Fall of Qing, Early Republic of China and Warlordism

*1911 Revolution

Weak central government

Guangxu and Cixi die in 1908

Last Emperor ascends the dragon throne

Puyi at age 3

Revolt

Wuchang, Hubei Province

Accidental explosion, Oct. 9, 1911

Proclamation of a Republic, Oct. 11, 1911

Qing Constitutional Monarchy, Nov. 3, 1911

National Assembly

Yuan Shikai, Premier

*Republic of China, Jan. 1, 1912

Delegates from southern provincial assemblies

Shanghai, Dec. 25, 1911

Sun Yat-sen, Provisional President

Fall of the Qing

*Yuan Shikai, Premier

Role in suppressing 1898 reform movement

Puyi "abdicates," Feb. 12, 1912

Sun Yat-sen resigns as Provisional President

Feb. 13, 1912

*Yuan Shikai, Provisional President

March 10, 1912

Republic of China Elections, Dec., 1912

Electorate 10% of the population

National People's Party (Guomindang or GMD or KMT)

Plurality

45% of House of Representatives

U. S. recognizes Republic of China, May 1913

Failure of to Find Stability

Legislature dissolved, Nov. 1913

*Yuan Shikai “President”

Sun Yat-sen flees to Japan

*Yuan Shikai

Emperor of the Chinese Empire, Jan. 1, 1916

SW military leaders declare independence

Reinstitutes Republic of China, March 1916

Dies, June 6, 1916

Roots of Warlordism

Death of Yuan, 1916

Weak government in Beijing

Lack of military loyalties to central government

Zhang Xun’s “Qing restoration,” June-July 1917

"Legitimate" government of China

Responsible for foreign loans to Qing

Received foreign-collected customs duties

Decline of central tax system

Lack of unifying ideology

Confucian dynastic rule discredited

Nationalism limited

Constitutional democratic republic unworkable

Why was a democracy difficult to implement in China in the 1910s?

“Power grows from the barrel of a gun.”—Mao Zedong