The First Battle of Ürümqi () was a conflict in the spring of 1933 between the armies of the Xinjiang provincial government under
Jin Shuren and the
New 36th Division (National Revolutionary Army) of the
Nationalist government
The Nationalist government, officially the National Government of the Republic of China, refers to the government of the Republic of China (1912–1949), Republic of China from 1 July 1925 to 20 May 1948, led by the nationalist Kuomintang (KMT ...
of China. The Chinese government secretly urged Hui General
Ma Zhongying
Ma Zhongying, also Ma Chung-ying (, Xiao'erjing: ; c. 1910 or 1908 – after 1936), nickname Commander Ga (尕司令, lit. youngster commander), was a Chinese Muslim warlord during the Warlord era of China. His birth name was Ma Buying (). Ma ...
to attack Jin Shuren while at the same time assuring Jin that he was recognized as the legitimate Governor. Fierce fighting broke out at the gates of the city, and one of the Chinese commanders torched a street where the Muslims troops had managed to break through at the West Gate, killing everyone in the vicinity, including refugees. The
Dungans
Dungan, , Xiao'erjing: ; , ''Dungane''; , ''Duñgandar'', دۇنغاندار; , ''Düñgender'', دٷڭگەندەر is a term used in territories of the former Soviet Union to refer to a group of Muslims, Muslim people of Hui people, Hui origin ...
were then forced to retreat into the range of machine gun fire, which killed many of them.
A
White Russian force of 1,800 troops under Colonel
Pavel Pappengut subsequently fought off the Muslim soldiers.
[ Wu Aichen was told at least 2,000 had died by that point. The Muslims attempted to scale the walls at the Great West Bridge, and several were killed. The city was relieved when the provincial forces of newly incumbent Military Governor of Xinjiang (新疆督办) Sheng Shicai approached and the Muslim troops fled. Approximately 6,000 Chinese/Han and Muslim soldiers died in the fighting.]
Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Urumqi 1933
Conflicts in 1933
1933 in China
Battles of the Kumul Rebellion