Fang Zhenwu

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Fang Zhenwu , Fang Chen-wu , 方振武 (1885 - 1941) (1929). Fang was born in 1885, in Shou County, Anhui, China. He took part in the revolution of 1911, and joined the revolutionary army. After the second revolution defeat goes into exile Japan, and joined the Chinese Revolutionary Alliance in Japan. By 1918 he commanded a battalion in Guangdong, and eventually served in the Fengtian clique army under Zhang Zongchang until 1925 when he went over to the Nationalist army of General Feng Yuxiang. He rose to be commander of the 3rd Army, and later of the 4th Army Group, as well as commander of Jinan garrison before receiving the post of chairman of the government of Anhui province in 1929.

Due to his dissatisfaction with Chiang Kai-shek, he was later detained and removed from office in October 1929. Following the invasion of Jehol in February, 1933, Fang Zhenwu joined the Anti Japanese National Salvation movement, and organized the movements forces in China and led them north to confront the Japanese. On May 26, Fang Zhenwu united with Feng Yuxiang, at Zhangjiakou and organized of the Chahar People's Anti-Japanese Army Alliance, being its commander of the North Route, fighting against Japanese invaders in the east of Chahar. The Army had some success, capturing Dolonor for a time from the Japanese and their puppet forces.

However, the Anti Japanese Army was eventually beaten back by the Japanese and dispersed by the forces of Chiang Kai-shek, who still wished to reach an agreement with Japan and make war on the Communist Party and its Red Army. Living in Guilin for a time, Fang had to move to Hong Kong in 1939 under threat by the Kuomintang. He moved out as the Japanese occupied Hong Kong in 1941, but was assassinated by Kuomintang secret agents on his way back to Guangdong with crowds of refugees in December 1941, near Zhongshan, Guangdong, China.