Fengtian Clique

Fengtian clique
奉系軍閥 Fèng Xì Jūnfá
Flag of Fengtian clique (Until December 1928)
Active	1911–1937
Country	Republic of China
Allegiance	Beiyang Government (1911－1927) Kuomintang (1928－1937)
Type	Warlord faction
Engagements	First Zhili-Fengtian War Second Zhili-Fengtian War Central Plains War Northern Expedition
Disbanded	1937
Commanders
Overall commander (1920-1928)	Zhang Zuolin
Overall commander (1928–?)	Zhang Xueliang

The Fengtian Clique (simplified Chinese: 奉系军阀; traditional Chinese: 奉系軍閥; pinyin: Fèng Xì Jūnfá) was one of several mutually hostile cliques or factions that split from the Beiyang Clique in the Republic of China's Warlord Era. It was named for Fengtian Province (now Liaoning) and operated from a territorial base comprising the three northeastern provinces that made up Manchuria. It was led by warlord Zhang Zuolin, known as the "Grand Marshall;" it was supported by Japan. Between 1920 and 1921 it exercised control of Beijing jointly with the Zhili clique. However, tensions soon began building between the two cliques, and the Fengtian clique clashed with the Zhili clique for control of Beijing, which caused the First Zhili-Fengtian War (1922) and the Second Zhili-Fengtian War (1924). The power of the Fengtian Clique began to decrease in the midst of the Kuomintang's Northern Expedition. While retreating North Zhang Zuolin's Japanese sponsors blew up his train, killing him. After the assassination of Zhang Zuolin in 1928 by the Japanese, his son, Zhang Xueliang took over the leadership of the clique. Zhang Xueliang then went on to pledge himself and his army to the Kuomintang government in Nanking.