The War in China in Pictures

[oirob]

... a quite important conflict during the chinese Warlord-era in 1924.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Zhi ... ngtian_War

[michael mills]

Earlier on this thread, on 12 February, I wrote this:

I recall that a historian of China once told me that a lot of features that we think of as typical of Chinese Communism were in fact copied from the style of government of the warlord Feng Yuxiang. For example, the so-called "Mao suit" and cap were worn by Fengyuxiang and his soldiers.

Also the practice of mobilising the entire population to carry out projects such as building dams or canals was borrowed from Feng Yuxiang's government.

According to this historian, Mao borrowed a lot of these practices and styles from Feng Yuxiang after the the Chinese Communists had settled in Shanxi after the Long March, an area which had been under the influence of Feng.

I now realise that the warlord concerned was actually Yan Xishan, governor of Shanxi.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yan_Xishan

[YC Chen]

In fact I once thought the warlord was Yan Xishan when discussing the matter with you. It is quite logical: the Communists cooperated with Yan extensively in the early stage of the War of Resistance(interestingly a few years later both of them seemed eager to erase this part of history), and if you look at Yan's "San Zi Chuan Xun"(三自传训) in late 1940s, that's just what the Communists did 20 years later.

But there's a big problem: it seems that Yan Xishan's army never used the pattern of clothes used by Feng Yuxiang and the Red Army.

[YC Chen]

Scans from a chinese Photo-book about the"Second Zhili–Fengtian War":

http://www.douban.com/photos/album/65348993/?start=0

Not a photo book, but the contemprary issue of "東方畫報".
These photos are of the Jiangsu-Chekiang War which is often considered as the southern battlefield of Second Chili-Fengtian War.

[oirob]

1900s Chinese Soldiers in Infantry Field Uniform - Color Photo Lantern Slide:

5023[1].jpg (45.89 KiB) Viewed 2914 times

5022[1].jpg (44.83 KiB) Viewed 2914 times

[Leo Niehorster]

This is a really great thread. Thanks for posting all those pictures, and the comments.

Leo

[michael mills]

But there's a big problem: it seems that Yan Xishan's army never used the pattern of clothes used by Feng Yuxiang and the Red Army.

Yes, I was mistaken.

I was led astray by the resemblance of Feng Yuxiang's uniform to that of later PLA officers, for example in this photo of him together with Jiang Jieshi and Yan Xishan:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... yan-1-.jpg

Feng Yuxiang looks exactly like a later PLA officer, whereas both Jiang Jieshi and Yan Xishan wear the typical Chinese officer's uniform of the 1930s.

That is why, when I saw the photos of Feng Yuxiang, I thought he must have been the warlord that the lecturer had been talking about, the one who influenced Mao and the Chinese Communists.

Is there any information on why Feng Yuxiang adopted the very simple style of dress without insignia that was later typical of the PLA in the 1960s? Earlier photos of him show him wearing the very gaudy dress unifom of Chinese generals, with a plume on the kepi, for example this one:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... xiang2.jpg

Is it known whetehr the PLA adopted its simple, non-military style of dress from that of Feng Yuxiang?

[michael mills]

1900s Chinese Soldiers in Infantry Field Uniform - Color Photo Lantern Slide:

Is this the first Western-style uniform adopted by the Chinese Army?

I have read that according to official regulations, the summer uniform was a light grey cotton (that seems to be the one shown) while the winter uniform was a darker grey-green.

The photos in this thread show Chinese soldiers wearing a wide variety of different uniforms. I suppose that was because it was difficult to produce large numbers of uniforms that complied with the regulations.

[oirob]

[oirob]

North-China Daily News - Caricatures and Sketches:

http://www.chinaheritagequarterly.org/f ... &issue=022

‘Some of the Russian Soldiers and a Portion of the Armoured Train; Sketched at Shanghai North Station by Sapajou’. Source: NCDN, 30 January 1925. (The accompanying article observed: ‘It was noticeable that these men punctiliously saluted their Chinese officers’)

fig12[1].jpg (101.48 KiB) Viewed 2764 times

‘Sapajou’s Observations on the Liuho Front: Dull work—with other fellows at dinner too!; Such pretty country to spoil; Always merry and bright—a typical Chekiang soldier’. Source: NCDN, 10 September 1924

fig16[1].jpg (67.95 KiB) Viewed 2764 times

‘Gen. Chiang Kai-shek—“The landing doesn’t look particularly attractive on those nasty spiky things” ’. Source: NCDN, 26 August 1926.

fig20[1].jpg (129.61 KiB) Viewed 2763 times

[oirob]

1911 Revolution:

[oirob]

from ebay-seller "24829george"

description quote:

"Original and authentic photo of an old and very basic-looking Chinese armored vehicle, circa 1930's. From the estate of a U.S. Navy seaman who served on the U.S.S. Luzon / Yangtze Patrol before and during the Sino-Japanese Wars.

The car looks like it has been made from scrap parts, so clumsy does it look, but it probably did the job for which it was made. The vehicle appears to have been made from old soup cans, without the labels.
...
There is a soldier standing alongside the vehicle, he is holding an item, possibly binoculars."

[YC Chen]

Thanks a lot oirob!! This must be the most lovely Chinese armoured car I have ever seen. The shape and the round turret reminds me of improvised armored cars in Spanish Civil War.
I don't have much to tell as there is very little information on Chinese homebuilt armored cars in 1930s. I'm thinking if the uniform of the soldier can reveal some information. The white cap make me think of Chen Jitang's Cantonese soldiers in mid-1930s.

[ralphrepo]

LOL... It looks like something straight out of Flash Gordon. I'm half expecting Ming the Merciless to step out of that thing any moment.

[oirob]

from ebay seller "mixa11", pictures of the "Second Revolution" 1913: