Who's Who in China (3rd edition)/Ts'ao Kun

Marshal Tsao Kun

曹銀字仲珊

Marshal Tsao Kun was born at Tientsin, Chihli province, in 1862. At the age of twenty, he enlished himself in the Army and became a common soldier. On account of his good conduct and commanding personality, which he displayed during the few years in the camp, Marshal Tsao was sent to the Military Academy of Tientsin by the Commanding Officer of the Army. In 1890 he graduated from the Academy and was at once engaged to be a teacher of the same institution. During the Sino-Japanese War, 1894-1895, Marshal Tsao was in the front and personally engaged in the Yalu Battle. After this War, Yuan Shih-kai trained a modern army at Hsiao Chan. Marshal Tsao was first appointed a Director of the Hsiao-Chan Field training school and later given command of a large company of troops. After the Boxer Trouble in 1900, General Tieh Liang, a famous Manchu military man, invited Marshal Tsao to assist him in the training of new troops at Paotingfu. In 1901 he became Commander of a Regiment of the newly trained army and in 1902 Commander of a Brigade. Subsequently he was made a Full General. In 1903 Marshal Tsao became Commander-in-Chief of the Third Division of the Imperial Army and was sent to Mukden with the 10,000 soldiers in his command. In 1905 the Third Division was transferred to Kirin Province. In August 1911 the Third Division was moved down to Lanchow inside Shanhaikuan to participate in a grand manoeuver scheduled to take place on October 13. On October 10 the first revolution broke out at Wuchang. The manoeuver was given up. In November 1911 the Imperial Ching House appointed Yuan Shih-kai the Prime Minister. Upon his coming to Peking, Yuan Shih-kai made Marshal Tsao's troops responsible of maintaining peace and order of the Metropolitan District. In 1912 President Yuan Shih-kai appointed Marshal Tsao Commander-in-Chief of the Third Division of the National Army. In the first few years of the Republic Marshal Tsao's Third Division was charged with the duty of protecting the Metropolitan Area. In the late part of 1915 Yuan Shih-kai launched his monarchical movement. As a precautious measure he despatched the Third Division to Hunan to watch the movement of the military leaders of the Yangtze Provinces. In October 1915 Marshal Tsao was made a Chiangchun with "Hu Wei" as the special title. On December 25, 1915, the Yunnan Revolt broke out. In January 1916 Marshal Tsao Kun was ordered to proceed with his troops westward to chastise the revolt. His troops came into actual encounter with the Republican Forces but both sides were strong enough to hold their positions till the death of Yuan Shih-kai on June 6, 1916. In June 1916, after the death of Yuan, Marshal Tsao was appointed Deputy Military Commissioner of Szechuan but this post he did not take up. He returned to Chihli in September 1916 when he was appointed Tuchun of that province. In October 1916 he was given the Second Order of Merit. In July 1517 Chang Hsun attempted to restore the Manchu Emperor. Marshal Tuan Chi-jui stood out against the restoration, making himself Commander-in-Chief of the Republican Forces and Marshal Tsao Kun Commander of the West Wing. At this juncture, Marshal Tsao was ordered to be concurrently Civil Governor of Chihli. After the overthrow of the restoration, Tuan Chi-jui came to power again. But the southern leaders who had mobilized to oust Chang Hsun distrusted Marshal Tuan. One after another the southern and south-western provinces declared independence of Peking, formed a new government at Canton and planned to send an expedition to conquer the north. In December 1917 Hupei and Hunan were endangered with several parts having been taken by the southern troops. Chihli troops received orders of mobilization to relieve the expedition. In June 1918 Marshal Tsao was appointed the Special Commissioner of Szechuan, Kuangtung Hunan and Kiangsi. Although Marshal Tsao did not have to go to the south personally, his troops were on account of that appointment detained in Hunan and Hupei. In September 1918 the New Parliament elected Hsu Shih-chang President of China. In November President Hsu called a Tuchun Conference in Peking at which both Marshal Tsao and Marshal Chang Tso-lin attended. He was also awarded the First Order of Merit. In March 1920 the withdrawal of the Chihli troops commenced against the wish of Peking. On July 3, 1920 Marshals Tsao Kun, Chang Tso-lin and Wang Chan-yuan, three High Inspecting Commissioners, sent a joint telegram to Peking denouncing the action of General Hsu Shu-tseng, the real head of the Anfu Faction who was then Commander-in-Chief of the Frontier Defence Force. Three days later, General Hsu mobilized the Frontier Defence Troops in the direction of Paotingfu declaring to fight the Chihli Troops. Another three days later President Hsu Shi-chang acting upon the petition of the College of Marshals dismissed Marshal Tsao and General Wu from official posts. On July 12, 1920, Marshal Tsao with the promised support of Marshal Chang Tso-lin accepted the challenge of the Anfu Leader in a circular telegram ordering mobilization of his forces. The next day saw the coming of Chang's troops into Shanhaikuan. The actual encounter commenced on July 14, 1920. Three days later the Anfu forces collapsed and Chihli won the war. On July 26th, 1920 President Hsu cancelled the order of the dismissal of Marshal Tsao and General Wu. On August 14th, Marshal Tsao accompanied by Marshal Chang visited in Peking where he remained until September 4. On August 20, Marshal Tsao was relieved of the High Commissionership of Szechuan, Kuangtung, Hunan and Kiangsi, and was appointed High Inspecting Commissioner of Chihli, Shantung and Honan. Following the Anfu-Chihli War, the Chihli influences extended over many provinces. Marshal Tsao took General Wu Pei-fu into strong confidence. In consequence the hatred of the discontented factions and the Fengtien Warlord gradually centered on Wu Pei-fu who was becoming more outspoken and more serious with the political issues. During 1921 when the feeling between Wu Pei-fu and the opposition parties was becoming worse every day, Marshal Tsao tried his best to remove the understanding as indicated by the fact that he held altogether four conferences with the leaders of the other factions, in April, May, November and December respectively. The December conference was held at the time of Chang Tso-lin's visit in Peking. The sole purpose of Chang's visit was to adjust matters to his own satisfaction and the result of it was the installation of the Liang Shih-i Cabinet. General Wu Pei-fu was much against this new Cabinet. Following the war between the Chihli Fengtien parties Marshal Tsao demanded of the Peking government to reconvoke the First Parliament. On June 2, 1922 he took the lead in a telegram asking President Hsu Shih-chang to retire in favor of General Li Yuan-hung. President Li Yuan-hung entered Peking on June 11, 1922 and resumed his office. On June 13, he reconvoked the Parliament by a Mandate cancelling the Dissolution Order which he himself issued in 1917. The Parliament reassembled in Peking on August 1, 1922. On October 5, 1923 Marshal Tsao Kun was elected President of the Republic by the First Parliament with 480 votes out of a house of 590. On the October 10, 1923, the National Anniversary Day, Marshal Tsao came to Peking and assumed the Office of Presidency. As a result of the defeat of Marshal Wu Pei-fu and the Chihli party in the Civil War which began in September 1924, President Tsao Kun and his Cabinet were deposed and for several months was detained in Peking, upon the order of the Provisional government, supported by Marshal Chang Tso-lin and Feng Yu-hsiang.