gregskaggs

Chiang Wei-kuo, the son of Chinese President Chiang Kai-shek, photographed in his Wehrmacht uniform during his service in the German military. As a lieutenant, he took part in Germany’s annexation of Austria and the occupation of the Sudetenland in 1939. On the left is Chiang Wei-kuo, the adopted son of Chinese Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek. His appearance in a Wehrmacht uniform reflects a little-known chapter of pre-World War II history. During the 1930s, China and Germany maintained close military relations. German advisers assisted in modernizing the Chinese army, while selected Chinese officers were sent to Germany for advanced military training. Chiang Wei-kuo was among them. He studied at the military academy in Munich and later entered the Wehrmacht as a lieutenant. In 1938, he commanded an armored car platoon during the German annexation of Austria, known as the Anschluss. He later participated in operations in the Sudetenland as German forces absorbed the border territories of Czechoslovakia. His service made him one of the very few non-Europeans to wear a German uniform at the dawn of the war. In 1939, shortly before Germany invaded Poland, Chiang Wei-kuo was recalled to China. He later served as an officer in the Nationalist military during the war against Japan. After the conflict, he followed Chiang Kai-shek to Taiwan, where he continued his military career for decades. Chiang Wei-kuo reportedly came close to receiving the Iron Cross for his performance during the Anschluss, though the recommendation was later withdrawn as Germany shifted its diplomatic priorities away from China and toward Japan.