Name Zhang Dingfan Died January 25, 1945 | Political party Kuomintang | |
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Born 1891 Nanchang, Jiangxi, Qing Empire | ||
Alma mater Baoding Military Academy | ||
Zhang Dingfan, (Chinese: 张定璠; 1891 – 25 January 1945) alternate name Zhang Boxuan 张伯璇, was a Nationalist Chinese General who cut his teeth during the 1911 Revolution in Wuchang and successively rose to the rank of General throughout the various civil wars of the 1920s to the Japanese invasion of World War II.
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Early career
Zhang Dingfan was born in Nanchang city in Jiangxi Province (江西南昌) to a merchant family. At 17 in 1908, he enrolled in the Jiangxi Army Survey Academy. In 1911, Zhang left the Academy to join the Wuchang Uprising, catalyst for the Xinghai 1911 Revolution. He joined a "Fearless troop" or "Dare to Die troop" (敢死队). Following the success of the Revolution, he returned to study at the Wuchang Military Institute and graduated from the affiliated Baoding Officer Academy, to be commissioned as a company commander in the Jiangxi 4th Army. In 1918 he partook in a long campaign which successfully dislodged the highly renowned and ambitious warload General Sun Quanfang 孙传芳 and was appointed to the general staff of the 4th army.
The campaigns
In 1919 he was appointed to the General Staff of the 1st Route Army in Guangdong Province. In 1922 he again saw action as part of the Northern Expedition and became Chief of the General Staff and Commander of the 7th Regiment. This army marched into Jiangxi and Fujian, defeating Li Houji 李厚基. Zhang next assumed command of the Guangxi 1st Division. In 1925, Zhang Dingfan headed the Whampoa Military Academy Administrative office. He then became the chief of the general staff for the Northern Expedition in 1926. He was appointed mayor of Nanchang as well as chief of the Provincial Police forces. In 1927 he was appointed to head the 13th Army in the 3rd Military District as well as Mayor of Shanghai. Zhang resigned in 1929 for reasons of health.
He returned in 1937 as the Japanese Invasion accelerated and became the First Deputy Head of the Nationalist Military Affairs Commission. Zhang was promoted to Major General in 1939. He was en route to the U.S. for treatment of bladder cancer and died in Casablanca January 25, 1945. He was posthumously awarded the rank of full General.