Ep. 236 | The Warlord Era (Part 6)
Welcome back to Part 6 of our Warlord series. In this episode, we look at the years 1922-24 and the Second Zhili-Fengtian War. Things were looking on the up and up for Wu Peifu after his defeat of Zhang Zuolin in the First Zhili-Fengtian War. And you can’t talk about the Second Zhiuli-Fengtian War without also mentioning the Jiangsu-Zhejiang War.
The Christian Warlord Feng Yuxiang is featured in this episode. Besides the old stalwarts, also mentioned in this episode will be Lu Yongxiang, Qi Xieyuan, Sun Chuanfang, and Zhang Zongchang. Still have a few more major warlords to go before we come to the end of this tale.
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Terms in Episode
| Pinyin/Term | Chinese | English/Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Ān-Fú Club | 安福俱乐部 | Duàn Qíruì’s political organization |
| Ānhuī Clique | 皖系 | Also called The An-Fu Clique. One of the cliques that emerged after the death of Yuan Shikai. Leaders of this Clique were all from Anhui province |
| Ānhuī Zhílì War | 皖系战争 | July 14-23, 1920, war between Zhili and Anhui Cliques for control of the Beiyang government |
| Běiyáng government | 北洋政府 | The northern Chinese faction comprised of all the top military figures from the Beiyang Army |
| Chéngdé | 承德 | The city known in the modern Chinese history books as Jehol (Rehe). A popular summer residence of the Qing imperial court going back to Kangxi. |
| Cáo Kūn | 曹锟 | 1862-1938, Succeeded Feng Guozhang as head of the Zhili Clique, also former president of China |
| Duàn Qíruì | 段祺瑞 | 1865-1936. Warlord and China politician. Also served as premier. Originally from Hefei, Anhui, he headed the Anhui Clique |
| First Zhílì-Fèngtiān War. | 第一次直奉战争 | April 1922-June 1922. War fought between the forces of Wu Peifu of the Zhili Clique against Zhang Zuolin of the Fengtian Clique. Wu Peifu prevailed. |
| Fèngtiān Clique | 奉天系 | The military and political organization headed by the Manchurian Warlord, Zhang Zuolin. |
| Féng Yùxiáng | 冯玉祥 | 1882-1948, known as The Christian Warlord and The Betraying General. A major figure from the warlord era |
| Guómínjūn | 国民军 | National People’s Army. Also the name of Feng Yuxiang's Clique |
| Guǎngzhōu | 广州 | Capital of Guangdong Province and the home base of Sun Yat-sen's Canton Government |
| Huái Army | 淮军 | Named after China's Huai River. Also called the Anhui Army. It was led by Li Hongzhang and later became part of the New Army and later, the Beiyang Army |
| Héběi | 河北 | Province in northern China known during the Warlord Era as Zhili |
| Lí Yuánhóng | 黎元洪 | Lived 1864-1928, president of the ROC 1916-1917 and 1922-23 |
| Lú Yǒngxiáng | 卢永祥 | Military governor of Zhèjiāng and was an Ānhuī Clique man |
| Lǐ Hóngzhāng | 李鸿章 | 1823-1901, Qing era general, diplomat and politician |
| Qí Xièyuán | 齐燮元 | Military governor in Jiāngsū and also was a Zhílì Clique member and ally of Wu Peifu |
| Qínhuángdǎo | 秦皇岛 | Coastal city in northeast Hebei, located right where the Great Wall starts at Shanhaiguan |
| Second Zhílì Fèngtiān War | 第二次直奉战争 | September to November 1924. The second war between the two powerful cliques of Fengtian led by Zhang Zuolin and Zhili les by Cao Kun and Wu Peifu |
| Shāndōng province | 山东省 | Coastal province in north China |
| Shānhǎiguān | 山海关 | Located around Qinhuangdao, Hebei province. Shanhai Pass. The part of the Great Wall built by Qi Jiguang during the Ming either begins at Shanhaiguan or terminates there. Shanhaiguan is located less than 200 miles from Beijing |
| Sun Yat-sen | 孙逸仙 | Called the "Father of Modern China." A revolutionary, statesman and KMT founder. Lived from 1866-1925 |
| Sūn Chuánfāng | 孙传芳 | 1885-1935, Known as The Nanking Warlord. One of the major warlords of the era |
| Tiānxia Dìyīguān | 天下第一关 | "The First Barrier under Heaven" as the Great Wall is called at Shanhaiguan |
| Wellington Koo | 顾维钧 | 1926-1927, Republic of China statesman, diplomat and representative at the Paris Peace Conference 1919. |
| Whampoa Military Academy…. | 黄埔军校 | Military academy opened in May 1924 |
| Wáng Chǒnghuì | 王宠惠 | 1881-1958, Close associate of Sun Yat-sen. Chinese diplomat and politician from 1912 to 1958. |
| Wáng Zhànyuán | 王占元 | 1861-1934, Chinese general and warlord of Hubei province (Featured in Part 4 of this Warlord series) |
| Wú Pèifú | 吴佩孚 | 1862-1938, Succeeded Feng Guozhang as head of the Zhili Clique, also former president of China |
| Yuán Shìkǎi | 袁世凯 | 1859-1916, Military and government official and first president of the Republic of China. Also called "The First Warlord" |
| Zhílì Clique | 直系 | The assemblage of mostly Hebei-based militarists and politicians. Their leader was Feng Guozhang. And upon Feng's death, the Zhili Clique was led by Cao Kun and Wu Peifu |
| Zhāng Xuéliáng | 张学良 | Son of Zhang Zuolin, Also known as the Young Marshal. Lived from 1901-2001, a hundred years |
| Zhāng Zuòlín | 张作霖 | 1875-1928, The Manchurian Warlord, another major warlord in his day |
| Zhāng Zōngchāng | 张宗昌 | The Dogmeat General |
| Zhōu Ēnlái | 周恩来 | 1898-1976, First Premier of the PRC. Served up until his death in 1976. Check out the eight-part series on his life |
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In this Part 9 episode we look at the events following the Shanghai Massacre when Chiang and his “ally” Wang Jingwei take the fight to Zhang Zuolin’s alliance.