General Zhang Zizhong

Biography

Zhang Zizhong was born on August 11, 1891, in Linqing, Shandong province. He became one of China's most celebrated military heroes of the Second Sino-Japanese War — the only Army Commander-level officer killed in action during the entire conflict, and a man whose reputation had first to overcome the stigma of apparent collaboration before his sacrifice could be properly honored. Zhang Zizhong rose through the ranks of the Northern warlord armies to become a trusted commander under Song Zheyuan, who controlled the Peking-Tientsin region in 1937. When the Marco Polo Bridge Incident erupted on July 7, 1937, Zhang Zizhong was in a position that destroyed his reputation in China: as mayor of Tientsin, he was left behind to negotiate with the Japanese while Song Zheyuan and the main Nationalist forces withdrew. His negotiations, which he believed were buying time, made him appear to be a Japanese collaborator to the Chinese public. He returned to Nanjing to find himself condemned as a traitor, spat upon in the streets, and publicly denounced. Zhang Zizhong spent the rest of his life proving the condemnation wrong. Given a chance at command — because Chiang Kai-shek needed experienced officers and Zhang Zizhong begged repeatedly for an opportunity to redeem himself — he became one of China's most aggressive and effective battlefield commanders. He fought with ferocious courage at the Battles of Taierzhuang and in the defense of Wuhan, winning a reputation as one of the few Chinese generals who consistently went on the offensive. His tactical skill and personal bravery under fire earned him his troops' absolute loyalty. At the Battle of Zaoyang-Yichang in May 1940, commanding the 33rd Army Group, Zhang Zizhong crossed the Han River with a small force to disrupt Japanese encirclement operations. Surrounded, with his radio destroyed and communications cut, he refused to retreat. On May 16, 1940, he was shot multiple times while personally directing a rearguard action. His last message to his commanders ordered them to fight to the last man. He was 48 years old. When his body was recovered, the Japanese military — recognizing him as a worthy enemy — wrapped it with full military honors before the Chinese retrieved it. Chiang Kai-shek wept publicly at his state funeral. He remains, to this day, one of China's most revered national heroes.

Key Battles