On August 1, 1943, Lin Sen, the veteran of the Kuomintang and the then chairman of the National Government, died in a car accident in Chongqing at the age of 75. After the news of Lin Sen's death spread, people in the government were panicked, various conspiracy theories emerged one after another, and all walks of life had different opinions on this.
On the night of Lin Sen's death, the Standing Committee of the Kuomintang passed a resolution to elect Chiang Kai-shek as acting chairman of the National Government. From this moment on, Chiang Kai-shek tore off the last piece of "camouflage cloth" and firmly consolidated the three powers of the "party, government and military" Catch it in your own hands.
Chiang Kai-shek's "can't wait" can't help but make people suspicious, thinking that he is inseparable from Lin Sen's death. After all, Chiang's "assassin" background is best at engaging in such dirty methods as "assassination", plus his hands There is also a "King of Secret Agents" below - Dai Li . It is very easy to carry out an assassination disguised as an accident on his own territory.
But for Chiang Kai-shek, killing Lin Sen was really unnecessary. For this reason, he specifically asked Dai Li: Did you do it? So how did Dai Li answer? Is Lin Sen's death related to Chiang Kai-shek?
Lin Sen
1. From a young hero to a veteran of the Kuomintang
In 1883, 16-year-old Lin Sen, after graduating from the Department of Electrical Engineering of the Central and Western School in Taiwan, entered the Taipei Telecommunications Bureau and became a grassroots "civil servant" in the Manchu Qing government.
Although China at that time was bullied by the great powers, the self-improvement movement of the Westernization achieved good results, and the people still had a glimmer of hope for the Manchu . However, the disastrous defeat of the Sino-Japanese War of 1894 and the annihilation of the Beiyang Navy shattered the Westernizationists' dream of "self-improvement" and made some Chinese people realize that foreign guns and cannons cannot make China strong. What really limits China's rise is The decadent Manchu Qing government and backward feudal system. As a result, the idea of national revolution began to spread in society, and many young people with lofty ideals began to secretly engage in anti-Qing activities. Lin Sen was one of them.
The signing scene of the "Treaty of Shimonoseki"
From the signing of the "Treaty of Shimonoseki" in 1895, Lin Sen devoted all his energy to the anti-Qing cause. In the process, he and Sun Yat-sen, Song Jiaoren, Huang Xing and other bigwigs formed a profound revolutionary friendship, and together they founded the prototype of the Kuomintang - the China Alliance.
On October 10, 1911, the revolutionaries, mainly the Literary Society and the Communist Party of China, launched an armed uprising in Wuchang, China. On October 23, Lin Sen, who was in Jiujiang, China, led his troops to respond to the uprising and was elected as the leader of the Communist Party of China. Chief of Civil Affairs of Jiujiang Military Government.
Li Liejun
In the middle of the night, Lin Sen and Li Liejun led the rebel army to control the Jinjipo Fort, blockaded the Yangtze River, cut off the water supply of the Hankou Qing army, effectively supported the Wuchang Revolutionary Army, and enabled the Qing navy stationed on the Wuhan River to supply supplies. The line is seriously threatened.
At this time, the Qing army was not monolithic. The people in the navy were heading south and were unwilling to serve the decadent Manchu Qing government. When the fleet commander Sa Zhenbing saw this situation, he realized that the Manchus' destiny was about to end, so he He claimed to the outside world that he was ill and wanted to go to Shanghai for medical treatment, and handed over the command of the fleet to the revolutionary party Huang Zhongying . So all the ships hung white flags and all turned to the revolutionary party.
Later, with his outstanding performance in the Xinhai Revolution and his strong qualifications as a veteran revolutionary, Lin Sen took office as the Senate President of the Nanjing National Provisional Government in January of the first year of the Republic of China, and began the exploration of China's democratization.
Yuan Shikai
However, Lin Sen's exploration of China's democratization was destined to be full of ups and downs. After Yuan Shikai seized the fruits of the revolution, he expelled the National Assembly, and Lin Sen was forced to lead the congressmen south. In the following years, China fell into a quagmire of warlord warfare. Parliamentarians and elections became a battleground for warlords to gain fame, and the democratic electoral system existed in name only.
Faced with this country that was riddled with holes, Sun Yat-sen realized that China's democratization could not be promoted by just relying on congressmen's rhetoric. Building its own armed forces was the only way to find a way out.In October 1923, Sun Yat-sen decided to reorganize the Kuomintang and at the same time formed his own revolutionary force in the Guangdong base camp. Under the banner of "alliance with Russia, alliance with the Communist Party, and support of farmers and workers," Sun Yat-sen recruited a large number of Communists into the Kuomintang and used new ideas to Armed troops.
The National Congress
Reorganization movement and ideological revolution gave the Kuomintang a new look. The addition of communists eliminated the hooligan atmosphere left by the anti-Qing groups in the past. A revolutionary group fighting for the national revolution and the Northern Expedition gradually formed.
Huangpu Military Academy
However, in Lin Sen’s eyes, the joining of the Communists diluted the “party spirit” of the Kuomintang. After all, in the eyes of an “old revolutionary” like him, the peasant and working class are inherently inferior, and “democracy” should not radiate to the people at the bottom. , if their minds are liberated, how can the big capitalists and capital still seize profits? If the big dogs don’t have small money, then the political donations that support “democracy” will naturally disappear. How can there be any new achievements in politics?
Under the influence of this reactionary thought, Lin Sen gathered Zou Lu, Juzheng, Xie Chi and other Kuomintang elders to form an anti-communist political alliance in an attempt to safeguard the power of big capital and bureaucratic capital. interests within the Kuomintang.
Hu Hanmin
2. The love-hate relationship with Chiang Kai-shek
On March 12, 1925, Mr. Sun Yat-sen passed away in Beijing. After that, the entire Kuomintang fell into internal strife. On the one hand, the leftists headed by Liao Zhongkai and others adhered to Mr. Sun’s last wish, continued to unite with Russia and the Communist Party, and then organized the Northern Expedition to complete the great cause of the Chinese revolution.
On the other hand, the Xishan Conference faction headed by Lin Sen and Hu Hanmin advocated expelling all communists, launching a party purge movement, ending the alliance with Russia and the Communist Party program, and safeguarding the "purity" of the Blue Sky and White Sun Flag.
There is no doubt that the methods used by Lin Sen and others were standard political pediatrics. With the joint efforts of the Kuomintang leftists and communists, Lin Sen and other Xishan Conference faction were expelled from the top leadership of the Kuomintang. Lin Sen himself was sent to Nanjing to preside over the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. Mountain mausoleum construction.
Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum
The days of working as a supervisor at Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum were boring. The many leisure hours made Lin Sen realize that the Communist Party and the left were on the side of justice, and the possibility of overthrowing them through political means was almost zero. In order to truly accomplish this, The great cause of "purging the party" must find another way.
Just when Lin Sen was wondering how to expel the Communists, on April 12, 1927, Chiang Kai-shek, the commander-in-chief of the Northern Expeditionary Army, brazenly launched a counter-revolutionary coup with the support of imperialism and big capitalists, massacring communists and revolutionaries The masses seized the fruits of victory in the Northern Expedition.
Chiang Kai-shek
Although Chiang Kai-shek's approach enabled Lin Sen to achieve his goal, it does not mean that the two can become an offensive and defensive alliance! On the contrary, for Kuomintang veterans like Lin Sen, Chiang Kai-shek was a standard political upstart. During the anti-Qing revolution, Chiang Kai-shek hugged Chen Qimei and became Chen Qimei's number one accomplice. He personally assassinated Tao Chengzhang, the leader of the Restoration Association, and was a political hooligan who rose to power through wild means. During Chen Jiongming's rebellion , Chiang Kai-shek showed superb acting skills comparable to Sui Yang Emperor Yang Guang, and successfully won Sun Yat-sen's trust, thus achieving three consecutive jumps in life.
Chen Qimei
In Lin Sen's initial vision, Chiang Kai-shek was just a right-wing thug. After helping the "establishment faction" conquer the country, it was time to hand over power to "literati" like himself or Hu Hanmin to promote normal elections. But Lin Sen seriously underestimated Chiang Kai-shek's ambitions. What he wanted to do was not just "purge the party", he wanted to be a dictator who ruled 40 million people.
After the "April 12 Counter-revolutionary Coup", Chiang Kai-shek's dictatorial actions caught Lin Sen off guard. The National Assembly and parties once again became tools for Machiavellians to satisfy their desires. The hat he wore as Vice President of the Legislative Yuan looked like Chiang Kai-shek The charity given to him by , over time, Lin Sen's dissatisfaction increased day by day, and finally ushered in an explosion.
On September 18, 1931, the Japanese invaders launched the September 18th Incident and annexed Northeast my country. At that time, Chiang Kai-shek was busy encircling and suppressing the Red Army and safeguarding his dictatorship. Chiang Kai-shek ignored the Japanese aggression and even expressed the erroneous view that "in order to fight against foreign aggression, we must first settle the internal affairs." Hopes were pinned on the League of Nations. But what is the League of Nations? It is just a cover for the various powers to divide their interests. It has no practical use except for talking about it.
International League
Therefore, the successive defeats on the two fronts gave the Kuomintang civilian faction an opportunity. In December 1931, under the pressure of Wang Jingwei and Hu Hanmin and other Kuomintang civil servants, Chiang Kai-shek resigned. However, the Republic of China did not have a decent constitution at that time, and the prestige of Wang Jingwei and Hu Hanmin was not enough to form a new government, so they decided to follow the example of Germany and elect a highly respected elder to preside over the overall situation, including Lin Sen, who participated in the impeachment of Chiang Kai-shek. Nature is the best choice. So on New Year's Day of the following year, Lin Sen was sworn in as Chairman of the Government of the Republic of China and the titular head of state.
Lin Sen (second from left)
However, the biggest shortcoming of the Kuomintang civilian faction is naivety. These old academics who claim to be political masters have never held power for a day. They always thought that after Chiang Kai-shek stepped down, the country would be able to follow their ideas. To make things work, but in those troubled times, only those with guns in their hands had the right to speak. Politicians without guns are just scornful scholars who guide the country in the parliament.
You must know that the entire Kuomintang Central Army , from the army commander and chief of staff to the grassroots officers, are basically all Huangpu clique . When you see Chiang Kai-shek, you have to call him the principal. With the blessing of loyalty to the emperor, let The Central Army of the Kuomintang has completely become Chiang Kai-shek's exclusive private army. In this way, Chiang Kai-shek was indeed out of office on the surface, but in fact his shadow was everywhere, and Lin Sen became a complete puppet chairman.
3. Change of position
For Lin Sen, although he has no real power in his hands, he must also fulfill his duties as the head of state and protect the last fire that symbolizes national democracy.
During his tenure as the president of the Republic of China, Lin Sen adhered to the "three no's" principle, not to fight for power and gain, not to act as a tyrant, and not to form cliques for personal gain. At the same time, he frequently appeared in public places, using his prestige and qualifications to try to save the National Government from the crisis of public trust.
On January 28, 1932, the Japanese invaders launched the January 28th Incident and launched an aggressive action against Shanghai, aiming to divert international attention and pave the way for the establishment of the puppet Manchukuo.
At this time, Jiang Zhongzheng was still busy with internal fighting. While encircling and suppressing the Red Army's revolutionary base areas, he was busy liquidating the remaining warlords after the Central Plains War . As for the invaders who were ravaging the homeland, Chiang Kai-shek actually adopted a strategy of unlimited restraint and concession!
Although the 19th Route Army resisted desperately in Shanghai, forcing the Japanese invaders to change their coaches four times in a row, Chiang Kai-shek's weakness allowed the invaders to easily achieve their set goals. In the " Shanghai Armistice Agreement " signed by the two sides in May, The Republic of China government gave up its defense of the coastal areas and completely opened China's eastern gate.
The signing of the "Shanghai Armistice Agreement" allowed the invaders to further see the true nature of Chiang Kai-shek. Subsequently, the Japanese Foreign Policy Bureau issued a letter of credence recognizing the Puppet Manchukuo, which directly split the Republic of China at the diplomatic level and also collected a large number of locals. The traitors and scum have resorted to using China to control China, thus blurring the international position.
The rampant arrogance of the Japanese invaders ignited the anger of the Chinese military and civilians, and the whole country was indignant. However, Chiang Kai-shek's inaction made it impossible for the military and civilians to vent their anger. He even ordered his spies to suppress the anti-Japanese actions of patriots.
Chiang Kai-shek’s perverse actions undoubtedly touched the bottom line of 40 million compatriots.In order to support the people's anti-Japanese actions, Lin Sen convened a national crisis meeting, denounced Chiang Kai-shek's non-resistance policy , and strongly protested Japan's recognition of the Puppet Manchukuo, becoming one of the few bright lights in the dark National Government.
Chiang Kai-shek
However, "Puppet Chairman" Lin Sen could not influence Chiang Kai-shek's intentions. Although the domestic anti-Japanese voice had reached its peak, Chiang Kai-shek still turned a deaf ear to the anti-Japanese affairs and only focused on fighting in his nest.
In 1936, Chiang Kai-shek ordered the Northeast Army to withdraw from the pass and head to northern Shaanxi to launch a new round of encirclement and suppression against the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army. However, the officers and soldiers of the Northeast Army were unwilling to point their guns at their compatriots. They wanted to break out of Shanhaiguan and regain their own country. hometown.
Zhang Xueliang
On December 12 of the same year, Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng launched a "military remonstrance" in Xi'an and placed Chiang Kai-shek, who came to supervise the war, under house arrest in an attempt to force Chiang to resist Japan.
News of "Zhang Yang's Mutiny" soon spread to Nanjing. Faced with this unprecedented situation, undercurrents surged within the national server. The pro-Japanese faction headed by He Yingqin planned to lead an army to attack Xi'an, thereby taking the opportunity to get rid of Chiang Kai-shek. After that, An Xin became the Japanese's bitch.
And Soong Meiling and the direct descendants of the Chiang family advocated a peaceful solution. The two sides were at loggerheads on whether to send troops and refused to give in to each other.
At the critical moment, Lin Sen stood up. He made it clear at the Party Congress that the order of crusade must never be issued. He also said that General Zhang Xueliang was patriotic. This defined the incident and indirectly contributed to the peaceful resolution of the Xi'an Incident , shattered the pro-Japanese conspiracy.
Yang Hucheng
His early experience in Taiwan anti-Japanese made Lin Sen a staunch anti-war faction, which was in sharp contrast to the compromise within the national government. After the Xi'an Incident, Chiang Kai-shek ignored the pressure of public opinion and insisted on house arrest Zhang Xueliang, which aroused the patriotic masses strong dissatisfaction.
In order to rescue Zhang Xueliang, Lin Sen issued a pardon and restoration order in the name of the chairman, but Chiang Kai-shek refused to execute it. Looking at the mountains of petitions on his desk, Lin Sen only felt a deep sense of powerlessness. As the head of state, he It can only act like a "mascot" and act as the face of the government, which is embarrassing.
The July 7th Incident
For Lin Sen at this time, if he can do something for the country and the nation to the best of his ability, his status as chairman will not be in vain. On July 7, 1937, the Marco Polo Bridge Incident broke out, setting off the prelude to the Chinese people's national war of resistance. After the fall of Nanjing, Lin Sen went to Wuhan to preside over the Kuomintang's Provisional National Congress, where he adopted the "Agenda for Resistance and National Salvation" and called on "the whole nation to rise up. Go all out." resistance".
In December of the following year, Wang Jingwei, the second-ranking figure in the National Government, rebelled and defected to the enemy. Lin Sen, as a member of the Central Supervisory Committee of the Kuomintang, advocated for Wang Jingwei to be expelled from the party. During the Anti-Japanese War, Lin Sen used his influence to maintain the united front and prevent internal rebellion within the Kuomintang. Diehards deliberately stir up friction.
On January 6, 1941, Chiang Kai-shek ordered Gu Zhutong to launch an attack on the New Fourth Army heading north, resulting in the Southern Anhui Incident that shocked China and the world. Later, Chiang Kai-shek announced the New Fourth Army's rebellion and canceled the New Fourth Army's designation, clamoring to hand over Ye Ting to a military court trial.
The Southern Anhui Incident
The Southern Anhui Incident caused an uproar at home and abroad. Song Qingling, He Xiangning and Liu Yazi and other left-wing members of the Kuomintang launched protests in Hong Kong for the Southern Anhui Incident. As the chairman of the National Government, Lin Sen was extremely disgusted with Chiang Kai-shek's behavior that caused pain to his relatives and pleasure to his enemies. However, due to his sensitive identity, Lin Sen could only remain silent in public.
Yu Youren
But as the chairman of the National Government, Lin Sen had to give Chiang Kai-shek a beating. As a calligrapher as famous as Yu Youren within the Kuomintang, Lin Sen's calligraphy has always been a favorite among government officials. Chiang Kai-shek He is also a member of the treasure-seeking army.
Shortly after the Wannan Incident, Lin Sen, who had not written for a long time, wrote "The Book of Songs, Xiaoya, Chang Di" to Chiang Kai-shek. The line in the poem, "Brothers are jealous of each other within the wall, and the outside world resists their insults" was a response to Chiang Kai-shek's launch of the Wannan Incident. It's ironic, but after all, this is the calligraphy master's calligraphy. Chiang Kai-shek had to apologize in front of everyone because of his lack of face.
Neither humble nor arrogant, holding his position and seeking his position may be the last stubbornness of this Kuomintang veteran.
4. Speculation on the cause of death
As a veteran of the Kuomintang, Lin Sen has been a major figure in the exploration of democratization since the founding of the Republic of China. Although his democratic ideas have great flaws, Lin Sen's democratization ideas have given the unintelligent people huge impact on society.
Unfortunately, the Kuomintang, as the first political party in China, was invaded by political speculators and ruffians. Politicians like Lin Sen, who have a conscience, education, and quality, can only be shelved in the cabinet, and finally reduced to the status quo. It is very sad that Chiang Kai-shek's reactionary regime is acting as a facade.
It is precisely because of the conflict in positions between Lin Sen and Chiang Kai-shek, as well as the differences arising from the maintenance of the united front in the Anti-Japanese War , that Lin Sen's death is more likely to make people imagine.
Based on the actual situation, we can find that Lin Sen's car accident does not seem to have anything to do with the Chiang Kai-shek Group.
You must know that Chiang Zhong is a standard political speculator, and he has a strong gang atmosphere. He only considers interests when doing things. Lin Sen is a veteran of the Kuomintang and a highly respected politician, well-known at home and abroad, but he is also a "puppet chairman" with no real power. These identities are important weights that help Chiang Kai-shek legitimize his dictatorship. If you kill Lin Sen, it will only do a lot of harm but no good.
Some people have also expressed the view that Lin Sen's death was planned by Dai Li alone in order to please Chiang Zhongzheng and help him remove this old thorn. However, this statement is not consistent with common sense!
As the number one spy chief under Chiang Kai-shek, Dai Li climbed from a low-level gang member to the decision-making level of the Kuomintang Central Committee. His ability to figure out the will of the Holy Spirit can be said to be at its peak. How could he risk the disapproval of the world to murder a master who was interested in him? The false king who poses no threat has once again plunged the government into a trust crisis in and ?
Moreover, the biggest characteristic of Chiang Kai-shek's employment is that loyalty is greater than ability. The reason why Dai Li can climb so high, in addition to his own ability and merit, is that he is extremely loyal to Chiang Kai-shek. He is a pure loyal dog and has never taken advantage of himself to "act cheaply" If Dai Li really made his own decisions, how could Chiang Kai-shek continue to trust him and let him continue to lead the Kuomintang secret service?
Dai Li
But for the Chinese people at that time, Lin Sen's death was irreversible. His life was full of glory and ups and downs, but in his last moments, he still thought deeply about the great cause of the Chinese people's resistance against Japan and his devotion to the united front of the Kuomintang and the Communist Party. maintain. This old man used the last flame of his life to bring the only glimmer of light to the dark Kuomintang era.
References:
The history and experience of the United Front work of the Communist Party of China over the past century - Ding Junping
The United Front and the whole-process people's democracy: the dialectical practice of unity and democracy - Fan Shibo
Lin Sen, Chairman of the National Government who governs by doing nothing - —Analysis of Shen Lan
Lin Sen’s Anti-Japanese War Thoughts—Study on Luo Liuqiang
Lin Sen’s Political Thoughts—Wang Shulong
