Zhang Zuolin

Uncommon card · No. 83443

Zhang Zuolin (March 19, 1875 – June 4, 1928) was a Chinese general, statesman, and warlord who ruled Manchuria from 1916 until his assassination in 1928. He led the Fengtian clique, one of the most powerful factions during the Warlord Era. In 1927, he became the leader of the Beiyang government and was declared Generalissimo of the Republic of China. Born to a poor peasant's family in Manchuria, Zhang fought in the First Sino-Japanese War and became a prominent mounted bandit in the 1890s. After the Boxer Rebellion, his troops became a regiment of the Qing dynasty's army, and during the Russo-Japanese War, they were hired by the Japanese Army as mercenaries. During the 1911 Revolution, Zhang initially fought against the revolutionaries, and after the foundation of the Republic of China supported the Beiyang government. Zhang founded the Fengtian clique and gradually expanded his Northeastern Army, which established his supremacy over the three northeastern provinces (Fengtian, Jilin and...

Read on Wikipedia · Image B. Nagakiya, Public domain