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National Revolutionary Army
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Image:ROC Army.gif thumb|Flag of the National Revolutionary Army
The '''National Revolutionary Army''' ('''NRA''', {{zh-tsp|t=國民é?©å‘½è»?|s=国民é?©å‘½å†›|p=GuómÃn Gémìng JÅ«n}}, sometimes shortened to 國è»? 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
warlords,
Second Sino-Japanese War against the
Imperial Japanese Army, and the
Chinese Civil War against the
People's Liberation Army.
History
Image:Countermand concession.jpg Hubei.html" title="Meaning of frame frame|National Revolutionary Army soldiers marched into the British concessions in [[Hubei during the Northern Expedition..html" title="Meaning of National Revolutionary Army soldiers marched into the British concessions in [[Hubei">frame|National Revolutionary Army soldiers marched into the British concessions in [[Hubei during the Northern Expedition.">National Revolutionary Army soldiers marched into the British concessions in [[Hubei">frame|National Revolutionary Army soldiers marched into the British concessions in [[Hubei during the Northern Expedition.
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
Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945) 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 (æ£å¼?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 (é ?備師), for a grand total of 515
division (military) 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 (National Revolutionary Army) 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 (è»?å?€)
**
Army Group (兵團)
***
Army Company (集團�)
****
Route Army (路�)
*****
Army Corps (�團)
******
Army (è»?)
*******
Division (military) Division (師)
********
Brigade (æ—…)
*********
Regiment (團)
**********
Battalion (營)
***********
Company (military unit) Company (連)
************
Platoon (排)
*************
Squad (ç?)
Equipment
{{section-stub}}
:''Main article:
German-trained divisions of the National Revolutionary Army''
Chinese weapons were mainly produced in the
Hanyang Arsenal Hanyang, Guangdong and Taiyuan Arsenals. However, for most of the German-trained divisions, the standard firearms were German-made
8 mm Mauser 7.92 mm Gewehr 98 and
Karabiner 98k. The standard
light machine gun was a local copy of the Czech
8 mm Mauser 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 mm caliber 7.63 mm Mauser M1932 semi-automatic pistol, also known as
C96.
Image:Chinese Sdkfz 222.jpg SdKfz_222.html" title="Meaning of thumb thumb|200px|[[SdKfz 222s..html" title="Meaning of 200px|[[SdKfz 222">thumb|200px|[[SdKfz 222s.">200px|[[SdKfz 222">thumb|200px|[[SdKfz 222s.
Some divisions were equipped with 37mm
PaK 35/36 anti-tank guns, and/or
mortar (weapon) mortars from
Oerlikon,
Madsen, and
Solothurn. Each infantry division had 6
France French Brandt 81mm mortars and 6
Solothurn 20mm
autocannons. Some independent brigades and artillery regiments were equipped with
Bofors 72mm L/14, or
Krupp 72mm
L/29 mountain guns. They were 24
Rheinmetall 150mm
L/32 sFH 18 howitzers (bought in
1934) and 24
Rheinmetall 150mm
L/30 sFH 18 howitzers (bought in
1936).
Image:HY1935 bayonet.jpg 1935.html" title="Meaning of thumb thumb|200px|A Mauser bayonet, made in Hanyang in [[1935..html" title="Meaning of 200px|A Mauser bayonet, made in Hanyang in [[1935">thumb|200px|A Mauser bayonet, made in Hanyang in [[1935.">200px|A Mauser bayonet, made in Hanyang in [[1935">thumb|200px|A Mauser bayonet, made in Hanyang in [[1935.
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
Stahlhelm#M1935.2F1940 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/harness, a water flask, combat knives, food bag, and a gas mask.
See also
*
Military of the People's Republic of China
*
Military of the Republic of China
Category:National Revolutionary Army
Category:Military history of China
Category:History of the Republic of China
es:Ejército Nacional Revolucionario (China)
zh:國民�命�
Articles and categories associated with or related to the
National Revolutionary Army.
Category:Military history of China
category:History of the Republic of China
category:Military history of the Republic of China
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