Lu Yongxiang

Who was Lu Yongxiang?

Lu Yongxiang, Anhui clique warlord, military governor of Zhejiang, Zhili, and Jiangsu.

Lu Yongxiang was born October 22, 1867, in Jiyang, Shandong, China. Impoverished as a child he joined the Huai Army in 1890. In 1895 he joined the new Beiyang Army rising to brigade commander.

After the Republic of China was established, Lu was appointed commander of the Beiyang Tenth Division, guarding Zhejiang. For joining Duan Qirui, as part of the Anhui clique Lu was made military governor of Zhejiang from August 14, 1919 to September 7, 1924. Near the end of his term as Zhejiang governor, he fell out with his counterpart, Jiangsu governor Qi Xieyuan over control of Shanghai and their conflict became the First Jiangsu-Zhejiang War. Lu was defeated by Qi and his ally Sun Chuanfang when Sun attacked from the south. On October 13, 1924, Lu retired and sought asylum in Japan.

After the Beijing coup, on November 11, Duan Qirui appointed Lu, Military governor of Zhili Province. After a month he was replaced, but he was made Military governor of Jiangsu on January 16, 1925 after a joint Anhui-Fengtian expedition under Zhang Zongchang briefly retook Jiangsu and Shanghai in January. He left office as August 5, 1925 replaced by Yang Yuting as Zhang Zuolin's army entered the province. When Sun Chuanfang invaded the province and drove Zhang Zongchang out, Lu fled to Tianjin, where he lived in seclusion until he died in 1933.