Yan Xishan in the Battle of Taiyuan Essay Sample

Abstract

The Battle of Taiyuan 1937 was of great strategic importance to the Imperial Japanese Army as it was to the National Revolutionary Army of China. The battle was a culmination of fighting in the Shanxi province that had been taking place since the Second Sino-Japanese War started in July of 1973. The area of Shanxi province had the distinction of the time to be of immense coal resources and had access to railways that could distribute resources throughout mainland China. When the incident at the Marco Polo Bridge happened in July of 1937 starting the Second Sino-Japanese war, Yan Xishan had the foresight to know that the war would soon be on the doorstep of the Shanxi region of which he the provincial leader. 

Competence

Competence is the very foundation of mission command and is the solid ground upon which success is built. Competence is created by the content of your character and is created in your subordinates through realistic training that is conducted to standard. Yan Xishan had the pedigree of competence for years prior to the Battle of Taiyuan because he was the strong but fair leader of the Shanxi province since 1911. According to, (Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopedia, Invalid Date), “after 1911 Shanxi remained under a powerful warlord, Yan Xishan, who retained control from 1913 to 1948. Taiyuan flourished as the center of his comparatively progressive province, and the city experienced extensive industrial development.” He had his own standing Army that was trained and battle tested. He was considered a great leader that valued traditional Chinese values and traditions while at the same time he had a vision for the future. His troops inflicted great damage to the Imperial Japanese Army as they were making their way through the Shanxi region leading up Taiyuan. In fact, he was named the overall commander of the Second Warzone which consisted of Shanxi, Suiyuan, Chahar, and northern Shaanxi.

Mutual Trust

Mutual trust is creating a shared understand at all levels. This is the ability to get everyone at the same level of confidence by creating an atmosphere of trust. Yan Xishan established this trust before the Battle of Taiyuan even started by instilling discipline at all levels of command. He even executed Generals who retreated in the face of stiff Japanese aggression. This lead to the belief that he was all in with his Army and that he was dedicated to the resistance of the Imperial Japanese Army. During the conflict, Yan identified the need to request additional force from China and the Eight Route Army was brought in a reinforcement and Yan’s Generals were excited at the idea of the Communist Army coming in to help the region repel the invaders. With the mutual trust that was already in place, the additional forces were able to fall in place and continue the fight.

Shared Understanding

The shared understanding of the Shanxi region was to resist the invading Imperial Japanese Army to protect the regions vital resources and to keep traditional Chinese values intact. Yan was in command of 7 separate military units and was able to create a shared understanding of the plan in order to have his forces defend Taiyuan. The Japanese Army, although in lower numbers of troops, had far superior firepower and tactics during the time, which lead to Yan having to be creative in planning the defense of Taiyuan.

Commanders Intent

As the commander of the Second Warzone, Yan had to bring 7 different units together to share the commander’s intent for the defense of the Shanxi region and its largest city of Taiyuan. Yan was the chairman of a 10,000 plus member alliance that had its first meeting on 18 October 1936, so he could start planning the defense Taiyuan and the Shanxi region (Goodman, 2000). His ability to communicate his ideas were instrumental to being prepared for the invading Japanese Army.

Mission Orders

The city of Taiyuan was split into as many as 7 different areas so that the defense was properly prepared and executed. His intent was handed down to subordinate commanders so that the planning of the operation could begin. The Imperial Japanese Army was intent on making a fast sweep through the rea so as to not let the defenses have enough time to prepare and set up.

Disciplined Initiative

Yan executed disciplined initiative by seeing that if created gorilla style warfare on the advancing Imperial Japanese Army he could inflict damage on the in the form of personal lose and damaged equipment. He implemented the tactic into the defense of Taiyuan so when the Japanese Army arrived in Taiyuan they would already be at a disadvantage and lose the will to fight.

Risk Acceptance

Yan could see the risk of the gorilla style attacks on the Japanese Army and he knew he would suffer loses. That style was later described by Japan as a suicide mission but in his mind it was a way in inflict loses on the Japanese side and to break their will to fight. He also saw the importance of the rail line and was committed to defending those at all cost. He understood the impact that had on the region not only during the war but for the economic stability and prosperity of the region.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Yan Xishan will always be remembered in the region as a great leader and one who saw the region through extremely turbulent times. I believe he was able to effectively implement and execute the 7 principals of mission command but the Battle of Taiyuan was ultimately a failure and the Japanese Imperial Army was successful in taking control of the city and the region. The Japanese were better equipped and better prepared for the fight and were able to overcome the leadership and forward thinking ability of Yan Xishan.

References

Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopedia (Invalid Date). Taiyuan. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Taiyuan

Goodman, David S. G. (2002). North China at War: The Social Ecology of Revolution, 1937-1945. Rowman and Littlefield Publishing INC.