Showing posts with label Bai Lang Rebellion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bai Lang Rebellion. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Thursday. June 18, 1914. Wolves and their prey.

Missionaries from the Taochau region south of Lanzho reported that forces loyal to Bai Lang had murdered 10,000 inhabitants of that town after escaping from Chinese forces.

Did that occur?  Perhaps, but 10,000 people in a short amount of time, while not unprecedented, is a lot. Still, it would appear certain that the White Wolf's forces had been murderous.

Italian King Victor Emmanuel founded the Colonial Order of the Star of Italy.  It was awarded to soldiers and officers with exceptional military service in Italy's North African colonies, colonies that pretty much didn't want Italy to be there.

The order was disbanded in 1943.

I wonder if there's any living recipients still with us?

On the plus side, Italian North Africa did give us Claudia Cardinale.


Actor E. G. Marshall was born.

He was well known, but he was no Claudia Cardinale.

Last prior example:

Wedneday, June 17, 1914. Successful Rebels. White Wolves and Pancho's.

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Wedneday, June 17, 1914. Successful Rebels. White Wolves and Pancho's.

The "White Wolf", rebel  Bai Lang, broke through a Chinese Army blockade numbering 5,000 men with his 1,000.

Bai Yung-chang, or Bai Langzai, or Bai Lang, the latter of which was a pseudonym, was a 41-year-old rebel and one time governor of Henan and almost bandit, dissuaded from that fate after killing a man in a fight by his family.  He'd been trained in the military arts in Japan and had served in the Beiyang Army after the outbreak of the Chinese rebellion of 1911.  The tugid politics of revolutionary China drove him into allegiance with the bandit forces of Du Quiin.

The Revolution of 1911 has never really resolved, sharing therefore a bit of the history of the Mexican Revolution, which didn't resolve until 2000 with the election of Vicente Fox.  Fox established that Mexico had evolved from a one party state into a true democracy, one which has a solid middle class, no matter how much Mexicans and Americans refuse to believe it, today.  China, on the other hand, fell into an ineffective chaotic republic that collapsed into civil war, from which the Chinese Communist Party emerged as the one party ruler.  Ultimately, and likely soon, that party will fall and a true Chinese republic will emerge, but it's taking quite some time to occur.  Still, no matter its bluster, the current People's Republic of China, will evolve into something else, just as Revolutionary Mexico did.

Another bandit/rebel was in the news in 1914, José Doroteo Arango Arámbula, but by his pseudonym as well, Pancho Villa.

The Mexican Federal government of Gen. Huerta was collapsing, and as it collapsed the news increasing turned towards the spectacular victories of the rebel Ejército del Norte and its leader, Pancho Villa.  And with that, speculation was rampant that Villa would declare himself held of state.

In fact, Villa, who had been fanatically loyal to Modero, was not yet disloyal to Carranza. . . but that day was coming.


Last prior edition: