Yu Shanliu

Yu Shanliu (Baiyu: 于山六) was a politician and military officer who ruled Bai as dictator from 1922 until his death in 1942. Rising to power as the leader of the Bai Fascist Solidatory Party, he was Chancellor of the Middle Bai Dynasty from 1910 to 1916 and returned to power as President after the 1922 coup and the establishment of the Bai Democratic Republic. During his dictatorship, he instigated the War of Fellow Brothers by invading Kaosha and other neighbouring states.

Yu was born in Khesong, Kaosha but was raised in Huoyuan when his family moved to Bai. He joined the Bai military in 1896 and quickly attained the rank of colonel. Even as a military commander, he joined politics and took over the Bai Fascist Party in 1908, leading the party to secure the most seats in the 1910 elections. The Longjin Emperor was persuaded to appoint Yu as Chancellor, and the two cooperated on re-armament and promoting anti-communism and pan-Baiism. However, Yu faced considerable opposition from the Yongren Emperor, who eventually dismissed Yu over ideological differences and fears of Yu's political ambitions that would oust the monarchy.

Even dismissed and the Fascist Party disbanded, Yu still held popular support. With the backing of the military, Yu and his Party overthrew the Bai monarchy in 1922 and reorganised Bai into a one-party military dictatorship, removing all political opposition through his secret police and outlawing labour strikes. Yu's foreign policy aimed to restore the ancient grandeur of the Greater Bai Empire by expanding the country and the fascist sphere of influence. Directing large-scale rearmament, he ordered the invasion of Kaosha in 1928 and went on to launch military campaigns against Grinzez and Kanglapo. Despite initial successes, the subsequent failed military campaigns and the rebels' successes led to a loss in support of his regime. As rebels surrounded the capital, Yu committed suicide on 1 May 1942, which led to the collapse and surrender of the fascist government.