Who's Who in China (3rd edition)/Wang Shih-chen

Marshal Wang Shih-chen

王土字聘卿

Marshal Wang Shih-chen was born at Cheng-ting, Chibli province, in 1864. He graduated from the Peiyang Military School, Tientsin, which was founded in 1885 and was in the same class with Marshal Tuan Chi-jui. After graduation Marshal Wang rose in the Imperial Army through various ranks. He was a veteran soldier of the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-95. In 1895, after the close of the war, Yuan Shih-kai was appointed Director-General to train modern troops. Marshal Wang was one of Yuan Shihkai's three lieutenants engaged in the military training at Hsiao Chan, the other two being the late President Feng Kuo-chang and Marshal Tuan Chi-jui. Marshal Wang was then Commander of the Engineering Corps. In 1899 when Yuan Shih-kai became Viceroy of Shantung, Marshal Wang followed him accepting the post of Director of the Staffs Department. In 1902 Yuan Shih-kai became Viceroy of Chihli. In 1903 the Imperial government began to train twenty divisions of modern troops. A special organization was formed to direct the training. It was composed of one Director-General, one Assistant Director-General, one Proctor, and under them three departments and thirteen sections. Yuan Shih-kai was the assistant director-general; Hsu Shih-chang, the Proctor; and Marshal Wang, the Chief of the Military Education Department. From 1908-1910 Marshal Wang was Kiang-pei Ti Tu or Provincial Commander-in-Chief of the Garrison of Northern Kiangsu. After that he was called to Peking and appointed Junior Vice-President of the Board of War. The First Revolution having broker out in October 1911, the Manchu government appointed Yuan Shih-kai Prime Minster in November. Marshal Wang was given the posts of Minister of War and Viceroy of Hunan-Hupei and Kuangtung-Kuangsi. Upon the establishment of the Republic, Marshal Wang retired to private life. At the repeated request of President Yuan Shih-kai, Marshal Wang returned to political life again in May 1915 when he was appointed Resident-Director of the Office of Generalissimo. In June 1915 Marshal Wang was appointed Acting Minister of War to succeed Marshal Tuan who became Chief of General Staff. In August 1915 the acting post was substantiated to Marshal Wang. In April 1916 Marshal Tuan became Prime Minister and concurrently Minister of War, thus relieving Marshal Wang of the portfolio of war to became Chief of General Staff. Marshal Wang was appointed Minister of War a week before the outbreak of Chang Hsun's Manchu Restoration in July 1917. With Marshal Tuan becoming Prime Minister after the overthrow of the restoration, Marshal Wang returned to the Office of General Staff. Marshal Wang became Minister of War again on November 19, 1917 to succeed Marshal Tuan. On November 22, Tuan resigned from the Prime Ministership; Mr. Wang Ta-hsueh succeeded Tuan; and Marshal Wang succeeded the latter as Acting Prime Minister and concurrently Minister of War, resigning as Chief Staff Officer. Marshal Wang resigned from the Prime Ministership in February 1918, retiring to private life. In January 1920 Marshal Wang was awarded the First Order of Merit. In December 1920 he was appointed High Inspecting Commissioner of Kiangsu, Anhui and Kiangsi, but he did not accept. In January 1922 Marshal Wang was made a Shan Chiang-chun (Marshal) with "Te-Wei” as his special title. He was also appointed President of the Chiang Chun Fu or College of Marshals, Peking, which position he is still holding. In October 1922 he received the First Class Wenhu Decoration.