Beiyang Army

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The Beiyang Army (Chinese: 北洋軍; pinyin: Běiyáng Jūn; lit. 'Northern Ocean Army'), named after Yuan Shikai, who became Beiyang Minister (北洋大臣; Běiyáng Dàchén) in 1901, was a military force established in the late Qing dynasty. Under the command of Yuan, it formed the core of the Qing government's military modernization following the First Sino-Japanese War and became the most powerful component of the New Army. The army played a major role in the 1911 Revolution against both the Qing government and Sun Yat-sen's revolutionary forces. After Yuan's death in 1916, its commanders divided into rival factions known collectively as the Beiyang warlords (北洋軍閥; Běiyáng Jūnfá), whose struggles for power ushered in the Warlord Era. The Beiyang Army originated with the Dingwu Army (定武軍; Dìnɡwǔ Jūn), established in 1894 and organized along modern lines with infantry, cavalry, artillery, and logistical branches. Initially trained at Tianjin by Hu Yufen with the assistance of German officers, it was taken...

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