The war also distracted the northern warlords from the Soviet-backed Nationalists based in the southern province of Guangdong, allowing unhampered preparation for the Northern Expedition (1926–1928), which united China under the leadership of Chiang Kai-shek.
The war's distraction allowed the Northern Expedition (1926–1928), a unifying effort under Chiang Kai-shek's leadership, to proceed unhindered in the face of the Nationalist forces based in southern Guangdong.