Beijing Coup

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Beijing Coup
Bắc kinh chính biến
Beijing Coup; Bắc kinh chính biến
	Feng Yuxiang (center) during the coup
Date	October 1924
Location	Beijing
Caused by	Feng Yuxiang's desire to overthrowWu Peifu;pro-Japanese interests and conspiracies of theAnhui clique;Japanese plans against Wu Peifu
Resulted in	Cao Kunremoved as president Allowed the pro-JapaneseFengtian cliqueto defeatZhili clique Expulsion ofPuyiand theQing royal familyfrom theForbidden City
Parties
Guominjun; Anhui clique; Supported by:; Empire of Japan	Zhili clique
Lead figures
	Feng Yuxiang; Duan Qirui; Matsumuro Takayoshi Cao Kun

TheBeijing Coup(Chinese:Bắc Kinh Chính Biến;pinyin:Běijīng Zhèngbiàn) was the October 1924coup d'étatbyFeng YuxiangagainstChinese President Cao Kun,leader of theZhili warlord faction.Feng called it theCapital Revolution(Chinese:Thủ Đô Cách Mệnh;pinyin:Shǒudū Gémìng). The coup occurred at a crucial moment in theSecond Zhili–Fengtian Warand allowed the pro-JapaneseFengtian cliqueto defeat the previously dominant Zhili clique. Followed by a brief period of liberalization underHuang Fu,this government was replaced on November 23, 1924, by a conservative, pro-Japanese government led byDuan Qirui.The coup alienated many liberal Chinese from the Beijing government.

Events

In 1923Cao Kunbecame president by bribing theNational Assembly.HisZhili clique,whose military was commanded byWu Peifu,had already established itself as the dominant military force in China through a succession of resounding military victories. However, Cao was not satisfied with being just a strongman and wished the prestige of being officially titledhead of state.After ousting PresidentLi Yuanhongfrom office, Cao openly offered $5,000 to any member of parliament who would elect him president. There was massive public outrage against Cao's plan, but he succeeded despite a counter-bribe tonotelect him, offered byZhang Zuolin,Duan QiruiandSun Yat-sen.Inaugurated onDouble Ten Daythat year (i.e., October 10, 1923) with a newly minted constitution, President Cao subsequently neglected his duties as president to concentrate on defeating therival warlord factions.

One of Cao's subordinates, the semi-Zhili-affiliatedFeng Yuxiang,became increasingly dissatisfied with Cao andWu Peifu.Feng's sympathies lay withSun Yat-sen'sKuomintanggovernment inGuangzhou,and Japan had also supplied Feng with 1.5 million yen (via warlord Zhang Zuolin) in hopes that he would agree to topple the Cao government. The Japanese wanted to remove the Zhili government due to its strong anti-Japanese policy.^[3]In the autumn of 1924 the Zhili clique went to war with Zhang Zuolin'sFengtian cliquein theSecond Zhili–Fengtian War.With Wu at the helm ofZhili's armies, it was expected to be victorious. If the Fengtian clique was destroyed, the Zhili clique could finish off its few remaining rivals in the south with ease.

Early on October 23, 1924, however, Feng Yuxiang's Beijing defense troops seized control of key government buildings, public utilities and the roads leading into and out of Beijing. Cao Kun was placed under house arrest and stripped of his presidency. Upon receiving news of the coup, the Fengtian commandersZhang ZongchangandLi Jinglinused this opportunity to launch a major offensive and broke the Zhili clique's frontline, putting them in a favorable military position.^[3]Zhang Zuolin took full advantage of the coup, pursued the Zhili army and won a major victory outsideTianjin.

Wu and his remaining forces fled to central China where they met up with his allySun Chuanfang.All of north China was divided between the Fengtian clique and Feng Yuxiang, whose forces were renamed theGuominjun(Nationalist Army). Zhang Zuolin took the prosperous northeast while Feng was left with the poor northwest.

After the coup, Feng placedHuang Fuas acting president of the Beijing government. Huang initiated several reforms on Feng's behalf, including the expulsion of Titular EmperorPuyifrom theForbidden Cityand abolishing the role of theold bell and drum towersas the official timepiece. However, Huang refused to guarantee foreign privileges and Zhang Zuolin became despondent at his one-time ally. The only major agreement Feng and Zhang made was to dissolve the discredited National Assembly and create aprovisional governmentwith the pro-Japanese but relatively competentDuan Qiruias its head.

On November 17, 1924, Zhang Zuolin invited Feng Yuxiang to talk at the home of Tianjin Ruili. Feng decided to hold the section as "temporary ruling" and went to Beijing to preside over government affairs.

Significance

Plans were made to hold negotiations for national reunification among Feng, Zhang, Duan and Sun Yat-sen. These were fruitless and Sun died in Beijing in March 1925.

Feng and Zhang came to blows when Fengtian GeneralGuo Songlingdefected to the Guominjun on November 22 and started theAnti-Fengtian War.Six days after thisLi Dazhaoled a so-called First United Front movement to topple Duan's provisional government, calling it the Capital Revolution. Feng wanted to support this but changed his mind, preferring to concentrate his forces on Zhang's army. As a result, the Capital Revolution movement collapsed.

While the defeat of the powerful Zhili clique paved the way for the long-term success of theNorthern Expeditionby the Nationalist Party, its greatest impact was to buy time for the Kuomintang to build up itsNational Revolutionary Army.Had the coup not happened, the Zhili clique would surely have finished off the Kuomintang after defeating the Fengtian clique. Feng was saved from losing all his power by allying withChiang Kai-shekduring the Northern Expedition, but later became disillusioned with the Generalissimo's leadership. Feng rebelled against Chiang and was defeated during theCentral Plains Warof 1930.

In popular culture

The coup was mentioned inBernardo Bertolucci's filmThe Last Emperor,though it erroneously claims the president fled the capital instead of being put under house arrest.

References

^Sheridan (1966),pp. 139–145.
^Sheridan (1966),pp. 144–145.
^^a ^bWaldron, Arthur (2003). Waldron, Arthur (ed.).From war to nationalism: China's turning point, 1924 - 1925.Cambridge University Press. pp. 181–185.ISBN 978-0-521-52332-5.

Bibliography

Sheridan, James E. (1966).Chinese Warlord. The Career of Feng Yü-hsiang.Stanford, California:Stanford University Press.LCCN 65018978.

[FOOTNOTESheridan1966139–145-1] Sheridan (1966),pp. 139–145.

[FOOTNOTESheridan1966144–145-2] Sheridan (1966),pp. 144–145.

[Waldron-3] Waldron, Arthur (2003). Waldron, Arthur (ed.).From war to nationalism: China's turning point, 1924 - 1925.Cambridge University Press. pp. 181–185.ISBN 978-0-521-52332-5.

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