Whampoa Military Academy
Whampoa Military Academy
a Chinese military school founded by Sun Yat-sen, with Communist assistance, in May 1924 to train revolutionary officers. It was initially located near the city of Whampoa (Huangp’u), from which it received its name. Considerable help in organizing and running the academy was provided by a corps of Soviet military specialists under the leadership of V. K. Bliukher and by the political adviser of the Kuomintang, M. M. Borodin. Between 1924 and 1926 the academy trained 4,258 officers. In early 1927 it was moved to Wuhan; it was closed in August 1927. Graduates of the academy played an important role in the Northern Campaign of 1926—27. The academy’s staff included supporters of Chiang Kai-shek, who carried out a counterrevolutionary coup in April 1927. Many of the graduates, however, remained faithful to the revolution.
REFERENCES
Cherepanov, A. I. Zapiski voennogo sovetnika v Kitae. Moscow, 1964.Naumov, S. N. “Shkola Vampu.” In Sovetskie dobrovol’tsy o pervoi grazhdanskoi revoliutsionnoi voine v Kitae. Moscow, 1961.