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Rh of the newly trained army and in 1902 Commander of a Brigade. Subsequently he was made a Full General. In 1903 Marshal Tsao became Commander-in-Chief of the Third Division of the Imperial Army and was sent to Mukden with the 10,000 soldiers in his command. In 1905 the Third Division was transferred to Kirin Province. In August 1911 the Third Division was moved down to Lanchow inside Shanhaikuan to participate in a grand manoeuver scheduled to take place on October 13. On October 10 the first revolution broke out at Wuchang. The manoeuver was given up. In November 1911 the Imperial Ching House appointed Yuan Shih-kai the Prime Minister. Upon his coming to Peking, Yuan Shih-kai made Marshal Tsao's troops responsible of maintaining peace and order of the Metropolitan District. In 1912 President Yuan Shih-kai appointed Marshal Tsao Commander-in-Chief of the Third Division of the National Army. In the first few years of the Republic Marshal Tsao's Third Division was charged with the duty of protecting the Metropolitan Area. In the late part of 1915 Yuan Shih-kai launched his monarchical movement. As a precautious measure he despatched the Third Division to Hunan to watch the movement of the military leaders of the Yangtze Provinces. In October 1915 Marshal Tsao was made a Chiangchun with "Hu Wei" as the special title. On December 25, 1915, the Yunnan Revolt broke out. In January 1916 Marshal Tsao Kun was ordered to proceed with his troops westward to chastise the revolt. His troops came into actual encounter with the Republican Forces but both sides were strong enough to hold their positions till the death of Yuan Shih-kai on June 6, 1916. In June 1916, after the death of Yuan, Marshal Tsao was appointed Deputy Military Commissioner of Szechuan but this post he did not take up. He returned to Chihli in September 1916 when he was appointed Tuchun of that province. In October 1916 he was given the Second Order of Merit. In July 1517 Chang Hsun attempted to restore the Manchu Emperor. Marshal Tuan Chi-jui stood out against the restoration, making himself Commander-in-Chief of the Republican Forces and Marshal Tsao Kun Commander of the West Wing. At this juncture, Marshal Tsao was ordered to be concurrently Civil Governor of Chihli. After the overthrow of the restoration, Tuan Chi-jui came to power again. But the southern leaders who had mobilized to oust Chang Hsun distrusted Marshal Tuan. One after another the southern and south-western provinces declared independence of Peking, formed a new government at Canton and planned to send an expedition to conquer the north. In December 1917 Hupei and Hunan were endangered with several parts having been taken by the southern troops. Chihli troops received orders of mobilization to relieve the expedition. In June 1918 Marshal Tsao was appointed the Special Commissioner of Szechuan, Kuangtung Hunan and Kiangsi. Although Marshal Tsao did not have to go to the south personally, his troops were on account of that appointment detained in Hunan and Hupei. In September 1918 the New Parliament elected Hsu Shih-chang President of China. In November President Hsu called a Tuchun Conference in Peking at which both Marshal Tsao and Marshal Chang Tso-lin attended. He was also awarded the First Order of Merit. In March 1920 the withdrawal of the Chihli troops commenced against the wish of Peking. On