Zhang Zuolin

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Image:Zhang Zuolin2.jpg Image:Zhang zuolin car.jpg Zhāng Zuòlín (Chinese: 张作霖 , pinyin: Zhāng Zuòlín, WG: Chang Tso-Lin) (March 19, 1873 – June 4, 1928), nicknamed the "Old Marshal" (大帥), "Rain Marshal" (雨帥）or "Mukden Tiger", was one of the major warlords of China in in the early 20th century. He was the warlord of Manchuria and at one time ruled an enormous area of north China.

Of humble origins, he assisted the Japanese in the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905) as leader of a Manchurian militia unit. He held various military posts under the Republic of China. From his appointment (1918) as inspector general of Manchuria until his death, he had effective control of Manchuria. He constantly warred to extend his rule southward from 1920 onward, contending in a three-way struggle with Wu P'ei-fu and Feng Yü-hsiang for control of the Beijing government. His Fengtien army occupied the Beijing-Tianjin area until driven out (1926) by Chiang Kai-shek in his Northern Expedition. Chiang was then compelling the submission of the warlords and building a national government for China. The time of the warlords was ending.

In 1928 Chang Tso-lin was growing less cooperative toward the Japanese army in Manchuria and he went to Beijing to make his submisssion to Chiang Kai-shek. He was killed by officers of the Japanese Kwantung Army who bombed his train as he was returning to Shenyang having just handed over control of Beijing to the Kuomintang and Chiang Kai-shek. The assassination was performed by a small group of military men commanded by the senior officer of the Kwantung Army, Colonel Daisaku Komoto. This was part of a plot to secure nearly all parts of Manchuria beyond the South Manchurian Railway Zone, which was ceded to Japan after the Russo-Japanese War. He was succeeded by his son the "Young Marshal" (少帥) Zhang Xueliang, in control of Manchuria.

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