This detailed study offers a new interpretation of the emergence of warlordism in early twentieth-century China. Focusing on the provinces of Hunan and Hubei, Edward McCord shows how the repeated use of the military to settle disputes over the structure and allocation of political power in the early Republic ultimately thwarted the consolidation of civil authority. Warlordism flourished as military commanders took advantage of the growing militarization of politics to establish their dominance over early Republican government.

Edward McCord is a specialist in modern Chinese history and has lived and studied for five years in Taiwan and the People's Republic of China. He is the author of a book on the origins of Chinese warlordism and has contributed to articles in Modern China, Republican China, and Modern Asian Studies. He is also a member of the editorial board of Modern China. His current book project examines militia organizations in Republican China (1911-1949). In addition to his courses at GW, Professor McCord has lectured on Chinese history at the Foreign Service Institute and the Smithsonian Institution's Campus on the Mall program.