Wu Peifu - Zhili Clique

Zhili Clique

After Yuan's death in 1916, his Beiyang Army split into several mutually hostile factions, which battled for supremacy over the following years. The major factions included Duan Qirui's Anhui clique, Zhang Zuolin's Fengtian clique, and Feng Guozhang's Zhili clique of which Wu Peifu was a member. Duan Qirui's faction dominated politics in Beijing from 1916-1920 but was forced to maintain an uneasy relationship with Feng Guozhang's faction to maintain stability. The two clashed over the method to deal with the restive south, with Duan pushing for military conquest but Feng preferring negotiation.

Feng died in 1919 and the leadership of the Zhili Clique was secured by Cao Kun with the support of Wu Peifu and Sun Chuanfang. Cao and Wu began to agitate against Duan and the Anhui clique and issued circular telegrams denouncing his collaboration with Japan. When they successfully pressured the president to dismiss Duan's key subordinate General Xu Shuzheng, Duan began to prepare for war against the Zhili Clique. At this juncture, Cao Kun and Wu Peifu began to organize a wide reaching alliance including all opponents of the Anhui clique. In November, 1919, Wu Peifu meet with representatives of Tang Jiyao and Lu Rongting (warlords of Yunnan and Guangxi respectively) at Hengyang, and signed a treaty titled “Rough Draft of the National Salvation Allied Army”(救国同盟军草约), forming the base of the anti-Anhui clique alliance that also included Zhang Zuolin's powerful Fengtian clique.