safety regulations for factories and compulsory pensions for workers. However, the club was very corrupt in their governance. The 1918 elections were fraught with fraud and vote-buying, and many provinces could not hold elections, such as Shaanxi and Henan due to conflict, and thus their military governors handpicked pro-Anfu officials to represent them in the National Assembly. The Anfu Club did not operate in isolation. They were formed on the orders of the Duan Qirui, the former premier and leader of the Anhui Clique. Duan was a military strongman who sought to unify China by force. The purpose of the club was ultimately to enable him in this pursuit. However, the Anfu Club was only a part of the Anhui Clique. The Jiwei Club, known as the "Moderate Militarists" by international observers and formed by Jin Yunpeng from Anfu Club defectors in the parliament and with support from President Xu Shichang opposed the Anfu Club in the Assembly, although still espoused loyalty to Duan. Moreover, the Anfu Club did not fully support the generals and military governors of the Anhui Clique, as demonstrated by the reduction of the Army Budget by 20% during 1919. References 1918 establishments in China Warlord Era Politics of the Republic of China (1912–1949)