Fu Zuoyi

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Fu Zuoyi 傅作义
June 2, 1895 - April 19, 1974
Allegiance	Republic of China
Rank	General

Fu Zuoyi (Chinese: 傅作义; Wades-Giles: Fu Tso-yi) (June 2, 1895-April 19, 1974) was a Chinese military leader.

[edit] Biography

Fu began his career as an officer in Yen Hsi-shan's Shanxi army. He served with distinction during the Northern Expedition, after Yen had declared his allegiance to the Kuomintang, but later participated in the failed coup against Chiang Kai-shek (1929-1930).

In the early 1930s, he began a close relationship with Zhang Xueliang and became governor of Suiyuan Province and resisted Japanese incursions from Manchukuo into Chahar and more successfully in the Suiyuan Campaign (1936). During Second Sino-Japanese War, he held numerous commands in North China. As Commander of 7th Army Group he fought in the Operation Chahar, Battle of Taiyuan and the 1939-40 Winter Offensive winning the Battle of Wuyuan. He ended the war as Commander of the 12th War Area (Jehol, Chahar, and Suiyuan).

During the Chinese Civil War, Fu's forces (500,000 men) controlled the critically important Suiyuan-Peiping Corridor that separated Manchuria from China proper. After the Communists captured the Manchurian provinces in late 1948, communists infiltrated Fu's inner circle, and pressured Fu to negotiate a peaceful solution for the inevitable communist take over. Compounding the problem, Fu became disillusioned with Chiang, when the last draw came in October, 1948: during the critical strategic defense planning of local region, Chiang suddenly left and left everyone dazzled. It was discovered later that Chiang Ching-kuo had arrested and refused to release his cousin Kong Lingkan (孔令侃) in an effort to punish the economic and financial crimes. Realizing the crime her nephew could be executed for his crime, and Chiang Ching-kuo were highly likely to do to set an example, Soong May-ling order Chiang Kai-shek to immediately fly to Shanghai for the rescue. As Chiang Kai-shek left in the middle of the most important time, Fu and many other nationalist commanders felt that Chiang placed welfare of his family above the country, and it was hopeless. The situation did not improve when communist agents included Fu's own daughter, as well as his most trusted personal secretary, Major General Yan Youwen (阎又文), who was from the same Ronghe Town (荣河) of Wangrong (万荣) county of Yuncheng, where Fu Zuoyi originally came from. Fu began secret negotiations with Lin Biao, in which he arranged the surrender of the Beiping garrison totaling a quarter million on January 31, 1949, with Major General Yan Youwen (阎又文) as his representative, and Fu did not know the true identity of Yan until after the establishment of the People's Republic of China.

Fu’s contributions to the Communist Party of China's success were rewarded with high posts such as the Minister of Hydraulics and those in the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and in the People's Republic of China government. However, Fu was unable to protect his own family members during the Cultural Revolution, including his own daughter, Fu Dongju (傅冬菊), an ardent communist who was an undercover communist agent that played a critical part in infiltrating Fu's inner circle which lead to his eventual surrender in 1949. Fu Dongju was struggled by the Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution. Now she is leading a simple retired life.

Military career

1928 - 1929 General Officer Commanding Tientsin Garrison Command
1929 - 1930 General Officer Commanding 10th Army
1930 - 1932 General Officer Commanding 35th Army
1931 - 1946 Chairman of the Government Suiyuan Province
1933 - 1941 Commander in Chief 7th Army Group
1937 - 1941 General Officer Commanding 35th Corps
1938 Commander in Chief Northern Route Force, 2nd War Area
1939 - 1945 Deputy Commander in Chief 8th War Area
1945 Commander in Chief 12th War Area
1945 - 1947 Director of Kalgan Pacification Headquarters
1946 - 1947 Chairman of the Government of Chahar Province
1947 - 1948 Commander in Chief General Headquarters for Bandit Suppression in North China