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The National Revolutionary Army ( NRA, , sometimes shortened to 國軍 or Nationalist Army ) was the National Army of the Republic of China in the early 20th Century. Controlled largely by the Kuomintang, the National Revolutionary Army fought major engagements in the Northern Expedition against the Chinese Beiyang Army warlords, Second Sino-Japanese War against the Imperial Japanese Army, and the Chinese Civil War against the People's Liberation Army.
History
The NRA was founded by the Kuomintang in 1925 as the military force destined to unite China in the Northern Expedition. Organized with the help of the Comintern and guided under the doctrine of the Three Principles of the People, the distinction among party, state, and army was often blurred. A large number of the Army's officers passed through the Whampoa Military Academy, and the first commandant, Chiang Kai-shek, became commander-in-chief of the Army in 1925 before lauching the successful Northern Expedition. Aside from Chiang Kai-shek himself, other prominent commanders in the National Revolutionary Army included Du Yuming and Chen Cheng. For a time, during the Second Sino-Japanese War, Communist forces fought as a nominal part of the National Revolutionary Army, forming the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army units, but this co-operation later fell apart. Throughout the Chinese Civil War, the National Revolutionary Army experienced problems with desertion, with many troops switching sides to fight for the Communists. After its defeat by the People's Liberation Army in 1949, it fled to Taiwan where it was later renamed the Republic of China Army, which exists to this day.
Organisation
The NRA throughout its lifespan recruited approximately 4,300,000 regulars, in 370 Standard Divisions (正式師), 46 New Divisions (新編師), 12 Cavalry Divisions (騎兵師), 8 New Cavalry Divisions (新編騎兵師), 66 Temporary Divisions (暫編師), and 13 Reserve Divisions (預備師), for a grand total of 515 divisions. However, many divisions were formed from 2 or more other divisions, and not were active at the same time. Also, New Divisions were created to replace Standard Divisions lost early in the war. Therefore the number of divisions in active service at any given time is much smaller than this. The average NRA division had 5,000-6,000 troops; an average army had 8,000-9,000 troops, the equivalent of a Japanese division. German-trained divisions were on par in terms of manpower with a western or Japanese division, having 10,000 troops. There was a large number of armoured and mechanised troops, but these were usually doled out to different armies rather than incorporated into a single unit, the exception being the 200th Division.
The unit organisation of the NRA is as follows: (Note that a unit is not necessarily subordinate to one immediately above it; several army regiments can be found under an army group, for example. )
- Military Region x12(軍區)
- Group Army x36(兵團)
- Army Company (集團軍)
- Group Army x36(兵團)
Equipment
Chinese weapons were mainly produced in the Hanyang, Guangdong and Taiyuan Arsenals. However, for most of the German-trained divisions, the standard firearms were German-made 7.92 mm Gewehr 98 and Karabiner 98k. The standard light machine gun was a local copy of the Czech 7.92 mm Brno ZB26. There were also Belgian and French LMGs. Surprisingly, the NRA did not purchase any of the infamous Maschinengewehr 34s from Germany, but did produce their own copies of them. On average in these divisions, there was 1 machine gun set for each platoon. Heavy machine guns were mainly locally-made 1924 water-cooled Maxim guns, from German blueprints. On average every battalion would get one heavy machine gun (about a third to half of what actual German divisions got during WW2). The standard sidearm was the 7.63 mm Mauser M1932 semi-automatic pistol, also known as C96.
Some divisions were equipped with 37 mm PaK 35/36 anti-tank guns, and/or mortars from Oerlikon, Madsen, and Solothurn. Each infantry division had 6 French Brandt 81 mm mortars and 6 Solothurn 20 mm autocannons. Some independent brigades and artillery regiments were equipped with Bofors 72 mm L/14, or Krupp 72 mm L/29 mountain guns. They were 24 Rheinmetall 150 mm L/32 sFH 18 howitzers (bought in 1934) and 24 Rheinmetall 150 mm L/30 sFH 18 howitzers (bought in 1936).
Infantry uniforms were basically redesigned Zhongshan suits. Puttees are standard for soldiers and officers alike since the primary mode of movement for NRA troops was by foot. The helmets were the most distinguishing characteristic of these divisions. From the moment German M35 helmets (standard issue for the Wehrmacht until late in the European theatre) rolled off the production lines in 1935, and until 1936, the NRA imported 315,000 of these helmets, each with the 12-star emblem of the ROC on the sides. Other equipment included cloth shoes for soldiers, leather shoes for officers and leather boots for high-ranking officers. Every soldier was issued ammunition, ammunition pouch or harness, a water flask, combat knives, food bag, and a gas mask.
See also
- German-trained divisions of the National Revolutionary Army
- Whampoa Military Academy
- Military of the Republic of China
- Chiang Kai-shek
- Sino-German cooperation
- History of the Republic of China
- Republic of China
- Military of the People's Republic of China
External links
National Revolutionary Army | Military history of China | History of the Republic of China | 1925 establishments | 1949 disestablishments | Armies | Articles containing Chinese text
"National Revolutionary Army"