The provincial warlords battle one another while scoffing at the central government.

Because the provincial warlords had greater power than the central government and had increase in power as time went on, there was a shift towards instability and conflict erupted.

Once the provincial warlords were weak and in disarray, Chiang's forces moved in and took over.

The bullets used by the provincial warlord's troops were locally manufactured.

Chiang Kai-shek's forces did not reach the site in time to participate in the battle, though technically these forces were part of the provincial warlords' command.

Concurrently, provincial warlords all over China battled each other to expand their territories or further their personal interests.

The fighting brought none of the usual spoils of war that provincial warlords and samurai had come to expect as payment.

Samar patrolled the lower Yangtze after fighting broke out in the summer 1913, a precursor to a decade of conflict between provincial warlords in China.

Although he was a provincial warlord, he served President Chiang Kai Shek and the Chinese nationalist government with faith and honor.

Kassa Hailu was born into a country rife with civil war, and he destroyed many provincial warlords before becoming emperor.