THE CHINESE WARLORD SYSTEM: 1916 TO 1928

The study describes the military aspects of the political contest for control of the central government in the context of the disorganized sociopolitical structure of China from 1916 to 1928. It is a useful corrective to the popular image of the Chinese warlords during this period of their greatest activity. The study points out that the warlords were not merely military men exploiting Chinas condition for private gain in their various domains, nor were they seeking to destroy or replace the central government in the classic pattern under which many Chinese dynasties have historically emerged.