北伐

the Northern Expedition, the Nationalists' campaign of 1926-1928 under Chiang Kai-shek, against the rule of local warlords

north / (classical) to be defeated

to cut down / to fell / to dispatch an expedition against / to attack / to boast / Taiwan pr. [fa1]

war on all sides (idiom); fighting from all four quarters

the Northern Expeditionary Army