By any measure, their troop strengths were extraordinary-and everyone needed arms.Īs China’s isolationist policy had left its arms industry in technological backwater, virtually all the guns and munitions had to be imported. Resolute in their desire for absolute control, numerous warlords fielded huge armies to battle for regional dominance and personal gain. The “warlord period,” from 1916 to 1928, was a dark age for modern China, characterized by military instability, greed and social disruption. As many potential successors struggled for individual power, China plunged into an era of turmoil punctuated by a relentless series of military conflicts. Following Yuan’s unexpected death in 1916, China found itself leaderless and with a corrupt government. To ensure his position, he eliminated all serious competition. In 1911, the Ch’ing Dynasty was replaced by a Republican government presided over by Yuan Shih-k’ai, a former general whose personal ambitions invariably superseded those of the state. China was defeated by Japan in 1895, and faced with huge reparations and loss of face, China’s intellectuals clamored for revolution. Opportunity came in Asia, a part of the world with a growing demand where trademarks were not as deeply entrenched.ĭespite China’s great size, plentiful resources and burgeoning population, the Ch’ing dynasty had never seen fit to establish a modern, centralized military. It was only natural for Spanish firms to look abroad, but it was difficult to compete against such established giants as Colt and Smith & Wesson in the United States. Also, beginning in 1920, the federal police force, or Guardia Civil, had to approve all pistol sales, except single-shot. World War I had been over for a number of years, and the market was awash with surplus arms sold for less than the cost of new production. ![]() In the early 1920s, times were tough for Spanish gunmakers.
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