Zhang Zuolin, the Manchurian Warlord, was a streetfighter known as the Pimple who went from waiter to leader of China's north.
He climbed from bandit, to soldier and then formed bonds with Japan, Qing officials and then Yuan Shikai. Step by step he grew his power first in Fengtian province, then all three Manchurian provinces and then virtually all of north China.
But that was not enough and he craved complete control in Beijing too. The coalition government broke up and war was declared between his Fengtian Clique and the Zhili Group.
Wu Peifu showed himself to be the better commander in 1922 and Zhang had to lick his wounds and regroup in Manchuria. He waited for a chance to exact revenge.
Image: "Zhang Zuolin, former warlord of Manchuria 1927" by quinet is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
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