Li Zongren

Lore & Background

Li Zongren was born in Xixiang Village near Guilin, Guangxi, the second eldest in a Han family. After a patchy education he enrolled in a provincial military school and joined the Tongmenghui in 1910. He graduated from the Guilin Military Cadre Training School and became a platoon commander under warlord Lu Rongting. During a battle in Hunan in 1918, his bravery earned him a promotion to battalion commander. After Lu's defeat, Li built a personal military force and, with Huang Shaoxiong and Bai Chongxi, formed the New Guangxi Clique, recognized by Sun Yat-sen in 1924.

Li reorganized his forces as the Guangxi Pacification Army and became military governor of Guangxi from 1924 to 1925. He was a commanding general in the Northern Expedition, defeating warlords Wu Peifu and Sun Chuanfang. He opposed communism and helped purge Communists in the White Terror. After a falling out with Chiang Kai-shek, he returned to Guangxi and supported Yan Xishan in the Central Plains War. During the Second Sino-Japanese War, he commanded the Fifth War Zone and achieved a major victory at the Battle of Taierzhuang in 1938.

Reader's Guide

Li Zongren's significance lies in his role as a leading military commander and political figure during a turbulent period in Chinese history. As a member of the New Guangxi Clique, he helped stabilize Guangxi and later contributed to the Northern Expedition, which advanced the Kuomintang's unification efforts. His victory at the Battle of Taierzhuang in 1938 was one of the first major Chinese successes against Japan, demonstrating that Chinese forces could hold their own with effective leadership. His tenure as vice-president and acting president of the Republic of China under the 1947 Constitution underscores his political importance. However, his rivalry with Chiang Kai-shek and his expulsion from the party in 1929 highlight the factionalism that plagued the Nationalist government. Li's legacy is that of a capable warlord and general who navigated shifting alliances and contributed to both the Nationalist cause and the defense of China against Japan.

Did You Know?

• Li Zongren joined the Tongmenghui in 1910 but had little understanding of Sun Yat-sen's wider goals at the time.
• During the 1938 Battle of Taierzhuang, Li's forces killed 20,000–30,000 Japanese soldiers and captured large amounts of supplies.
• Li's army was known as the 'Flying Army' and the 'Army of Steel' after victories in Hunan.
• After a falling out with Chiang Kai-shek in 1929, Li was stripped of his posts and expelled from the Kuomintang for life.