text/Wang Guodong
On March 20, 1926, the "Zhongshan Ship Incident" that shocked the whole country broke out. Afterwards, Chairman of the National Government Wang Jingwei accused Chiang Kai-shek of violating laws and discipline and mobilizing the army to split the Kuomintang and the Communist Party without authorization; while Chiang Kai-shek claimed that Wang Jingwei colluded with the left and the Soviet government and conspired to kidnap himself. After the debate failed, Wang Jingwei decided to use his identity as the chairman of the military committee to mobilize troops to encircle Chiang Kai-shek. What was surprising was that the military chiefs of several other armies were unwilling to attack Chiang Kai-shek, even the Fourth Army, which had always been loyal to him. Wang Jingwei felt that his authority was challenged and his personality was insulted, and he resigned from his position as national leader on March 23, 1926. So, why can the dignified Chairman of the National Government and Chairman of the Military Commission, the supreme leader of the Republic of China, not mobilize the army to suppress the "rebellious" Chiang Kai-shek? What's wrong with this?
On March 18, 1926, an officer named Ouyang Zhong came to the office of Li Zhilong, director of the Navy Bureau, took out an order signed by Chiang Kai-shek, principal of the Whampoa Military Academy, and ordered the Navy Bureau to dispatch two warships to Huangpu Island to participate in military exercises. Since Ouyang Zhong is the nephew of Ouyang Ge, the head of the transportation department of the Whampoa Military Academy, and has worked with Li Zhilong for many years, Li Zhilong did not doubt the authenticity of the order, and immediately signed a transfer order: to transfer the two ships of Zhongshan and Baobi to , Huangpu for use. Who knew that after the two warships arrived in Huangpu Island on March 19, it immediately caused an uproar. Why? Because Chiang Kai-shek had never signed an order to call a warship, and someone secretly reported to Chiang Kai-shek that Wang Jingwei colluded with Soviet adviser Ji Shanjia to launch a mutiny, and wanted to kidnap himself and sent him to the Soviet Union for house arrest. The two ships Zhongshan and Baobi were sent to arrest him. In contact with the left and the Soviets' recent attitude towards themselves, Chiang Kai-shek did not allow much thought, and immediately determined the authenticity of the mutiny.
So Chiang Kai-shek notified the backbone members of the First Army of the National Revolutionary Army who were loyal to him to hold a meeting, and at the same time ordered the soldiers of the First Army to close the Guangzhou city gates and implement martial law throughout the city. Late on the same night, Li Zhilong, director of the Navy Bureau and captain of the Zhongshan ship, was arrested. On March 20, Chiang Kai-shek expelled dozens of Communist Party officers, including Zhou Enlai, director of the Political Department of the First Army, and deployed the main force of the First Army to an important strategic stronghold in Guangzhou City, and prepared for combat. This was the sensational Zhongshan Ship Incident.
The Chairman of the National Government Wang Jingwei received the news from the Zhongshan ship incident in the early morning of March 20. At that time, Wang Jingwei thought it had a misunderstanding and called Chiang Kai-shek and the Navy Bureau to inquire about the situation. Chiang Kai-shek accused Wang Jingwei of colluding with the Soviets to kidnap him, and at this time, the Navy Commander Li Zhilong had been arrested by Chiang Kai-shek. Wang Jingwei had never signed an order to mobilize the warships. He felt something was wrong, so he convened members of the Military Commission to convene an emergency meeting to discuss the fight against Chiang Kai-shek.
The senior generals attending the meeting did not arrive except for the representative of the First Army (the then commander of the First Army He Yingqin ), the commanders or representatives of the other armies were there. After passionately condemning Chiang Kai-shek's rebellious behavior, Wang Jingwei suggested attacking Chiang Kai-shek by force and eradicating the traitors of the party and the country. As a result, the members of the Military Commission attended the meeting did not say anything, either burying their heads and smoking or drinking tea with their eyes closed. Seeing that no one responded to his order to attack Chiang Kai-shek by force, Wang Jingwei was very depressed and asked the army commanders what their attitude was? The commander of the Second Army, Tan Yankai, expressed his lack of support for the siege of force and should be handled peacefully; the commander of the Third Army, Zhu Peide, did not express his opinion; the commander of the Fourth Army, Zhang Fakui, lowered his head and said that Chiang Kai-shek's first soldiers were numerous and could not defeat them. Wang Jingwei was stunned and had to announce the resignation of the meeting. Two days later, Wang Jingwei, who was unable to explain the truth about the Zhongshan Ship Incident to the Chinese people, nor could he mobilize the army to attack Chiang Kai-shek, believed that his authority was challenged and his personality was insulted. He submitted a resignation letter to the Central Executive Committee and took his family to France to recuperate.
June 28, 1926, Chiang Kai-shek stated in the "Memorial to Zhou Xun of the Prime Minister of the Whampoa Military Academy": "I can clearly say that the incident on March 20 has nothing to do with the Communist Party groups.""According to the memories of the parties involved in the Zhongshan ship incident, the order was forged by Ouyang Ge and Wang Bailing and instructed Ouyang Zhong. Ouyang Ge was the vice principal of Naval Officer School and the head of the transportation department of the Whampoa Military Academy. Wang Bailing was the deputy commander of the First Army at that time, and both were Chiang Kai-shek's confidants. It was said that they were planning the Zhongshan ship incident, and Chiang Kai-shek was not aware of it, and I am afraid no one would believe it.
