The Collapse of the Anti-Zhili Coalition

The temporary alliance between Feng Yuxiang’s National Army and Zhang Zuolin’s Fengtian Clique during the Second Zhili-Fengtian War (1924) quickly unraveled after their common enemy, Wu Peifu’s Zhili forces, suffered defeat. Despite initial cooperation against Wu, the victors immediately turned on each other in a scramble for territorial control. The Fengtian Clique aggressively moved to expel National Army units from the Central Plains, sparking conflicts like the “Hu-Han War” over Henan province.

Wu Peifu, retreating from the Shanhaiguan front, attempted to regroup in Hubei and Henan. His November 17, 1924 proclamation of a “Constitution Protection Military Government” in Hankou—signed by ten provincial warlords—alarmed both Fengtian and National Army leaders. However, Wu’s plan collapsed when Henan-based subordinates Zhang Fulai and Li Jichen failed to provide secure support. By late November, National Army commanders Hu Jingyi (appointed Henan Military Administrator) and Sun Yue (named Henan Governor) advanced along the Beijing-Hankou Railway, forcing Wu’s battered forces into retreat.

The Complex Chessboard of Henan

Henan became the focal point of post-war struggles. Wu Peifu established a headquarters in Zhengzhou on November 19, attempting to consolidate 30,000 remnant troops. Meanwhile, National Army units pressed from the north while neighboring warlords like Shaanxi’s Liu Zhenhua (leading the Zhengsong Army) and Gansu’s Lu Hongtao demanded Wu’s resignation. The situation escalated when Liu Zhenhua dispatched his fierce subordinate Han Yugui—a former bandit turned general—to seize Luoyang.

On December 2, 1924, Wu abandoned Luoyang under Han’s pressure, fleeing eastward only to find Hubei’s governor Xiao Yaonan blocking his entry. Stranded at Jigong Mountain, the once-mighty “Jade Marshal” became a political liability. By mid-December, Hu Jingyi’s forces controlled Xinyang, compelling Wu’s final retreat to Hunan—marking his political eclipse.

The Hu-Han War and Its Consequences

The struggle for Henan intensified between Hu Jingyi’s National Army and Liu Zhenhua’s Zhengsong Army. Han Yugui occupied western Henan, controlling 40 counties and amassing 36 brigades through bandit recruitment. Meanwhile, Feng Yuxiang attempted mediation in February 1925, proposing territorial swaps between Shaanxi and Henan forces. Liu rejected this, massing 100,000 troops near Zhengzhou.

The decisive battle erupted in late February 1925. Despite Han Yugui’s battlefield bravery, his forces collapsed when National Army units outflanked them. On April 2, the defeated Han committed suicide, while Liu Zhenhua fled to Shanxi. The National Army secured Henan, though Hu Jingyi’s sudden death soon transferred power to Yue Weijun.

The Fengtian Clique’s Southern Expansion

Simultaneously, Zhang Zuolin pushed southward along the Tianjin-Pukou Railway. The “Qi-Lu Conflict” saw Fengtian forces under Zhang Zongchang defeat Jiangsu’s Qi Xieyuan by January 1925. Shanghai became a flashpoint when Sun Chuanfang’s Zhejiang army temporarily allied with Qi against Fengtian. International pressure and merchant protests eventually led to a fragile truce, but Fengtian troops remained—violating earlier withdrawal promises.

Zhang Zongchang’s May 1925 appointment as Shandong Governor completed Fengtian’s control of the railway corridor. By August, Yang Yuting and Jiang Dengxuan became governors of Jiangsu and Anhui respectively, creating a contiguous Fengtian sphere from Manchuria to the Yangtze.

Strategic Implications and Lasting Impact

These conflicts reshaped northern China’s political landscape:
1. The National Army secured a belt from Beijing to Shaanxi but lost direct access to the coast
2. Fengtian’s southern expansion alarmed southern warlords, setting stage for the Anti-Fengtian War (1925-26)
3. The fractured alliances demonstrated the instability of warlord coalitions
4. Foreign powers grew increasingly involved, particularly in Shanghai’s defense

The post-1924 struggles revealed how quickly victors turned rivals, with temporary alliances giving way to ruthless territorial grabs. This period’s fluid loyalties and shifting battlegrounds became hallmarks of China’s warlord era, ultimately weakening regional regimes ahead of the Northern Expedition’s unification.