World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseCai Tingkai was an army officer of the Republic of China. Between 1925 and 1926, he was the commanding officer of the 28th Regiment, 10th Division, 4th Army. Between 1926 and 1927, and was assigned to the 24th Division, 11th Army. Between 1927 and 1930, he was commanding officer of the 10th Division while also serving as a deputy of the 11th Army. Between 1930 and 1933, he was the commanding officer of the 19th Route Army; in this role, he was responsible for a number of key tactical victories against the Japanese during the First Battle of Shanghai in Jan 1932. On 22 Nov 1933, he and Li Jishen, also of the 19th Route Army, rebelled and formed the Fujian People's Government; the rebel faction failed to obtain support from the Chinese communists like it planned, and was crushed by the Nationalist forces on 21 Jan 1934. Cai was exiled after his defeat.

ww2dbaseChina entered the Second Sino-Japanese War with Japan in 1937. Cai returned to China in 1939 to lead the 26th Army Group. In this role, he was credited with the Chinese victory at the Battle of South Guangxi of Dec 1939-Jan 1940 during the Winter Offensive. Beyond military duties, he also traveled to the United States to lobby for Chinese-American support for the war effort.

ww2dbaseAfter WW2, China only had brief peace as the civil war between the Nationalist and communist forces restarted. Cai took the side of the communists during the Chinese Civil War, which eventually emerged victorious. He was among the signers of the Proclamation of the Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China on 1 Oct 1949.

ww2dbaseCai was originally interred at the Beijing Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery. In 1997, his remains were moved to the Memorial Mausoleum of the Martyrs of 19th Route Army in the Battle Against Japanese Aggressors in Shanghai, China.

Photographs

Cai Tingkai Timeline