Red Spears' uprising in Shandong (1928–1929)
The Red Spear Society staged a major uprising in 1928–1929 against the rule of Liu Zhennian, the Nationalist government-aligned warlord ruler of eastern Shandong province in Republican China. Motivated by their resistance against high taxes, rampant banditry and the brutality of Liu's private army, the Red Spear peasant insurgents captured large areas on the Shandong Peninsula and were able to set up a proto-state in Dengzhou county. Despite this, the whole insurgency was eventually crushed by Liu in late 1929.
The Red Spear Society was named for the weapon most commonly used by its members: A simple spear with a red tassel, similar to the one seen here.
Warlord Rebellion in northeastern Shandong
The Warlord Rebellion in northeastern Shandong was an uprising of several allied Chinese warlord armies under the leadership of Zhang Zongchang in 1929. The rebels wanted to regain their former territories in Shandong from Liu Zhennian, the man who had defected from Zhang to the Nationalist government in Nanjing during the Northern Expedition. After some initial successes, the rebels were defeated due to the indiscipline of their forces. In the end, the uprising failed to topple Liu Zhennian's rule over eastern Shandong, but resulted in high civilian casualties and widespread destruction at the hands of both sides in the conflict.
Zhang Zongchang, instigator and leader of the rebellion
Soldiers under Zhang Zongchang's command in 1924. Although his men respected and feared Zhang, their quality as soldiers suffered from lack of training and weaponry, as well as indiscipline.
United States Navy warships off Zhifu in the 1930s. Several foreign warships were stationed at the town during the warlord rebellion to ensure the security of the foreigners active in eastern Shandong.
Chu Yupu (left) with Zhang Zongchang (middle) and the de facto ruler of Manchuria, Zhang Xueliang (right)
