HIST 486 - Lecture #2

Warlord China (1916-1928)

     A. The Setting
          1. Time frame:
                    1908 - Death of Cixi
                    1911 - Wuchang Uprising
                                        (NOTE: Wuhan = Tri-city area of Wuchang, Hankou and Hanyang)
                    1912 - Yuan Shikai assumes Presidency of the Republic
                    1916 - Death of Yuan Shikai

          2. Yuan's Legacy?
                    a. The Good
                        -  National Assembly reconvened
                        -  Beijing government internationally recognized

                    b. The Bad
                        -  Local military commanders deciding local affairs
                        -  Internal arms race with dramatic rise in numbers of soldiers (with minimal oversight)

                     c. The Ugly
                        -  Political governance reduced to the maneuvers of (clever but devious) generals 
                        -  Extortionate tax collectors
 
          3.  Warlord Era (1916 - 1928) [map]
                    a. Military Centrifugalism
                    b. Myth of North versus South
                    c. Between 1916 -1928
                        -  6 presidents, 18 premiers and 15 different cabinets

          4. Warlord Class
                    a. junfa or dujun
                    b. Warlord behavior
                    c. Warlord as solution?

II. Warlords
     A. Politician:  Duan Qirui (1865-1936)
           1. Officer in Yuan Shikai's army
           2. 1916
                    -  'Sealed Box Selection'
                    -  Xu Shichang (northern warlord)
                    -  Li Yuanhong
                    -  Duan Qirui
           3. 1917
                    - Anti-German (Pro-Japanese) sentiments
                    - Zhang Xun: attempts restore Qing dynasty
                    - Efforts to unify China through force meets with Warlord resistance
                    - Resigns as Premier (Nov. 16, 1917)
           4. 1918
                    - Duan returns as premier
           5.  1919
                    - Duan calls for military warlord conference
                    - Wu Peifu and Zhang Zuolin (Manchurian warlord) attack Beijing
                    - July 1919 - Duan's forces defeated; resigns
           6. 1924
                    - Premier
           7. Retirement (April 1926 

     A. Reformer:  Feng Yuxiang (1882 - 1948)
           1. "Christian General"
           2. Early Career
           3. Rise to Power
           4. Treatment of Troops
                    -  "Improving Songs"
                    -  Social  Reforms
                    - Christian Baptisms
           5. Beijing & Duan Qirui

     C. Conservative:  Wu Peifu (1874-1839)
          1. "Scholar Warlord"
          2. Early Life
               - xiucai (1896)
          3. 1911
               - Denunciations of Duan Qirui
          4. Out of the Wilderness
          5. Battle over Beijing
          6. Enlightened?
          7. Fall from Glory
               - 1923:  Battle for Shanghai
               - 1939:  Death

     D. Reactionary: Zhang Zongchang
          1. "Dogmeat General"
                    - "Old 86"
                    - "3 Don't Knows"
          2. Early Life
          3. Position of Power
                    - "Wired" Heads
                    - Taxes
                    - Opium
          4. A Bloody End

III. Conclusion:  The End of the Warlords
          1. Northern Expedition