| Second Battle of Urumqi | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Xinjiang Wars | |||||||
|
|||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Republic of China 36th Division (National Revolutionary Army) | Xinjiang Provincial government | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Ma Zhongying Zhang Peiyuan |
Sheng Shicai Colonel Pappengut |
||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 10,000 Chinese muslim troops and Thousands of Han chinese troops | Thousands of Manchurian and White Russian troops | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| heavy | |||||||
The Second Battle of Urumqi was a conflict that took place in the winter of 1933–1934 at Urumqi, between the provincial forces of Sheng Shicai, and the alliance of the Chinese Muslim general Ma Zhongying and Han Chinese general Zhang Peiyuan.[1][2] Zhang seized the road between Tacheng and the capital.[3] Sheng Shicai commanded Manchurian and White Russian troops commanded by Colonel Pappengut.[4][5] The Kuomintang Republic of China government had secretly incited Zhang and Ma to overthrow Sheng, even as they prepared to swear Sheng in as governor of Xinjiang, because of his connections with the Soviet Union. Chiang Kai-shek sent Luo Wen'gan to Xinjiang, Luo met with Ma Zhongying and Zhang Peiyuan and urged them to destroy Sheng.[6]
Ma and Zhang's Han Chinese and Chinese Muslim forces almost defeated Sheng, when Sheng requested help from the Soviet Union. This led to the Soviet Invasion of Xinjiang and Ma Zhongying's retreat after the Battle of Tutung.
At this point, Chiang Kai-shek himself was personally prepared to enter the Battle with over 150,000 troops and 15 million Yuan to assist Ma in driving out Sheng Shicai. However he was told that it would be impossible to guarantee the troops adequate food, water, fuel, and other supplies, so Chiang cancelled the expedition. Sheng commented, "Chiang Kai-shek does not like my policies but he cannot do anything to me. I am too far away from his reach."[7]