During the period from 1927 to 1938, Sichuan was in the hands of six warlords: Liu Wenhui, Liu Xiang, Yang Sen, Deng Xihou, He Zhaode, and Tian Songyao, with minor forces being Xiong Kewu and Lü Chao.

[1] The Sichuan Clique was divided into smaller warlord groups, or Defense Zones, separated from each other with distinct military, political, and economic boundaries.

Large conflicts seldom developed, plotting and skirmishing characterized the Sichuanese political scene, and ephemeral coalitions and counter-coalitions emerged and vanished with equal rapidity.

[1] In the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Sichuan clique made a huge contribution to oppose the Japanese army.

From 1939 to 1945, the National Revolutionary Army had 850,000 killed in action, including 260,000 from the Sichuan clique.