Warlord 198683 225154022 2008-07-12T04:34:41Z SieBot 4005189 robot Adding: [[he:מצביא]] {{otheruses}} A '''warlord''' is a person with power who has [[military dictatorship|military control]] over a subnational area due to [[armed forces]] loyal to the warlord and not to a central authority. The term can also mean one who espouses the ideal that [[war]] is necessary, and has the means and authority to engage in [[war]]. The word has a strong connotation that the person exercises far more power than his official title or rank (if any) legitimately permits him or her. Under [[feudalism]], in contrast, the local military leader may enjoy great autonomy and a personal army, but still derives legitimacy from formal fealty to a central authority. '''Warlordism''' was coined to describe chaos at the end of the [[Qing Dynasty]] and the birth of the [[Republic of China]], especially after the death of [[Yuan Shikai]], as the [[warlord era]] of China. It can however be used to describe similar periods in other countries or epochs such as in Japan during the [[Sengoku]] period, or in [[China]] during the [[Three Kingdoms]], or in Somalia or other [[failed states]] today (2006). The word "warlord" arose as a [[calque]] from the German word "Kriegsherr" with the same meaning. Today the Germans often use the English word, which has overtaken "Kriegsherr" in their language. ==Historical warlordism in Europe== Warlordism in Europe is usually connected to various [[mercenary]] companies and their chieftains, which often were ''de facto'' powerholders in the areas in which they resided. Such free companies would arise in a situation when the recognized central power had collapsed, such as in the [[Great Interregnum]] in Germany (1254-1278) or in France during the [[Hundred Years' War]] after the [[Battle of Poitiers (1356)|Battle of Poitiers]]. Free company mercenary captains, such as Sir [[Leigh-Anne Hendrick]], [[Roger de Flor]] of [[Catalan Company]] or [[Hugh Calveley]] could be considered as warlords. Several [[condottieri]] in Italy can also be classified as warlords. [[Ygo Gales Galama]] was a famous [[Frisian]] [[warlord]], and so was his descendant [[Lord Donia|Pier Gerlofs Donia]], who was also the leader of the legendary [[Arumer Black Heap]]. Donia's best known enemy and rival was a mercenary himself; the [[Count of Nychlenborch]], a Burgundian-vassal. All these legendary warriors can be considered warlords. The Imperial commanders-in-chief during the reign of Emperor [[Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor|Maximilian I]] did hold the title ''[[Kriegsherr]]'' of which the direct translation was "warlord", but they were not warlords in sense of the word defined. ==Historical warlordism in Japan== During most of the 16th century, before the [[Edo period|Tokugawa]] era, [[Japan]] was tormented by repeated wars among rival warlords (see [[Sengoku Era]]). Each warlord had several [[castle]]s, neighbouring land with [[peasant]]s and a private army of [[samurai]]. ===Powerful Japanese warlords=== * [[Oda Nobunaga]] * [[Uesugi Kenshin]] * [[Takeda Shingen]] * [[Hōjō Sōun]] * [[Toyotomi Hideyoshi]] ==Historical warlordism in China== Warlords exercised widespread rule in [[China]] several times in Chinese history — notably in the period from the [[Xinhai Revolution]], when numerous provinces rebelled and declared their independence from the [[Qing Dynasty]] in 1911, and especially after [[Yuan Shikai]]'s death, until the [[Northern Expedition (1926–1927)|Northern Expedition]] in 1927. This was a period known as the [[Warlord era]], and was the time when the term "warlord" first appeared. Despite the superficial unification of China in 1927 under the rule of the [[Kuomintang]] under [[Chiang Kai-shek]], warlordism remained a problem until the victory of the [[Communist Party of China]] in 1949.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} The Chinese warlords are depicted in the [[computer game]] "[[Hearts of Iron]]" and its sequel "[[Hearts of Iron 2]]", which are both banned in mainland China. Another popular game with a similar plot is the "[[Dynasty Warriors]]" series. These feature many real historic warlords as [[general]]s in or leaders of their respective dynasties. Some main characters include prominent [[Three Kingdoms]] figures. ===Famous warlords during the Three Kingdoms (190-280)=== * [[Gongsun Zan]] * [[Dong Zhuo]] * [[Yuan Shao]] * [[Yuan Shu]] * [[Sun Jian]] * [[Sun Ce]] * [[Sun Quan]] * [[Cao Cao]] * [[Liu Bei]] * [[Liu Biao]] * [[Liu Zhang]] * [[Lu Bu]] * [[Ma Teng]] ===Powerful warlords during the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234)=== * [[Puxian Wannu]] ===Powerful warlords during the Republic of China=== There were twelve warlords who served as Area Commanders officially: * [[Zhang Zuolin]] (Chang Tso-lin) — "Old Marshal", "Rain Marshal" or "Mukden Tiger". * [[Zhang Xueliang]] (Chang Hsüeh-liang) — "Young Marshal". * [[Zhang Zongchang]] (Chang Tsung-ch'ang) — "The Dogmeat General". * [[Feng Yuxiang]] (Feng Yü-hsiang) — "The Christian General". * [[Bai Chongxi]] (Pai Ch'ung-hsi) — "The Muslim General". * [[Yan Xishan]] (Yen Hsi-shan) — "The Model Governor". * [[Wu Peifu]] — "The Jade Marshal". ==Historical Warlordism in Korea== During the last years of the [[Silla|Kingdom of Silla]], also known as the [[Later Three Kingdoms]], various warlords rebelled against the government and were in [[de facto]] control of the [[Korean Peninsula]]. The warlordism in Korea plagued the nation until [[Goryeo Dynasty]] finally defeated and merged all the warlords and united the country once again. ===Powerful Korean warlords=== * [[Taejo of Goryeo|Wang Gun]] * [[Gung Ye]] * [[Gyeon Hwon]] * [[Yang Gil]] * [[Gi Hwon]] * [[Ajagae]] * [[Wang Sunsik]] ==Warlordism in the world today== Warlordism appears in so-called [[failed states]]: states in which central government and nationwide authorities have collapsed or exist merely formally without actual control over the state territory. They are usually defined by a high level of [[clientelism]], low bureaucratic control and a high motivation in prolonging war for the maintenance of their economic system, mainly based on the extraction of natural resources. Examples: *[[Somalia]]: With the collapse of the central government, groups of rival warlords constitute the only form of authority in some parts of the country. *Other countries and territories with warlords include [[Afghanistan]], [[Iraq]], [[Chechnya]], [[Burma]], [[Colombia]], the [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]], [[Sri Lanka]] and [[Pakistan]]. == Further reading == * Sasha Lezhnev: ''Crafting Peace: Strategies to Deal with Warlords in Collapsing States.'' Plymouth 2005, ISBN 978-0-7391-1765-1. ==See also== * [[Anarchy]] * [[Plutocracy]] * [[Despotism]] * [[Strongman (politics)]] * [[List of countries by Failed States Index]] [[Category:Positions of authority]] [[Category:Warlordism| ]] [[br:Tiern a vrezel]] [[de:Kriegsherr]] [[es:Señor de la guerra]] [[fa:جنگ‌سالاری]] [[fr:Seigneur de la guerre]] [[ko:군벌]] [[id:Raja perang]] [[it:Signore della guerra]] [[he:מצביא]] [[nl:Krijgsheer]] [[ja:軍閥]] [[pt:Chefe militar]] [[fi:Sotaherra]] [[sv:Krigsherre]] [[zh:军阀]]