Anhui clique

1925	Yunnan–Guangxi War; May Thirtieth Movement
1925–1926	Anti-Fengtian War; Canton–Hong Kong strike
1926	Zhongshan Warship Incident
1926–1928	Northern Expedition; Nanjing–Wuhan Split; Nationalist-Communist Civil War
1927	Shanghai massacre
1927–1930	Muslim conflict in Gansu
1928	Jinan incident; Huanggutun incident; Looting of the Eastern Mausoleum; Northeast Flag Replacement
1928–1929	Third Red Spears' uprising in Shandong
1929	Chiang-Gui War; Warlord Rebellion in northeastern Shandong (incl. Beijing Revolt); Sino-Soviet conflict
1930	Central Plains War
1930–1932	Sino-Tibetan War / Qinghai–Tibet War
1931–1935	Kumul Rebellion / Soviet invasion of Xinjiang
1932	Han–Liu War
1934	War in Ningxia

1911–1914	Bai Lang Rebellion
1913	Second Revolution
1915	Twenty-One Demands
1915–1916	Empire of China (Yuan Shikai); National Protection War
1916	Death of Yuan Shikai
1917	Manchu Restoration
1917–1922	Constitutional Protection Movement
1917–1929	Golok rebellions
1918–1920	Siberian intervention
1919	Paris Peace Conference; Shandong Problem; May Fourth Movement
1919–1921	Occupation of Outer Mongolia
1920	Zhili–Anhui War
1920–1921	Guangdong–Guangxi War
1920–1926	Spirit Soldier rebellions
1921	1st National CPC Congress
1921–1922	Washington Naval Conference
1922	First Zhili–Fengtian War
1923–1927	First United Front
1924	Second Zhili–Fengtian War; Canton Merchants' Corps Uprising; Beijing Coup

Anhui clique
Anhui clique
皖系
Disbanded	1920
Country	Republic of China
Allegiance	Beiyang government
Engagements	Zhili–Anhui War ; Occupation of Mongolia
Commanders
President	Duan Qirui

The Anhui clique (simplified Chinese: 皖系军阀; traditional Chinese: 皖系軍閥; pinyin: Wǎn Xì Jūn Fá) was a military and political organization, one of several mutually hostile cliques or factions that split from the Beiyang clique in the Republic of China's Warlord Era. It was named after Anhui province because several its generals–including its founder, Duan Qirui–were born in Anhui.

The clique's main members were Duan Qirui, Duan Zhigui, Jin Yunpeng, Wang Yitang, Lu Yongxiang, Zhang Jingyao, Wu Guangxin, Chen Shufan, Zheng Shiqi, Xu Shuzheng, etc.

Because the Anhui clique organized itself very early, it was more politically sophisticated than its warlord rivals.

History[]

With Japanese support and the suppression of the Manchu Restoration, it became the most powerful faction in China from 1916 to 1920. They had an uneasy co-existence with the Zhili clique and Fengtian clique in the Beiyang government. They advocated a hardline during the Constitutional Protection War. The May Fourth Movement weakened their influence and eventually led to the Zhili–Anhui War in 1920 which saw the surprise defeat of the Anhui clique.^[1] Duan resigned and the clique lacked national leadership for the next four years when all their provinces were eventually annexed by the Zhili clique by the summer of 1924. (Shandong was an anomaly, the Zhili clique appointed an Anhui general in 1923 there provided he remain neutral, see Shandong Problem. Zheng Shiqi ruled until 1925 when he transferred it to Fengtian's Zhang Zongchang per agreement with Duan.) After the Beijing Coup, Feng Yuxiang and Zhang Zuolin picked Duan to lead a provisional government. Lacking any significant military power, he and his few remaining supporters played Feng and Zhang against each other. They removed him from power and his last followers joined the Fengtian clique.^[1]

Political wing[]

They also had a political wing known as the Anfu Club (literally, Peace and Happiness Club, after a Beijing lane where they met; folk etymology claims it was a pun on Anhui and Fujian) which consisted of politicians that threw their fortune in with Duan. Formed on 7 March 1918 by Xu Shuzheng and Wang Yitang, it ran for elections for the northern National Assembly and won three-fourths of the seats primarily because Anhui warlords bought the votes. They were a highly disciplined party created to push Duan's agenda through legal means such as electing fellow party member Xu Shichang as President of the ROC. Before the Zhili–Anhui War, it was also supported by the Fengtian clique, Xinjiang clique, and Shanxi clique. The Anhui clique was later destroyed after the Zhili-Anhui War when the Assembly was disbanded.^[1]

Financial wing[]

Their financial wing was the New Communications Clique (1916–1919) led by Cao Rulin. It was the rival to Liang Shiyi's Old Communications Clique. Cao's conduct during the Paris Peace Conference led to the May Fourth Movement and his dismissal.^[1]

Notable people[]

Name	Years of dominance	Notes
Duan Qirui 段祺瑞	1916–1926	- Premier: 1913, 1916–18; President: 1924–26 - Negotiated the Nishihara Loans with Japan in exchange for Shandong Concession, triggering the May Fourth Movement
Xu Shuzheng 徐樹錚	1916–1920	- Duan Qirui's right-hand man - Led expedition that reconquered Mongolia and temporarily brought it back under control
Duan Zhigui 段芝貴		- Minister of War: 1917–1919
Jin Yunpeng 靳雲鵬		- Premier: 1919–1921
Wang Yitang 王揖唐		- Chairman of the House of Representatives 1918–1920
Lu Yongxiang 盧永祥		- Ruler of Zhejiang and Shanghai, his refusal to hand over Shanghai caused the Second Zhili–Fengtian War
Zhang Jingyao 張敬堯	1917–1920	- Governor of Hunan noted for his exceptional brutality - Assassinated in 1933 after he became involved with the Japanese plot to enthrone Puyi as emperor of Manchukuo
Wu Guangxin 吳光新	1917–1920	- Governor of Hunan^[2]
Ni Sichong 倪嗣衝		- former supporter of Yuan Shikai's Empire; eliminated in the Zhili–Anhui War
Qu Tongfeng^[3] 曲同豊
Chen Shufan 陳樹藩	1916–1921
Zheng Shiqi 鄭士琦	1923–1925	Military governor of Shandong (1923–25) and Anhui (1925).^[4]