Power Field: The Complete Story of the Zhi-Wan Warlords: The Complete Story of the Zhi-Wan Warlords

Author: Wang Guoyu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-02-01
Features: Traditional Chinese society for over two thousand years was one where officials and the elite held power over the common people, with absolute authority. By the early 20th century, Sun Yat-sen established the Republic of China, bringing a glimmer of democracy to the nation. However, soon after, Yuan Shikai seized power, though he was later rejected, and the Beijing government controlled by the Zhili and Anhui warlords became an open arena for power struggles. From June 1916, when Li Yuanhong succeeded Yuan Shikai as president, to June 1928, when the Nationalist Party's Nanjing government took over, the Beijing government dominated by the Zhili and Anhui warlords had 12 individuals (including acting presidents) holding the nominal presidency, while the cabinet underwent 38 changes. Li Yuanhong's conflict between the government and the palace, the bloody power struggle between the Zhili and Anhui warlords, Cao Kung's silver coin bribery election, and even armed robberies to seize vehicles and official seals—all were chaotic scenes where one party took the stage as another fell, filled with deceit and bloodshed. A time of chaos and corruption in Chinese society, a power trap in the officialdom that could never be escaped.