Zhili-Anhui War
Encyclopedia
The Zhili–Anhui War was a 1920 conflict in the Republic of China
's Warlord Era
between the Zhili clique and Anhui clique
s for control of the Beiyang government
.
, leader of the Anhui clique, favored aggressive action against the South, and after becoming the premier of the state department (Guwuyuan Zongli, 国务总理) advocated a military solution. His plan was to rid southern China of rival warlords, as well as unify China. The Zhili clique favored compromise and negotiations, hoping to sway rival warlords to their side with financial and political support. Duan refused to acknowledge the Zhili's efforts and favored his own officers and politicians over others. After building a de facto private army using the Nishihara Loans
, and used it to occupy Outer Mongolia
. Feeling threatened Manchuria
's Fengtian clique
allied with the Zhili clique, and began courting those warlords in southwestern China who had previously been threatened by Duan's Anhui armies. Obtaining British and American backing, the Zhili and Fengtian cliques had President Xu Shichang dismiss General Xu Shuzheng
, the leader of the Mongolia expedition. Having publicly lost face and being undermined by a less powerful but still dangerous pair of ex-allies and hangers-on, General Xu and Duan denounced the actions and prepared for war.
In November 1919, the Zhili clique leader Wu Peifu met with representatives of Tang Jiyao
and Lu Rongting
at Hengyang
, where they signed a treaty entitled: "Rough Draft of the National Salvation Allied Army"(救国同盟军草约). This formed the basis of a true anti-Anhui clique alliance. In April 1920, while visiting a memorial service at Baoding
for soldiers who died in Hunan
, the one-time presidential-candidate Cao Kun
added more warlords to anti-Anhui clique alliance, including the rulers of Hubei
, Henan
, Liaoning
, Jilin
, Heilongjiang
, Jiangsu
, Jiangxi
, and Zhili
. The conflict became public as both sides begin deployed for the coming war.
, Zhang Zuolin
, Wang Zhanyuan, Li Shun, Cheng Guangyuan, Zhao Ti, and Ma Fuxiang
signed a denunciation of the Anhui clique and its military arm, the Anfu Club, which was led by Xu Shuzheng and Duan Qirui. This denunciation was circulated through a telegram called Paoting-fu on July 12, 1920.
, Laishui (涞水), and Gu’an (固安), while the eastern front covered the regions of Liang (梁) Hamlet and North Pole Temple (Beijimiao, 北极庙), just to the west of Poplar (杨) Hamlet.
Zhili and allied forces gathered a division and nine combined brigades to form their own “Traitor Suppression Army” (讨逆军), with Wu Peifu as its front-line commander-in-chief. This too was deployed on two fronts, with an eastern zone in the region of Poplar (杨) Hamlet, and a western front in the region of Gaobei (高碑) Hotel. Meanwhile, Zhang Zuolin ordered a detachment of his force to enter Shanhaiguan
, taking up position at Horse Factory (Machang, 马厂) and Military Grain City (Junliangcheng, 军粮城).
On July 17, 1920, Wu Peifu personally commanded the Zhili army's western front, performing a daring maneuver outflank the enemy and take the western-zone's Anhui headquarters. Having capturing the Anhui army front-line commander-in-chief Qu Tongfeng
(曲同丰) and many of his fellow officers, including the 1st Division commander of the Anhui army. After taking the town of Zhuozhou
, Wu pursued the retreating Anhui army toward Beijing. With the exception of the 15th Division, the remainder of the Anhui army on the western front was annihilated. On the same day, the Fengtian army attacked the Anhui eastern front. Upon learning of the collapse of the western zone, Anhui's eastern commander, chief-of-staff Xu Shuzheng
, fled Langfang
back to Beijing, leaving his troops to surrender to the combined might of the Fengtian and Zhili cliques.
On July 19, 1920, Duan Qirui realized the fight was over and resigned from his post. On July 23, the combined Fengtian and Zhili cliques entered Southern Garden (Nanyuan, 南苑) for the takeover of Beijing, concluding with the defeat and surrender of the Anhui clique.
. Wu Peifu
was nationally credited as the strategist behind the Zhili clique's victory, while the Fengtian clique provided token support and were allowed to form a joint government, an arrangement which would last until the First Zhili-Fengtian War
in 1922.
Republic of China (1912–1949)
In 1911, after over two thousand years of imperial rule, a republic was established in China and the monarchy overthrown by a group of revolutionaries. The Qing Dynasty, having just experienced a century of instability, suffered from both internal rebellion and foreign imperialism...
's Warlord Era
Warlord era
The Chinese Warlord Era was the period in the history of the Republic of China, from 1916 to 1928, when the country was divided among military cliques, a division that continued until the fall of the Nationalist government in the mainland China regions of Sichuan, Shanxi, Qinghai, Ningxia,...
between the Zhili clique and Anhui clique
Anhui clique
The Anhui clique was one of several mutually hostile cliques or factions that split from the Beiyang Clique in the Republic of China's Warlord era. It was named after Anhui province because several of its generals including its founder, Duan Qirui, was born in Anhui...
s for control of the Beiyang government
Beiyang Government
The Beiyang government or warlord government collectively refers to a series of military regimes that ruled from Beijing from 1912 to 1928 at Zhongnanhai. It was internationally recognized as the legitimate Government of the Republic of China. The name comes from the Beiyang Army which dominated...
.
Prelude
Tensions between the two factions developed during the Constitutional Protection War of 1917. Duan QiruiDuan Qirui
Duan Qirui was a Chinese warlord and politician, commander in the Beiyang Army, and the Provisional Chief Executive of Republic of China from November 24, 1924 to April 20, 1926. He was arguably the most powerful man in China from 1916 to 1920.- Early life :Born in Hefei as Duan Qirui , his...
, leader of the Anhui clique, favored aggressive action against the South, and after becoming the premier of the state department (Guwuyuan Zongli, 国务总理) advocated a military solution. His plan was to rid southern China of rival warlords, as well as unify China. The Zhili clique favored compromise and negotiations, hoping to sway rival warlords to their side with financial and political support. Duan refused to acknowledge the Zhili's efforts and favored his own officers and politicians over others. After building a de facto private army using the Nishihara Loans
Nishihara Loans
The ' were a series of loans made by the Japanese government under the administration of Prime Minister Terauchi Masatake to the Anhui clique warlord Duan Qirui from January 1917 to September 1918, in exchange for territorial concessions and rights in northern China.In January 1917, Prime Minister...
, and used it to occupy Outer Mongolia
Occupation of Mongolia
The Occupation of Mongolia by the Beiyang Government of the Republic of China began in October 1919 and lasted until early 1921, when Chinese troops in Urga were routed by Baron Ungern's White Russian and Mongolian forces, who, in turn, were defeated by the Red Army and its Mongolian allies by...
. Feeling threatened Manchuria
Manchuria
Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
's Fengtian clique
Fengtian clique
The Fengtian Clique was one of several mutually hostile cliques or factions that split from the Beiyang Clique in the Republic of China's warlord era. It was named for Fengtian Province and led by Zhang Zuolin...
allied with the Zhili clique, and began courting those warlords in southwestern China who had previously been threatened by Duan's Anhui armies. Obtaining British and American backing, the Zhili and Fengtian cliques had President Xu Shichang dismiss General Xu Shuzheng
Xu Shuzheng
Hsu Seu-Cheng or Xu Shuzheng , was a Chinese warlord in Republican China. A subordinate and right-hand man of Duan Qirui, he was a prominent member of the Anhui Clique....
, the leader of the Mongolia expedition. Having publicly lost face and being undermined by a less powerful but still dangerous pair of ex-allies and hangers-on, General Xu and Duan denounced the actions and prepared for war.
In November 1919, the Zhili clique leader Wu Peifu met with representatives of Tang Jiyao
Tang Jiyao
Tang Jiyao was a Chinese general and warlord of Yunnan during the Warlord Era of Republican China. Tang Jiyao was military governor of Yunnan from 1913-1927.-Life:...
and 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...
at Hengyang
Hengyang
Hengyang is the second largest city of China's Hunan Province. It straddles the Xiang River about 160 km south of Changsha.-History:Its former name was Hengzhou . This was the capital of a prefecture in the Tang Dynasty's Jiangnan and West Jiangnan circuits...
, where they signed a treaty entitled: "Rough Draft of the National Salvation Allied Army"(救国同盟军草约). This formed the basis of a true anti-Anhui clique alliance. In April 1920, while visiting a memorial service at Baoding
Baoding
-Administrative divisions:Baoding prefecture-level city consists of 3 municipal districts, 4 county-level cities, 18 counties:-Demographics:The Baoding urban area has a population of around 1,006,000 . The population of the Baoding administrative area is 10,890,000. The considerable majority are...
for soldiers who died in Hunan
Hunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
, the one-time presidential-candidate Cao Kun
Cao Kun
|-...
added more warlords to anti-Anhui clique alliance, including the rulers of Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
, Liaoning
Liaoning
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the northeast of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "辽" , a name taken from the Liao River that flows through the province. "Níng" means "peace"...
, Jilin
Jilin
Jilin , is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the northeastern part of the country. Jilin borders North Korea and Russia to the east, Heilongjiang to the north, Liaoning to the south, and Inner Mongolia to the west...
, Heilongjiang
Heilongjiang
For the river known in Mandarin as Heilong Jiang, see Amur River' is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the northeastern part of the country. "Heilongjiang" literally means Black Dragon River, which is the Chinese name for the Amur. The one-character abbreviation is 黑...
, Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
, Jiangxi
Jiangxi
' is a southern province in the People's Republic of China. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze River in the north into hillier areas in the south, it shares a border with Anhui to the north, Zhejiang to the northeast, Fujian to the east, Guangdong to the south, Hunan to the west, and Hubei to...
, and Zhili
Zhili
Zhílì was a northern province in China from the Ming Dynasty until the province was dissolved in 1928 during the Republic of China era.-History:...
. The conflict became public as both sides begin deployed for the coming war.
Paoting-fu Telegram
Various Zhili and Fengtian generals, such as Cao KunCao Kun
|-...
, Zhang Zuolin
Zhang Zuolin
Zhang Zuolin was the warlord of Manchuria from 1916 to 1928 . He successfully invaded China proper in October 1924 in the Second Zhili-Fengtian War. He gained control of Peking, including China's internationally recognized government, in April 1926...
, Wang Zhanyuan, Li Shun, Cheng Guangyuan, Zhao Ti, and Ma Fuxiang
Ma Fuxiang
Ma Fuxiang . Ma, a Dongxiang muslim leader, had a military and political career which spanned the Qing dynasty through the early Republic of China and illustrated the power of family, the role of religious affiliations, and the interaction of Inner Asian China and the national government of...
signed a denunciation of the Anhui clique and its military arm, the Anfu Club, which was led by Xu Shuzheng and Duan Qirui. This denunciation was circulated through a telegram called Paoting-fu on July 12, 1920.
Strategies
In early July 1920, the Anhui clique gathered 5 divisions and 4 combined brigades to form the so-called National Stabilization Army (定国军), with Duan Qirui as its commander-in-chief. Deployed in two fronts, the army's western front covered the regions of ZhuozhouZhuozhou
Zhuozhou is a county-level city with 628,000 inhabitants in Hebei province of China. It is administered by Baoding prefecture. Zhuozhou has 3 subdistricts, 6 towns, 5 townships, and 1 development zone.-Administrative Divisions:Subdistricts:...
, Laishui (涞水), and Gu’an (固安), while the eastern front covered the regions of Liang (梁) Hamlet and North Pole Temple (Beijimiao, 北极庙), just to the west of Poplar (杨) Hamlet.
Zhili and allied forces gathered a division and nine combined brigades to form their own “Traitor Suppression Army” (讨逆军), with Wu Peifu as its front-line commander-in-chief. This too was deployed on two fronts, with an eastern zone in the region of Poplar (杨) Hamlet, and a western front in the region of Gaobei (高碑) Hotel. Meanwhile, Zhang Zuolin ordered a detachment of his force to enter Shanhaiguan
Shanhaiguan District
Shanhaiguan District is a district of the city of Qinhuangdao, Hebei province, People's Republic of China, named after the pass of the Great Wall within the district, Shanhai Pass...
, taking up position at Horse Factory (Machang, 马厂) and Military Grain City (Junliangcheng, 军粮城).
Battle
On July 14, 1920, the Anhui army simultaneously attacked the Zhili army on both fronts. Zhili forces were forced to abandon Gaobei (高碑) Hotel and retreated. Two days later, with help from Japanese troops, the Anhui army also succeeded in taking Poplar (杨) Hamlet, forcing Zhili troops to form a second line of defense in the region of Northern Warehouse (Beicang, 北仓). Here the Anhui army’s advance was finally halted.On July 17, 1920, Wu Peifu personally commanded the Zhili army's western front, performing a daring maneuver outflank the enemy and take the western-zone's Anhui headquarters. Having capturing the Anhui army front-line commander-in-chief Qu Tongfeng
Qu Tongfeng
Qu Tongfeng, 曲同丰, was a general that served Yuan Shikai and the Anhui clique.Qu Tongfeng was born in Fushan County, now in Yantai, Fushan District of Shandong. At the age of 16 he joined the Beiyang Fleet, and served as second-class engineer on the Dingyuan during the First Sino-Japanese War...
(曲同丰) and many of his fellow officers, including the 1st Division commander of the Anhui army. After taking the town of Zhuozhou
Zhuozhou
Zhuozhou is a county-level city with 628,000 inhabitants in Hebei province of China. It is administered by Baoding prefecture. Zhuozhou has 3 subdistricts, 6 towns, 5 townships, and 1 development zone.-Administrative Divisions:Subdistricts:...
, Wu pursued the retreating Anhui army toward Beijing. With the exception of the 15th Division, the remainder of the Anhui army on the western front was annihilated. On the same day, the Fengtian army attacked the Anhui eastern front. Upon learning of the collapse of the western zone, Anhui's eastern commander, chief-of-staff Xu Shuzheng
Xu Shuzheng
Hsu Seu-Cheng or Xu Shuzheng , was a Chinese warlord in Republican China. A subordinate and right-hand man of Duan Qirui, he was a prominent member of the Anhui Clique....
, fled Langfang
Langfang
Langfang , Hebei province, China, is a prefecture-level city located approximately midway between Beijing and Tianjin with a total population of 3.85 million and an urban area population of 763,700. Its total area is around 6,429 km²...
back to Beijing, leaving his troops to surrender to the combined might of the Fengtian and Zhili cliques.
On July 19, 1920, Duan Qirui realized the fight was over and resigned from his post. On July 23, the combined Fengtian and Zhili cliques entered Southern Garden (Nanyuan, 南苑) for the takeover of Beijing, concluding with the defeat and surrender of the Anhui clique.
Conclusion
Slightly more than a week of fighting led to the unexpected defeat of the Anhui clique and the permanent breakup of the Beiyang ArmyBeiyang Army
The Beiyang Army was a powerful, Western-style Chinese military force created by the Qing Dynasty government in the late 19th century. It was the centerpiece of a general reconstruction of China's military system. The Beiyang Army played a major role in Chinese politics for at least three decades...
. Wu Peifu
Wu Peifu
Wu Peifu or Wu P'ei-fu , was a major figure in the struggles between the warlords who dominated Republican China from 1916 to 1927.- Early career :...
was nationally credited as the strategist behind the Zhili clique's victory, while the Fengtian clique provided token support and were allowed to form a joint government, an arrangement which would last until the First Zhili-Fengtian War
First Zhili-Fengtian War
The First Zhili–Fengtian War was a 1922 conflict in the Republic of China's Warlord Era between the Zhili and Fengtian cliques for control of Beijing. The war led to the defeat of the Fengtian clique and the fall of its leader, Zhang Zuolin, from the coalition Zhili-Fengtian government in Beijing...
in 1922.
See also
- List of battles of the Chinese Civil War
- National Revolutionary ArmyNational Revolutionary ArmyThe National Revolutionary Army , pre-1928 sometimes shortened to 革命軍 or Revolutionary Army and between 1928-1947 as 國軍 or National Army was the Military Arm of the Kuomintang from 1925 until 1947, as well as the national army of the Republic of China during the KMT's period of party rule...
- Chinese Civil WarChinese Civil WarThe Chinese Civil War was a civil war fought between the Kuomintang , the governing party of the Republic of China, and the Communist Party of China , for the control of China which eventually led to China's division into two Chinas, Republic of China and People's Republic of...
- Warlord EraWarlord eraThe Chinese Warlord Era was the period in the history of the Republic of China, from 1916 to 1928, when the country was divided among military cliques, a division that continued until the fall of the Nationalist government in the mainland China regions of Sichuan, Shanxi, Qinghai, Ningxia,...