The Uprising Ending the Chinese Empire - Xinhai Revolution (1911-1912)

Summary

The script narrates the fall of China's Qing dynasty, detailing the role of the Mandate of Heaven and the rise of revolutionary movements like the Tongmenghui. It highlights key events such as the accidental bomb explosion in Hankou, the Wuchang Rebellion, and the subsequent spread of revolts. It discusses the political maneuvering of Dr. Sun Yat-sen and Yuan Shikai, leading to the establishment of the Republic of China and the abdication of the last emperor, Puyi, in 1912.

Takeaways

• 📜 The Mandate of Heaven was a Chinese political philosophy that justified the rule of China's Emperor, with natural disasters and instability seen as signs of divine disapproval.
• 🏰 The Qing dynasty, which ruled China from the mid-17th century to the early 20th century, faced numerous rebellions and challenges that weakened its authority.
• 💥 The Taiping Rebellion, Sino-Japanese War, and Boxer Rebellion were significant events that led to the Qing dynasty's decline and eventual collapse.
• 🔥 The accidental bomb explosion in Hankou in 1911 was a catalyst for the Wuchang Rebellion, marking the beginning of the end for the Qing dynasty.
• 🌐 The Revolutionary Alliance, or Tongmenghui, led by Dr. Sun Yat-sen, was a modern revolutionary movement that played a central role in the overthrow of the Qing dynasty.
• 👥 The composition of revolutionaries was diverse, including well-educated individuals who had studied abroad, civil servants, and military personnel.
• 🚀 The Wuchang Rebellion on October 10, 1911, is celebrated as 'Double 10' day and was a turning point in the revolution against the Qing dynasty.
• 🤝 Yuan Shikai, a skilled negotiator and former military leader, played a pivotal role in the transition from the Qing dynasty to the Republic of China.
• 🏛 The provisional government of the Republic of China was established in Nanjing, with Sun Yat-sen elected as the Provisional President.
• 🏆 The Qing dynasty officially ended with the abdication of Emperor Puyi in 1912, marking the transition to the Republic of China and the beginning of a new era in Chinese history.

Q & A

What is the Mandate of Heaven and how did it relate to the rule of China's Emperor?

The Mandate of Heaven is a Chinese political philosophy that justified the rule of China's Emperor. It was a core belief that the Emperor was chosen by a higher power, and natural disasters or instability were seen as signs of divine retribution, indicating the ruler might be unworthy.

How did the Taiping Rebellion, Sino-Japanese War, and Boxer Rebellion impact the Qing Dynasty?

These events in the 19th century severely weakened the Qing Dynasty. The Taiping Rebellion resulted in millions of casualties, the Sino-Japanese War led to a humiliating peace, and the Boxer Rebellion caused further bloodshed, famine, and chaos, all contributing to the dynasty's decline.

What was the significance of the accidental bomb explosion in Hankou in 1911?

The accidental bomb explosion in Hankou led to the discovery of revolutionary membership registers by Qing authorities. This discovery prompted revolutionary soldiers to act quickly to avoid execution, sparking the Wuchang Rebellion, which was a pivotal event in the fall of the Qing Dynasty.

Who was Dr. Sun Yat-sen and what was his role in the formation of the Tongmenghui?

Dr. Sun Yat-sen was a Chinese revolutionary who founded the Tongmenghui, China's first modern revolutionary secret society. He played a significant role in the revolution by instigating rebellions and raising funds for the cause.

How did the composition of the revolutionaries change over time?

Initially, the revolutionaries were well-educated Chinese who had studied abroad. Over time, they began to infiltrate the Qing army, with many joining the military to recruit other soldiers for their revolutionary cells.

Why was the capture of Nanjing significant for the revolutionaries?

Nanjing was China's second-biggest city and a former capital, so its capture was a symbolic defeat for the Qing Dynasty. It also allowed the Tongmenghui to set up a provisional government there, further consolidating the revolution's gains.

What was Yuan Shikai's strategy during the revolution, and how did he eventually rise to power?

Yuan Shikai played a political game, negotiating with both the revolutionaries and the Qing Dynasty. He eventually sided with the revolutionaries, realizing it was more advantageous, and was granted full powers to organize a provisional republican government after the last emperor abdicated.

How did the Qing Dynasty respond to the revolution in Hubei province?

The Qing Dynasty responded by attempting to annihilate the revolutionaries, coordinating a counterattack with the Beiyang army. They also recalled Yuan Shikai, a respected general, to lead the military effort against the revolution.

What were the twelve demands sent by the senior commanders in the north to Beijing, and what did the Qing's agreement signify?

The twelve demands included a functioning parliament, an elected prime minister, amnesty for political offenders, and blocking Manchus from official positions. The Qing's agreement to these demands within a week showed the dire situation they were in and their desperation to maintain control.

What was the role of the New Army in the revolution, and how did it contribute to the fall of the Qing Dynasty?

The New Army played a crucial role as many of its members were part of secret revolutionary societies. When the revolution began, a significant portion of the New Army mutinied, capturing key cities and military arsenals, which significantly weakened the Qing Dynasty's ability to suppress the revolution.

Outlines

00:00

📜 The Mandate of Heaven and the Qing Dynasty's Collapse

The Mandate of Heaven, a Chinese political philosophy, justified the rule of the Emperor. Natural disasters and revolts indicated the ruler's loss of divine favor. The Qing Dynasty faced multiple challenges in the 19th century, including the Taiping Rebellion, the Sino-Japanese War, and the Boxer Rebellion, leading to chaos and instability. By 1911, the Qing Dynasty collapsed following a series of events, beginning with an accidental bomb explosion that initiated a revolution.

05:01

💥 The Rise of the Revolutionary Alliance

As the Qing Dynasty's power weakened, movements like the rights recovery movement and peasant uprisings grew. The Revolutionary Alliance, founded by Sun Yat-sen, became a modern revolutionary force. Although Sun Yat-sen led ten unsuccessful uprisings between 1906 and 1911, the Revolutionary Alliance grew in influence. Many revolutionaries infiltrated the Qing military, particularly in Wuhan, as they prepared for larger-scale revolts. Secret societies, disguised as book clubs and fraternities, spread revolutionary ideals across China.

10:07

🔥 The Wuchang Rebellion and the Spark of Revolution

In October 1911, a premature bomb explosion exposed a group of revolutionaries in Hankou, leading to the Qing authorities discovering secret membership logs. Fearing execution, revolutionary soldiers initiated mutinies, with the Wuchang Eight Engineer Battalion taking the lead. Within days, several cities, including Hanyang, were captured by revolutionaries. Despite Sun Yat-sen being abroad, revolutionaries formed the Hubei military government. They sought leadership and approached Li Yuanhong, who reluctantly agreed to lead the uprising.

15:11

⚔️ The Qing's Response and Yuan Shikai’s Role

The Qing government quickly responded to the rebellion, deploying the Beiyang army under the command of Yuan Shikai. Despite his grudge against the Qing, Yuan negotiated with both revolutionaries and the Qing government to position himself advantageously. Rebellions spread across multiple provinces, and revolutionaries captured significant cities like Nanking. The Qing government, desperate to retain power, agreed to demands for a constitutional monarchy. However, Yuan Shikai used the situation to solidify his control, playing both sides for personal gain.

🌅 The Birth of the Republic of China

By late 1911, the revolution gained widespread support. The Tongmenghui established a provisional government in Nanking, and Sun Yat-sen was elected provisional president in December. However, Yuan Shikai negotiated to take over as president, manipulating both the Qing and the revolutionaries. In early 1912, Yuan convinced the Qing to abdicate, and Puyi, the last emperor, stepped down. Sun Yat-sen kept his promise and ceded power to Yuan, who was sworn in as president. The collapse of the Qing Dynasty marked the end of imperial China.

🏛️ Yuan Shikai's Rule and the Republic's Uncertain Future

Following the collapse of the Qing Dynasty, Yuan Shikai was granted full control of the provisional republican government. He consolidated power by appointing loyalists in key positions but betrayed the revolutionary ideals, leading to unrest. Yuan’s leadership, while preventing an immediate civil war, set the stage for future turmoil. The Republic of China descended into a period of warlordism, as feudal lords, many former allies of Yuan, fought for control over different provinces, destabilizing the newly established republic.

Keywords

💡Mandate of Heaven

The 'Mandate of Heaven' is a Chinese political philosophy that legitimized the rule of China's emperors, suggesting that they were chosen by divine authority to govern. In the context of the video, it is mentioned as a core belief that natural disasters and instability were seen as signs of divine disapproval, indicating that the ruler might be unworthy. This concept is central to understanding the Qing dynasty's claim to power and the subsequent crises that led to its downfall.

💡Qing Dynasty

The 'Qing Dynasty' was the last imperial dynasty of China, ruling from the mid-17th century until 1912. The video discusses the dynasty's decline, marked by devastating rebellions and foreign invasions, which eventually led to its collapse. The Qing Dynasty's inability to maintain control and address the crises of the 19th and early 20th centuries is a central theme in the video, illustrating the historical context for the rise of revolutionary movements.

💡Taiping Rebellion

The 'Taiping Rebellion' was a massive civil war in China during the 19th century, resulting in millions of casualties. It is mentioned in the video as one of the devastating rebellions that weakened the Qing Dynasty's rule. The rebellion is a significant example of the internal strife that contributed to the dynasty's eventual collapse.

💡Boxer Rebellion

The 'Boxer Rebellion' was a violent anti-foreign, anti-colonial, and anti-Christian uprising that took place in China at the turn of the 20th century. The video references this rebellion as another instance of bloodshed and chaos that further destabilized the Qing Dynasty, leading to a loss of confidence in the imperial government's ability to maintain order.

💡Revolutionary Alliance (Tongmenghui)

The 'Revolutionary Alliance,' also known as the Tongmenghui, was a secret society founded by Dr. Sun Yat-sen, aimed at overthrowing the Qing Dynasty and establishing a republic in China. The video highlights the formation and activities of the Tongmenghui as a driving force behind the revolutionary movement, illustrating its role in organizing uprisings and eventually leading to the fall of the Qing Dynasty.

💡Sun Yat-sen

Dr. Sun Yat-sen is a pivotal figure in Chinese history, known as the founding father of the Republic of China. The video discusses his role in founding the Tongmenghui and leading multiple uprisings against the Qing Dynasty. Sun Yat-sen's vision and efforts are central to the narrative of the video, showcasing his influence on the revolution and the establishment of the Republic of China.

💡Wuchang Rebellion

The 'Wuchang Rebellion' was the spark that ignited the Xinhai Revolution, leading to the fall of the Qing Dynasty. The video describes how an accidental bomb explosion led to the discovery of revolutionary plans by the Qing authorities, prompting a series of events that resulted in the rebellion. This rebellion is a key moment in the video, marking the beginning of the end for the Qing Dynasty.

💡Beiyang Army

The 'Beiyang Army' was the main military force of the Qing Dynasty in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The video discusses the role of the Beiyang Army in the Qing's response to the Wuchang Rebellion and later in the political maneuvering that led to the establishment of the Republic of China. The army's defection and the influence of its commanders, such as Yuan Shikai, were crucial in the transition from imperial rule to a republic.

💡Yuan Shikai

Yuan Shikai was a Chinese military leader and statesman who played a significant role in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China. The video details his rise to power, his negotiations with both the Qing and the revolutionaries, and his eventual assumption of the presidency. Yuan Shikai's actions and ambitions are integral to understanding the political shifts and the transition from the Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China.

💡Republic of China

The 'Republic of China' was established after the fall of the Qing Dynasty, marking a significant shift from imperial rule to a republic. The video describes the establishment of the provisional government in Nanjing and the election of Sun Yat-sen as the 'Provisional President.' The founding of the Republic of China is a central theme of the video, representing the culmination of the revolutionary efforts and the beginning of a new era in Chinese history.

💡Warlordism

The term 'warlordism' refers to a period of fragmentation and regional military dictatorship in China following the fall of the Qing Dynasty. The video concludes with the mention of warlordism, indicating the instability and conflict that arose after the establishment of the Republic of China. This period is characterized by the rise of local strongmen, often former commanders under Yuan Shikai, who vied for power and control over their respective territories.

Highlights

The Mandate of Heaven was a Chinese political philosophy that justified the rule of China's Emperor.

Natural disasters and revolts were seen as signs of divine retribution for an unworthy ruler.

The Qing dynasty faced devastating rebellions and humiliations in the 19th century.

The accidental bomb explosion in 1911 triggered a sequence of events leading to the Qing dynasty's collapse.

The Revolutionary Alliance, or Tongmenghui, was a modern revolutionary movement founded by Dr. Sun Yat-sen.

Sun Yat-sen instigated ten rebellions between 1906 and 1911, although none were successful.

The Tongmenghui's membership grew to 10,000 by 1911, consisting of well-educated individuals from various backgrounds.

Revolutionaries infiltrated the New Army units to subvert Qing troops.

In 1911, around 5,000 to 6,000 of the Hubei New Army troops were members of secret revolutionary societies.

The Wuchang Rebellion began with a premature bomb explosion, leading to the execution of three revolutionaries.

The Qing authorities seized membership registers of revolutionaries, prompting soldiers to mutiny.

The Wuchang Rebellion led to the establishment of the military government of Hubei province.

Sun Yat-sen was in the United States during the uprising and learned about it from a newspaper.

Li Yuanhong, a commander of the Hubei New Army, was coerced into leading the revolution.

The Qing's response to the revolt was to annihilate the revolutionaries with the Beiyang army.

Yuan Shikai, a retired general, was recalled to lead the counterattack due to his influence and experience.

Revolts spread across China, with provinces declaring independence and forming anti-Qing alliances.

Yuan Shikai played a political game, profiting from the situation by pressuring both the revolutionaries and the Qing.

The Tongmenghui set up a provisional government in Nanking, and Sun Yat-sen was elected 'Provisional President'.

Sun Yat-sen offered the presidency to Yuan Shikai on the condition that he support the new republic.

The Beiyang Army commanders urged the Qing to establish a republic, leading to Puyi's abdication.

Yuan Shikai was granted full powers to organize a provisional republican government, marking the end of the Qing dynasty.

Yuan Shikai betrayed the revolutionaries and started his tenure, which led to a period of warlordism in China.

Transcripts

Perhaps you’ve heard of the Mandate of Heaven. It  is a Chinese political philosophy, widely known  

and used from ancient China all the  way to its last Imperial dynasty,  

the Qing. In essence, this philosophy justified  the rule of China’s Emperor. One of the core  

beliefs surrounding this concept was that natural  disasters were divine retributions, and revolts  

or instability were direct results of a higher  power indicating China’s ruler was unworthy.

Now, the Qing dynasty had been ruling  over China since the mid-17th century.  

But during the 19th-century, the Empire  suffered devastating rebellions such as  

the Taiping rebellion, seeing millions of  casualties. Japan won the Sino-Japanese war,  

forcing a humiliating peace on the Empire, and the  Boxer Rebellion just a few years later once again  

led to bloodshed, famine and chaos. Not to  mention the eight nations occupying Beijing.

Surely, this could not go on  for much longer? And indeed,  

it would not. In 1911 a sequence of  events was triggered that would result  

in the abdication of China’s last emperor  and the collapse of the Qing dynasty.

Interestingly enough, many plots had been  devised for this to happen - twisted irony  

has it that it started with  an accidental bomb explosion  

with no master plan at all. And this  revolution would bring down China’s  

final imperial dynasty after having ruled  over the Empire for nearly three centuries.

The Revolutionary Alliance

Over the years, Qing power and their mandate of  heaven had eroded. Movements such as the rights  

recovery movement, the Hunan peasant riots and  natural disasters were all signs of a dynasty  

in severe decline. To give you an idea of  China’s state by 1910: there had been 285  

uprisings and rebellions in that year alone. But  most of these were sparked by peasants. Barely  

any were ‘modern’ in the sense that they wanted  to entirely institutionally reform the Empire,  

leaning on a clear ideological basis. But  there was one modern revolutionary movement,  

standing at the centre of the revolutionary  atmosphere attempting to overthrow the Qing:  

the Revolutionary Alliance,  also known as the Tongmenghui. 

Dr Sun Yat-sen founded the Tongmenghui, China’s  first modern revolutionary secret society. And Sun  

Yat-sen wasn’t standing by idly either. Between  1906 and 1911, he instigated ten rebellions.  

Although he instigated ten uprisings in  five years, all of them were vaguely planned  

and none succeeded. Nevertheless, the number of  members of the Tongmenghui rose to 10.000 by 1911. 

Its members were from all walks of life.  Still, they generally were well-educated  

Chinese who had studied abroad (most in  Japan). Some revolutionaries were students,  

others were civil servants, members  of the new provincial assemblies even,  

and several were soldiers or  officers in New Army units. 

But over time the composition of the  revolutionaries changed: many figured  

the best way to spark revolution eventually was  to subvert Qing troops. They wanted to get the  

soldiers that weren’t yet revolutionaries on their  side, so to say. Revolutionaries joined the army,  

maintaining a low profile and recruiting  other soldiers for their revolutionary cells.  

Throughout China, especially around the  Wuchang, Hanyang and Hankou districts in Wuhan,  

Hubei’s capital, Qing opposition blossomed.  Radical young Chinese formed revolutionary  

cells in these big cities. In 1911 large cities  generally had multiple revolutionary cells.  

It was during this year Sun Yat-sen embarked  on a fundraising campaign to the United States.  

After all, the revolution desperately  needed funds if it was to succeed. 

In southern China, revolutionaries adopted the  strategy of infiltrating the New Army units.  

Working with revolutionary  branches active in the region,  

most cities had a sizeable portion of their  army secretly engaged in revolutionary activity…  

not really a stable combination, to put it  mildly. In order to recruit new members for their  

movement, these revolutionaries often created an  elaborate guise of book clubs and fraternities.  

If authorities grew suspicious of these clubs and  decided to investigate, they would simply disband  

their fake clubs only to regroup after some time,  under a different name at a different location.  

To give you an idea of how widespread this was:  in 1911 around 5 to 6000 of the Hubei New Army  

troops turned out to be a member of various secret  revolutionary societies. This was about one-third  

of the entire military force. Can you imagine?  The fact that such a sizeable amount of the  

military was part of secret resistance… well, it  was only a matter of time for things to turn sour.

The Wuchang Rebellion

Modern-day Wuhan city in China used to consist  of three towns, Hankou, Wuchang and Hanyang.  

In these towns, the first rebellions broke  out. On October 9 1911, in a safe house  

amidst the Russian concession area of Hankou,  a group of revolutionaries were fiddling with  

bombs. They were planning a terrorist attack.  Unfortunately for them, something went wrong,  

and the bomb exploded prematurely. While  oftentimes Western powers would bribe  

Qing authorities if something happened on their  territory, the blast of this bomb was too heavy  

not to let authorities investigate. Qing police  and military raided the safehouse. It quickly  

became clear what transpired, and they identified  the three men surviving men as revolutionaries.  

Authorities wasted no time and they executed the  men immediately. But even though during the brief  

interrogation, the men didn’t give up their fellow  conspirators, their death wasn’t the end of it. 

Fate had it that the membership registers  detailing all names of revolutionaries,  

thousands of them, survived the blast. The Qing  authorities seized the records and now possessed  

the names of most, if not all, revolutionaries in  the city. They realised these logs contained the  

names of their colleagues—at least 5,000 of them.  Alarmed at the number of soldiers on the list,  

soldiers began rounding up any and all  revolutionary soldiers they could find. 

But news rapidly spread. Soldiers who were members  of secret society understood that if they did not  

act fast, they too would be put against the wall.  And as such, minor mutinies broke out. The first  

force that mutinied was a small force, the Wuchang  Eight Engineer Battalion. On the morning of  

October 10th, ever since celebrated as ‘Double 10’  day, they seized the ammunition depot of the city  

and were subsequently joined by transport  and artillery units. They captured several  

of Wuchang’s forts, and by the end of the day,  three other regiments joined the resistance.  

The governor-general of Wuchang, the Manchu  Ruicheng, failed to raise a sizeable number  

of loyal troops to protect his office. He fled  the city, together with the army commander.  

Forces still loyal to the Qing were routed, and  over 500 were killed. The next day, October 11th,  

Hanyang was captured by the revolutionaries. They  seized the cities’ military arsenal and ironworks.  

Having a considerable reserve of supplies and  weapons once they captured Hanyang, the mutineers  

took it a step further. They established the  military government of the Hubei province. 

But they didn’t have a prestigious public  figure to take control and lead the revolution.  

The principal architect of revolution in China,  Sun Yat-sen, was in the United States! He would  

not learn about the uprising until a month  later, reading about it in a Denver newspaper.  

Instead of quickly returning to China and  assuming leadership of the revolution,  

he first went to the United Kingdom and  France to secure European neutrality.  

He managed to sway the British government: they  would not loan any capital to the Qing anymore.  

Sun eventually returned to China, but only over  two months after the revolution had started. 

In October, the revolution, confined to Wuhan  for now, was still looking for its leader. The  

first person the revolutionaries approached  was the president of the provincial assembly,  

who quickly declined the offer. Li Yuanhong,  one of the Hubei New Army commanders popular  

among his troops, was the second one to receive  the request. He wasn’t a revolutionary, but he  

did play a prominent role in an anti-imperialist  political movement concerning China’s railways.  

Those in the provincial assembly liked him as  well. Still, in probably exaggerated accounts,  

it is written he was forced at gunpoint to  take on the assignment of leading these rebels.  

He certainly was hesitant but eventually  accepted. The next day Hankou troops mutinied,  

captured the city, and the revolutionaries were  on their way to capture the rest of the province.

Qing Response

Once news of the revolt in the Hubei  province reached the imperial government,  

their response was, understandably, to do  everything in their power to absolutely  

annihilate these revolutionaries. The minister  of War, Yin Chang, coordinated the counterattack  

on Wuhan with two divisions of the Beiyang army.  In Beijing, the Qing, and especially Prince Chun,  

regent to five-year-old emperor Puyi, was about  to swallow his pride. The Beiyang army needed  

a competent general that senior officers knew and  his troops respected. Yuan Shikai was that person.  

He had led the Beiyang army for years and served  the Qing dynasty for decades. But serving them for  

decades didn’t mean the relationship was good.  It just so happened to be Prince Chun himself,  

who forced Yuan into retirement two years  before. Yuan still held a grudge against the Qing  

because of it. While he held a grudge, he was an  excellent negotiator and, unbeknownst to the Qing,  

he still was highly ambitious. For now,  he waited, but when he finally gave in,  

he would come to power on his own terms. Ten days after the Hubei military government was  

proclaimed, the New Army mutinied in both Shaanxi  and Hunan provinces. Massacres against the Manchu  

population took place, and Qing commanders were  killed. The members of the provincial assembly  

explicitly voiced their support for the  revolution. The uprising now began spreading  

over China. In Shanxi, revolutionaries killed  the governor and his family. In the southwest in  

Yunnan and southeast in Jianxi, students, teachers  and merchants joined the army officers in revolt,  

declaring their independence  from the Qing. The Tongmenghui  

took the leading central role in three provinces  and formed anti-Qing alliances in many others. 

Now that revolts swept more provinces, the  military significance of railways became apparent.  

Troops from Beijing were sent to Wuhan, only to be  cut off by rebellions in Shanxi. Revolts blocked  

the supply lines of Yin Chang’s army, and other  senior commanders in the north started defying  

Qing orders. Instead of moving their troops south  by railways, these commanders met up and sent a  

telegram to Beijing containing twelve demands.  The demands ranged from a functioning parliament  

and an elected prime minister, ratified by  the emperor, to amnesty for all political  

offenders and blocking Manchus from official  positions. As outrageous as these demands seem,  

the fact the Qing agreed with them within a week  shows the dire situation the dynasty was in. 

During this time, Yuan was still negotiating both  publicly and behind the scenes on various levels.  

The Qing appointed him as the commander of all  Qing forces. Most senior military commanders  

backed him, and he enjoyed the loyalty  of many troops. On November 8th 1911,  

he was elected prime minister of China by the  Beijing provisional national assembly members.  

He was now to form a cabinet, which he  did, primarily appointing his loyalists.  

It seemed that China was moving towards a  constitutional monarchy, just like Russia  

and Japan had. The entire month of November,  Yuan Shikai played a political game attempting  

to profit from the situation, pressuring  both the revolutionaries and the Qing.

The Republic of China

The Tongmenghui of Sun Yat-sen enjoyed an enormous  amount of support among the Chinese. This only  

increased as the revolution spread throughout the  crumbling Empire. The revolutionaries captured  

Nanking in early December. It was China’s  second-biggest city and the former capital.  

The symbolic defeat was crushing to the already  weak Qing. It was reminiscent of the cities’  

defeat in 1645, leading to the Ming dynasty’s  fall and the city’s capture by Taiping rebels  

under Hong Xiuquan in 1853. In Nanking, the  Tongmenghui set up its provisional government. 

In the meantime, Yuan negotiated primarily  with Prince Chun, regent of Puyi,  

and his consorts. But in December, the mother  of Puyi took a leading role in the negotiations.  

She pushed for the resignation of Prince Chun and  authorised Yuan Shikai to rule as prime minister,  

with the emperor, her son Puyi,  only retaining a ceremonial role.  

It was reminiscent of the role Empress Dowager  Cixi had allocated to herself the past decades  

and thus not very popular. Several victories  of Yuan’s troops over the revolutionaries  

followed… but over time, he realised that his  usefulness to the Qing would once again fade  

with the suppression of the revolution. On Christmas day 1911, Sun Yat-sen arrived in  

Shanghai. The Tongmenghui had set up a provisional  government at Nanjing, and Sun was just in time to  

be elected “Provisional President” of the Chinese  republic by delegates of 16 provincial assemblies.  

On new years day 1912, he assumed office,  and the new republic of China was born.  

It meant China now had both a Manchu emperor (in  Beijing) and a republican president (in Nanjing).  

A situation that definitely  could not go on for long. 

Sun realised he required an army to consolidate  his power. A charismatic man and a keen eye for  

political moves, he sent Yuan Shikai a  telegram stating he m only accepted the  

-provisional- presidency, so Yuan could  later assume the official presidency  

as long as he supported the new republic. All the  while, Yuan played both sides of the conflict.  

Recognising the revolutionaries’ momentum, he  realised choosing their side would probably  

be most advantageous to him. As such, Yuan was  willing to work with Sun, but indeed, only if he  

could assume the presidency. He spent the next  couple of weeks negotiating, both secretly and  

publicly, with both the provisional government in  Nanking and the imperial government in Beijing.

The Last Emperor

Late January 1912, 44 senior commanders of  the Beiyang Army, serving under Yuan Shikai,  

sent a telegram to Beijing urging them to  establish a republic by having Puyi abdicate.  

The Qing’s Mandate of Heaven had now truly waned.  Southern China had basically seceded, and Yuan  

Shikai attempted to convince Puyi's regents that  abdication was the only option left on the table.  

Some Manchu princes fled to Manchuria to lead the  resistance, but the emperor’s mother negotiated  

with Yuan. She managed to receive reassurance  that Puyi could reside in the Forbidden City  

with his servants for years to come while  receiving a generous stipend. Puyi, China’s  

last emperor, abdicated on February 12 1912. The Qing dynasty, the ancient monarchy,  

and the Chinese empire had officially come to  an end. Yuan Shikai was granted full powers “to  

organise a provisional republican government”.  Sun Yat-sen, staying true to his word,  

abdicated in favour of Yuan one day later. The  deal was that Yuan would travel to Nanking to  

set up his government. However, unrest broke  out in Beijing, allowing Yuan to remain there  

to maintain control. It is near certain Yuan had  something to do with these episodes of turmoil. 

And as such, ominously, Yuan Shikai was sworn in  in Beijing, the imperial capital, not Nanking,  

the republican capital. He was to have  supreme power with loyalists appointed  

at crucial positions in China’s military and  bureaucracy. A parliament was to be elected,  

and a full constitutional government was going  to be established. As time went on, however,  

it became clear that Yuan Shikai had other  plans for his own position and China as a whole.

Conclusion

In 1912 after decades of hardships and an erosion  of their Mandate of Heaven, the Qing dynasty  

finally collapsed. After a brief period where  Dr. Sun Yat-sen was China’s first president,  

Yuan Shikai overtook this post and started  his tenure. He prevented an all-out civil war,  

but was to betray the revolutionaries later on. What followed was the rapid decline of the  

republic into a period of warlordism. Feudal  lords, often having served under Yuan Shikai,  

were now fighting for influence  in their respective provinces.