Ma Hongkui - Chinese Civil War

Chinese Civil War

After the end of World War II, the Chinese Civil War broke out, Ma Hongkui fought for Chiang against the communists.

Ma Hongkui was in contact with the Kazakh leader Ospan Batyr, who kept him informed of events.

Ma Hongkui and his Muslim army ruled over a non Muslim majority, of about 750,000 people in Ningxia. Ningxia did not have the natural defences of Qinghai.

In March 1948, at Ichuan Peng Dehuai led Communist forces to launch a surprise attack against Hu Zongnan's forces, influcting 20,000 casualties upon them, and drove all the way with 60,000 soldiers into southern Shanxi province to reach Sichuan, General Hu requested immediate help from Governor Ma Hongkui, who sent two Muslim cavalry divisions. They defeated the Communist forces at Pao-chi and inflicted 20,000 dead upon the Communists, expelling them into Gansu.

In 1949, with communist victory certain, Ma Hongkui fled to Guangzhou (Canton) and then to Taiwan. The entire Kuomintang defences were falling apart. General Hu Zongnan ignored President Li Zongren's orders, and Ma Hongkui was furious at this. Ma Hongkui sent a telegram to Li Zongren to submit his resignation from all positions he held, and his cousin Ma Hongbin took charge of his positions. Ma Hongkui met with Chiang Kaishek in Chongqing to plan an attack on the PLA. Ma Hongbin and his son Ma Dunjing (1906–1972) were hoodwinked by Communist promises. Ma Dunjing then signed a capitulation with the PLA, then defected to the Communists. This had a domino effect on other military men in the province, who in turn defected. Ma Hongkui was furious.

Then he fled to Taiwan. Accused of "frustrating the fulfillment of the military plan" by the Control Yuan, as he failed to defeat the Communist forces in his defense area, he then moved to San Francisco with the help of Claire Chennault. In December 1950, Ma was in San Francisco. He then moved to Los Angeles where he died on January 14, 1970. At a press conferences in 1951 in the United States, Ma Hongkui urged the USA to aid the KMT in Taiwan. Ma became a rancher in the United States and bred horses.

Ma Hongkui had a son, Ma Dunjing who was also a General and official in his Ningxia government.

Chiang Kaishek addressed Ma Hongkui as Shao Yun shixiong, which refers to the son of a friend. Chiang was a Sworn brother to Ma Hongkui's father Ma Fuxiang.