Beijing Government

The Beijing Government, conventionally the Government of National Pacification Army of the Republic of China (Chinese: 中華民國安國軍政府), or officially Republic of China (Chinese: 中華民國), is a state in North China. The only state contesting Kuomintang legitimacy that holds actual territory in Southern China, the Beijing Government is essentially a successor of the former Beiyang Government established following the Xinhai Revolution, from which it claims direct descent. Zhang Zuolin stands as the Grand Marshal of China and does not recognize the existence of Kuomintang as new ruler of China. 
In April 1926, the Zhili and Fengtian cliques jointly attacked the National Army, forcing Feng Yuxiang to retreat to Suiyuan with his troops, and Zhang Zuolin once again took control of the central government. On November 29, 1926, after Zhang Zongchang and Sun Chuanfang led the way in persuading him to take power, Zhang Zuolin was elected Commander-in-Chief of the National Pacification Army by the fifteen provinces and regions of Zhili, Shandong, Henan, Jiangsu, Anhui, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Fujian, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Chahar, Rehe, Suiyuan, Jilin, and Heilongjiang. On December 1, Zhang Zuolin assumed this role in Tianjin. In 1927, Zhang Zuolin announced a campaign against communism, shutting down radical newspapers and executing Chinese Communist Party members, including Li Dazhao, and other radicals, while suppressing the Kuomintang uprisings. On June 16, 1927, Zhang Zuolin established a military government in Beijing and assumed the role of Grand Marshal of the Army and Navy of the Republic of China, exercising the powers of the President. On June 20, Pan Fu became Premier, with Wang Yintai as Foreign Minister, He Fenglin as Minister of War, Shen Ruilin as Minister of the Interior, Yan Zepu as Minister of Finance, Yao Zhen as Minister of Justice, Zhang Jinghui as Minister of Industry, Liu Xiangqing as Minister of Agriculture and Labor, and Liu Zhe as Minister of Education. Pan Fu also served as Minister of Communications. Zhang Zuolin attempted to use the Yellow River as a boundary for dividing governance between the north and south with the Kuomintang. 
On the night of June 16, 1927, a telegram led by Sun Chuanfang and Zhang Zongchang supporting Zhang Zuolin's assumption of the role of Grand Marshal of the National Pacification Army was issued. The telegram read:"Urgent: To Commander-in-Chief Zhang in Beijing: All provincial military and civil leaders, guilds, and newspapers: The Republic is in peril, and the political system is in disarray. The nation lacks government and leadership, leading to chaos and unrest for years. The spread of communism is pervasive, bringing untold harm to the nation. Both the people's expectations and the concerns of friendly nations point to the suppression of communism as the only means of ensuring national stability. However, without unifying military command and rectifying political policies, it is impossible to bring peace. Since assuming office last year, our Commander-in-Chief has been dedicated to quelling the unrest, laboring day and night. While the communist threat in the north has been largely cleared, it is rampant in the south. The nation is in a state of turmoil, with no end in sight. In this critical moment of survival, it is time for us to take a stand for the country. After much deliberation, we believe that to suppress communism and save the nation, we must consolidate our strength and unite internally to launch a decisive campaign. The Commander-in-Chief's noble character is evident to all, and his leadership is trusted by both friends and foes. We earnestly implore the Commander-in-Chief to take on the role of Grand Marshal of the Army and Navy, to inspire the military and solidify central authority, thereby uniting the nation against the communist threat. We pledge to lead by example and devote ourselves to the battlefield to save the people from suffering and eradicate the rebellion. Please do not let minor considerations stand in the way of winning people's hearts, nor let modesty lead to great upheavals. The survival of the nation depends on the Commander-in-Chief. The lives of the soldiers rest in his hands. With the situation so urgent, we apologize for our boldness. Sun Chuanfang, Zhang Zongchang, Wu Junsheng, Zhang Zuoxiang, Chu Yupu, Zhang Xueliang, Han Linchun, Tang Yulin. (June 16)."On July 21, 1927, the Northern Expedition's National Revolutionary Army was defeated by the Zhili-Shandong Army at Linyi and retreated to Xuzhou. On August 6, the National Revolutionary Army was again defeated by the Zhili-Shandong Army in Xuzhou and forced to retreat south. Due to the failure in commanding this battle and other reasons, Chiang Kai-shek announced his resignation on August 13. After the Xuzhou battle, Sun Chuanfang took advantage of the situation and led the National Pacification Army south along the Tianjin-Pukou Railway, crossing the Huai River and capturing Chuxian and Baoying, reaching the northern bank of the Yangtze River near Pukou. The area north of the Yangtze River near Nanjing fell to the National Pacification Army. Meanwhile, the "Eastern Expedition Army" from Wuhan advanced down the Yangtze River, posing a threat to Nanjing. By August 19, the Ning-Han split had been resolved. On August 24, the National Pacification Army and the Five Provinces Allied Army crossed the Yangtze River and captured Wulongshan and Qixiashan east of Nanjing. On the 26th, they captured Longtan. On the 27th, National Revolutionary Army General Xia Wei defeated the National Pacification Army, securing a victory at Qixiashan. Subsequently, the National Revolutionary Army and the National Pacification Army repeatedly fought over Qixiashan. Under the command of Li Zongren, Bai Chongxi, He Yingqin, and Chen Cheng, the National Revolutionary Army ultimately defeated the National Pacification Army on August 31, achieving victory in the Battle of Longtan. Sun Chuanfang then led the National Pacification Army in a retreat to the north. This battle laid the foundation for the Nanjing National Government.
On September 10, the National Revolutionary Army defeated the National Pacification Army at Quanjiao, forcing the latter to continue its retreat northward. Internal conflicts within the Kuomintang then interrupted the Northern Expedition, allowing the Beiyang Government to persist. In January 1928, Chiang Kai-shek resumed power, and by April, the National Government resumed the Northern Expedition. Feng Yuxiang and Yan Xishan, who had joined the National Government, also launched attacks on the Beiyang Government. Zhang Zongchang and Sun Chuanfang were successively defeated.
On May 3, the Japanese army, in support of the Anguojun Government and to protect the interests of the Empire of Japan in areas controlled by the Anguojun Government, attacked the National Revolutionary Army in Jinan. Chiang Kai-shek, determined to continue the Northern Expedition, ordered the abandonment of Jinan and announced that the National Revolutionary Army would not resist the Japanese forces, resulting in the Jinan Incident. On June 3, Zhang Zuolin withdrew from Beijing and took a train to Shenyang. On June 8, the National Revolutionary Army occupied Beijing, renaming it Beiping.
Manchuria remained under the control of the Anguojun Government, with many generals rallying new troops under the careful observation of the Grand Marshal, who had declared his semi-retirement, leaving responsibilities to his son and the high-ranking military council officers. As turmoil in Kuomintang-ruled China peaked, leading to further chaos, the Grand Marshal returned from semi-retirement and convened the generals and military council to discuss another opportunity for the Beiyang army to quell the unrest in the Central Plains for the sake of the Chinese people.
The perfect opportunity arose when the KMT civil war erupted in 1929. Seeing this as a chance to expel the false promises of the Kuomintang, the National Pacification Army's Military Council voted in favor of launching a counter-offensive against Chiang Kai-shek. The war was declared in 1930, with full support from the Japanese and White Russian governments. By 1931, Chiang's National Revolutionary Army accepted a truce to stop the war in China. The Truce of Wuhan was signed on May 31, 1931, ending the Kuomintang's false promise of unification.
Due to the new demarcation after regaining territory from the Kuomintang and its allies, the area under Grand Marshal Zhang's direct control is limited to the Baoding-Shandong Line. The remaining territory is divided among various factions: the Zhili Clique controls the southern part of Zhili province, Hebei, and Jinan; the Shandong Army controls remaining part of Shandong province; the Tianjin Garrison controls city of Tianjin; and the Suiyuan-Chahar Political Council is in control of Zhang Jinghui, a former state minister during Central Plains Reclamation War. 
The new government was established by order of the Grand Marshal and led by Huang Fu, the former premier during the Beiyang government. Alongside this, the Supreme Political Advisory Council (SPAC; 最高資政會) was formed to replace the dissolved National Assembly, taking on legislative and advisory duties. This restructuring was advised by Zhang Xueliang, who became the SPAC secretary-general, assisting his father in maintaining cooperation between the warlord factions and the civilian cabinet. Concurrently, the Society for the Restoration of the Republic (共和國復興協和) was formed to unite various political camps into a single alliance, led by Zhang Xueliang, SPAC Secretary-General and Tang Shaoyi, an influential political figure from the Beiyang government and China's first premier. 
Category:Chinese Warlords
Category:Far Eastern Countries
Category:China
Category:Asian Countries