Dai Li
Encyclopedia
Major General
Dai Li was born Dai Chunfeng (Chinese: 戴春風) with the courtesy name of Yunong (Chinese: 雨農) in Baoan, Jiangshan
, Zhejiang
, China
. He studied at the Whampoa Military Academy
, where Chiang served as Chief Commandant, and later became head of Chiang's Military Intelligence Service.
at the high school level Wenxi County
Elementary School. His family could not afford to send him into university, so the 16-year-old Dai Chunfeng was forced to leave home and find his own way in the world. Without a secure income nor any guidance, he spent much of his time gambling and living rough in the streets of Shanghai
. Dai Chunfeng was a gambler, and was a skilled one. He can often be found languishing in Shanghai's many casinos gambling and attempting to make ends meet off his winnings. It was in a Shanghai casino that he met the Criminal Boss Du Yuesheng
, head of the Green Gang. It was through Du Yuesheng that he met Chiang Kai-shek
. It in unclear when Chiang and Dai's first meeting took place but it is likely to be around 1921 when Dai was 24 and Chiang was 34. He later lost all of his money and was forced to return home to Baoan. In 1927 aged 30, Dai met his elementary school friend Mao Renfeng who suggested to him to enrol in the Whampoa Military Academy in Guangzhou. On hearing Chiang was the Superintendent-Commandant of the Academy, Dai took up the suggestion and got himself a letter of recommendation From Du Yuesheng and set off for Guangzhou. Dai enlisted in the 1st Student Regiment of the sixth class of The Nationalist Party of Chinese Army Officer Academy, also commonly known as the Whampoa Military Academy
in early modern China. It was then that he changed his name to Dai Li (Chinese: 戴笠) which in Chinese refers to an assassin's hooded veil, reflecting the clandestine nature of his future career. Chiang soon made him a student informant within the academy to spy on Communist activities where he played an instrumental role in the Zhongshan Warship Incident
.
(KMT) Army secret service in China, Dai Li helped to develop China's modern intelligence organization in 1928, "Clandestine Investigation Section" directly under the Northern Expeditionary Army's Headquarters with the aims of an early victory of the war to quell the nationwide unrest and minimize the loss of life by making the most of military and political intelligence. By the end of the Second Sino-Japanese war
, this small section would evolve to the very complex and controversial Investigation and Statistics Bureau
of Chinese National Military Council
, which is the predecessor of the Military Intelligence Bureau under the Chief of General Staff, ROC Ministry of National Defense
in Taiwan.
The benign title of The Investigation and Statistics Bureau
belied the true nature of its secret police
work, making Dai one of the most contradicted, maybe fearsome men in China, and earning him the nickname "the Himmler of China". Dai was also the head of the Blue Shirts Society
, a fascist organization that did security and intelligence work for Chiang. In 1930s and 1940s, his agents from Military-Statistics Bureau
were very successful at penetrating the Chinese Communist and Imperial Japan
ese puppet organizations.
Dai worked with the United States
during World War II
and was taught new methods of espionage, and his guerrilla force grew to 70,000 men. In return for this partnership, he made available maps of the South China
coast, intelligence on Japan
ese maneuvers and a safe haven for downed Allied aircrew. After the signing of the SACO Treaty
in 1942, Dai was placed as head of Sino-American intelligence activities.
While he avoided public entertainments and remained a mysterious figure to his countrymen, Dai was privately known for his wild drinking parties.
He died in a plane crash on March 17, 1946, possibly arranged by Dai's counterpart and rival in the Communist Party of China
(CPC), the notorious CPC security and intelligence chief Kang Sheng
, although there are rumours it was arranged by the American Office of Strategic Services
, because it happened aboard an American plane.
Military Intelligence B..-Founder of the Bureau
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Dai Li was born Dai Chunfeng (Chinese: 戴春風) with the courtesy name of Yunong (Chinese: 雨農) in Baoan, Jiangshan
Jiangshan
Jiangshan is a county-level city located in Quzhou prefecture, Zhejiang Province, China. Located about 250 kilometers southwest of Hangzhou, the provincial capital, it is the only county-level city in the prefecture. As of 1999, Jiangshan's population stood at 563,196. The city is named aptly:...
, Zhejiang
Zhejiang
Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. He studied at the Whampoa Military Academy
Whampoa Military Academy
The Nationalist Party of China Army Officer Academy , commonly known as the Whampoa Military Academy , was a military academy in the Republic of China that produced many prestigious commanders who fought in many of China's conflicts in the 20th century, notably the Northern Expedition, the Second...
, where Chiang served as Chief Commandant, and later became head of Chiang's Military Intelligence Service.
Early life
At age four, his father died and his mother was left to raise him by herself. By age six, Dai was enrolled in a private academy to begin studying the Chinese Classics, and later graduated valedictorianValedictorian
Valedictorian is an academic title conferred upon the student who delivers the closing or farewell statement at a graduation ceremony. Usually, the valedictorian is the highest ranked student among those graduating from an educational institution...
at the high school level Wenxi County
Wenxi County
Wenxi County is a county of Shanxi, China. It is under the administration of Yuncheng city.-References:*...
Elementary School. His family could not afford to send him into university, so the 16-year-old Dai Chunfeng was forced to leave home and find his own way in the world. Without a secure income nor any guidance, he spent much of his time gambling and living rough in the streets of Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
. Dai Chunfeng was a gambler, and was a skilled one. He can often be found languishing in Shanghai's many casinos gambling and attempting to make ends meet off his winnings. It was in a Shanghai casino that he met the Criminal Boss Du Yuesheng
Du Yuesheng
Du Yuesheng , commonly known as "Big-Eared Du", was a Chinese gangster who spent much of his life in Shanghai. He was a key supporter of the Kuomintang and Chiang Kai-shek in their battle against the Communists during the 1920s, and was a figure of some importance during the Second Sino-Japanese...
, head of the Green Gang. It was through Du Yuesheng that he met Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek was a political and military leader of 20th century China. He is known as Jiǎng Jièshí or Jiǎng Zhōngzhèng in Mandarin....
. It in unclear when Chiang and Dai's first meeting took place but it is likely to be around 1921 when Dai was 24 and Chiang was 34. He later lost all of his money and was forced to return home to Baoan. In 1927 aged 30, Dai met his elementary school friend Mao Renfeng who suggested to him to enrol in the Whampoa Military Academy in Guangzhou. On hearing Chiang was the Superintendent-Commandant of the Academy, Dai took up the suggestion and got himself a letter of recommendation From Du Yuesheng and set off for Guangzhou. Dai enlisted in the 1st Student Regiment of the sixth class of The Nationalist Party of Chinese Army Officer Academy, also commonly known as the Whampoa Military Academy
Whampoa Military Academy
The Nationalist Party of China Army Officer Academy , commonly known as the Whampoa Military Academy , was a military academy in the Republic of China that produced many prestigious commanders who fought in many of China's conflicts in the 20th century, notably the Northern Expedition, the Second...
in early modern China. It was then that he changed his name to Dai Li (Chinese: 戴笠) which in Chinese refers to an assassin's hooded veil, reflecting the clandestine nature of his future career. Chiang soon made him a student informant within the academy to spy on Communist activities where he played an instrumental role in the Zhongshan Warship Incident
Zhongshan Warship Incident
The Zhongshan Warship Incident , or "March 20th Incident", on March 20, 1926, involved a suspected plot by Captain Li Zhilong of the warship Chung Shan to kidnap Chiang Kai-shek. It triggered a political struggle between the Communist Party of China and Kuomintang...
.
Role in the KMT
As the Chief of the KuomintangKuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
(KMT) Army secret service in China, Dai Li helped to develop China's modern intelligence organization in 1928, "Clandestine Investigation Section" directly under the Northern Expeditionary Army's Headquarters with the aims of an early victory of the war to quell the nationwide unrest and minimize the loss of life by making the most of military and political intelligence. By the end of the Second Sino-Japanese war
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
, this small section would evolve to the very complex and controversial Investigation and Statistics Bureau
The Investigation and Statistics Bureau
The Bureau of Investigation and Statistics was the intelligence agency of the Republic of China . It was devoted to intelligence gathering for purposes of national security and defense...
of Chinese National Military Council
National Military Council
The command of the Chinese National Revolutionary Army was directed by the National Military Council , chaired by Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek during the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II...
, which is the predecessor of the Military Intelligence Bureau under the Chief of General Staff, ROC Ministry of National Defense
ROC Ministry of National Defense
The Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of China is a cabinet-level agency under the Executive Yuan responsible for all defense affairs. The MND is headed by a civilian Minister of National Defense, currently Kao Hua-Chu....
in Taiwan.
The benign title of The Investigation and Statistics Bureau
The Investigation and Statistics Bureau
The Bureau of Investigation and Statistics was the intelligence agency of the Republic of China . It was devoted to intelligence gathering for purposes of national security and defense...
belied the true nature of its secret police
Secret police
Secret police are a police agency which operates in secrecy and beyond the law to protect the political power of an individual dictator or an authoritarian political regime....
work, making Dai one of the most contradicted, maybe fearsome men in China, and earning him the nickname "the Himmler of China". Dai was also the head of the Blue Shirts Society
Blue Shirts Society
The Blue Shirts Society also known as the Society of Practice of the Three Principles of the People , the Spirit Encouragement Society and the China Reconstruction Society , was a secret clique in the...
, a fascist organization that did security and intelligence work for Chiang. In 1930s and 1940s, his agents from Military-Statistics Bureau
The Investigation and Statistics Bureau
The Bureau of Investigation and Statistics was the intelligence agency of the Republic of China . It was devoted to intelligence gathering for purposes of national security and defense...
were very successful at penetrating the Chinese Communist and Imperial Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese puppet organizations.
Dai worked with the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and was taught new methods of espionage, and his guerrilla force grew to 70,000 men. In return for this partnership, he made available maps of the South China
Northern and southern China
Northern China and southern China are two approximate regions within China. The exact boundary between these two regions has never been precisely defined...
coast, intelligence on Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese maneuvers and a safe haven for downed Allied aircrew. After the signing of the SACO Treaty
SACO Treaty
The Sino-American Special Technical Cooperative Organization , also known as the Sino-American Cooperative Organization , was an organization created by the SACO Treaty signed by the Republic of China and the United States of America in 1942 during the Second World War...
in 1942, Dai was placed as head of Sino-American intelligence activities.
While he avoided public entertainments and remained a mysterious figure to his countrymen, Dai was privately known for his wild drinking parties.
He died in a plane crash on March 17, 1946, possibly arranged by Dai's counterpart and rival in the Communist Party of China
Communist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
(CPC), the notorious CPC security and intelligence chief Kang Sheng
Kang Sheng
Kang Sheng , Communist Party of China official, oversaw the work of the People's Republic of China's security and intelligence apparatus at the height of the Cultural Revolution in the late 1960s. He was a close associate of Mao Zedong and remained at or near the pinnacle of power for decades...
, although there are rumours it was arranged by the American Office of Strategic Services
Office of Strategic Services
The Office of Strategic Services was a United States intelligence agency formed during World War II. It was the wartime intelligence agency, and it was a predecessor of the Central Intelligence Agency...
, because it happened aboard an American plane.
Military Intelligence B..-Founder of the Bureau
Popular culture
- In the Nickelodeon animated TV series Avatar: The Last AirbenderAvatar: The Last AirbenderAvatar: The Last Airbender is an American animated television series that aired for three seasons on Nickelodeon from 2005 to 2008. The series was created and produced by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, who served as executive producers along with Aaron Ehasz...
, the Dai Li is the intelligence service and secret police of the Earth Kingdom capital city.