Wu Peifu

Wu Peifu (traditional Chinese: 吳佩孚; simplified Chinese: 吴佩孚; pinyin: Wú Pèifú; Wade–Giles: Wu2 P'ei4-fu2; 22 April 1874 – 4 December 1939) was a Chinese warlord and major figure in the Warlord Era in China from 1916 to 1927. He became a key figure of the Beiyang Army after Yuan Shikai's death in 1916. As a member of the Zhili clique he played a pivotal role in various military conflicts. Wu's military acumen earned him the nickname "Jade Marshal" and he was renowned for his strategic brilliance, however, his political alliances were often unstable. Wu's reputation was tarnished by his violent suppression of a workers' strike in 1923. By 1927, Wu was challenged by the National Revolutionary Army during the Northern Expedition, and he eventually retreated from politics. In his later years, Wu refused to cooperate with the Japanese during the Second Sino-Japanese War.