Central Plains War

Central Plains War
Part of Chinese Civil War, Warlord Era
Map showing the province of Henan and two definitions of the Central Plain (中原) or Zhōngyuán
Date May 1930 – November 4, 1930 Location Central Plains of China Result Chiang victory, resignation of Yan and Feng.
Belligerents
Forces of Chiang Kai-shek	Forces of the coalition of Yan Xishan, Feng Yuxiang and Li Zongren
Commanders and leaders
Chiang Kai-shek Han Fuqu Liu Zhi Hu Zongnan Chen Cheng Tang Enbo Ma Hongkui Ma Bufang Zhang Xueliang (late phase)	Yan Xishan Feng Yuxiang Li Zongren Bai Chongxi Fu Zuoyi
Strength
600,000	800,000
Casualties and losses
95,000+	200,000+

The Central Plains War (simplified Chinese: 中原大战; traditional Chinese: 中原大戰; pinyin: Zhōngyúan Dàzhàn) was a civil war within the factionalised Kuomintang (KMT) that broke out in 1930. It was fought between the forces of Chiang Kai-shek and the coalition of three military commanders who were previously allied with Chiang: Yan Xishan, Feng Yuxiang, and Li Zongren. The war was fought across the Central Plains, a core region of China on the lower reaches of the Yellow River and the cradle of Chinese civilization.

In consolidating power for the Kuomintang in the Northern Expedition of 1927–28, Chiang had forged alliances with the warlord armies of Yan, Feng and Li, but relations soon soured, resulting in the war. It almost bankrupted Chiang's Nationalist government and cost over 300,000 total casualties, but allowed the victorious Chiang to further consolidate power as the undisputed leader of most of China.

China was still in turmoil, though; cliques and factions within the Kuomintang were not cemented with the retaliation of Guangdong clique leader Hu Hanmin being placed under house arrest by Chang Kai-shek, and the opposition of southern KMT key leaders that forced Chiang's resignation for the second time, in addition to the Communist uprising in China's hinterland, and lack of fortification towards Japanese invasion in southern China of January 28 Incident following the creation of Manchukuo in Northeast China and Mukden Incident in North China.

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