Nationality Chinese Religion Buddhism | Occupation Military Officer Died 1908, Beijing, China | |
Alma mater Tianjin Military Academy | ||
Wang Yingkai (pinyin: wáng yīng kǎi; Wade–Giles: wang ying k'ai) (1861 –1908), whose courtesy name was Shaochen (紹宸), was a Chinese general in the Beiyang Army and politician of the late Qing dynasty. Wang graduated from the Tianjin Military Academy (天津武備學堂), also known as Beiyang Wubei Xuetang (北洋武備學堂), and fought with distinction in the First Sino-Japanese War. After China lost the war, he joined the Beiyang Army established by Yuan Shikai and became one of leading commanders of the army. However, during subsequent political struggles he sided with the court party against Yuan. Sun Chuanfang, who later became one of the most important warlords in the early Republican years, was his brother-in-law and protégée. Wang Yingkai died in Beijing in 1908.
Contents
Origin and Early Career
Wang Yingkai was born in Haicheng, Liaoning Province, known as Fengtian (奉天) at that time, with his ancestral home in Shandong. Like many children of the gentry class, he followed a conventional path and participated in the imperial examination, obtaining a xiucai degree, the lowest level in the imperial examination system. After years of failures attempting to get the juren degree, he decided to enlist and join the army.
In 1894, Japan sent troops to Korea and a war broke out with China. Before the year was out, Japanese army had defeated the Chinese garrison in Pyongyang, thoroughly eliminating Chinese presence in the peninsula, and bringing the war to Chinese soil. When the Japanese laid siege to Haicheng, Wang's birthplace, the town elders suggested that Wang organize a local militia, which would go on to play a significant role in the five successive battles of Haicheng, which witnessed the fiercest scenes of the war.
Officer of Beiyang Army
In view of the poor performance of the Huai Army during the war, the Qing government ordered the formation of a New Army competent enough to defend Chinese interests. In 1895, Wang joined the Dingwu Army (later Beiyang Army) headed by an old intimate of his, Yuan Shikai, and rose to be one of the leading commanders in the army, serving variously as the head of Discipline Enforcement Department, Director of the I Corps of Beiyang Army as well as the Commander of II Corps of Beiyang Army. He also commanded half of the troops in the autumn military exercise in 1906 against Duan Qirui. However, Yuan Shikai's growing power attracted suspicion and hostility from Manchu royals led by Yuan's former ally, court official and newly created Minister of War Tie Liang (鐵良), who balked at the prospect of seeing an ambitious Han Chinese wielding power capable of toppling the ailing Qing dynasty. Mutual acrimony between Yuan and his Manchu opponents resulted in a reorganization of power and afterwards Yuan's forced retirement the pretext of illness. Despite being allied with Yuan since 1896, Wang Yingkai sided with Tie Liang amid these political struggles and emerged unscathed, being elevated to the position of assistant minister of Ministry of War in 1907.
Death
He died in Beijing in 1908 at the age of 48 of tuberculosis.
Nickname
Owing to his obesity, he was called Fat Wang by his colleagues and subordinates alike.
Wang Yingkai and Sun Chuanfang
He married the sister of Sun Chuanfang who took advantage of his brother-in-law’s position in the army and joined a training camp in 1902. Wang later recommended Sun to Tianjin Military Academy because of the latter’s outstanding capabilities; he also sent Sun abroad to Japan for further military study and the latter finally graduated from the Imperial Japanese Army Academy. Upon Sun’s return from Japan, he and his political ally, Tie Liang, happened to be the ones presiding over the examination aimed at testing fresh graduates’ability. Sun passed the tests and became an officer of the Beiyang army and it was apparent that he was instrumental in paving the way for the future greatness of Sun, who turned out to be the leader of the "League of Five Provinces" in the early 1920s.
Legacy
Initially, the new army formed in Late Qing period largely modeled on its German counterpart, and therefore the instructions were all delivered in German, before the Qing government found out German designs upon Chinese territories and had the latter’s military contracts terminated. Knowing that the inability of Chinese officers to comprehend commands delivered by their German trainers would be a great impediment to training, he ordered the translation into vernacular Chinese of the German instructions. Phrases like ‘Lizheng’ (Attention) and ‘Shaoxi’ (Stand at ease) remain in use today.