Sun Mingjiu, this name was written on the side of Huaqing Pond in 1936.
In that year, he participated in the Xi'an Incident that shocked China and the rest of the world, and captured Chiang Kai-shek alive, a brave act that undoubtedly engraved him forever in modern Chinese history. As the dust settles and the war ends, what will be the fate of this figure who once played an important role on the changing stage of history?
Zhang Xueliang and Sun Mingjiu's indissoluble bond
In the late autumn of 1936, Zhang Xueliang secretly established the "Anti-Japanese Comrades Association", a decision made after many considerations. He realized that if he wanted to transform the Northeast Army and improve its combat effectiveness, there must be a force that could promote the awakening of anti-Japanese consciousness internally.
In this context, Sun Mingjiu, a young officer from the Northeast Army, became a leading member of the "Anti-Japanese Comrades Association" by virtue of his firm anti-Japanese stance and outstanding military talent. In that turbulent era, Zhang Xueliang's every decision affected the fate of the Northeast Army and the entire anti-Japanese camp.
The establishment of the "Anti-Japanese Comrades Association" was not a whim, but one of Zhang Xueliang's well-thought-out strategies. He knew very well that in order to make the Northeast Army a force that could truly gain a foothold on the anti-Japanese front, it was necessary to implant a firm anti-Japanese conviction within it. The appearance of Sun Mingjiu just meets this demand of Zhang Xueliang.
His bravery, wisdom and firm stance against Japan made Zhang Xueliang see the hope of the transformation of the Northeast Army. The interaction between Zhang Xueliang and Sun Mingjiu goes beyond the ordinary relationship between superiors and subordinates. In many strategic discussions and combat deployments, Zhang Xueliang gradually discovered that Sun Mingjiu was not only an excellent officer, but also a person with a deep sense of national feelings and national responsibility.
This made Zhang Xueliang have a deep trust and appreciation for him, and also made Sun Mingjiu's position in the "Anti-Japanese Comrades Association" more and more important. It was in this context that Sun Mingjiu became Zhang Xueliang's right-hand man, not only playing a key role in military operations, but also spiritually becoming a symbol of the Northeast Army's will to resist Japan.
Zhang Xueliang's reuse of Sun Mingjiu was not only based on his ability, but also because of his leadership and sacrificial spirit in the anti-Japanese comrades' meeting, which deeply affected the anti-Japanese atmosphere within the Northeast Army.
However, in 1936, China was in a difficult situation at home and abroad. In such an environment, the actions of Zhang Xueliang, Sun Mingjiu and others are undoubtedly full of risks and challenges. The decision to establish the "Anti-Japanese Comrades Association" made them all important figures in future history, but it also meant that they would face a more severe test.
The decision to volunteer to arrest Chiang Kai-shek
In that turbulent era, Sun Mingjiu's decision was filled with heaviness and urgency. Before his plan to volunteer to capture Chiang Kai-shek took shape, he knew that such a move would be fraught with risks that could have unpredictable consequences for him and his family.
As a result, he began to organize his own funeral, a series of actions that showed his deep sense of family responsibility as a soldier. Sun Mingjiu first found Zhang Xueliang and made a request to him, hoping that Zhang Xueliang could take care of his elderly parents when he was unfortunately in trouble.
This request was undoubtedly a heavy promise for Zhang Xueliang, but he did not hesitate and immediately agreed to Sun Mingjiu. Zhang Xueliang's response was not only out of respect and trust for Sun Mingjiu, but also an affirmation of his loyalty and sacrifice.
Subsequently, Sun Mingjiu began to arrange for his own brother to go abroad to avoid trouble. This decision requires careful and meticulous planning, including arranging the route of the trip, preparing the necessary documents, and ensuring that there are sufficient funds to support his brother's life abroad. In dealing with all these matters, Sun Mingjiu shows his deep love for his family and serious consideration of the unknown risks of the future.
In this series of preparations, Sun Mingjiu's communication with his family must have been full of heavy psychological burdens, although these scenes are not directly depicted in the records, it is conceivable that as the pillar of the family, he must have been full of grief and reluctance when he said goodbye to his family.
These actions not only prepared him for the worst-case scenario he may face, but also demonstrated his deep sense of responsibility as a son and a brother. After all these arrangements were completed, Sun Mingjiu threw himself into the preparations for the capture of Chiang Kai-shek.
In the process, his actions are full of determination and courage, but these arrangements behind it show another side of him as an ordinary person - his concern for his family and his careful handling of the uncertainty of the future.
Transitions and Choices: Sun Mingjiu's Political Wanderings
After the Xi'an incident, the balance of power in China's political arena has changed subtly. This incident not only brought about a brief period of harmony in the domestic political landscape, but also provided some military figures such as Sun Mingjiu with new options. After the incident, Sun Mingjiu's vacillation in his political stance became a complicated and difficult experience in his life.
Sun Mingjiu once followed some forces within the Northeast Army and turned to support the Communist Party, hoping to find his foothold in the tide of resistance against Japan. His decision was based on the consideration of the overall situation of the confrontation with Japan, and he also hoped that by joining the Communist Party, he could more effectively promote the integration of anti-Japanese forces in the country.
However, after arriving at the Communist Party station, Sun Mingjiu soon found that he could not continue to live the chic life before, and the Communist Party had too many rules. With the passage of time, the Kuomintang and the Communist Party once again moved towards cooperation in order to resist the pressure of the Japanese invaders, and the second Kuomintang-Communist cooperation began.
This change in the political background provides an opportunity for Sun Mingjiu to reconsider his position and future. After much deliberation, he finally made the decision to leave the communist station, an action that marked another major shift in his political line. After Sun Mingjiu left the Communist Party, he did not immediately find a new political home.
His decision was driven more out of the pursuit of personal freedom and dissatisfaction with the current political environment. For a period of time after that, Sun Mingjiu, like many people in turbulent times, was in a state of wait-and-see and wandering, looking for a platform that could truly exert his abilities and conform to his political beliefs.
However, Sun Mingjiu's decision also laid the groundwork for his future political path. After leaving the Communist Party, he was gradually drawn into the whirlpool of domestic politics, and his choices and positions were concerned and interpreted by all sides.
In the years that followed, Sun Mingjiu's political career experienced more twists and turns, and every decision he made became an important reference for evaluating his political position and historical status.
All or nothing: join the Wang Ching-wei government
Sun Mingjiu made a choice that made future generations talk about it - he took refuge in the Wang Jingwei government. This choice is not only based on the instinct of survival, but also the expectation that he will be able to obtain a certain position of power in Wang's puppet government. In the Wang Jingwei government, Sun Mingjiu was entrusted with the important task of plotting against the Northeast Army.
This task is not only challenging, but also fraught with risks. Many officers in the Northeast Army were former comrades-in-arms of Sun Mingjiu, and they had a deep friendship and a common belief in resisting Japan. However, under pressure from Wang Jingwei's government, Sun Mingjiu had to face this task full of moral dilemmas.
During the period of carrying out the task of countering rebellion, Sun Mingjiu must carefully balance the relations between various aspects, and at the same time, he must always be vigilant against possible counter-measures in the Northeast Army. In the process, Sun Mingjiu's actions are full of caution and secrecy, and he needs to use his wisdom and strategy to gather as much intelligence as possible while avoiding revealing his true intentions.
However, as the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression came to an end, the situation of Wang Jingwei's government became increasingly precarious. In 1945, with the surrender of Japan, the Wang Jingwei government quickly collapsed, and the once power structure and political background changed radically. For Sun Mingjiu, this not only means that he has lost his political backing, but also means that he must once again face a major political choice.
After the collapse of Wang Jingwei's government, Sun Mingjiu was faced with a completely new political situation. The balance of power at home has changed significantly, and the victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression has brought new opportunities and challenges to China's political landscape. Sun Mingjiu must re-examine his position and role and find a new political home.
In this process, Sun Mingjiu's choice is particularly difficult. On the one hand, he must confront the negative impact of his historical actions in the Wang Ching-wei government, and on the other hand, he also needs to consider how to survive in the new political environment.
Returning to the Kuomintang and changing in his later years
With the end of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression in 1945, China's political landscape once again faced a major shift. At such a critical historical moment, Sun Mingjiu, the general of the Northeast Army who had undergone multiple identity changes, surrendered to the Kuomintang again, hoping to find his place in the power system reconstructed by the Kuomintang.
With his deep relationship with Zhang Xueliang and his status as a general of the Northeast Army, Sun Mingjiu was given the extremely secret and controversial task of secretly carrying out assassinations against Communist leaders in the Northeast. Behind this mission was the KMT's deep concern about the growing Communist Party and its determination to try to weaken the Communist leadership through assassinations.
As the executor, Sun Mingjiu's actions are full of danger and put him himself at great risk. However, the course of history is intertwined by complex factors, and Sun Mingjiu was not able to inflict substantial harm on the Communist Party in the course of carrying out his mission.
With the development of the domestic situation and the outbreak of the Liberation War, Sun Mingjiu was quickly captured by the People's Liberation Army at this historical stage. As a former general of the Northeast Army and an official of Wang Jingwei's government, Sun Mingjiu's identity was complex and sensitive, and the People's Liberation Army's capture of him was undoubtedly motivated by the importance of his historical role.
However, after a detailed examination of Sun Mingjiu's historical behavior, the leadership of the new China adopted a more tolerant attitude. They recognized that although Sun Mingjiu had been involved in the assassination of Communist Party leaders, it had not actually had serious consequences, and that his actions were motivated more by the pressures of the circumstances than by the intrinsic hostility of the Communist Party.
After an assessment of Sun Mingjiu's historical behavior, it was decided not to pursue him. This decision demonstrated the generosity and tolerance of the leaders of the People's Republic of China in the political environment at that time, and also reflected their tolerant attitude in dealing with domestic historical contradictions. As a result, Sun Mingjiu was able to regain his freedom and find a suitable position in the new political environment.
After the founding of New China, Sun Mingjiu's life ushered in a turning point. His experience and ability were re-evaluated, and Sun Mingjiu was hired as a counselor of the Shanghai Municipal Government to participate in the construction of New China. In addition, he also served as a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and a member of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.
Resources:
Modern Chinese History
Research on the Northeast Army and the Xi'an Incident