Zhang Zhongchang is a Chinese warlord, Governor of Shandong since 1925 and former high-ranking member of the Fengtian Clique as well as close associate of Zhang Zuolin until 1928, when he betrayed the latter by remaining neutral during the Fourth Zhili-Fengtian War; later pledging his loyalty to the Zhili Clique and the Imperial government in Beijing following the Shanghai Conference.
Nevertheless, as a true opportunist who does not like responsibilities to anyone, Zhang never officially joined the Zhili Clique and prefers to remain as unaffiliated as possible, mostly minding his own business in his native Shandong where he rules almost like an absolute monarch; Zhang is widely infamous for his arbitrary, ruthless, excessive and downright dubious lifestyle and ruling style, gaining him the nicknames "Dogmeat General", "The three Don't Knows", "Seventy-Two Cannon Zhang" and "China's basest warlord".
History[]
Early Life[]
Zhang was born in 1881 in Yi County (now Laizhou) in Shandong to a poor family. In his teens, his family moved to Manchuria, where Zhang became involved in petty crime in Harbin. He eventually became a bandit in the countryside, though served as auxiliary for the Imperial Russian Army during the Russo-Japanese War in 1904–1905. Following the conflict, he returned to crime and rose to lead his own bandit gang. His activities during the Xinhai Revolution of 1911 are unclear. By 1913, he commanded an army division, and served in various military factions during the Warlord Era's early stages.
Rise to power[]
He returned to Manchuria in 1922, and joined the Fengtian clique of Zhang Zuolin, one of China's most influential warlords. He made a good impression, with one story being that he rose in popularity one year at Zhang Zuolin's birthday party: in contrast to other guests who showered the warlord with expensive gifts, Zhang Zongchang sent him two empty coolie baskets and failed to turn up himself. Zhang Zuolin was baffled until the purpose of the gift was ascertained: Zhang Zongchang's empty basket implied he was a man willing to shoulder whatever heavy responsibilities the warlord entrusted him with. He was subsequently rewarded with a command position in his army, though only after proving himself in battle did Zhang Zongchang visit his superior in person.
Zhang Zongchang proved to be one of the more capable warlord generals, making effective use of armoured trains. He was also one of the first Chinese generals to incorporate women into the military on a large scale, some of which were actually his Concubines.
In 1924, he took part in the Second Zhili–Fengtian War and helped partition Shanghai in the aftermath. For his excellent skills, he was subsequently appointed military Governor of Shandong. Zhang traveled to Shanghai for frequent carousing sessions with Zhang Zuolin's son, Zhang Xueliang. Both men enjoyed opium, for which Shanghai was a key site in the smuggling trade, and the Fengtian economy became increasingly reliant on the drug. In an infamous incident in 1925, an argument in Zhang's headquarters over who among a group of officers should receive the biggest payment from an opium deal led to a shootout which saw three of them kill each other.
Zhang Ruled Shandong with a virtual iron fist. During his reign he often relied on his elderly mother's advice. he even spent copious amounts of money to fuel his alcohol and opium addiction as well various other sundries. during the Shangdong drought, Zhang visited the temple of the Storm-God where he slapped his statue in the face and threatened to bombard the storm god's mother with seventy-two artillery cannons unless it rained. he did so the next day and rain returned to Shangdong.