The Warlord: Twentieth-Century Chinese Understanding of Violence, Militarism & Imperialism

The word "warlord" in Chinese is "junfa". This paper explores China's transitions and change in the way they viewed the military and violence throughout the twentieth century.

The idea of "junfa" was ultimately borrowed from Europe and depicts the change in the way China understood violence. The turn-of-the-century debate about violence going on in Europe entered into China and China modified it to meet their needs. Chinese society and cultural structure differed from that of Europe and so their views of violence differed also, although stemming from the same theories of violence. The West gained their countries through violence. China viewed military action as more of a key ritual, the government preferred bribes to real fighting. The West saw Chinese war as more of an opera than a battle.

In 1924 on could see the transition of violence in China. The bloody wars of 1924 were over the control of Shanghai. Machine guns were used of deserters, armored trains and air crafts were also used. This conflict along with WWI brought China to understand violence the same way the Europe understood war.

The use of the word "junfa" began in China in 1918. Some people defined warlords as connected with imperialists. Others identified those of a certain class, like the gentry, with the phrase. "Junfa" came to represent the fundamental problems in Chinese politics and society.

Reading In-Turn: Talya B. Trunnell