Chinese Assassination Corps
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The Chinese Assassination Corps (or China Assassination Corps or Sina Assassination Corps,
History
In 1910, the left-wing
In response to the plot's failure, the Chinese Assassination Corps was formed later the same year to carry on the imprisoned would-be assassins' mission. Founded in Hong Kong, it had about ten active members in the beginning, most of which were Tongmenghui activists disillusioned with the tactic of revolutionary mass action. Instead, they turned to individual action, the
Liu Shifu (1884–1915) especially would go on to become prominent within the Chinese anarchist milieu. Having been radicalized while studying in Japan (much as did Wang Jingwei), Liu, a Tongmenghui member, was involved in several assassinations before a 1907 attempt on the life of a Guangdong military commander, Li Chun, cost him one of his hands and two years in prison after his explosive device detonated by accident. He joined the Chinese Assassination Corps right after his release in 1910. He would later go on to reject the tactic of revolutionary terror, favoring instead grassroots organizing among the peasants and workers. Associated with Liu was another Corps member, Xie Yingbo, who would later become a labor union leader and anarcho-syndicalist.[5]
In 1911 tensions in China grew to a breaking point. This was especially the case in on the urbanized southern Chinese coast. For example, in April 1911, the Second Guangzhou Uprising (led by Huang Xing) broke out – and was quickly crushed. One of the commanders central to putting down this revolt was the aforementioned Li Chun, who had previously been involved in combating many revolutionary uprisings since 1907. He became a target of not only the Chinese Assassination Corps, but another insurrectionist group as well. The Corps' designated assassin, Lin Kuan-tz'u, joined forces with the other assassin – Ch'en Ching-yüeh – after realizing their common goal while tracking Li. On August 13, Lin attempted to kill the commander by throwing a home-made bomb at him as Li was making his way to his office. The explosion wounded Li and killed several of his guards, who quickly gunned down the bomb-thrower. A waiting Ch'en was soon arrested at a secondary location, and later executed.
On 10 October 1911, the
References
- ISBN 0231089554.
- ISBN 0765607980.
- ^ ISBN 0674119800.
- ISBN 978-1598840780.
- ISBN 0520072979.