 Together, they almost defeated Sheng Shicai at the Battle of Urumqi (1933–34).During the Soviet invasion of Xinjiang, however, the Soviets intervened on the side of the Provincial government and the Guihua White Russians, and Ma Zhongying ended up in control of southern Xinjiang while the provincial government controlled the north.Georg Vasel, a German Nazi agent, was told "Must I tell him that I am a Russian?