All along, there have always been two extremes in the evaluation of Chen Jiongming, one of which is represented by the book "The History of Chen Jiongming's Treason," because Chen Jiongming opposed Sun Sun, so that everything he did was downright bad, while the other was represented by Chen Dingyan and Gao Zonglu, who co-authored the book "A Great Reversal of Modern History:The Truth of Chen Jiongming's Enmity with Sun Yat-sen and Chiang Kai-shek," which praised Chen Jiongming as an "outstanding politician and military expert." These two very different evaluations seem to have more emotional color and ethical interference, and less of an objective and rational analysis and research.
In the spring of 1925, when the Eastern Crusade army was breaking through the bamboo and winning victories, Sun Yat-sen died in Beijing, and Chen Jiongming had also fled to Shanghai in defeat. Under such circumstances, Chen Jiongming still personally planned to draw a picture to Sun Yat-sen, saying: Only a hero can kill people alive, and the merits and crimes are right and wrong, and there is a thousand autumns and young histories; and the old friends have fought again and again, and the public vendetta and private friendship are all known by an inch.
This former Qingxiu was not confused at all, he knew that history should be left for future research, so he had a calm posture that was left to be commented on by future generations.
No one can deny that Chen Jiongming is indeed a prominent figure in China's modern history, as well as an extremely influential politician and military figure. Let's first look at his illustrious resumes: Former Qing Xiucai, a member of the Qing Dynasty provincial council, who participated in the League, organized a revolutionary assassination group, planned the Dongjiang Uprising and independence, participated in the Yuan Rebellion, was one of the number one figures wanted by Yuan Shikai for a reward and arrest, served as the governor of Guangdong Province and the governor of Guangdong Province and the commander-in-chief of the Guangdong Army, did ten good things recognized by everyone for Guangdong during his reign in Guangdong, and was once the only military force on which Sun Yat-sen relied, and for the sake of officials and honesty, there was a political voice of "not ruling private property, not embezzling, not accepting bribes, and not being different in his life."
Why, then, did Chen Jiongming later openly break with Sun Yat-sen and become an opposing side?
Sun Yat-sen devoted his life to the establishment of a democratic, republican and unified China, and it was precisely because this grand goal conformed to the historical trend and China's national conditions that he established his lofty position during the Xinhai Revolution. After the victory of the Xinhai Revolution, although the Qing Dynasty was overthrown, the true unification of China was not realized, the warlords were divided, and civil wars broke out.
After the May Fourth Movement, many people in the military, political, and cultural circles believed that since neither the governments of the North nor the South were able to unify China, it was better for the provinces to take the lead in self-government rather than conquest for years. Chen Jiongming, who was the most enthusiastic about this proposal, believed that Guangdong's affairs should be handled well first, and then the autonomy of the provinces should be implemented.
It was precisely this kind of political dissent that drove Chen Jiongming, relying on his strong military strength, began with the military operations of the Northern Expedition and gradually developed into an open confrontation with Sun Yat-sen and actively promoted his political ideas of "Cantonese rule of Guangdong" and "autonomy of the provinces."
"Provincial autonomy" is nothing more than a reproduction of the independence of each province, and "joint provincial autonomy" is, in the final analysis, a situation in which warlords rule and occupy the mountains as kings, which is incompatible with the political program of unifying China and establishing a democratic republic that Sun Yat-sen has always adhered to, and is completely contrary to the common will of compatriots throughout the country to "overthrow the warlords and overthrow the great powers."
On April 21, 1922, Sun Yat-sen had to order the abolition of the General Headquarters of the Guangdong Army, and Chen Jiongming resigned as the commander-in-chief of the Guangdong Army, the governor of Guangdong Province, and the chief of the Interior Department of the Military Government, retaining only the post of Chief of the Army Department of the Military Government. Chen Jiongming was indignant and left the provincial capital late that night to return to Huizhou, the place where he had revolted. The Cantonese army had no commander, military discipline was lax, and it was reluctant to relocate to the outskirts of Guangzhou. Chen Jiongming's heart began to attack Sun Yat-sen with this matter, and he strongly demanded the restoration of the General Headquarters of the Guangdong Army and the restoration of Chen Jiongming's post. Sun Yat-sen returned to Guangzhou on June 1 to coordinate the handling of the matter, but in the end he could not solve it, so he had to order the Cantonese army to withdraw from Guangzhou and explain the relationship between Sun and Chen to reporters. However, instead of withdrawing from Guangzhou, Ye Ju and Yang Kunru's various departments moved their troops from the outskirts closer to the city. In the face of Chen Jiongming's threat of force and advance, Sun Yat-sen ordered the troops to return to the province and set up a fort at Guanyin Mountain, making certain preparations for coping with the Guangzhou incident.
At 3:00 a.m. on June 16, Ye Ju suddenly led his troops to surround and suppress the Presidential Palace Guard. Sun Yat-sen quickly left the capital to arrive at the naval headquarters, boarded the Chu Yu ship, and drafted a telegram ordering all armies to attack Chen Rebellion, so that the Northern Expeditionary Army immediately returned to Guangzhou to rescue. Ye Ju led his troops to the forts of Lianke Wuchong, Humen, Yuzhu, Shajiao, and Weiyuan, and posted a notice on the streets of Guangzhou in the name of the commander-in-chief of the Guangdong Army: "The national order is restored, and the protection of the law is over." The Guangdong army went north and unanimously agreed. Please sundowne to show the public. Merchants, etc., fortunately do not be alarmed. In order to protect Sun Yat-sen's safety, on June 17, representatives from all walks of life in Guangzhou went to the ship to persuade Sun to go down. Sun believed that there was no hope of counterattacking Guangzhou, so he went to Hong Kong and shanghai on August 12. On August 15, Chen Jiongming returned to Guangzhou from Huizhou and resumed his post as commander-in-chief.
As soon as Sun Yat-sen arrived in Shanghai, he dispatched and liaison various armies to form a joint army against Chen, zhang Kairu was appointed commander-in-chief of the guangdong, Guizhou, Hunan and Yunnan armies on the orders of Sun Yat-sen, and led Shen Hongying, Yang Ximin, and Liu Zhenhuan to attack the Beijiang and Xijiang rivers in Guangdong from Guangxi. On January 15, 1923, Chen Jiongming's army was defeated and withdrew from Guangzhou to retreat to Shilong, and a telegram was sent to dismiss the commander-in-chief of the Guangdong Army, the coalition army occupied Guangzhou, and Chen Jiongming returned to Huizhou again.
Since 1923, people from all walks of life inside and outside the province have done a lot of mediation work on the relationship between Sun and Chen, but in the end they cannot reconcile. Sun Yat-sen insisted that Chen Jiongming openly admit his mistake, punish the officer Ye Ju, and obey the overall situation and lead his division north. Chen Jiongming, on the other hand, insisted on protecting the territory and the people, implemented the autonomy of the united provinces, and sent the Guangdong guest army to the Northern Expedition.
Due to the differences in the views of Sun and Chen and the fact that the differences were too great, fierce battles have been fought in Hui, Chao, Shantou, Mei, and other places over the past two years, and the Dongjiang area has been full of wars and huge losses. From 1923 to 1924, Sun Yat-sen personally went to Huizhou twice to supervise the battle, and finally because of the thick walls of Huizhou City, Chen Jiongming and Yang Kunru stubbornly resisted, and the Eastern Expeditionary Army could not attack for a long time. At that time, Huizhou City had become a "trapped city" for half a year, and the residents were hungry and hungry. Sun Yat-sen, concerned about the safety of the people, had to order the withdrawal of troops.
After the withdrawal of the combined forces of the Eastern Expedition, Chen Jiongming once again organized military forces with the intention of counterattacking Guangzhou and overthrowing the Nationalist government. During several years of tug-of-war, Sun Yat-sen deeply realized that the Guangzhou government would never have a peaceful day without completely defeating Chen Jiongming, and relying on the warlords of Yunnan and Guizhou would never be able to crush Chen Jiongming, let alone unify China. As a result, Sun Yat-sen was determined to reorganize the Kuomintang and rely on the Soviet Union and the Communists to realize the great cause of China's reunification.
In the spring of 1924, the Kuomintang "First Congress" was held in Guangzhou, and the congress adopted Sun Yat-sen's three major political programs of united Russia, the united republic, and the support of peasants and workers; with the help of the Soviet Union and the Communists, the Whampoa Military Academy was born on Changzhou Island in Guangzhou and became the cradle of revolutionary officers who fought for doctrine, and the student army of the Whampoa Military Academy eventually became the backbone of the Guangdong army that defeated Chen Jiongming.
Chen Jiongming lived in seclusion in Hong Kong after his defeat, and wrote articles such as "Discussion on the Reunification of China" and died in Hong Kong on September 22, 1933. On his deathbed, Chen Jiongming instructed his descendants to bury his body in Ziwei Mountain on the edge of Lake E, Huizhou. At the funeral, more than 300 Kuomintang military and political dignitaries and famous people came to pay their respects.
Chen Youyun pulled Chen Jiongming to lian: "Gambling has been banned, opium and tobacco have been banned, and all his life he has braved all odds and dared to act boldly, but he is a heroic skill; he has been a governor and commander-in-chief, and he has not even half a pen until he dies, so how can he tolerate this corrupt and inferior world!" Ju Zheng pulled Chen Jiongming to lian: "The national disease has fallen, remembering the past years with the banner of righteousness, Jiuxin strong man swallowed the beard; QiZhang sighed and fell, look at this day to return to the Pure Land, empty of special honors Lingnan!" Such a beautiful burial can also be regarded as a full affirmation of Chen Jiongming's contribution to the Xinhai Revolution in the early days.
Today, the oval tomb of Chen Jiongming's tomb is almost covered by weeds and shrubs, and there is no sign of people coming to worship and hang. A figure with a horizontal sword and a prancing horse, who is so brilliant when he is alive, but so depressed after death. Is this contrast too great? If there is no opposition to the Northern Expedition, if there is no "6•16" mutiny shelling of the presidential palace, if ... How will The fate of Chen Jiongming rewrite the history of China? What will it be like in front of his tomb?