Explaining the Factions of China's Warlord Era

Added: 2026-05-18

[00:00:00]First, we want to separate the warlords into the northern factions and the southern factions.

[00:00:05]The major northern factions were the Anhui clique led by Duan Qirui, the Zhili clique led by Feng Guozhang in central China, and the Fengtian clique led by Zhang Zuolin in Manchuria. There were lesser ones such as the Shanxi clique of Yan Xishan, the Ma clique of northwestern China led by a multitude of Hui Muslim generals, the Xinjiang clique led by Yang Zengxin, and the Guominjun formed later on in 1924 from some disgruntled Zhili leaders. The major southern factions were the Kuomintang led by Dr. Sun Yat-sen who formed the Republican government in Guangzhou, the Chinese Communist Party led by Chen Duxiu, the Yunnan clique led by Tang Jiyao, the Guangxi clique led by Li Zongren, and the Sichuan clique led by Liu Xiang.

[00:01:02]There were also other warlords of Guizhou, Guangdong, and Hunan. When Yuan Shikai died, his Beiyang army split more or less into three main factions: the Zhili, Fengtian, and Anhui cliques.

[00:01:15]Their authority was based on their presence within Beijing. Li Yuanhong succeeded Yuan Shikai as president of the Republic of China, but the real political power was in the hands of Premier Duan Qirui.

[00:01:29]Basically, Duan and others allowed Li Yuanhong to be president because he was seen to be weak and controllable.

[00:01:35]There'll be no knifing one another.

[00:01:37]Everybody knows who's in charge.

[00:01:42]Me.

[00:01:45]Right?

[00:01:47]Yes.

[00:01:48]>> [laughter] >> Of course.

[00:01:50]Of course.

[00:01:52]Duan Qirui was the previous Minister of War under Yuan Shikai and a strong believer in Confucian values.

[00:01:58]He earned a strong following known as the Anfu Club within the Republican Parliament and led the Anhui clique. The Vice President, Feng Guozhang, had taken control of Gansu in 1916 and he was a former lieutenant under Yuan Shikai, playing a significant role in the 1911 revolution against the Manchu. He led the Zhili clique, which initially was seeking stability in the capital by working with the Anhui clique.