Life

Early career

Kong Youde was illiterate, but was known for his ferocity and martial skills in battle. He was a loyal follower of the semi-independent warlord Mao Wenlong, who operated in Liaodong under nominal Ming supervision. In an effort to unify Ming forces on the northern frontier under a single command structure, general Yuan Chonghuan trapped and executed Mao Wenlong in 1629. Although Yuan had hoped to recruit Mao's followers into the regular Ming army, some including Kong Youde and Geng Zhongming refused to join him. Kong Youde and Geng Zhongming had close relationship, some historical sources indicate that they were sworn brothers, both of them left instead for Dengzhou to work for Sun Yuanhua. While serving in Dengzhou, Kong and Geng were among the officers who learned to use the new European cannons Sun had obtained from Macau.

Mutiny

In September 1631, the Later Jin dynasty of the Manchu people laid siege to the northern fortress of Dalinghe. Sun ordered Kong Youde to reinforce Ming general Zu Dashou, who was trapped at Dalinghe. Rather than join the battle, Kong decided to loot the surrounding countryside instead. In February 1632, Kong Youde attacked Sun's garrison at Dengzhou, where Geng Zhongming was stationed. Geng turned on Sun Yuanhua, and Dengzhou fell to Kong Youde's assault. Among the casualties of the battle were several of the Portuguese artillery specialists from Macau who had been training the Ming troops. Kong and Geng took the Western cannons. Sun was allowed to leave unharmed, but was subsequently executed for desertion after arriving at the Ming capital of Beijing.

Defection

After capturing Dengzhou, Kong Youde besieged the Ming garrison at Laizhou. The Ming court responded by sending a force under the command of Zu Dashou's brother-in-law, Wu Xiang, accompanied by his son Wu Sangui. In 1633, Kong and Geng fled Shandong via the sea. After fighting several naval battles against Ming and Korean forces along the way, they landed in Liaodong with about 14,000 followers. They then switched allegiance to the Manchu Later Jin dynasty, and presented their Dengzhou artillery to the khan, Hong Taiji. Their former associate under Mao Wenlong, Shang Kexi, soon joined them in 1634. Hong Taiji renamed the Later Jin dynasty to the Qing dynasty in 1636.

Later career

Kong Youde participated in the invasion of Shanxi in 1634. Kong, Geng, and Shang Kexi all participated in the second Manchu invasion of Korea. Kong and Shang also participated in the siege of Jinzhou, against Zu Dashou. All three men were also involved in the war against Li Zicheng's short-lived Shun dynasty. Kong Youde continued fighting against Southern Ming forces throughout the 1640s as the Qing dynasty consolidated its control over China proper, notably in Hunan and Guangxi.

In 1652, Kong Youde was battling Southern Ming armies in Guangxi when he was outflanked by the Ming loyalist general Li Dingguo. Having nowhere to escape, Kong committed suicide in Guilin. Kong was buried outside the Zhanyi Gate in Beijing.

Family

Kong Youde claimed to be a descendant of Confucius. This claimed descent, repeated in his Qing era biographies, was likely a fabrication. It was rejected by the officially recognized descendants of Confucius in Shandong, and he was barred by the family from entering the Cemetery of Confucius to pay his respects.

His daughter Kong Sizhen married General Sun Yanling and supported his participation of the Revolt of the Three Feudatories.

身世

孔有德自稱為孔子後裔，但張同敞認為孔有德自稱孔子後裔是對孔子的侮辱，孔氏族人則在孔有德試圖拜謁孔廟孔林時關閉大門禁止其進入，並呵斥孔有德是冒稱孔子後裔。

生平

明末任參將，礦徒出身，曾是遼東海盜，後投效毛文龍，與尚可喜、耿仲明被稱為「山東三礦徒」。孔有德目不識丁，但弓馬武藝嫻熟，常臨陣先登，驍猛勁健，勇冠三軍。

吳橋兵變

崇禎四年（1631年）八月，皇太極率清兵攻大淩河城（今遼寧錦縣），祖大壽圍於城內。孫元化急令孔有德以八百騎趕赴前線增援，然登州遼東兵與山東兵素不和，孔有德抵達吳橋時，因遇大雨春雪，部隊給養不足，士兵搶劫嘩變。孔有德在登州發動吳橋兵變，自號都元帥，孫元化忠於朝廷不願稱王，孔有德放他逃離登州。明朝派兵鎮壓後，投降後金。

叛明助清

崇德元年（1636年），受封恭順王，出征朝鮮、錦州、松山等地。入關後，隨多鐸追剿明武裝力量，鎮壓了江南各地的抗清鬥爭。順治三年（1646年）授平南大將軍，進攻南明永曆政權。順治四年（1650年），會同清軍破桂林，收捕張同敞、瞿式耜、靖江王朱亨歅等，瞿式耜、張同敞在桂林風洞山仙鶴嶺下被殺，靖江王朱亨歅在西門外民房中被縊死。

順治五年，改封定南王，出征廣西。順治九年，西寧王李定國率東路軍收復湖南大部，並南下廣西，直趨桂林，清定南王孔有德親自率軍前往興安縣嚴關，扼險拒守，明軍以象陣大破清軍，取得嚴關大戰的勝利，史載「象亦突陣，王師大奔，死亡不可勝計，橫屍遍野」。孔有德狼狽奔回桂林，下令緊閉城門，惶惶不可終日。七月初一，孔有德又敗，「兵未交而象陣前列，勁卒山擁，塵沙蔽日，馬聞象鳴皆顛厥，有德眾遂奔，掩殺大敗」。僅孔有德一人逃回，大西軍包圍桂林。七月初四，李定國率領明軍攻破武勝門，清軍抵敵不住，全線潰敗，孔有德額頭中箭，自知必死，「聚其寶玩於一室，手刃愛姬，遂閉戶，自焚死」，明朝降臣原慶國公陳邦傅、清廣西巡按王荃可、署布政使張星光被俘虜（秦王孫可望後將陳邦傅父子赴市曹剝皮，王荃可、張星光處斬），其妻白氏自縊。僅有德之女孔四貞逃脫。明軍取得了桂林大戰的勝利。

顧炎武聞訊有詩云：「廿載吳橋賊，于今伏斧砧。國威方一震，兵勢已遙臨。張楚三軍令，尊周四海心。書生籌往略，不覺淚痕深。」

身後

順治帝為孔有德上謚號武壯，因孔有德的屍體被李定國焚骨揚灰，清廷為孔有德建衣冠塚。

孔有德之子孔庭訓亦在幾年後被李定國下令處斬，朝廷破格予以厚葬。

惟一倖存的女兒孔四貞則被孝莊皇后收為養女。