5. The Era of the Warlords (1916-1927)

The period of time after Yuan Shikai’s death where individual generals ruled their own local provinces

Causes:

• General Yuan Shikai’s death => power vacuum

  => no-one could secure the power to rule with the same authority as him

  • however local generals had enough power to rule their provinces

• The Beiyang Government collapsed

  • in theory there was a government but in practice the warlords were in charge using their armies to enforce authority

Content:

• Feng Yuxiang (The Christian General) (N)

  • ruled with relative moderation

  • banned foot-binding, brothels and opium

  • led best disciplined and trained army

• Zhang Zongxhang (The Dogmeat General) (Shandong)

  • encouraged his troops to be brutal

  • split skulls of opponents and severed them on telephone posts => peasant loyalty

• Zhang Zuolin (The Old Marshall) (NE-Manchuria)

  • most powerful of all warlords

  • cruel punishments to keep soldiers from rebelling

  • wanted a return of the Qing Dynasty

• Yan Xishan (The Model Governor) (Shanxi)

  • sought to apply Western reforms in Shanxi

• Wu Peifu (The Philosopher General) (C-Wuhan)

  • devoted to Confucianism

Problems facing China:

• Taxes raised => warlord armies needed feeding, training and supplies

  => more money was printed =>inflation increased => economy collapsed

• Natural disasters

  • 1918 - drought

  • 1920-21 - famine

  • 1923-25 - flooding

Consequences:

• Misery of the people

  => weakened control of the warlords

  => people turned to more radical ideas