Guangdong-Guangxi War
Encyclopedia
The Guangdong–Guangxi War or the First and Second Yue-Gui Wars (Simplified Chinese: 粵桂战争, pinyin: Yuè-Guì Zhànzhēng; Traditional Chinese: 粵桂戰爭, Cantonese: Jyut6-Gwai3 Zin3caang1), occurred between the Chinese Revolutionary Party
and the Old Guangxi Clique
.
, leader of the Chinese Revolutionary Party, attempted to reestablish himself in Guangzhou
in 1917, the warlord Lu Rongting
reluctantly supported him for a few years. After Sun split from the Old Guangxi Clique over allocation of troops, he attempted to strip Cen Chunxuan
(aka: Sam Sun-Suen), one of Lu's most important allies in Guangdong, of some of his troops in order to assign them to the more apparently loyal Chen Jiongming
, a local Guangdong warlord who had sponsored Sun. Sun Yat-sen then directed Chen Jiongming
to attack Lu Rongting
and the other Guangxi warlords. In October 1920, Chen captured Guangzhou and drove the Guangxi warlords out of Guangdong.
, the other under Shen Hongying
— against Chen's forces. These drove him back and occupied areas Qinzhou
and Lianzhou
. However, Lu's ally Chen Binghun collapsed, losing Wuzhou
and allowing Chen Jiongming to drive up the rivers into Guangxi as allies moved in from the north. Lu Rongting was forced to step down in July 1921. By August, Chen had occupied Nanning
and the rest of Guangxi.
. Sun Yat-sen and Chen Jiongming soon split over plans for the Northern Expedition. By May 1922, Sun Yat-sen's Cantonese forces had evacuated Guangxi, leaving it to Chen. Nevertheless, Sun would return later to reform his National government.
Chinese Revolutionary Party
The Chinese Revolutionary Party was the short lived renaming of the Kuomintang between 1914 and 1919....
and the Old Guangxi Clique
Old Guangxi clique
After the founding of the Republic of China, Guangxi served as the base for one of the most powerful warlord cliques of China: the Old Guangxi Clique. Led by Lu Rongting, the clique was able to take control of neighbouring Hunan and Guangdong provinces as well...
.
First Yue-Gui War
When Sun Yat-senSun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen was a Chinese doctor, revolutionary and political leader. As the foremost pioneer of Nationalist China, Sun is frequently referred to as the "Father of the Nation" , a view agreed upon by both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China...
, leader of the Chinese Revolutionary Party, attempted to reestablish himself in Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
in 1917, the warlord Lu Rongting
Lu Rongting
Lu Rongting was born in Wuming, Guangxi, China. Originating as a common bandit, Lu became a military commander in Guangxi in the Qing dynasty and suppressed the revolutionary uprising at Zhennan Pass on the Sino-Vietnam border in Pingxiang, Guangxi led by Sun Yat-sen and Huang Xing.However, when...
reluctantly supported him for a few years. After Sun split from the Old Guangxi Clique over allocation of troops, he attempted to strip Cen Chunxuan
Cen Chunxuan
Cen Chunxuan was the governor of Shanxi , governor-general of Sichuan , Liangguang , Yungui , and Tibet and chairman of the Governing Committee of the Military Government of China .-Biography:He was under the protection of General Lu Rongting's Old...
(aka: Sam Sun-Suen), one of Lu's most important allies in Guangdong, of some of his troops in order to assign them to the more apparently loyal Chen Jiongming
Chen Jiongming
Chen Jiongming was a revolutionary figure in the early periods of the Republic of China. Chen Jiongming was born in 1878 at Haifeng, Guangdong, China....
, a local Guangdong warlord who had sponsored Sun. Sun Yat-sen then directed Chen Jiongming
Chen Jiongming
Chen Jiongming was a revolutionary figure in the early periods of the Republic of China. Chen Jiongming was born in 1878 at Haifeng, Guangdong, China....
to attack Lu Rongting
Lu Rongting
Lu Rongting was born in Wuming, Guangxi, China. Originating as a common bandit, Lu became a military commander in Guangxi in the Qing dynasty and suppressed the revolutionary uprising at Zhennan Pass on the Sino-Vietnam border in Pingxiang, Guangxi led by Sun Yat-sen and Huang Xing.However, when...
and the other Guangxi warlords. In October 1920, Chen captured Guangzhou and drove the Guangxi warlords out of Guangdong.
Second Yue-Gui War
In 1921, Chen hoped to unite the region surrounding Guangdong behind Sun's regime at Guangzhou and pushed into Guangxi itself. Lu sent two armies — one led by his wife's younger brother Tan HaomingTan Haoming
Tan Haoming, a member of the Old Guangxi Clique and military governor of Guangxi from April 1917 to July 1921.-External links:**...
, the other under Shen Hongying
Shen Hongying
Shen Hongying was a Chinese general in the Old Guangxi Clique. He served as Military governor of Guangdong from March 1923 to May 1924....
— against Chen's forces. These drove him back and occupied areas Qinzhou
Qinzhou
Qinzhou is a municipal region in Guangxi, People's Republic of China.The municipality lies on the Gulf of Tonkin and has a population of 944, 000.-Administration:The Qinzhou municipal region comprises two districts and two counties....
and Lianzhou
Lianzhou
Lianzhou is a county-level city of Guangdong Province, China, directly under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Qingyuan. Lianzhou has become famous for an international photography festival celebrated yearly in the city....
. However, Lu's ally Chen Binghun collapsed, losing Wuzhou
Wuzhou
Wuzhou , historically known as Wuchow, is a prefecture-level city in China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.-Geography and climate:Wuzhou is located in eastern Guangxi bordering Guangdong province. It is at the confluence of the Gui River and the Xun River where they form the Xi River; 85% of all...
and allowing Chen Jiongming to drive up the rivers into Guangxi as allies moved in from the north. Lu Rongting was forced to step down in July 1921. By August, Chen had occupied Nanning
Nanning
Nanning is the capital of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China. It is known as the "Green City" because of its abundance of lush tropical foliage.-History:...
and the rest of Guangxi.
Aftermath
Although Chen Jiongming and the Guangdong forces occupied Guangxi until April 1922, their occupation was largely nominal. Armed bands of Guangxi loyalists continued to gather under local commanders, calling themselves the Self-Government ArmySelf-government Army
The Self-Government Army was a regional army in Guangxi during the Warlord era of the early 1920s. The soldiers were primarily from the southwest of Guangxi and were largely Zhuang. Their commanders were warlords like Lu Rongting of the Old Guangxi clique...
. Sun Yat-sen and Chen Jiongming soon split over plans for the Northern Expedition. By May 1922, Sun Yat-sen's Cantonese forces had evacuated Guangxi, leaving it to Chen. Nevertheless, Sun would return later to reform his National government.