Warlord
Warlord is a term that refers to a person with power who has
de facto military control of a subnational area, due to
armed forces loyal to the warlord and not to a central authority. It can also mean one who espouses the ideal that
war is necessary, and has the means and authority to engage in
war. The word has a strong connotation that the person exercises far more power than his official title or rank (if any) legitimately permits him. Under
feudalism, in contrast, the local military leader may enjoy great autonomy and a personal army, but still derives legitimacy from formal fealty to a central authority.
Warlordism was coined to describe chaos at the birth of the
Republic of China, especially after the death of
Yuan Shikai, as the
warlord era. It can however be used to describe similar periods in other countries or epochs such as in Japan during the
Sengoku period, or in
China during the
Three Kingdoms, or in Somalia or other
failed states today (2006).
The word "warlord" arose as translation from the German word "Kriegsherr" with the same meaning. Today the Germans often use the English word, which has overtaken "Kriegsherr" in their language.
Warlordism in Europe is usually connected to various
mercenary companies and their chieftains, which often were
de facto powerholders in the areas in which they resided. Such free companies would arise in a situation when the recognized central power had collapsed, such as in the
Great Interregnum in Germany (1254-1278) or in France during the
Hundred Years' War after the
Battle of Poitiers. Free company mercenary captains, such as Sir
John Hawkwood,
Roger de Flor of
Catalan Company or
Hugh Calveley could be considered as warlords. Several
condottieri in Italy can also be classified as warlords.
The Imperial commanders-in-chief during the reign of Emperor
Maximilian I did hold the title
Kriegsherr of which the direct translation was "warlord", but they were not warlords in the definitive sense of the word.
During most of the
16th century, before the
Tokugawa era,
Japan was tormented by repeated wars among rival warlords (see
Sengoku Era). Each warlord had several
castles, neighbouring land with
peasants and a private army of
samurai.
Powerful Japanese warlords
*
Oda Nobunaga*
Uesugi Kenshin*
Takeda Shingen*
Hojo Soun*
Toyotomi HideyoshiWarlords exercised widespread rule in
China several times in Chinese history, notably in the period from the
Xinhai Revolution when numerous provinces rebelled and declared their independence from the
Qing Dynasty in
1911, and especially after
Yuan Shikai's death, until the
Northern Expedition in
1927 in a period known as the
Warlord Era. The lack of a central government meant that during this time political corruption was rife. This is also the time when the term "warlord" first appeared. Despite the superficial unification of China in 1927 under the rule of the
Kuomintang under
Chiang Kai-shek, warlordism remained a problem unsolved until the victory of the
Communist Party of China in
1949. The Chinese warlords are depicted in the
computer game "
Hearts of Iron" and its sequel "
Hearts of Iron 2", which are both banned in mainland China for the depiction of warlords as independent entities separate from Nationalist China. Another popular game with a similar plot is the "
Dynasty Warriors" series. These feature many real historic warlords as
generals of their dynasties. Some main characters include prominent
Three Kingdoms figures.
Famous warlords during the Three Kingdoms (220-280)
*
Gongsun Kang*
Gongsun Yuan*
Yuan Shao*
Sun Jian*
Cao Cao*
Liu Bei*
Puxian WannuPowerful Chinese warlords during the Republic of China
There were twelve warlords who served as Area Commanders officially:
*
Zhang Zuolin (Chang Tso-lin) -- "Old Marshal", "Rain Marshal" or "Mukden Tiger".
*
Zhang Xueliang (Chang Hsüeh-liang) -- "Young Marshal".
*
Zhang Zongchang (Chang Tsung-ch'ang) -- "The Dogmeat General".
*
Feng Yuxiang (Feng Yü-hsiang) -- "The Christian General".
*
Bai Chongxi (Pai Ch'ung-hsi) -- "The Muslim General".
*
Yan Xishan (Yen Hsi-shan) -- "The Model Governor".
*
Wu Peifu -- "The Jade Marshal".
Warlordism appears in so-called
failed states - states in which central government and nationwide authorities have collapsed or exist merely formally without actual control over the state territory. They are usually defined by a high level of clientelism, low bureaucratic control and a high motivation in prolonging war for the maintenance of their economic system, mainly based on the extraction of natural resources.
Examples:
*
Somalia: With the collapse of the central government, groups of rival warlords constitute the only form of authority in some parts of the country.
*Other regions and countries with warlords include
Afghanistan,
Chechnya,
Burma,
Colombia, the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, and
Pakistan.
*
Warlord era*
Warlord (British comics)*
Warlord (comics)*
Warlord (miniature game)*
Warlords*
alt.fan.warlord*
List of warlords
