Chiang Kai-shek, a controversial figure in modern Chinese history, is largely due to his actions and decisions. During the Revolution, Chiang Kai-shek's performance did not fit the image of a true revolutionary. At this critical moment, he seemed to be more concerned with how to use military power for personal gain than with devoting himself to the revolutionary cause.
When the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression broke out and the Chinese nation faced an unprecedented crisis, Chiang Kai-shek's actions made the Chinese people even more sad. At the moment of national survival, Chiang Kai-shek did not go all out to organize resistance to foreign enemies, but focused on suppressing the heroic fighters and national heroes of the anti-Japanese resistance. This approach has caused deep disappointment and anger among the military and civilians.
Re-examining this history, we can see that Chiang Kai-shek did not show the responsibility and heart of a qualified leader at a critical moment. His behavior undoubtedly called into question his leadership and filled his country with distrust of him. How can such a leader win the hearts and minds of the people and make people support?
Chiang Kai-shek's beginnings
From different perspectives, Chiang Kai-shek in his early days showed remarkable military achievements, especially in the struggle against numerous warlords. At that time, as a member of the National Revolutionary Army, Chiang Kai-shek supported, at least superficially, the Three People's Principles.
At this stage of history, Chiang Kai-shek was fully aware that if these warlords were not brought under management, they would become the biggest obstacle to his dream of national reunification. He therefore threw himself into the battle with a view to laying the foundations for future national integration. In this struggle, the Battle of the Central Plains can be described as one of Chiang Kai-shek's proudest battles.
During the Battle of the Central Plains, Chiang Kai-shek demonstrated extraordinary abilities and successfully weakened warlords such as Yan Xishan and Feng Yuxiang. The war also strengthened Chiang Kai-shek's prestige in the army—which was crucial to him. From the beginning, Chiang Kai-shek had a clear understanding of the importance of military power.
The Northern Expedition became an opportunity for Chiang Kai-shek to accumulate military resources. As the commander-in-chief of the Northern Expedition, although he had more troops than many warlords, he still faced a formidable opponent - Feng Yuxiang.
Chiang Kai-shek knew that victory could not be achieved by relying solely on superiority in troops and equipment. As a result, he began to actively seek the support of domestic conglomerates to obtain more military resources and funds. It also puts pressure on him because he has to use these resources to develop more precise and effective strategies.
Before the outbreak of war, Chiang Kai-shek had already begun to deploy, and he thought of many ingenious tactics before going head-to-head with Feng Yuxiang. But even so, he knows that the road to victory is full of hardships.
At the critical moment of the Northern Expedition, Chiang Kai-shek gained an in-depth understanding of Feng Yuxiang's troop deployment and strategic layout by skillfully bribing enemy insiders. He used this precious information to accurately formulate battle plans, leading his army with a strong confidence and determination. Although his own forces were relatively weak in numbers, Chiang Kai-shek, with his extraordinary wisdom, successfully defeated his opponents and won the war.
With the success of the Northern Expedition, Chiang Kai-shek consolidated his position and went on to become the principal of the Whampoa Military Academy. In this campus full of passion and youthful vitality, he personally cultivated a large number of unswerving and loyal generals. Many of the first cadets of the Whampoa Military Academy went on to become Chiang Kai-shek's right-hand men, undoubtedly building a staunch ally for himself.
During Chiang Kai-shek's tenure as principal of the Whampoa Military Academy, he skillfully turned the military academy into his own political training base. However, this period became the starting point for his gradual decline in political wisdom and leadership.
When Chiang Kai-shek succeeded in mastering the fruits of the revolution and rising to the top of the political and military figures of the Nationalist government, his fortunes changed dramatically. Although he displayed extraordinary political skills, Chiang Kai-shek's performance in the subsequent wars, whether it was the War of Resistance Against Japan or the War of Liberation, was embarrassing.
In that era of strife, Chiang Kai-shek's ability to control the political and military lifelines of the Nationalist government in a short period of time was enough to show his political talent. However, this does not hide his various mistakes in the war. It was these mistakes that put the Nationalist government in a difficult position in the War of Resistance Against Japan and the War of Liberation. The tragic images on the battlefield and the cost of countless soldiers' lives for the country have become a heavy chapter in history, which makes people question Chiang Kai-shek's leadership skills.
In the Nationalist government, Chiang Kai-shek still dominated the many families, although the four major families of Chiang, Song, Kong, and Chen each performed their own duties and were in charge of financial, political, military, and party affairs. Looking back at Chiang Kai-shek's upbringing, he did not have a strong background before he met Soong Meiling, but with extraordinary wisdom and means, he finally sat on the presidential throne.
cronyism
However, in terms of talent selection, Chiang Kai-shek's performance was quite bad. First of all, he had a strong preference for generals from his hometown of Zhejiang and cadets who graduated from the Whampoa Military Academy, resulting in talent selection limited by geography and academic qualifications. In addition, people who are good at flattery often gain his favor, such as Tang Enbo and Huang Baitao.
During the period of the National Government, the four major families of Jiang, Song, Kong, and Chen each had their own responsibilities, respectively controlling the financial, political, military, and party affairs of the Nationalist Government. However, within these families, Chiang Kai-shek's position remained dominant. Looking back at Chiang Kai-shek's life course, we find that he did not have a special background before he met Soong Meiling. But it was with his extraordinary wisdom and skill that he finally ascended to the presidency.
However, in the process of selecting talents, Chiang Kai-shek's performance was quite poor. First of all, he has a clear preference for generals from his hometown of Zhejiang and graduates of the Whampoa Military Academy, which makes the talent selection process limited by geography and academic qualifications. In addition, people who are good at flattery often win his favor, such as Tang Enbo and Huang Baitao.
In the Battle of Menglianggu, the elite reorganized divisions of the nationalist army once let people see the dawn of victory. However, due to the ineffective rescue of some generals and the influence of personal grievances, the soldiers' efforts at the moment of life and death were completely abandoned, and the entire army was eventually destroyed. This tragedy is not only sad, but also infuriating that after the war, Huang Baitao, Tang Enbo and others did not hesitate to sacrifice the interests of these soldiers in order to please their superiors. This hypocrisy makes people feel regret and indignation.
Such a situation was not uncommon under Chiang Kai-shek. Although there were many truly talented generals, they were forced to leave sadly due to cronyism. Bai Chongxi once revealed that Chiang Kai-shek was not smart in the use of troops, he could only deal with small-scale battles, and once he encountered large-scale battles, he would appear helpless. This lack of leadership casts doubt on his judgment.
Li Zongren's evaluation
In addition to Bai Chongxi, Chiang Kai-shek's authority also suffered a formidable opponent in the Nationalist government, that is, Li Zongren. In the military field, Li Zongren was many times better than Chiang Kai-shek. Even though Chiang Kai-shek remained president of the Nationalist government for two decades, Li Zongren dared to judge him.
According to Li Zongren, "Chiang Kai-shek was extremely skilled in politics, but he had no clue in military affairs, and he could not even reach the level of children's play." Li Zongren's words were blunt, but very true: Chiang Kai-shek's position was based on political resources, and he could never be a top commander in war.
In all wars, Chiang Kai-shek's military command has always made people feel puzzled and regretted. On the contrary, Li Zongren was a brilliant general with actual combat experience, and with his excellent command talent and invincible military skills, he won many victories on the battlefield.
However, in the political struggle, Chiang Kai-shek's political skills were unmatched. He was good at using various power tactics to win political competition and become the master of the national government. Li Zongren, on the other hand, was forced to retire from the political arena because of his lack of such political resources.
Although Li Zongren's assessment is caustic, it is irrefutable. During the Nationalist government, politics and military were often intertwined, and Chiang Kai-shek became the protagonist at that time because he had powerful political resources. However, true military genius is the key to winning or losing a war. Li Zongren's evaluation of Chiang Kai-shek reveals this and also highlights his own cleverness.
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