History of the Republic of China (Volume 2, Book 5) - The Northern Expedition and the Collapse of the Beiyang Warlord Faction

Author: Li Xin, Chief Editor
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-03-01
Features: This volume covers approximately two years, from May 1926 when the Northern Expedition vanguard entered Hunan to June 1928 when the Northern Expeditionary Force entered Beijing and Tianjin. During this period, the two major political forces of the Kuomintang and the Communist Party of China transitioned from joint opposition to open conflict. The once-powerful Beiyang warlords, who had controlled half of the country, ultimately collapsed and were defeated. This was a period of intense upheaval and soaring revolutionary spirit among the Chinese people, as well as a time of dramatic historical turning points, making it rich and complex in meaning. The Northern Expedition reflected the great aspiration of the Chinese people for national unification, independence, and prosperity. After the Xinhai Revolution, under the manipulation and support of imperialist powers, China fell into a state of warlord chaos and national division. Sun Yat-sen, in his pursuit of completing the unfinished mission that began with the Tongmenghui, faced numerous hardships and setbacks but rose again and again. Unfortunately, he passed away with his ambitions unfulfilled. The Northern Expedition, launched in 1926, was the continuation of the unfinished cause of this pioneer and many martyrs. Its strategic goal was to eliminate the three major warlord groups of Wu Peifu, Sun Chuanfang, and Zhang Zuolin, as well as other smaller warlord factions. Because it aligned with the trend of the times, met the aspirations of the people, was carried out through the cooperation of the Kuomintang and the Communist Party of China, and received assistance from the Soviet Union, it advanced rapidly. In about eight months, it conquered Hubei and Hunan, seized Jiangxi, pacified Fujian, Anhui, Zhejiang, and Jiangsu, and successively defeated the two major warlord groups of Wu Peifu and Sun Chuanfang. Warlords in the southwest and southeast quickly surrendered in response. The Chinese revolution entered an unprecedentedly favorable situation.