The Imperial Japanese Army Academy’s Chinese Overseas Students: Focusing on Graduates from the First to Eleventh Terms

Study of Chinese overseas graduates of the Imperial Japanese Army Academy is an important topic in research on Chinese military history and political history, and in research on Sino-Japanese relations, history of foreign affairs. That is because, of the four major sources to educate China’s military talent, the earliest to be established was the Chinese overseas student system of the Imperial Japanese Army Academy. The teachers appointed to the provincial military schools of the late Qing, the early republican period Baoding Military Academy, as well as the Whampoa Military Academy, which was established as a result of the First United Front, more or less relied on Chinese overseas students supplied by the Imperial Japanese Army Academy. The gradual participation of these overseas students on the forefront of China’s military education made a considerably large contribution to the lasting operation of China’s military education, as well as developing independent national survival.
These Chinese overseas students passed through and completed preparatory military education at Seijou Preparatory School or Sinbu Preparatory School, as well as the formal military education of the Imperial Japanese Army Academy. After they returned home, it can be said they brought about a deep and lasting influence on the modernization of China’s military. Regardless whether it is in the establishment of the system of staff to the dualism of military administration and military command, or in the implementation of the Autumnal Field Maneuvers, as well as in the operations of each level of military school, we can see the influence of these overseas students. In addition, the influence of the Southern Revolutionary Power, Yuan Shikai (袁世凱, 1859-1916), Duan Qirui (段祺瑞, 1865-1936), and Zhang Zuolin (張作霖, 1875-1928)in attracting Chinese overseas students of the Imperial Japanese Army Academy and placing them into important positions, aside from the political and military benefits, also reflected the political leaning of each overseas student.