Zhili – Anhui War The Zhili – Anhui War was a 1920 conflict in the Republic of China ' s Warlord Era between the Zhili clique and Anhui clique s for control of the Beiyang government . Prelude . Tensions between the two factions developed during the Constitutional Protection War of 1917 . Duan Qirui , leader of the Anhui clique , favored aggressive action against the South , and after becoming the premier of the state department ( Guwuyuan Zongli , 国务总理 ) advocated a military solution . His plan was to rid southern China of rival warlords , as well as to unify the country . The Zhili clique favored compromise and negotiations , hoping to sway rival warlords to their side with financial and political support . Duan refused to acknowledge the Zhili ' s efforts and favored his own officers and politicians over others . After building a " de facto " private army using the Nishihara Loans , he used it to occupy Outer Mongolia . Feeling threatened , Manchuria ' s Fengtian clique allied with the Zhili clique and began courting those warlords in southwestern China who had previously been threatened by Duan ' s Anhui armies . Obtaining British and American backing , the Zhili and Fengtian cliques had President Xu Shichang dismiss Gen . Xu Shuzheng , the leader of the Mongolia expedition . Having publicly lost face and been undermined by a less powerful but still dangerous pair of ex - allies and hangers - on , Gen . Xu and Duan denounced the actions and prepared for war . In November 1919 Zhili clique leader Gen . Wu Peifu met with representatives of Tang Jiyao and Lu Rongting at Hengyang , where they signed a treaty entitled " Rough Draft of the National Salvation Allied Army " ( 救国同盟军草约 ) . This formed the basis of a true anti - Anhui clique alliance . In April 1920 , while visiting a memorial service at Baoding for soldiers who died in Hunan , one - time presidential - candidate Cao Kun added more warlords to the anti - Anhui clique alliance , including the rulers of Hubei , Henan , Liaoning , Jilin , Heilongjiang , Jiangsu , Jiangxi and Zhili . The conflict became public as both sides began deploying for the coming war . Paoting - fu Telegram . Various Zhili and Fengtian generals — such as Cao Kun , Zhang Zuolin , Wang Zhanyuan , Li Shun , Cheng Guangyuan , Zhao Ti and Ma Fuxiang — signed a denunciation of the Anhui clique and its military arm , the Anfu Club , which was led by Xu Shuzheng and Duan Qirui . This denunciation was circulated through a telegram called Paoting - fu on July 12 , 1920 . Strategies . In early July 1920 the Anhui clique gathered five divisions and four combined brigades to form the so - called National Stabilization Army ( 定国军 ) , with Duan Qirui as its commander - in - chief . The army was deployed in two fronts , the western covering the regions of Zhuozhou , Laishui ( 涞水 ) and Gu ' an ( 固安 ) , while the eastern covered the regions of Liang ( 梁 ) Hamlet and North Pole Temple ( Beijimiao , 北极庙 ) , just to the west of Poplar ( 杨 ) Hamlet . Zhili and allied forces gathered a division and nine combined brigades to form their own " Traitor Suppression Army " ( 讨逆军 ) , with Wu Peifu as its front - line commander - in - chief . This , too , was deployed on two fronts , with an eastern zone in the region of Poplar ( 杨 ) Hamlet and a western front in the region of Gaobei ( 高碑 ) Hotel . Meanwhile , Zhang Zuolin ordered a detachment of his troops to enter Shanhaiguan , taking up positions at Horse Factory ( Machang , 马厂 ) and Military Grain City ( Junliangcheng , 军粮城 ) . Battle . On July 14 , 1920 , the Anhui army attacked the Zhili army on both fronts . Zhili troops were forced to abandon Gaobei ( 高碑 ) Hotel and retreated . Two days later , with help from Japanese troops , the Anhui army also succeeded in taking Poplar ( 杨 ) Hamlet , forcing Zhili forces to form a second line of defense in the region of Northern Warehouse ( Beicang , 北仓 ) . Here the Anhui army ' s advance was finally halted . On July 17 Wu Peifu personally commanded the Zhili army ' s western front , performing a daring maneuver , outflanking the enemy and taking the western zone ' s Anhui headquarters . He captured the Anhui army ' s front - line commander - in - chief Qu Tongfeng ( 曲同丰 ) and many of his officers , including the 1st Division commander . After taking the town of Zhuozhou , Wu pursued the retreating enemy toward Beijing . With the exception of the 15th Division , the remainder of the Anhui army on the western front was annihilated . On the same day the Fengtian army attacked the Anhui eastern front . Upon learning of the collapse of the western zone , Anhui ' s eastern commander , chief of staff Gen . Xu Shuzheng , fled Langfang to Beijing , leaving his troops to surrender to the combined might of the Fengtian and Zhili cliques . On July 19 , 1920 , Duan Qirui realized the fight was over and resigned from his post . On July 23 the combined Fengtian and Zhili cliques entered Southern Garden ( Nanyuan , 南苑 ) for the takeover of Beijing , concluding with the defeat and surrender of the Anhui clique . Conclusion . Slightly more than a week of fighting led to the unexpected defeat of the Anhui clique and the permanent breakup of the Beiyang Army . Wu Peifu was nationally credited as the strategist behind the Zhili clique ' s victory , while the Fengtian clique provided token support and were allowed to form a joint government , an arrangement which would last until the First Zhili - Fengtian War in 1922 .