Is Wu Peifu a national hero?

Wu Peifu is a national hero!

Wu Peifu (April 22, 1874 - December 4, 1939), courtesy name Ziyu, was a native of Penglai County, Shandong Province, China. A scholar in the late Qing Dynasty, he was once one of the most powerful warlords among the Beiyang warlords. He was the leader of the direct warlords who occupied Luoyang, Kaifeng and other important cities in the Central Plains, and served as a patrol envoy to Zhilu and Henan.

After the full-scale Anti-Japanese War broke out in 1937, he rejected the Japanese government’s invitation to cooperate. Doihara Kenji personally came to visit Wu Peifu. He persuaded Wu Peifu to come out, but Wu Peifu refused. In December 1939, Wu Peifu suffered from toothache due to eating mutton dumplings in Peiping. A Japanese dentist extracted his tooth, which caused an infection. He died on December 4. There were rumors that Wu Peifu might have been murdered because he refused to cooperate with the Japanese.

On December 9, 1939, Lin Sen, Chairman of the National Government, posthumously awarded him the title of first-class Army General and issued an explicit order to commend him.

As an honest official, Dong Biwu said: "Wu has been an official for decades, he has occupied territory in several provinces, and led hundreds of thousands of soldiers. He has no savings and no land. Compared with the waist of warlords at the same time, After spending millions, it is finally commendable.”

Wu Peifu’s patriotism and national integrity are admired by the world. Because he resolutely refused to cooperate with the Japanese and refused to fall into the water and become a traitor, he incurred the hatred of the Japanese and was killed.

On December 4, 1939, Wu Peifu, who had lived in Peiping for nearly eight years, died at No. 11, Shijin Garden Hutong, at the age of sixty-six.

Wu Peifu has long been away from the turbulent political stage, but after the Japanese soldiers stationed in China instigated the Marco Polo Bridge Incident to invade North China, he became the object of competition and alliance between all political forces. The Japanese's calculation is that Wu Peifu, an old man from Beiyang who has a high social reputation and has always been hostile to Japan, "comes out" to promote the so-called Sino-Japanese "peace movement". However, no matter how the Japanese tempted them and used various soft or hard tricks, Marshal Wu, who was loyal and upright by nature, and regarded himself as Guanyue, although he was in a land of tigers and wolves, when traitors big and small fell into the water one after another, Marshal Wu used his "lofty ideals" as an "idealist". "Don't forget to be in the ravine" made clear his ambition, refused the Japanese and puppet temptations, and remained unmoved. When the bad news about Wu Peifu came out, the whole country was shocked, and all parties expressed condolences. Condolences were sent to Shijin Garden Alley like snowflakes. In the following month, in addition to the large-scale funeral activities organized by Peiping, the Chongqing National Government, the center of the National Anti-Japanese War, also held grand commemorative activities, which were intensively reported by domestic and foreign news agencies. What happened after Wu Peifu's death can be described as full of sorrow and honor. Some newspapers and periodicals stated that Wu's funeral was rare in Peiping since the Republic of China.

The day after Wu Peifu's death, the "General Wu Funeral Office" was formally established in the old capital of Peking. There were more than 180 members, most of whom were celebrities and friends with Wu during his lifetime. The Funeral Department is headed by Qi Xieyuan as Prime Minister, Jiang Yanxing and others as assistant managers, and also has a General Affairs Department, a Clerical Department, an Accounting Department, a Communications Department, a General Affairs Department, a Police Department, and a Publicity Department. What is surprising is that among the people who directly participated in the funeral, some had been political enemies of each other their whole lives and had not interacted with each other until death. However, they conspired together in the name of attending Wu's funeral.

Chiang Kai-shek, who had regarded Wu Peifu as his biggest enemy during the Northern Expedition, heard of Wu’s death and sent a personal message of condolence: “I just heard that Mr. Ziyu was suffering from tooth disease and could not afford it. I was deeply saddened by the bad news. Mourning. It has been eight years since the invaders invaded Pingling. Mr. Zhizhi was committed to the Spring and Autumn Period and was loyal to the country of Xu. He was in a difficult situation and his strength was fierce. Drum, it stands like a mountain till now, unyielding and shining with great righteousness, and respected by the sea. Although the master's body has passed away, his steadfast spirit is enough to inspire the people and make his name last forever. It is hoped that he will be able to show his moral integrity, be kind to his legacy, and be kind to others, so as to support important events." Subsequently, the National Government and the Supreme National Defense Council decided to posthumously make Wu Peifu a first-class general in the army. What is intriguing is that although Wang Jingwei was frustrated in wooing Wu Peifu and felt resentful, he still sent a message of condolences on behalf of the puppet Nanjing government: "I am shocked to learn via microelectronics that General Wu's long-cherished wish to save the country peacefully has not been fulfilled. He passed away suddenly and deeply. I mourn deeply. My condolences.”