Ma Zhanshan (November 30, 1885 – November 29, 1950) was a Chinese general famous for resisting the Japanese invasion of Manchuria. Ma was placed in charge of the Northeastern Army in Heilongjiang Province during the invasion and ignored orders from the central government not to resist the Japanese. He became a national hero in China by fighting the unsuccessful but highly symbolic Jiangqiao campaign against the Kwantung Army's advance into Heilongjiang. After his defeat, he feigned defection to the Japanese and was appointed Minister of War in the new Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo. He then joined and took command of the guerrilla campaign against Japanese occupation, taking with him large amounts of supplies, funds, and military intelligence. Ma Zhanshan rejoined the Northeastern Army after the guerrilla movement was largely defeated. He continued to oppose Chiang Kai-shek's policy of non-resistance and supported the Xi'an Incident that forced Chiang to form the Second United Front with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). He commanded several units in the National Revolutionary Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War while covertly cooperating with the CCP. Ma avoided direct participation in the postwar Chinese Civil War and eventually defected to the Communists, dying a year later in 1950.

Ma was born in Gongzhuling, in Jilin province, to a poor shepherding family. At the age of 20, he became a security guard of Huaide County. For his exceptional marksmanship and equestrianism, he was promoted to Guard Monitor of the 4th Security Guard Battalion by Wu Junsheng, Commander of Tianhou Road Patrol and Defense Battalion of Mukden, in 1908.

According to some western sources, Ma Zhanshan was born in Liaoning in 1887. However, most claim 1885 as his birth year.

He was of Manchu heritage and his grandson Ma Zhiwei, a member of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, mentioned the Manchu ethnicity of the family in his official biography and news report as well.

In 1913, Ma was appointed as Major and Company Commander of 3rd Company, 3rd Regiment, 2nd Brigade of the Central Cavalry Army in the Army of the Republic of China. In 1920, he was promoted to colonel and followed his patron, warlord Wu Junsheng.

He started his military career in Zhang Zuolin's Northeastern Army, serving as a brigade commander of 5th Cavalry Brigade, 17th Cavalry Division, then as brigadier of 3rd Infantry Brigade of the Heilongjiang Army. After Zhang's death in 1928, Ma was nominated as Heilongjiang Provincial Bandit Suppression Commander, and Heilongjiang Provincial Cavalry Commander-in-chief in 1928.

While British diplomatic documents described him as one of the "bandit" military men who received no training and did not receive instruction, he was a master sharpshooter and equestrian.

After the Mukden Incident, when the Japanese Kwantung Army invaded the provinces of Liaoning and Jilin, Governor Wan Fulin of Heilongjiang Province was in Beijing, leaving no one in authority in the province to take charge of defenses against the Japanese. Zhang Xueliang telegraphed the Nanjing Government to ask for instructions, and then appointed Ma Zhanshan to act as Governor and Military Commander-in-chief of Heilongjiang Province on October 10, 1931. Ma arrived in the capital Qiqihar on October 19 and took office the next day. He held military meetings and personally inspected the defense positions while facing down parties advocating surrender, saying "I am appointed as Chairman of the province, and I have the responsibility to defend the province and I will never be a surrendering general".