For the warlords, what do soldiers eat? It's natural. Therefore, many warlords in the Republic of China, in order to maintain their territory and power, of course, need enough money and salary to maintain their own troops. As for participating in the warlord melee for further or self-protection, when the cannon rings, there are two thousand gold. Military spending is even more important.
Republic of China under warlord rule
So, where did the military expenses of countless warlord troops come from during the Republic of China? First, borrow money from foreign powers. After the victory of the Revolution of 1911, Yuan Shikai, who stole the fruits of the revolution by relying on the powerful strength of the Beiyang army and became a great president, borrowed huge debts from many powers including Britain, France, the United States and Japan in the name of dealing with the aftermath of the Revolution of 1911. This is the famous after-care loan.
The total amount of the loan is as high as 25 million pounds. In addition to maintaining the operation of the government, most of it was used for the military and political expenses of the Beiyang government. Yuan Shikai used this huge loan to expand the Beiyang Army and bribe other warlord troops, thus expanding his sphere of influence. Not only Yuan Shikai, but also the warlords in power in various periods had more or less the experience of borrowing power from the great powers.
Aftercare loan
Of course, borrowing money is to be repaid, and it is even more unkind for the powers that have been sucking blood on China with great strength. The price of this huge loan, in addition to high interest, is also mortgaged by customs and salt tax. This model is an important means for foreign powers to invade China, and China's sovereign rights and interests are constantly lost in a series of loans.
Second, squeeze the people in the ruling area. We have always said that during the Republic of China, the people of China lived in dire straits. Hot water? Besides the disasters caused by the oppression of warlords, bandits, imperial power, bureaucrats and comprador, the oppression of warlords as direct rulers is also an extremely important factor.
Republic of China tax bill
Warlords do everything they can to maintain a luxurious life and expand their lifeblood. They invented all kinds of excuses, regardless of people's lives, levied all kinds of exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous fees, and tried their best to squeeze the people in the ruling area. During the Republic of China? Ten thousand taxes in the Republic of China? That's how it happened. Countless civilians have lost their families because of exorbitant taxes.
Some warlords are even greedy enough to start collecting? Future tax? For example, Tang Yulin, a Feng warlord who once ruled Jehol, collected land tax from the people in Jehol, extending to 1972, which was almost crazy.
Tang Yulin
Third, money from opium cultivation and trafficking. Since the Opium War in the late Qing Dynasty, opium has become the biggest drug that harms people's health and spirit. However, due to its strong addiction and government inaction, opium is becoming more and more popular in China.
As ruling warlords, they not only failed to curb the popularity of opium, but secretly or openly planted and sold opium, thus making huge profits. At that time, most warlords in the Republic of China profited from opium cultivation and trafficking.
Opium smoker
Fourth, the consortium supports it. The most successful representative in this respect is the famous Chiang Kai-shek. After the victory of the Northern Expedition, Chiang Kai-shek, who held military and political power, only lacked financial resources. At this time, Chiang Kai-shek became the most powerful party in the Republic of China after he married Song Meiling and contacted the most powerful Jiangsu and Zhejiang consortium in China at that time.
Chiang Kai-shek and Song Meiling
It was with the support of Jiangsu and Zhejiang consortia that the Jinyuan offensive was invincible, and Chiang Kai-shek won the brilliant results of the warlords' melee such as the Chiang Kai-shek War and the Central Plains War. It laid the foundation for Chiang Kai-shek to finally realize nominal national reunification.
Of course, in addition to these three main ways, warlords can do whatever it takes to raise military expenses, some openly rob like bandits, some randomly distribute money and silver in the ruling areas, and some even attack the ancient tombs of feudal dynasties.