Jia Deyao

Beiyang government and warlords 1880–1941 ○ Died of illness

Anhui clique general and Baoding Academy head, premier at the time of the March 18 Massacre

Born in Hefei, Anhui, in 1880, he graduated from the Baoding Military Academy and the Imperial Japanese Army Academy. Back in China he rose as a Beiyang officer to brigade commander and garrison commander of southern Shaanxi, and after Yuan Shikai's death he joined Duan Qirui's Anhui clique. He became principal of the Baoding Military Academy in 1919 and, after the Beijing Coup of 1924, war minister in Duan's provisional government. He succeeded Xu Shiying as premier in February 1926, offered his resignation after the March 18 Massacre of demonstrators in front of the government offices, and in April left office with Duan and went to Tianjin. During the Sino-Japanese War he remained in occupied territory but refused to join a collaborationist government, and he died of illness in Shanghai in 1941.

Also known as: Chia Te-yao