During the Republic of China period, there were many warlords of all sizes, such as the most powerful direct line, the Feng family, the Feng family (Northwest Army), the Gui family, the Jin family, etc., and there were also some small warlords, such as Tang Shengzhi in Hunan, Long Yun in Yunnan, Liu Wenhui in Sichuan, Yang Sen, Liu Xiang, Deng Xihou and others were all small warlords of the Republic of China.
These warlords were later annexed in war, and the law of survival of the weak is the law of survival in each era. Just like in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, large countries annexed small countries.
However, the Jin dynasty survived for 38 years under the leadership of Yan Xishan, becoming the longest surviving of many warlords in the Republic of China, which lasted through the period of Yuan Shikai's rule, the chaotic period of Beiyang, the period of Chiang Kai-shek's rule, and the period of the War of Resistance, until the liberation period, when this military clique was overthrown. Therefore, Yan Xishan is also known as the tumbler of the warlord world.
Yan Xishan
Yan Xishan, a native of Shanxi, was born in a shanxi landlord family in the late Qing Dynasty, and later because of the fall of the family road, in order to live in Yan Xishan, but also to revitalize the family, he embarked on the road of military service. At the end of the Qing Dynasty, the situation was turbulent, the Qing court was oppressed by the great powers for a long time, and it was also angry and tried to reform, so it was selected as a young man in the army to study in the Japanese army, and Yan Xishan was one of these students. In this way, Yan Xishan entered the Japanese Non-Commissioned Officer School for further study.
When he joined the League in Japan, this also changed his life, and after returning to China, he used his identity as an ally on the one hand, and on the other hand, he was an official of Yuan Shikai, and he was mixed up in Shanxi. At the same time, Yan Xishan is also a revolutionary whose faith is not firm, he cannot sin on both sides, both sides are flattered, and whoever gains power will follow whomever gains power. Why? One of the reasons why he was able to sit in Shanxi for 38 years and not fall for a long time.
Later, we all know that Mr. Zhongshan in the south failed, yuan shikai became the first president of the Republic of China, at this time Yan Xishan immediately fell to Yuan Shikai, sent money and tribute, Yuan Shikai was happy, he appointed him as the governor of Shanxi, Yan Xishan from this moment began his career as emperor of the soil, cultivated his own forces in Shanxi, built an engineer factory, expanded troops, and on the other hand engaged in economic construction in Shanxi.
After Yuan Shikai's death, the ruling situation of the Beiyang warlords did not change, Duan Qirui became the prime minister, yan Xishan was attached to Duan, and duan Qirui was the only one who was in charge on major issues. After the Beiyang warlords were about to fall and the revolutionary army in the south gained power, he was the first to answer the call to change the Jin army into a national army and electrify the whole country to submit to the revolutionary army in the south. At this time, not only Yan Xishan, but also Feng Yuxiang, with the addition of these two, the Northern Expeditionary Army led by Chiang Kai-shek was quickly defeated, the An Guo Army led by Zhang Zuolin, the Northern Expedition War ended, the warlords of the Beiyang period were basically eliminated, and only Yan Xishan's Jin clan and Feng Yuxiang's Northwest Army existed alone.
In the ensuing Central Plains War, Feng Yuxiang's Northwest Army was disbanded, and although Yan Xishan's Jin army was also defeated and Lao Yan also stepped down, the generals of his group took good care of him, and chiang Kai-shek wanted to divide the Jin army and bribe the senior generals of the Jin army, because they were only loyal to Yan Xishan, unlike Feng Yuxiang's northwest army after Feng stepped down, the entire northwest army collapsed, and there were also bribes and adaptations for Chiang Kai-shek. Therefore, after the Battle of the Central Plains, Feng Yuxiang's Northwest Army officially withdrew from the stage of history. Yan Xishan, on the other hand, made a comeback shortly afterwards and regained power in the Jin army.
Later, when the War of Resistance broke out, Yan Xishan was appointed commander of the Second Theater of Operations, and at that time his Jin Sui Army was also thriving, and the Eighth Route Army and Chiang Kai-shek Army became the main armed force during the War of Resistance. Moreover, Yan Xishan, but the commander of the Second Theater, for eight years until the end of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, should know that like other theater commanders, there were changes, only Yan Xishan did not, and he had long held the power of the Jin Sui Army. Besides, if Chiang Kai-shek wanted to send others to serve as commanders of the Second Theater, Yan Xishan would not agree, nor would the generals of the Jin army agree, because at this time, Yan Xishan had already formed a certain influence in their hearts, and only Yan Xishan could command the Jin army.
Until 1949, when our army broke through Taiyuan City and Yan Xishan fled Shanxi, the regime that had been in power for 38 years was thus wiped out by our army. In the end, Yan Xishan also died in a foreign country and never returned. But then again, if you can do it for a long time, among the warlords of the Republic of China, I am afraid that there is only one person in Yan Xishan.