Wei Lihuang
卫立煌
1897–1960
- General, National Revolutionary Army
- Commander, Northeast Bandit Suppression Headquarters (1948)
Biography
Rise to Senior Command
Wei Lihuang (1897-1960) was born in Hefei, Anhui, and trained at the Baoding Military Academy before joining the Whampoa system. He rose to become one of Chiang Kai-shek's most trusted senior commanders, distinguished by his performance in the Northern Expedition and his stubborn defence of Taiyuan during the Second Sino-Japanese War.
Command in Manchuria
Appointed commander of the Northeast Bandit Suppression Headquarters in January 1948, Wei inherited an isolated garrison in a theatre already tilting against the Nationalists. His defensive strategy of holding major cities rather than breaking out was later blamed for the encirclement of his forces. When Jinzhou fell in October 1948 the army was trapped; Shenyang fell on 2 November. Wei escaped by air before the city's fall. Chiang Kai-shek court-martialled him, though proceedings were suspended.
Return to the Mainland
Unlike most senior Nationalist commanders, Wei Lihuang did not follow the government to Taiwan. After years in Hong Kong, he returned to the mainland in 1955 and was welcomed by the PRC government as a symbol of reconciliation. He served on the National People's Congress Standing Committee and died in Beijing in 1960.