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; Yang Tianshi, Chief Editor
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1996-02-01
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 warlord faction, which had controlled half of the country, ultimately collapsed. This was a period of intense upheaval and extraordinary height in the revolutionary spirit of the Chinese people, as well as a time of dramatic shifts and major historical turning points, making it rich and complex in. The Northern Expedition reflected the great desire of the Chinese people for national unification, independence, and prosperity. After the 1911 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 efforts to complete the unfinished mission that began with the Tongmenghui, faced numerous hardships and setbacks but rose again and again, ultimately passing away with his aspirations unfulfilled. The Northern Expedition, launched in 1926, was the continuation of the unfinished causes of this pioneer and many martyrs. Its strategic goal was to eliminate the three major warlord factions of Wu Peifu, Sun Chuanfang, and Zhang Zuolin, as well as other smaller warlord groups. Due to its alignment with the trend of the times and the will of the people, its implementation through the cooperation of the Kuomintang and the Communist Party of China, and with Soviet assistance, it advanced rapidly. In about eight months, it conquered Hubei and Hunan, seized Jiangxi, pacified Fujian, Anhui, Zhejiang, and Jiangsu, successively defeating the two major warlord factions of Wu Peifu and Sun Chuanfang, while the smaller warlords in the southwest and southeast quickly surrendered. The Chinese revolution entered an unprecedentedly favorable situation.