Zhang Zizhong's death, immediately sent death squads to attack the enemy camp at night and take Zhang Zizhong's body with them. The remains will be sent to Chongqing, and when passing through Yichang, 100,000 ordinary people will cry and send them, during which the Japanese aircraft will hover over Yichang and leave without dropping a single bullet. Zhang Zizhong's body was transported to Chongqing by the waterway of the Yangtze River, and the people along the yangtze river could not kneel for a long time, and after arriving in Chongqing, Chiang Kai-shek personally boarded a boat to greet the spirit. The National Government issued a state funeral order, issued the "Rongzi No. 1" Honor and Mourning Certificate, and placed Zhang Zizhong's plaque in the Ancestral Hall of the Martyrs, ranking first.
Zhang Zizhong was a general when he died for the country, and was the highest rank general sacrificed by the allies in the entire War of Resistance Against Japan and even in World War II. Who has not died since ancient times, left Dan to take care of Khan Qing, Zhang Zi loyally dedicated himself to battle, worthy of the country, worthy of the whole nation!