Self-proclaimed general born in 1873, Chang (Zhang) is the most peculiar of the warlords that plunge China into feudalism between 1916 and 1927. This former shepherd, who has become a bandit leader, first fights against Japan in the Sino-Japanese war of 1894-1895 and then fights with the Japanese in the Russian-Japanese war of 1904-1905. He takes part to the Chinese revolution of 1911 and shortly afterwards becomes the governor of Manchuria with the support of the Japanese. While waiting to gain direct control of Manchuria, Japan supports the fast industrial development of this rich Far Eastern region that is virtually a Japanese economic colony. In 1920, the General Chang tries to assert himself in Peking through a complex series of betrayals and alliances with other warlords. When the white troops start to threaten Mongolia, he leaves to reassert the Chinese power on the Mongolian-Manchurian border, but his armour-plated train is destroyed by Suke Bator’s men. He kills himself in Hong Kong on 15th March 1920.
Autocrat and opportunist, Chang acts in his own interests as well as in the interests of his Japanese ally with the help of the Black Dragon. This political, paramilitary and criminal secret society was created in Japan at the end of the 19th century to support the Japanese imperialism in mainland Asia.