Hsi Hsia (general)

Hsi Hsia, (? - ?), Chinese general in command of the Manchurian Kirin Provincial Army, that went over to the Japanese during the Invasion of Manchuria.

On 23 September 1931, Lt. General Hsi Hsia of the Kirin Army, was invited by the Japanese to form a provisional government for the Kirin Province. The Japanese succeeded in achieving a bloodless occupation of the capital. General Hsi Hsia accepted the Japanese invitation, called a meeting of government organizations and Japanese advisors, and on 30 September issued a proclamation establishing a provisional government for Kirin Province under protection of the Japanese Army and independent of the Republic of China.

After Japanese forces completed their military control over South Manchuria in early January 1932, occuping Chinchow and Shanhaiguan they turned to the north to complete their campaign to secure Manchuria. When negotiations with Generals Ma Zhanshan and Ting Chao had come to naught, Colonel Kenji Doihara in early January requested the General Hsi Hsia to advance with his forces and take Harbin from the last major Chinese regular force in the north lead by General Ting Chao. General Hsi Hsia advanced to Shuangcheng on 25 January, fighting began on the morning of the 26th. Doihara had failed in his attempt to intimidate the Chinese and his ally, General Hsi Hsia's troops soon suffered a serious reverse at the hands of General Ting Chao.

Colonel Doihara was forced to call upon the Kwantung Army to assist General Hsi Hsia. To justify this, Colonel Doihara created another "Incident" in Harbin. 2nd Division, commanded by Lt. Gen. Jiro Tamon, was ordered to go to the rescue of General Hsi Hsia, and entrained on 28 January. Because of transportation difficulties in the cold winter weather it took seven days for Japanese columns to struggle north over the frozen countryside in temperatures of 30° below zero. Finally they closed in on the Harbin from the west and south on February 4 and took the city on January 5th, 1932. Within two months the puppet state of Manchukuo was established.

External links

• IMTFE, Japanese Aggression Against China
• [1] SATURDAY EVENING. FEBRUARY 27. 1032. THE COSHOCTON TRIBUNE