88th Division (National Revolutionary Army)
| 88th Division | |
|---|---|
The Nationalist 88th Division fighting in Shanghai.
|
|
| Active | 1932-1948 |
| Country |
 Republic of China
|
| Branch |
 National Revolutionary Army
|
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | 15,000 |
| Nickname(s) | Tiger Division |
| Patron | Alexander von Falkenhausen |
| Engagements | |
| Decorations | Presidential Unit Citation, Tiger Flag |
| Commanders | |
| Ceremonial chief | Chiang Kai-shek |
| Notable commanders |
Sun Yuanliang |
| Insignia | |
| Identification symbol |
 |
| Identification symbol |
Divisional insignia |
The 88th Division (simplified Chinese: 第八十八师; traditional Chinese: 第八十八師; pinyin: Dì 88 Shī; Wade–Giles: Ti-pa Shih-pa Shih) was a German-trained and reorganized division in the National Revolutionary Army.
The division was present at the First Battle of Shanghai in 1932 under the command of General Yu Jishi as part of the Fifth Army, fighting alongside the 19th Route Army.
In 1927 after the dissolution of the First United Front between the Nationalists and the Communists, the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) purged its leftist members and completely eliminated Soviet influence from its ranks. Chiang Kai-shek turned to Germany, historically a great military power, for assistance in the reorganization of the National Revolutionary Army.
The Weimar Republic sent advisors to China, however due to restrictions imposed by the Treaty of Versailles, these advisors could not serve in military capacities. When Adolf Hitler became Chancellor in 1933 and disregarded the Treaty, the National Socialist Party and the KMT united by their shared anti-communist ideals began closely cooperating with Germany training Chinese troops and expanding Chinese infrastructure while China made its markets and natural resources available to Germany.
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Wikipedia