Ep. 240 | The Warlord Era (Part 10)

In this concluding episode, we close the book on this China Warlord Era overview that began in 1916 and lingered until 1930.  By the time it was over, Japan was on the cusp of their invasion of Manchuria, plunging China into another national crisis. 

We’ll also look at Zhang Zongchang’s Warlord Rebellion in Northeast Shandong and a special focus on Liu Zhennian, the Red Spears, and the Central Plains War.

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Terms in Episode

Pinyin/Term	Chinese	English/Meaning
2nd Zhílì Fèngtiān War	第二次直奉戰爭	Second time around with Wu Peifu squaring off against Zhang Zuolin from Sept-Nov 1924. Zhili lost thanks to Feng Yuxiang
Bái Chóngxǐ	白崇禧	1893-1966 Muslim warlord who later became one of the NRA's most prominent generals
Běipíng	北平	The name of Beijing for a brief while until the Communists changed it back in 1949
Chén Lìfū	陈立夫	He ran Chiang's Investigation Section of the KMT Organization Department
Chǔ Yùpú	褚玉璞	1887-1929, former Zhang Zuolin and Fengtian Clique stalwart. Also one of The Dogmeat Generals comrades
Cáo Kūn	曹锟	1862-1938, Zhili Clique leader and president of China for a short time
Duke Huán of Qí	齐桓公	Rule of Qi State in Shandong from 685 to 643 BCE
Duàn Qíruì	段祺瑞	1865-1936. Warlord and China politician. Also served as premier. Originally from Hefei, Anhui, he headed the Anhui Clique
Dài Lì	戴笠	The Himmler of China, head of Chiang Kai-shek's secret police organization
Dàlián	大连	Strategic port city in Liaoning Province where Port Arthur / Lushunkou located
dūjūn	督军	military governor of a province
Eastern Zhōu Dynasty	东周	Ran from approximately 770 to 256 BCE, comprising the second half of the Zhou Dynasty when the capital was at Luoyang. Also known as the Spring & Autumn and Warring States periods
Féng Yùxiáng	馮玉祥	1882-1948, known as The Christian Warlord and The Betraying General. A major figure from the warlord era
Guāndōng Army	关东军	Known in Japan as the Kantō-gun. They were a part of the Imperial Japanese Army and responsible for most of the atrocities carried out by Japan in China.
Guǎngdōng	广东	Province in Southern China
Guǎngxī	广西	Province in Southwest China next door to Guangdong
Gānsù	甘肃	Western province of China. Capital is at Lanzhou
Héběi	河北	Northern province of China, where Beijing is physically located. During the Warlord Era the province was known as Zhili
Hénán	河南	Ancient province in on the Yellow River "Where China began"
Hénán	河南	Northern province of China
Hóng Qiāng Huì	红枪会	The Red Spears Society
Húběi	湖北	Central Chinese province where Wuhan is located
Húnán	湖南	Province in south central China woth its capital at Changsha
Hēilóngjiāng	黑龙江	Another of the three provinces of Manchuria
Jiāngsū	江苏	Coastal Province in East China north of Shanghai
Jiāngxī Soviet	中央革命根据地	Also known as the Jiangxi-Fujian Soviet. Lasted from 1931 to 1934.
Jìnán	济南	Capital city of Shandong Province
Jílín	吉林	The third province that makes up the region of Manchuria
Jǐnggāngshān	井冈山	City in southwest Jiangxi province where mountains are located that served as Mao's base during the early 30's.
Liáoníng	辽宁	One of the three provinces making up Manchuria. Liaoning known for a while as Fengtian Province
Liú Zhēnnián	刘珍年	1898-1935, One of Zhang Zongchang's close generals, later a warlord in his own right. Known also as "The Killer"
Luòyáng	洛阳	Ancient capital locatred in Henan province
Lín Zéxú	林则徐	1785-1850 Viceroy of Guangdong-Guangzi, famous for standing up to the foreign powers in the early stages of the Opium War conflict
Lǐ Zōngrén	李宗仁	1890-1969, Guangxi Warlord who later served as Vice president and president of the Republic of China
Manchukuo (Mǎnzhōuguó)	满洲国	Japanese Puppet state setup in Manchuria in 1932
Máo Zédōng	毛泽东	1893-1976, Great 20th century revolutionary who ruled China from its founding in 1949 till his death in 1976. Responsible for a lot of death, among other things.
Mǎ Clique.	马家军	The Muslim warlords of northwest China (Qinghai, Gansu, Ningxia). The four primary warlords were Ma Bufang , Ma Hongkui, Ma Hongbin and Ma Buqing
Nánjīng	南京	Capital of Jiangsu province, the Republic of China and seat of Chiang's government
Pǔyí	溥仪	The Last Emperor of China. Lived from 1906-1967
Qí	齐国	During ancient times Qi was a kingdom in Shandong with its capital at Linzi
Qí Xièyuán	齐燮元	1885-1946, Zhili Clique warlord. Later executed in 1946 as a Japanese collaborator
Shāndōng	山东	Coastal province in North China
Shāndōng	山东	Coastal northern province
Shānxī	山西	Northern and very ancient province in China
Shī Cóngbīn	施从滨	Commander in Sun Chuanfang’s army. Executed by Sun
Shī Jiànqiào	施剑翘	Daughter of Shi Congbin and Sun Chuanfang's executioner
Shǎnxī	陕西	Province in north central China where Xian is located
Sūn Chuánfāng	孙传芳	1885-1935, Known as The Nanking Warlord. One of the major warlords of the era
Tiānjìn	天津	Port city just to the southwest of Beijing
Tài Shān	泰山	Mount Tai, one of the Five Great Mountains of China (The 五岳)
Táng Shēngzhì	唐生智	1889-1970, Hunan warlord and general during the Second Sin-Japanese War
Wú Pèifú	吴佩孚	1862-1938, Succeeded Feng Guozhang as head of the Zhili Clique, also former president of China
Wāng Jīngwèi	汪精卫	1883-1944, controversial KMT leader who first led the Leftists and later became an anti-Communist. Foe of Chiang Kai-shek
Wǎn Xì	皖系	Ānhuī Clique
Wǔhàn	武汉	City in Hubei made up of Wuchang, Hankou and Hanyang
Xī’ān Incident	西安事变	Happened December 12-26, 1936 in Xian. Zhang Xueliang's crazy attempt to force Chiang Kai-shek to join with the CCP to fight Japan
Yán Xīshān	閻錫山	1883-1960, the Shanxi Warlord, he ran things in Shanxi for thirty-eight years.
Yāntái	烟台	City in Northeast Shandong
Yǔ the Great	大禹	Mythical founder of the Xià Dynasty. Lived from 2123-2025 BCE, or so says Sima Qian
Zhèjiāng	浙江	Coastal Province in Central China
Zhèng Jìchéng	郑继成	son of Zheng Jicheng and executioner of Zhang Zongchang
Zhèng Jīnshēng	郑金声	Military general executed by Zhang Zongchang in 1927
Zhílì-Ānhuī War （Zhí-Wǎn Zhànzhēng)	直皖战争	Fought between the forces of Cáo Kūn and Wú Pèifú on the Zhili side defeating Duàn Qíruì’s Ānhuī Army in 1920
Zhāng Xuéliáng	张学良	The Young Marshal, son of Zhang Zuolin. Lived a hundred years from June 3, 1901 to October 15, 2001
Zhāng Zuòlín	张作霖	1875-1928, The Manchurian Warlord, another major warlord in his day
Zhāng Zōngchāng	张宗昌	Known affectionately as The Dogmeat General, also known by many nicknames, he was one of Zhang Zuolin's best generals. Later became Military Governor of Shandong. Lived from 1881-1932

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