Using time as a guiding thread, this book traces the life journey of Duan Qirui. From attending old-style private schools, his upbringing in a military camp, walking alone the one-thousand li journey at age 15 to join the army, attending Tianjin Military Academy, studying abroad in Germany, taking part in establishing the New Army at Xiaozhan, serving as the "artillery commander", assuming the position of the principal of the Baoding Military Academy and eventually becoming the important leader of the Beiyang Army and the head of the Republic of China government (ROC).The book enumerates the contributions made by Duan Qirui to China's progress, including the initiation of China's military modernization, the insistence on the transformation of China's political system through "three creations of the Republic", and the promotion of China's entry into the Allied Powers to take part in the war against Germany, among others. At the same time, he not only opposed the monarchy dictatorship bu
