Zhang Xue-liang

Zhang Xue-liang (張學良 or Chang Hsueh-liang in Wade-Giles) was a controversal figure in modern Chinese history. He died of pnuemonia in Hawaii on Oct 15, 2001 at the age of 101.

On April 6, 1936, General Zhang met with [Zhou En-lai]? (the enemy then) to plan the end of the [Chinese Civil War]?. In the [Xian incident]? (Dec 12, 1936), Zhang and another general Yang Hu-cheng kidnapped Chiang Kai-shek and imprisoned the head of the Nationalist government until he agreed to form a united front with the communists against the Japanese invasion. Chiang at the time took a non-resistent position against the Japanese invasion, he rather put his efforts in fighting his own countrymen than the foreign invaders. Chiang broke the truce shortly after. He used his best forces against the communists while leaving many cities such as Nanking wide open for the Japanese to take over.

Zhang was considered a patriotic hero by some because he forced his own government to fight against the invaders, even though his effort might not have made a difference after the Nationalist government later broke the truce with the communists. He was also considered a traitor by some because he worked with the enemy to plot against the political leader of his own party. He spent half a century in house arrest for his role in the Xian incident.

He later emmigrated to Hawaii and spent the rest of his life there.