Zhang Zuolin (1875-1928) was the warlord of Manchuria from 1916 to 1928. He successfully invaded China proper in October 1924 in the Second Zhili-Fengtian War. He gained control of Beijing, including China's internationally recognized government, in April 1926. The economy of Manchuria, the basis of Zhang's power, was overtaxed by his adventurism and collapsed in the winter of 1927-1928. Zhang was defeated by the Nationalists under Chiang Kai-shek in May 1928. He was murdered by a bomb planted by a Japanese army officer on 4 June 1928. Although Zhang had been Japan's proxy in China, Japanese militarists were infuriated by his failure to stop the advance of the Nationalists.

Zhang was fiercely anti-communist and supported restoration of the Qing monarchy. His nicknames include the "Old Marshal", "Rain Marshal" and "Mukden Tiger". The press referred to him as "Marshal Chang Tso-lin, Tuchun of Manchuria."