Who's Who in China (3rd edition)/Chang Shao-tseng

General Chang Shao-tseng

張紹曾字敬輿

General Chang Shao-tseng was born at Tach'eng Hsien, Chihli province, in 1870. After having received preliminary education in a military school in North China, he went to Japan and studied in the Military Officer's Academy where he graduated in October 1901 as a member of the first group of Chinese military students from Japan. Upon his return to China, General Chang enlisted in the Army. In 1911 he was made Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial 20th Division with headquarters at Hsin Ming Teng, Mukden. In October 1911, the Imperial Chin government ordered a great manoeuver to be held at Kaiping on the Peking Mukden Line. Six Divisions of the Imperial Army were to participate including General Chang's. His troops were given Lanchow, near Kaiping, for an encampment. The revolution broke out at Wuchang on October 10, two days before the beginning of the maneouver. An urgent order was issued to have larger portion of the assembled troops despatched to the South to suppress the revolution. Before he was ordered to move, General Chang made the authorities in Peking to understand that he was in sympathy with the Revolutionists. He and two other generals, late Wu Lu-chen and late Lan Tien-wei, who were then known as the "Three Heroes of North China," had been secretly working for the overthrow of the Manchu House. His position was weakened when Division Commander Wu Lu-chen was assassinated by Yuan Shih-kai's agent in his headquarters at Shahchiachuang, on the Peking-Hankow Line, in December 1911. In the beginning of 1912, General Chang was appointed Pacification-Commissioner and sent to Shanghai to expedite unification of South and North China. He was then the leader of the Progressive Party with headquarters at Tientsin. In April 1912 Yuan Shih-kai appointed him Councillor. At the end of the year he was appointed Acting Chianchun of the Suiyuan Special Area. This portion was substantiated to him in the Spring of 1913. About the same time he was made a Lieutenant General with the brevet rank of Full General. In January 1914 General Chang was appointed concurrently the Assistant Tutung of Kueihua Ch'eng, in the Suiyuan area. In April 1914 he became advisor to the President. In October 1916 he was appointed military Inspector General. In December 1917 General Chang was appointed a Chiangchun of the Chiangchun Fu with the honorable title of two words: "Shu Wei." In Autumn of 1921, General Chang suggested the calling of a National Conference at Lushan for the discussion and settlement of civil and military affairs of the county. His suggestion had the strong support of General Wu Pei-fu who was said to be its real advocate. However, owing to opposition it failed of realization. In June 1922, General Chang was appointed Civil Governor of Shensi. He did not assume office, because two months later he was appointed Acting Minister of War. In October 1922, he was conferred the Second Order of Merit. In November 1922, he was ordered concurrently to hold the post of President of the Commission for the Recovery of the Mongolian Front. General Chang's appointment as Premier was ratified by the Parliament in January 1921. As a Premier he held the portifolio of War and presidency of the Commission for the Discussion of Political Reorganization. In February 1923 he was made a full General. In June 1923 he submitted his resignation from the Premiership and Ministership of War which was not officially accepted until January 1924.