Zhili–Anhui War

Definition
The Zhili–Anhui War was a short‑lived armed conflict that took place in China in 1920 between two rival factions of the Beiyang Army— the Zhili clique, based in the former Zhili province (modern‑day Hebei), and the Anhui clique, led by Duan Qirui and centered in Anhui province.

Overview

• Timeframe: The hostilities erupted in early July 1920 and effectively concluded by early August 1920.
• Belligerents:
  • Zhili Clique: Commanded primarily by warlords Cao Kun and Wu Peifu.
  • Anhui Clique: Commanded by Duan Qirui, with subordinate generals such as Zhang Xun and Li Zongren.
• Background: After the 1916 death of Yuan Shikai, the Beiyang government fragmented into competing regional cliques. Tensions intensified over control of the central government, foreign loans, and the allocation of military resources. The Anhui clique’s attempts to dominate the Beiyang government and its reliance on Japanese-backed loans provoked opposition from the Zhili faction.
• Course of the War:
  1. Initial Movements (July 1–5, 1920) – Zhili forces crossed the Tianjin‑Pukou railway, seizing key towns in southern Zhili and northern Jiangsu.
  2. Major Engagements – The Battle of Tianjin (July 10) and the Battle of Tianjin‑Jinan (July 15–17) saw Zhili troops, under Wu Peifu’s tactical direction, achieve decisive breakthroughs against Anhui infantry and artillery positions.
  3. Collapse of Anhui Resistance (Late July) – Anhui units suffered from poor morale and logistical shortages; several commanders defected to the Zhili side.
  4. Armistice and Aftermath (Early August) – By August 3, the Anhui clique’s central command had withdrawn to Beijing, and a de‑facto cease‑fire was negotiated.
• Result: A Zhili victory that led to the removal of Anhui influence from the Beijing government, the resignation of Duan Qirui, and a temporary realignment of power among warlord factions. The war also set the stage for the subsequent Zhili–Fengtian conflicts of the early 1920s.

Etymology/Origin
The name “Zhili–Anhui War” combines the historical province names of the two opposing cliques: Zhili (直隶), a northern province surrounding Beijing and Tianjin, and Anhui (安徽), a southeastern province. The term reflects the geographic bases of the rival warlords rather than a formal declaration of war.

Characteristics

• Scale: Involving roughly 50,000–80,000 troops on both sides, the conflict was limited in duration but intense in its concentration along the railway corridor linking Beijing with the lower Yangtze region.
• Tactics: The Zhili forces employed mobile infantry and coordinated artillery barrages, while the Anhui troops relied more heavily on entrenched positions and foreign‑supplied weaponry.
• Political Impact: The war weakened the Anhui clique’s legitimacy, reinforced the concept of “clique politics” in the Republic of China, and highlighted the role of foreign finance (particularly Japanese loans) in domestic power struggles.
• International Context: Foreign powers, especially Japan and the United Kingdom, monitored the conflict closely due to their economic interests in the region; however, no direct foreign intervention occurred.

Related Topics

• Warlord Era (1916–1928)
• Beiyang Government
• Zhili Clique
• Anhui Clique
• First Zhili–Fengtian War (1922)
• Duan Qirui
• Wu Peifu
• Sino‑Japanese relations in the early 20th century
• Chinese civil conflicts of the Republican period