Zhang Zongchang () (1881 – 1932), nicknamed the "Dogmeat General," was a Chinese warlord in Shandong in the early 20th century.

Born in poverty in Yi County (now Laizhou) in Shandong, he joined a bandit gang in 1911 and rose quickly after the bandits took service in the forces of the warlord of Jiangsu. In April 1925, having conquered Shanghai and Nanjing for Zhang Zuolin, he was appointed military governor of Shandong, which he ruled as warlord until May 1928. He soon had a reputation as one of the most brutal and ruthless warlords, as well as one of the most colourful.

Zhang's nickname 'Dogmeat General' came from his fondness for gambling, especially with Pai Gow, which the Northeastern Chinese calls "eating dog meat". He kept some thirty to fifty concubines of different nationalities, who were given numbers since he could not remember their names. According to the wife of Wellington Koo,

'he was known everywhere as the "Three Don't Knows". He said he didn't know how much money he had, how many concubines, or how many men in his army.'

Zhang Zongchang proved one of the more capable generals, and made effective use of armoured trains manned by experienced White Russian mercenaries. He recruited up to 4,600 White Russian refugees from the Russian civil war.

In 1928 his army was finally defeated by the Kuomintang. Zhang was spared and given permission to leave the country. In 1932, however, he was assassinated by the son of one of his many victims.

References

• David Bonavia. China's Warlords. Hong Kong: OUP, 1995.

1881 births | 1932 deaths | Chinese people in history | Warlords

Zhang Zongchang | 張宗昌