Chinese Warlord Period, May Fourth Movement & Early Communist Rise

The new Chinese Republic

The Qing Dynasty collapsed in 1911; the Republic was founded in 1912 with a constitution but weak enforcement.

Yuan's monarchical ambitions

Yuan dissolved parliament and ruled autocratically, declared himself emperor in 1915, faced public backlash, and resigned in 1916.

The age of the warlords, 1916-1927

China fractured into regions ruled by strongmen with warlord-funded armies and frequent wars for control of Beijing.

Kuomintang/Guomindang/Nationalist Party of China

Founded by Sun in 1912 to unify China under the republic nationalist government.

Twenty-one Demands

Japan issued demands to China in 1915 to expand control over Shandong, Manchuria, and the Chinese economy.

Chinese Revolutionary Party

Party formed by Sun after the second revolution, swore loyalty to Sun personally, but was weaker than the Kuomintang.

Warlords

Military strongmen who controlled territory, lacked legitimacy, and competed for power through force and taxation.

Duan Qirui

Leader of the Anhui clique, a figure in politics, and Premier in Beiyang who accepted Japanese loans.

Li Yuanhong

Vice President of the republic and later President, had a weak political base and was forced out during the Manchu revolution.

Constitutional Protection Movement

Movement by Sun to defend the constitution, established a rival government in Guangzhou.

Anhui/Anhwei Clique

Led by Duan Qirui, dominant in Beijing, supported the central government but lost power in defeat in 1920.

Zhili/Chihli Clique

Rival warlord faction that opposed Anhui and controlled Beijing from 1920-1924.

Fengtian/Fengtian Clique

Manchurian warlord faction led by Zhang Zuolin, controlled Manchuria with Japanese support.

Zhang Zuolin

Leader of Fengtian, ruler of Manchuria, expanded control to North China, and relied on Japan.

Wu Peifu

Key general of the Zhili clique, known for military skill, defeated Anhui in 1920 but lost power in 1924.

Cao Kun

President in 1923, known for buying votes and corruption, leading to factional instability.

Feng Yuxiang

Warlord and Christian general who was defeated by Zhili during the 1924 coup.

Northern Expedition

Nationalist military campaign aimed at defeating warlords and unifying China, supported by Chiang Kai-shek and the Soviets.

May Fourth Movement

Student-led protests in 1919 against the Versailles Treaty, which awarded Shandong to Japan.

Chen Duxiu

Founder of a new youth movement promoting modern ideas like democracy and science.

Cai Yuanpei

Progressive educator and president of Peking University.

Hu Shi

Philosopher known for literary reform and advocating for vernacular Chinese.

New Culture Movement

Movement in the mid-1910s advocating for democracy, science, and rejection of Confucianism.

Lu Xun

Writer who opposed Confucian tradition and exposed social hypocrisy, considered the father of modern Chinese literature.

Li Dazhao

Librarian at Peking University, Marxist, co-founder of the CCP, and executed in 1927.

Guo Moruo

Poet and historian advocating for radical social change and Marxism.

Debates on Ancient History

Discussions in the 1920s-30s regarding the authenticity of ancient texts.

Girogrri Voitinsky

Soviet Comintern agent who helped establish CCP

Comintern

International communist organization from Moscow that provided funding, advisors, and ideological guidance

Mikhail Borodin

Soviet advisor who reorganized the KMT along Leninist principles

Chiang Kai-shek

Leader of KMT who purged CCP and led the Northern Expedition

Whampoa Military Academy

Founded in 1924, trained officers for the KMT and symbolized KMT-Soviet cooperation

Wang Jingwei

KMT leader and rival of Chiang Kai-shek

Hu Hanmin

Senior KMT leader from the conservative faction who opposed CCP

Yan Xishan

Warlord of Shanxi who joined KMT

Zhang Xueliang

Son of Zuolin, famous for the Xi'an incident

Kwantung/Guandong Army

Japanese military unit stationed in Manchuria that acted independently

Mukden Incident

Staged explosion near Mukden railway leading to Japanese occupation of Manchuria

Manchukuo

Puppet state under Japanese control headed by Puyi

New Life Movement

Chiang's moral reform campaign promoting Confucian values

Li Zongren

KMT general and hero of the Northern Expedition who opposed Chiang

Tanaka Giichi

Japanese prime minister known for aggressive expansion

Nanchang Uprising

1927 armed revolt and CCP's founding military action

Li Lisan

CCP leader who promoted failed urban uprisings in 1930

Autumn Harvest Uprising

Mao's peasant revolt in Hunan

Jinggangshan

Mao's first rural revolutionary base

Zunyi Conference

Conference where Mao rose to CCP leadership

Zhou Enlai

Senior CCP leader known for his diplomatic skills

Xi'an/Sian Incident

1936 kidnapping of Chiang that led to a united front against Japan

unequal treaties

Agreements imposed by western powers in the 19th century that restricted tariffs and granted foreign privileges

extraterritoriality

Legal principle allowing foreigners to be tried under their own laws, not Japanese law

Treaty of Shimonoseki

Ended the First Sino-Japanese War, ceding Taiwan, Pescadores, and Liaodong to Japan

Fukuzawa Yukichi

Meiji intellectual who advocated for leaving Asia and embraced western modernization