Explain the historical circumstances leading to the rise of warlordism and its development up to 192

1

• Explain the historical circumstances leading to
  the rise of warlordism and its development
  up to 1928.

2
Definition of warlordism

• It refers to the period from 1916 to 1927, which
  was characterized by the struggle for power among
  regional military leaders, i.e. the warlords
• Period of chaos and disorder, and the height of
  national disintegration in republican history

3

• Characteristics of the warlords
• commanders of personal armies
• use of force to achieve personal aims
• after personal interests and ignored national
  interest
• quest for territorial bases

4

• acted more or less independently but might form
  alliances for mutual benefits
• exploited resources and the civilians
• no political ideology or principles
• did not obey central command

5
Origin of the warlords

• Chief commanders of the Beiyang Army
• - after death of Yuan, broke into small
  fragments
• Leaders of central government armies
• Leaders of provincial troops

6
Background of Chinas situation

• Decline and fall of the Qing dynasty
• 1911 Revolution
• Establishment of the Chinese Republic
• ? Sun became the first provisional president

7

• ? Yuan succeed Sun as the president
• ? led to an anti-monarchist movement supported by
  the foreign powers
• ? Finally, Yuan was forced to give up his throne
• ? Yuans death in 1916 led to the rise of
  warlords

8
Historical circumstances leading to rise of
warlordism

• ? Growing provincialism
• This had been a trend since the Taiping Movement
  in the 1850s
• ? decline of Qing rule
• ? growing trend of decentralization
• ? the trend was further enhanced by the
  establishment of provincial assemblies

9

• ? increasing provincial autonomy led to the rise
  of regional armies
• ? Power vacuum
• Overthrown of the Qing rule
• ? end of monarchical system
• ? setting up of a republic, but with no strong
  leadership
• ? provinces fell under the control of
  revolutionary and military leaders

10

• ? force of separatism was intensified
• Death of Yuan
• ? The Beiyang Army were broken into smaller
  fractions under different leaders who became
  warlords (e.g. Duan Qirui, Wu Peifu)
• ? no strong leader for succession
• Favorable to Beiyang leaders --gt seize power
  and divided up --gt future warlords

11

• Role of Yuan Shikai
• Father of the Warlords
• Beiyang Army
• Example of how to govern
• Attempts of Yuan
• To recentralize power
• To restore monarchy
• To reduce power of the military governors
• ?all antagonized the military leaders
• ? more divided up

12

• Decline of Confucianism
• Collapse of Qing rule
• ? collapse of traditional Confucianism
• Modern ideology had not reached its full maturity
• ? Ideological vacuum
• Favored the use of force, manipulation to seize
  power little commitment to preserve
  Confucianism
• ? warlordism

13

• Influence of factionalism
• Owing to provincialism / particularism in the
  late Qing period
• Loyalty to ones faction gt loyalty to central
  government
• ?regional separatism
• ?favorable for warlords development their
  enlistment of support in different regions

14

• Influence of foreign imperialism
• In late Qing period
• E.g. Scramble for Concessions, Eight Power
  Expedition
• Western success in gains
• ?encouraged the military leaders to use force
  military power in territorial conquests and to
  exploit the people for self-interest ? WARLORDISM

15
Development of Warlordism

• First Phase (1916-1917)
• Yuan Shikai died in 1916.
• Li Yuanhong took over the presidency and
• Duan Qirui became the premier
• Argument over the constitution
• 1912 Constitution or Constitutional Compact
• Liang Qichao and the Progressive party
  formed Research Clique which supported Duan

16

• The Beiyang leaders also tried to formed the
  inter-provincial association which actually
  controlled the government.
• In 1917, the First World War started and Duan
  decided to enter in the war on the side against
  Germany without the approval of the
• president Li and parliament.
• Li took the step in dismissing Duan.

17

• Duans henchmen declared independence in
  different provinces eg. Shanxi, Shaanxi etc
• Li sought mediation from Zhang Xuan.
• He occupied Beijing and enthroned the boy emperor
  Puyi, proclaiming the restoration of the Manzu
  dynasty
• Duan and Cao Kun gathered the Beiyang forces
  against them and finally Zhang was suppressed.

18
Second Phase (1916-1919)

• Duan was supported by the research clique and
  restored as premier.
• Research clique called for a new provisional
  government.
• Feng Guozhang became acting president.
• Duan refused and recovering the old parliament
  which was dissolved by Li
• Later Duan dissolved Li.

19

• Dr.Sun and the revolutionaries in the south
  established the military government and launched
  the Constitution Protection Movement.
• Duan organized the Anhui Club and set out to
  destroyed the southern military government.
• President Feng Guozhang did not agree with
  Duans action.
• The Beiyang Clique was then split into two
• Anhui Clique under Duan and Zhili Clique under
  Feng.

20

• Sun with other southern members of parliament
  formed the military government in Guangdong and
  made himself as generalissimo.
• However real power of command lay with the south
  western provincial leader like Lu Rongting
  instead of Sun.
• After the death of Feng, Xushichang was made
  president.
• In the South, Suns Guangdong parliament also
  split.

21

• Later, Lu had forced Sun out of the military
  government and Sun fled to Shanghai
• Sun then tightened the Chinese Revolutionary
  Party and renamed as the Chinese Nationalist
  Party.
• Sun was able to recover Guangdong and revive the
  military regime
• Confrontation still existed between the northern
  and southern governments.

22
Third Phase (1920-26)

• Minority elements in North South seeking help
  from the allies e.g. Yan Xishan
• ?still could not stabilize their own control

23

• In the North
• 1920/7 Zhili Clique Fengtian Clique VS Anhui
  Clique
• ?forced Duan out of power
• 1922 1st Fengtian Clique VS Zhili Clique
• 1924 2nd Fengtian Clique VS Zhili Clique

24

• In the South
• 1920/8 Guangdong militarists ousted the Guangxi
  Clique and dissolved the Guangzhou government
• Almost every province was held by a
  semi-independent militarist
• ?allied loosely with a warlord clique
• ?Federalism ?Federalist Movement in 1922

25
Fourth Phase (1927-28)

• Mainly dominated by 3 warlords
• Zhang Zuolin Wu Peifu Feng
  Yuxiang

26

• 1926-28 the new forces of the Nationalist
  Revolution had been organized in South China
• ?Swept North and got cooperation of the minor
  elements
• ?Warlord era was at least nominally at an end

27
Conclusion

• 1928 Northern Expedition
• lack of unified counter-attack from the
  warlords
• failed to cooperate against the Northern
  Revolutionary Army
• weakened by the civil wars
• ?Success of Northern Expedition
• End of Warlord era
• Nominal unification ONLY