Sun Dianying Sun Diangying ( Traditional Chinese : 孫殿英 ; Simplified Chinese : 孙殿英 ; pinyin : Sun Dianying ; Wade - Giles : Sun Tienying ) ( 1887 – 1947 ) was one of the minor warlords during the Warlord Era . Biography . Born in 1889 in Yongcheng , Henan , Sun was originally a bandit in the area of Henan Anhui . He gradually extended his influence and power through years . In 1925 Sun joined the National Revolutionary Army . In 1928 , he plotted the notorious looting of the Eastern Mausoleum of the Manchu emperors . The tombs desecrated included that of the late Empress Dowager Cixi . Later , with Feng Yuxiang and Yan Xishan , Sun participated in various anti - Chiang Kai - shek movements . In 1932 - 33 , when the Japanese forces of the IJA 4th Cavalry and 6th Division in Operation Nekka invaded Jehol / Rehe he commanded the 41st Army in effective opposition to the Japanese in the Battle of Rehe . This slightly rehabilitated his reputation , but he also seized the chance to expand his strength . At the time of the Tanggu Truce , Sun ' s troops garrisoned the strategic Peiking Suiyuan railroad . In May 1933 , with Feng Yuxiang in Chahar province organizing the Chahar People ' s Anti - Japanese Army , Sun too advocated opposition to Japan and criticised Chiang Kai - shek ' s Central government , yet protested his loyalty to Chiang . The national government feared Sun Dianying would cooperate with Feng ' s Anti - Japanese Army , allowing them to use the railroad to support their forces . However Sun was also not willing to be involved in a conflict with Chiang . He hoped to be involved in northwest development and control a territory of his own there . In mid June , when Chiang ordered Sun ' s army to leave the railroad garrison and open up wasteland in Qinghai he was willing to go . Chiang ' s troops replaced them in July , cutting off the Anti - Japanese Army from communication with the rest of China . Chiang intended the allied northwest Ma Sultanates would have the strength to cope with Sun Dianying and be weakened themselves . Additionally Chiang sent Zhu Shaoliang to the northwest as Gansu Pacification Director , who for his own benefit , secretly encouraged the three Ma Sultanates to block and prevent Sun from entering his new post . Strong protests from the region , and Chiang ' s weakness in the area eventually persuaded him to halt Sun ' s advance through Suiyuan province in November 1933 . However his forces became short of food and restive from their inactivity . In January 1934 with his army threatened with starvation and mutiny , Sun Dianying was forced to march his 60 , 000 man army west from Suiyuan province into Ningxia , governed by Ma Hongbin . Supported by his fellow Ma Clan rulers Ma Hongkui in Gansu , and Ma Bufang with his younger brother Ma Buqing in Qinghai , Ma Hungpin refused and with the united Ma forces began the Four Ma Jusun Campaign . Both sides battled for three months , with heavy loss to both sides . At last in March Yan Xishan dispatched troops into the battle cutting Sun ' s avenue of retreat , while Chiang Kai - Shek seized the chance to publicly abolish Sun ' s various duties . Sun Dianying was compelled to retreat back to Baotou in the beginning of April , and then went to Taiyuan to live in seclusion , the remnants of his defeated troops were incorporated by Yan Xishan into his provincial forces . In 1937 , when the Second Sino - Japanese War erupted , Sun resurfaced once again commanding troops against the Japanese , taking command of the Hebei - Chahar Guerillas in 1938 . In 1943 he became the General commanding 5th Army . However he surrendered to the Japanese soon after and was given command of 24th Group Army , a unit of Nanjing puppet troops . In August 1943 his command was defeated by PLA forces in the Linnan Campaign . When the Second Sino - Japanese War was over , Sun participated in the Chinese Civil War on Nationalist ' s side . In 1947 , he was defeated by People ' s Liberation Army and was taken prisoner . He died in a POW camp .