World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseGu Zhutong entered a military academy in 1912, and in the same year joined the Chinese Nationalist Party. Upon completion of his studies at the Wuhan Reserve Officer Candidate School and the Baoding Military Academy, he joined the local Second Guangdong Army in 1922. In 1924, he became an instructor at the newly established Whampoa Military Academy in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. During the Northern Expedition of 1926-1928 and in the Central Plains War of 1930, he saw action against local warlords, rising to the command of the 16th Route Army in the latter war. In 1931, he became the garrison commander of Nanjing, China. In 1933, he participated in the anti-communist campaigns. In 1935, he was promoted to the rank of general and was given the duty of maintaining the defense of three southwestern provinces. Shortly after, he was given the concurrent duty of the chairman of Jiangsu Province, his home province. In 1937, as WW2 began, he was made the commander of the Third War Area. While fighting the war against Japan, he also devoted a significant portion of his planning against communist positions; in Jan 1941, for example, troops under his command engaged in a bloody six-day campaign against the communist New Fourth Army, inflicting 7,000 casualties on the communists. For his accomplishments during WW2, he was awarded the prestigious Order of Blue Sky and White Sun. In 1946, he was named the commander-in-chief of the Chinese Army to oversee a campaign against communist-held areas in Shandong Province, China. In 1947, Chinese Nationalist forces under his command suffered heavy losses during the Menglianggu Campaign, and Gu was demoted to the position of chief of staff. He evacuated to Taiwan in Mar 1950 after the communist takeover and was made the head of the Department of Defense. In 1954, he was promoted to the rank of General Second Class. In 1956, he was made the Secretary General of the National Defense Council. In 1967, he was named the deputy head of the Strategic Advisory Committee. In 1972, he was made one of Chiang Kaishek's advisors. Gu passed away in Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China in Jan 1987.

Gu Zhutong Interactive Map

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Gu Zhutong Timeline