plans to return to China
In the modern history of China, there is a person whose name runs through the entire history of the Republic of China. As the largest warlord of the Northwest Army , his power was once on an equal footing with Chiang Kai-shek . He was Feng Yuxiang.
However, after the Central Plains War , the defeated Feng Yuxiang gradually faded out of the warlord melee. He lived in seclusion in Mount Tai, and had close contacts with communists and other progressive forces, and he made great ideological progress. After the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, Feng Yuxiang campaigned for the anti-Japanese cause, gathered many anti-Japanese forces, and made considerable contributions to the country and the nation.
Unexpectedly, such a patriotic general died on the Soviet Union Victory cruise ship when he returned to the country. What happened? What happened to his surviving children after his death?
The reason why Feng Yuxiang took a cruise ship to return to China was because he was ostracized by Chiang Kai-shek at home. When the civil war broke out, he was sent to the United States by Chiang Kai-shek to inspect water conservancy facilities. Feng Yuxiang also knew that although he and Chiang Kai-shek were once "sworn brothers" in name, Chiang Kai-shek was a power-hungry man who would never allow anyone to endanger his rule. Feng Yuxiang, as someone who had met him in battle, also had close contacts with the Communist Party. This was by no means a scene that Chiang Kai-shek wanted to see.
But the situation of the civil war became increasingly clear as time went by. In July 1948, the People's Liberation Army was preparing for the start of the Liaoshen Campaign. Although the Kuomintang army still had a large number of troops on the surface, it was already a scattered mob. Feng Yuxiang, a warlord, had seen through the situation early. So he planned to return to China from the United States via the Soviet Union to help build a new China after the fall of the Kuomintang. However, he also knew that this journey home was actually very dangerous. Chiang Kai-shek's spies were all around him, and he was at risk of being assassinated by Chiang Kai-shek at any time.
Death of Feng Yuxiang
On July 31, 1948, Feng Yuxiang led his family on board the Soviet cruise ship "Victory". According to the plan, he would depart from the United States, arrive in Odessa, the Soviet Union, and then return to China from the Soviet Union. If you return to China directly from the United States, the probability of being assassinated by Chiang Kai-shek will be even greater.
After the cruise ship set off, Feng Yuxiang and his family gradually began to relax in the harmonious atmosphere on the ship. In order to get a better view of the scenery, Feng Yuxiang and his family's cabins were all first class . Looking at the rough sea, Feng Yuxiang couldn't help but feel open-minded, and the pent-up feeling of being suppressed by Chiang Kai-shek for many years had dissipated.
On August 21, Feng Yuxiang arrived in Batumi, a seaport in the Caucasus, Soviet Union, and received a warm welcome. At this time, Batumi officials saw that there were a large number of passengers changing passengers on the ship here, so they suggested that Feng Yuxiang take the train instead. But Feng Yuxiang, who is frugal by nature, still did not adopt this suggestion. If he changed trains, he would have to buy another ticket. In the end, Feng Yuxiang continued to take the " Victory " to the port of Odessa.
Feng Yuxiang’s family was very anxious. They hurriedly looked for various window-breaking equipment and smashed the solid first-class glass . But these tools were of no avail. It was not until Soviet firefighters arrived at the scene that Feng Yuxiang was rescued, but by this time the leader of the Northwest Army had lost his vital signs. He died unexpectedly just as he was about to reach the finish line, and his 18-year-old daughter Feng Xiaoda also lost her life in the fire with her father.
Feng Yuxiang's children
In fact, Feng Yuxiang was not surprised by his death, nor was he afraid. He had already made wills many times, and said: If he died one day, it would be at the hands of Chiang Kai-shek .In his will, Feng Yuxiang emphasized that after his death, his ashes would be scattered into the sea, but if the Chiang Kai-shek government was overthrown, the ashes would be planted in the ground as fertilizer.
In addition, Feng Yuxiang also placed high demands on his children. He said: As my children, you cannot rely on the shadow of your parents, but you must learn to be self-reliant and live independently with your own hands. Under Feng Yuxiang's guidance, his children have achieved impressive results.
Feng Yuxiang’s eldest son, Feng Hongguo, joined the Communist Party of China very early and was also a person who played an important role in the change of Feng Yuxiang’s thoughts. He studied at Moscow State University and participated in a large number of revolutionary movements after returning to China. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Feng Hongguo became a member of the Chongqing CPPCC.
’s second son, Feng Hongzhi, founded Taishan Industrial Company in the United States. His company later became a window for China to introduce advanced foreign technology and became one of the founders of China’s industrial construction. The eldest daughter, Feng Lida, became an expert in the medical field. She received doctorates in immunology from the United States and the Soviet Union. After returning to China, she established the first disinfection laboratory and immunology research center in New China. Therefore, she was able to become a national CPPCC members.
The third son Feng Hongda and his father also experienced the tragedy of the fire on the "Victory" cruise ship, but fortunately, he survived. Later, he studied naval military theory in depth in the Soviet Union, and after returning to China, he devoted himself to the construction of the navy of New China and became the deputy captain of a certain warship.
It can be seen that Feng Yuxiang's family has made outstanding contributions to New China in various fields. Regardless of whether he was defeated in the warlord melee or not, his family education can be called a well-deserved success .
