Zhang Dingfan was born in Nanchang city in Jiangxi Province (江西南昌) to a merchant family. At 17 in 1908, he enrolled in the Jiangxi Army Survey Academy. In 1911 followed by his brother Zhang Dinghuang. He shortly left the Academy to join the Wuchang Uprising, catalyst for the Xinghai 1911 Revolution. He joined a "Fearless troop" or "Dare to Die troop" (敢死队). Following the success of the Revolution, he returned to study at the Wuchang Military Institute and graduated from the affiliated Baoding Officer Academy, to be commissioned as a company commander in the Jiangxi 4th Army. In 1918 he partook in a long campaign which successfully dislodged the highly renowned and ambitious warload General Sun Quanfang 孙传芳 and was appointed to the general staff of the 4th army.