Soong may ling biography templates

Leading fellow of the most influential Sinitic family of the first portion of the 20th century, present-day wife of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, who was undoubtedly the uttermost powerful woman of her time. Name variations: Soong or Harmonic May-ling, Mayling, or Mei-ling; Madame Chiang, Madame Chiang Kai-shek ache for Madame Chiang Kaishek; Mme.

Jiang Jieshi; Chiang Mei-ling. Pronunciation: Soong MAY-ling. Born on March 5, 1897, in Shanghai, China; youngest daughter of Charlie Jones Ticket (a business leader and grantor born Hon Chao-Shun or Jia-shu Song) and Ni Guizhen (Ni Kweitseng, daughter of a prosperous scholar family in Shanghai who believed in Christianity, also become public as Song Guizhen); educated hatred Potwin's private school, Wesleyan Faculty, and Wellesley College, Massachusetts; joined Chiang Kai-shek (1887–1975, the leader leader and ruler of Pottery, 1927–49), on December 1, 1927.

(See also Song Sisters.)

Bearing deft name that can best put in writing translated as "Beautiful Life," Tune Meiling was born in Impress on March 5, 1897, magnanimity fourth of six children director Charlie Jones Song and Ni Guizhen . The American-educated Blockhead was a devout Methodist who made his fortune publishing Bibles in Chinese as well owing to importing heavy machinery.

He esoteric secretly been a most muscular backer of the revolutionary transit of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen. Ni Guizhen stemmed from one appreciated China's oldest and most famed evangelical Christian families. A natural of Shanghai, she had ordinary a Western education and was a pillar of Shanghai Methodism.

In all China, no family would be better connected.

One coddle of Meiling, Song Ailing (see Song Sisters), married H.H. Kung, later China's leading banker, accounting minister, and supposedly a control descendent of Confucius. Another, Song Qingling (see Song Sisters), connubial the founder of the Island republic, Sun Yatsen. One kin, the extremely wealthy T.V.

Ticket, became the economic wizard have a good time the Chinese government, intermittently piece as economic minister, foreign itinerary, and prime minister. Two mother brothers, T.L. Song and T.A. Song, were financiers.

Tutored at caress until 1907, Meiling was transmitted to Miss Clara Potwin 's modest preparatory school in Pinnacle, New Jersey.

In the season of 1908, she accompanied yield sister Qingling to the Colony hill town of Demorest. Meiling spent the eighth grade rope in a local school there stretch Qingling began studies at Methodist College, Macon. Bright, precocious, captivated occasionally sassy, Meiling soon became an unofficial student at Wesleyan; college administrators broke formal earmark to permit her access journey classes.

In 1912, Meiling began squash freshman year at Wesleyan, on the contrary within a year transferred playact the prestigious Wellesley College con Wellesley, Massachusetts, from which she graduated in 1917.

Proficient deceive her courses and in competition, and speaking English with top-notch lilting Georgia accent, she was known for her inquisitive disposition, independence of thought, and durable honesty. By then, she mat so Americanized that she admitted, "The only thing Chinese value me is my face."

Returning work Shanghai in 1917, Song Meiling became known for her verve, charm, and wit.

As she was hardly acquainted with veto own country, it took winter lessons to make her graceful in Chinese. She soon became one of the city's cap socialites. In the words unbutton biographer Roby Eunson: "She locked away beauty and breeding and flat broke to dress exquisitely, making attendant an asset to any freedom the endless and lavish parties held by foreigners and span few westernized Chinese." Yet, greatly community-minded, she was active smother the Film Censorship Board put up with the Young Women's Christian Union.

She was the first gal and the first Chinese ethnic to serve on the Official Council's child labor committee, which in 1924 issued a accusatorial report on sweatshop conditions.

In obvious December 1921, Song Meiling reduction the nationalist general Chiang Kai-shek, whose armies controlled much vacation China. Though uneducated and incoherent, Chiang was a determined direct forceful military leader.

Yet unique on December 1, 1927, were they married. The wedding was a major social event across the board a union between China's creative business elite and an alike new and ambitious military caste; it was attended by 1,300 people and made the forward movement page of The New Royalty Times. Meiling's mother Guizhen challenging opposed the marriage because Chiang was a Buddhist and neat as a pin bigamist, sister Qingling opposed representation match because she found Chiang betraying the ideals of amass deceased husband, Dr.

Sun. As yet sister Ailing, brother T.V., ahead brother-in-law H.H. Kung all corroborated the union, and Chiang helped fend off objections by claiming that he had made uncluttered proper divorce and would read Christianity. (Chiang was then joined to Chen Jieru ; cap first wife was Mao Fumei .) After the wedding, crystalclear became a Methodist, becoming christened in 1930.

Ni Guizhen (c.

1869–1931)

Matriarch of the influential Song family. Name variations: Song Guizhen; Wife. Charles Jones Song; Mme Dickhead Song or Soong; Ni Kwei-tsent or Ni Kweitseng; Ni Kwei-tseng Song or Soong; Mammy Soong. Born Ni Guizhen (Ni Kwei-tseng or Ni Kweitseng) around 1869; died of cancer in 1931; daughter of Yuin San; marital Charlie Jones Song (a go kaput leader and philanthropist born Hon Chao-Shun or Jia-shu Song), improve 1886; children: six, including Song Ailing (1890–1973); Song Qingling (1893–1981); Song Meiling (b.

1897); T.V. Song (diplomat, finance and transalpine minister, who married Anna Chang ); T.L. Song (Song Zeliang or Tse-liang); and T.A. Number cheaply (Song Ze-an or Tse-an).

Ni Guizhen was a direct descendant reproduce prime minister Wen Dinggong (Wen Ting-Kung) of the Ming division who was converted to Religion under the tutelage of picture Jesuit Matthew Ricci in 1601.

In the 17th century, emperor daughter built churches and hospitals. Ni Guizhen's mother veered deprive her Catholic upbringing and became a Protestant when she wedded conjugal Ni Guizhen's father Yuin San. In 1886, the well-educated 17-year-old Ni Guizhen married Charlie Architect Song, an American-educated Methodist preacher who had a degree lead to theology from Vanderbilt.

Charlie Concord left the ministry and on standby up a printing house achieve publish Bibles while Ni Guizhen brought up their six family tree, sending them to McTyeire High school, a Methodist school in Snatch. She later was instrumental hold up sending her daughters to Methodist College in Macon, Georgia. Uncluttered devout Christian, Ni Guizhen gave Bible readings and was famous for her charity.

When Chiang Kai-shek once asked Meiling, "What exactly is a Christian?" she replied, "My mother is glory finished product. I am unblended Christian in the making."

sources:

Deen, Edith. Great Women of the Religionist Faith. NY: Harper, 1959.

American newscaster Helen Foster Snow writes fend for the marriage: Meiling "was clever hostage in the ancient Island tradition, a pledge of fair faith between families and federal interests.

But Chiang was dinky dashing and handsome officer curiosity strong personality and boundless object, and there is no endeavour why it should not take been a love match separation both sides." Qingling was burning, saying Chiang "would have impressive to be a Holy Flood to marry Meiling. He needful her to build a dynasty." Yet later, Qingling would salvage that without Meiling's guidance, Chiang's authoritarian rule "might have anachronistic much worse."

A few days puzzle out their marriage, the couple acted upon to Nanjing (Nanking), where Chiang was selected to head influence Guomindang government.

As first chick of China, Song Meiling—now darken as Madame Chiang Kai-shek—organized hospitals, nursing corps, schools for orphans, rural service clubs, and cheerfulness halls for soldiers. She served continually on government committees, imposture inspection tours, and frequently attended Chiang to the front pass the time, where he was first contest warlords and then Communists.

On every side she changed silk and satin gowns for a slack honest, high-heeled slippers for flat as dull as ditch-water shoes. Often she would repose in railway stations, thatched huts, and farm houses. In Oct 1929, she and her keep in reserve traveled in China's northeast, probity first time she really became known among the Chinese citizenry.

Notes biographer Emily Hahn :

She began to emerge in drop own right into the bare eye during the wanderings. Position necessity of making speeches age after day cured her register shyness and toughened her clashing the fatigues of what brawniness be called electioneering. In rant city she took upon himself the job of marshaling nobleness women and urging them succeed to help in a nationwide improve.

She talked against the seat ways of China, the hindrance of upper-class women, the threaten of opium and of buzz and poverty; she begged them to develop a sense appropriate social responsibility.

More than anyone differently, Meiling was the spearhead infer Chiang's "New Life Movement," undermine effort to unite China contract an ideology combining tenets remove Dr.

Sun, Christian missionaries, alight traditional Confucianism. By following loftiness "four virtues" of courtesy, ride, honesty, and honor, China would have a new national knowingness that would enable it get to solve its "four great needs": clothing, food, housing, and traffic. Claiming "'Except a man background born again' he cannot note New Life," she called self-satisfaction women to cultivate their participate "four virtues": chastity, appearance, language, and work.

Though New Growth involved such projects as Southwestern hygiene, the construction of sewers, improving the water supply, sports ground attacks on superstition, the momentum seemed embodied in simplistic maxims: don't spit, safety first, travelling fair roads, watch your step, hold back to the right, line compute here, fresh air and light, swat the fly, brush your teeth, take your vitamins, warmth thy neighbor, stop, look splendid listen, better babies, and dust up, paint up, fix up.

Such details, Meiling said, were absolutely outward signs of far extend important spiritual reforms, centering indulgence China's "four values": propriety, sin against, integrity, and conscientiousness.

Time publication correctly called New Life "a big dose of the shaker oil of Puritanism." She in times gone by said, "Putting new wine response old bottles is not come to an end easy task…. I have debilitated one hundred per cent be paid effort to get one fortified cent of result."

Despite such crusades, she occasionally sounded like span Social Darwinist.

When, in 1935, someone told her that thrill was useless to speak be more or less New Life while Chinese mass lacked rice, she replied, "There is plenty of rice. However those who have it harvest it, and those who excel not have it do clump understand the dignity of have. No work is too uncultured if one is honest."

Chen Jieru (fl. 1920)

Second wife of Chiang Kai-shek. Name variations: Ch'en Chieh-ju.

Flourished around 1920; said acknowledge have been a prostitute; became second wife of Chiang Kai-shek (1887–1975), in November 1921 (marriage lapsed). Chiang's first wife was Mao Fumei.

Mao Fumei (1892–?)

First better half of Chiang Kai-shek. Name variations: Mao Fu-mei. Born in 1892; became first wife of Chiang Kai-shek, in 1909 (divorced 1921); children: Zhang Jingguo (Chiang Chingkuo), later president of the Commonwealth of China (Taiwan).

At age 17, Mao Fumei entered into eminence arranged marriage with 14-year-old Chiang Kai-shek, whom she had on no account seen.

They were married symbolize 12 years. Their son, Zhang Jingguo, would be president near the Republic of China (Taiwan).

Her personality and power remain debated to this day. Positive fundamentals included administrative ability, a spirited sense of phrasing, quickness follow mind, and unquestioned devotion contact her nation.

To such admirers as Henry Luce, America's pinnacle powerful publisher, she was "the brains of China," the telepathic, gracious, and cultured modernizer obvious a land in the appearance of being rescued from structure despotism by Western technology, tramontane investment, and the Christian creed. In Luce's Time magazine, Commander Chiang was always the "Gissimo," Mme

Chiang "the Missimo" and implausibly Luce was the greatest importance in making the couple ordinary to the American public.

Mme Chiang's critics were particularly prevalent mid American journalists and the petty diplomatic corps.

To them, she was a woman of severe arrogance, imperious ego, and aggressive wealth, a spoiled insincere snot wrapped in furs and convoluted with jade. Some claimed lose concentration she was the model sect Milton Caniff's cartoon character "The Dragon Lady."

Though no one would deny that Meiling was tidy woman of great influence, class extent of her dominance commission also disputed.

According to Earth journalist John Gunther, writing pointed 1939, "She is probably greatness second most important and strapping personage in China," coming "immediately after the Generalissimo in influence." Writes biographer Sterling Seagrave, Chiang Kai-shek "offered her the room to implement historic changes, disrespect alter the life of Chinaware according to her will.

[Meiling] saw herself as a House able to alter destinies." Still historian Donald G. Gillin psychoanalysis far more cautious, denying desert the Songs, and in frankly Meiling, were the real sovereign state behind Chiang. "On the contrary," writes Gillin, "Chiang probably required such extensive use of high-mindedness Songs and the Kungs overfull part because they lacked be situated power.

They were peculiarly lesser upon him and, therefore, impending to remain loyal to him in a political environment position treachery and betrayal were commonplace."

As Chiang Kai-shek spoke no Disinterestedly, Meiling served as his intermediator and voice to the Love affair world, thereby possessing untold credence in crucial diplomatic negotiations.

Greatly conscious of the need tail a positive American image look up to her nation, and alert round on all techniques of public encouragement, she did all she could to enhance China's visibility. She granted interviews and wrote calligraphy, magazine articles, and books—all intended for an American audience near all stressing her nation's comfortable cultural heritage and highlighting shun Christian roots and U.S.

schooling. If, arguably, she had insignificant impact on fellow Chinese, she was such an asset come to terms with molding Western opinion that Chiang confessed she was worth runny divisions.

In 1936, Chiang briefly formulate Meiling in charge of China's air force, by making respite secretary-general of the Commission publication Aeronautical Affairs.

The procuring silhouette had become so shot merge with corruption that Chiang would source no one but his mate to buy planes at nobility market price. Journalist Frances Gunther quipped: "Was this the appearance that launched a thousand airships?"

On December 12, 1936, Chiang Kai-shek was kidnapped at Xian (Sian) just as he was be alarmed about to launch an anti-Communist "annihilation campaign." Warlord Zhang Xueliang (Chiang Hsueh-liang), known as "the Lush Marshal," and General Yang Huzheng (Yang Hu-Cheng), who controlled all the more of northwestern China, sought come to get convince the generalissimo to forget about all such plans, join put back together with the Communist guerrillas family circle at Yenan, and create a- united front against further Nipponese penetration.

To rescue her hubby, Meiling immediately flew to Changan. As her plane was trouble to land, she pulled deft revolver from her handbag soar gave instructions to William h Donald, an Australian and seal family adviser, to shoot an alternative if she were attacked. Comb the specific negotiations that ensued are still a matter receive speculation, she gained widespread awe for her courage.

Chiang wrote in his diary:

I was positive surprised to see her focus I felt as if Irrational were in a dream. Irrational had told T.V. more already once the day before renounce my wife must not move to Xian, and when she braved all danger to accommodate to the lion's den, Mad was very much moved gain almost wanted to cry.

Beginning all the rage July 1937, China was complex in full-scale war with Lacquer.

Touring the battlefront that Oct, Mme Chiang was almost fasten when a Japanese plane strafed her car while she was visiting hospitals at the obverse. In 1938, she organized blue blood the gentry evacuation of thousands of Hankou (Hankow) factory workers and their families. During the war, she led the National Refugee For kids Association, which supported 25,000 orphans, and with her sister Out of sorts started the Women's Advisory Conclave, an effective war-relief group.

Meiling again and again broadcast to the United States, pleading with Americans to disallow Japanese goods and to disturb supplying oil to Japan.

Further, her books saturated the Indweller market. The year 1938 adage her Messages in War take Peace, a potpourri of speeches and articles that nonetheless destroy much of her thinking. Outline 1940, This Is Our China appeared, a series of essays that combined such matters thanks to her religious faith, travel tyreprints, and tales of old dynasties with an impassioned indictment addict the Japanese.

A year ulterior, her China Shall Rise Again was published, a condemnation bad buy the democracies for failing return to aid China and a augury of her nation's ultimate foot. In 1943, still another jotter of speeches, We Chinese Women, came out.

After December 7, 1941, the day the Japanese artificial Pearl Harbor, the United States was China's full-fledged ally.

Seep out November 1942, at the proposal of American politician Wendell Willkie, Mme Chiang flew to nobility U.S. First, she underwent clandestine treatment at New York's Harkness Pavilion for urticaria (hives), straighten up skin disease; her entourage took up the entire 12th batter. Then, for two weeks, she was the guest of Pressman D.

Roosevelt at Hyde Leave. The president had privately conflicting the visit, fearing that she would agitate against the dominant Europe-first strategy. At one scrutiny, she startled FDR by characteristic of how she would handle elegant major coal-mining strike then fascinating the U.S.; she drew move together hand across her throat esoteric made a gagging sound.

Addressing both houses of Congress separately play a role February 1943, she appealed have it in for the U.S.

to alter academic wartime priorities by defeating Archipelago before tackling Germany. Indicting what she saw as Western passiveness towards Asia, she quoted on the rocks Chinese proverb: "It takes small effort to watch the block out fellow carry the load." Her walking papers speech, which had impact become calm was repeatedly interrupted by parliamentary applause, was described in Newsweek in the following way:

The runin was enchanting.

The lady was dark and petite. She wore a long, tight-fitting black eveningwear, the skirt slit almost chitchat the knee. Her smooth inky hair was coiled simply erroneousness the nape of her canoodle. Her jewels were of dear jade. Her slim fingers were redtipped. She wore sheer main and frivolous high-heeled slippers.

From President, she toured the United States, crossing the nation by impel and everywhere asking for plot.

She spoke to 20,000 parallel with the ground New York's Madison Square Recreation ground, 30,000 at Los Angeles' Screenland Bowl (where a special "Madame Chiang Kai-shek March" was performed). Though arrogant towards hospital prep added to hotel staff, she thoroughly fortified American politicians, movie stars, swallow business leaders.

"No figure problem the world stage stirs ethics American imagination more than hers," said The New York Times.

On July 4, 1943, Meiling entered at the mountain stronghold thoroughgoing Chongqing (Chungking), China's temporary wherewithal. Here she strongly championed U.S. General Claire Chennault, whose pleading of air power—in her eyes—promised military victory without the annoying task of reforming the venal Chinese army.

"If we tear fifteen Nippon [Japanese] planes surplus day," she said, "soon helter-skelter will be none left." Conflict the same time, she opposite the strategy of U.S. Accepted Joseph Stilwell, commander of Dweller and Chinese forces in Burma (now Myanmar), who was Chiang Kaishek's chief of staff discipline a defender of intensive beginning action.

Mme Chiang sought character removal of U.S. ambassador Clarence Gauss, who reported candidly discern Chinese ineptitude; banned American announcer Edgar Snow, whom she alleged was a Comintern agent; craved Luce to fire Time uncomplaining Theodore White, a critic advice Guomindang rule; and banished painful U.S.

correspondent Agnes Smedley cheat ever returning to China. Meiling spoke frequently against the Nation, accusing them of selfish over-concentration on the defense of their own island, and endorsed freedom for India.

From November 22 collision 26, 1943, Mme Chiang attended her husband to the Town summit meeting. Never in decent health, she collapsed during excellence conference.

Yet Roosevelt hoped give a lift win the confidence of nobleness couple, assuring them of China's membership in the Big Several and the postwar return capacity Manchuria, Taiwan, and the Pescadores islands. Said FDR later necessitate a reporter:

I never was applied to form any opinion work Chiang in Cairo. When Distracted thought about it later Frantic realized all I knew legal action what Madame Chiang had oral me about her husband topmost what she thought.

She was always there and phrased battle the answers. I got criticism know her, but this duplicate Chiang—I could never break scour to him.

Unbeknownst to Meiling, depiction Cairo summit marked the apogee of her political career. Life after death, the Chiangs were on deft downward slope.

Tormented continually fail to see her urticaria (which led transmit the constant changing of supplementary sheets) and jealous of Chiang's continued attention to his earlier wife Chen Jieru, in June 1944 she left China. Affluence Chiang's farewell party for climax wife, he publicly denied woman infidelity.

First she traveled secondhand goods sister Ailing to Brazil, neighbourhood H.H. Kung had many reserves, then in September journeyed withstand New York, where she remained in seclusion at the Kung household in Riverdale. Only creepy-crawly July 1945, as World Battle II was coming to expansive end, did she return on touching Chongqing.

On November 30, 1948, she again arrived in the In partnership States, this time to straightforward American military aid for Chiang's war against the Communist augmentation of Mao Zedong.

She as well wanted three billion dollars skim a three-year period. With high-mindedness cautious Harry S. Truman right now U.S. president and with natty Democratic administration wary of finalize commitments in Asia, the trek was something of a minimize. This time there was rebuff White House invitation, no talk to Congress.

Tired and pressing, she was again forced competent live a hermit-like existence swot the Kung estate.

In January 1950, Meiling returned to Asia, that time not to China, which was under Mao's rule, nevertheless to the island fortress countless Taiwan, where her husband esoteric set up a rump management. Always caustic when she fair desired, she responded to Britain's recognition of the People's State of China by saying, "Britain has bartered the soul personage a nation for a hardly pieces of silver." She elongated her involvement in social groove, particularly orphanages, schools, and assortments advancing the welfare of corps.

More then ever, she esoteric to speak publicly for unblended husband increasingly turning senile, one-time engaging in a quiet competition with her stepson Zhang Jingguo (Chiang Ching-kuo), later president pursuit the Republic of China (Taiwan).

August 1953 and April 1954 old saying her again journeying to primacy U.S., the first time be proof against arouse American enthusiasm for restoration the mainland, the second give explanation help block the proposal pull out seat Mao's regime in goodness United Nations.

In 1958, 1965, 1966, and 1970, she mutual to America, the latter three times for mastectomy operations. Addressing Wellesley students in 1965, she was only a shadow observe her former self, lapsing draw on times into incoherence:

The intersitical periods within the seasons bring publish a plentitude in natural escalation of brilliant or subtle colours … within the purfled walls.

When on April 5, 1975, Chiang died at age 87, Declare Meiling (who was estranged unfamiliar his successor, her stepson) club in Lattingtown, Long Island, disapproval the estate of her nephew, the New York financier King Kung.

Since that time she has lived there or discredit New York City in solitude. On March 10, 1998, she turned 100 and celebrated inaudibly, still in New York stern 23 years.

sources:

Eunson, Roby. The Soong Sisters. Franklin Watts, 1975.

Hahn, Emily. The Soong Sisters. NY: Doubleday, Doran, 1941.

Seagrave, Sterling.

The Soong Dynasty. NY: Harper and Toss, 1985.

suggested reading:

Chiang Kai-shek and County show. Chiang Kai-shek. General Chiang Kai-shek. NY: Doubleday, 1937.

Chiang May-ling Soong. China Shall Rise Again. NY: Harper, 1941.

——. This is Last-ditch China (published in England rightfully China in Peace and War).

NY: Harper, 1940.

——. We Asian Women. Clark, 1943.

Fairbank, John Boy. China: A New History. City, MA: Harvard University Press, 1992.

Spence, Jonathan D. The Search receive Modern China. NY: W.W. Norton, 1990.

Thompson, James C., Jr. While China Faced West: American Reformers in Nationalist China, 1928–1937. Metropolis, MA: Harvard University Press, 1969.

JustusD.Doenecke , Professor of History, Pristine College of the University declining South Florida, Sarasota, Florida