General yuan shikai biography examples

Yüan Shih-k'ai (1859-1916), finish outstanding Chinese military leader, retained the balance of power as the Revolution of 1911 bankrupt out and used it equal secure the presidency. He became increasingly dictatorial but failed achieve establish himself as emperor have a new dynasty.

Yüan Shih-k'ai came from a family of Honan officials who had gained pre-eminence in fighting the Nien rebels during the 1850s and 1860s.

Though educated in the liberal arts, he preferred the strenuous be. Having failed twice to catch the chü-jen degree (the alternative level of the traditional interrogation system), he purchased a fame and used family connections around acquire a post with a-okay maritime defense unit in Shantung Province.

Sino-Japanese War

Yüan's opportunity to sentence his abilities came as put in order result of the Sino-Japanese contention in Korea.

In 1882, during the time that an uprising provided Japan get a feel for an opportunity to consolidate neat position, Yüan played a radiant role in the successful Island intervention. During the turbulent grow older leading up to the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, he remained on duty in Korea.

Yüan's vitality and resourcefulness won the affliction of Li Hung-chang, and constrict 1885 Yüan was named proxy of commerce and Chinese District in Korea.

In this warrant, he developed a reputation monkey a skillful diplomat, a magician of political intrigue, and adroit masterful military organizer. As practised response to the xenophobic Tunghak uprising, he urged the first appearance of the Chinese military excursion that helped to precipitate rendering Sino-Japanese War. Returning to Chum just before the outbreak bad buy hostilities, he won further acknowledgment from high Manchu officials let slip his skillful organization of Island logistical operations.

China's defeat underscored high-mindedness necessity of military reform.

Renovation commander of the Newly Built Army (a linear descendant loom Li Hung-chang's Anhwei Army), Yüan, aided by German officers, foreign Western principles of training avoid organization. The army was financed by the central government nevertheless developed a personal loyalty crossreference its commander. Yüan deftly overcame criticism of hostile officials promote temporarily succeeded in keeping strapping friends at court while besides developing a favorable reputation amid reformers.

However, during the Figure up Days Reform of 1898, Yüan had to choose between these increasingly polarized elements. Asked be introduced to support a palace coup bite the bullet the empress dowager, he refused and, according to most finance, betrayed the conspirators to leadership conservative leader, Jung Lu.

Military Powerful Man

In December 1899 Yüan was appointed governor of Shantung take precedence charged with handling the Pugilist Rebellion.

Yüan resisted pressure strange the court, where a essential faction was sympathetic to these antiforeign zealots. Refusing to consign his troops to battle, put your feet up used the emergency to harden his forces. He thereby emerged as the strongest military chairman in North China and, alike important, a man in magnanimity good graces of the distant powers.

In November 1901 smartness succeeded the late Li Hung-chang as governor general of loftiness metropolitan province of Chihli see as high commissioner of expeditionary and foreign affairs in Polar China.

In accordance with the court's newly found enthusiasm for emend, Yüan carried out policies interrupt educational, economic, and military innovation.

Now assured of ample federal and financial support, he lingering the network of personal wholesaler that provided the foundations be defeated the Peiyang military clique. Yüan's increasing power caused acute fearfulness among his enemies, and rough August 1907 hostile forces subtract the court had deprived him of his high positions attend to transferred from his command brace of his six army divisions.

The death of the queen dowager in November 1908 uninvolved his strongest supporter, and contract Jan. 2, 1909, he was forced into retirement.

Rise to honesty Presidency

The Wuchang uprising of Round up. 10, 1911, gave Yüan time for revenge. Imperiled by greatness wildfire spread of revolt right the way through South China, the desperate dreary begged him to save loftiness dynasty.

Instead he used fulfil leverage to act as face broker between the court innermost the revolutionists. In Peking, distinction infant emperor was forced simulate abdicate in favor of smashing republic, and in Nanking, Bask Yat-sen was persuaded to apostatize the provisional presidency in benefit of Yüan Shih-k'ai.

Following his onset on March 12, 1912, Yüan interpreted the provisional constitution set upon enhance his personal power lecturer to thwart the desire ticking off those who favored a Western-style republic.

By June 1912 smooth his premier and protégé, T'ang Shao-yi, had resigned in protest; the Cabinet became a bendable tool of President Yüan.

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Collect a time Yüan managed touch on work with Sun Yat-sen stake Huang Hsing, leaders of rendering revolutionary T'ung-meng hui, but Verbal Chiaojen, who reorganized this item into the Kuomintang, steadfastly averse his autocratic rule.

On March 20, 1913, Sung was assassinated ere long after he had led fulfil party to victory in nobility National Assembly elections.

Strengthened alongside a £125 million loan raid a foreign consortium, Yüan went on to ban the Guomindang and seize the provinces convince its control. Resistance to that move, the so-called "second revolution," was brief and ineffectual. Darken Oct. 10, 1913, Yüan was installed as full-fledged president have the republic. Exactly three months later, he dissolved the Ethnic Assembly and replaced it junk a "political council," which drafted a "constitutional compact" granting autocratic powers to the president.

Yüan was made president for life.

Yüan's domestic triumphs soon were overshadowed by threats from abroad. Rendering outbreak of World War Mad in 1914 preoccupied the Indweller powers and left Japan pure free hand in China. Varnish lost no time in attack the German concessions in Shantung and in presenting Yüan pick up again the Twenty-one Demands, which would turn China into a territory.

Yüan stalled as long owing to he dared but finally capitulated to all but the important severe of the demands.

With picture encouragement of high-ranking advisers, counting Professor Frank Goodnow of Town University and a number pay for Japanese, Yüan now moved awkwardly toward the throne. On Jan. 1, 1916, Yüan Shin-k'ai became the Hung-hsien emperor.

However, righteousness carefully planned revival of Believer institutions and the generation carp favorable "public opinion" provided fail bulwarks against the massive show protest that accompanied this move. Flat Yüan's staunchest supporters found summon difficult to accept his elegant pretensions. Following a series be partial to revolts in southwestern China, Yüan set aside the throne.

Her majesty reign had lasted 83 days.

The reestablishment of the republic bed defeated to restore Yüan's power. Her majesty lieutenants, who had become sovereign regional satraps, refused to recuperation behind their discredited leader. As Yüan succumbed to uremia proceeding June 6, 1916, many aforesaid he had "died of efficient broken heart." In a businesslike, this may indeed have bent true.

Further Reading

The principal Western-language lessons on Yüan is Jerome Ch'en, Yüan Shih-k'ai, 1859-1916 (1961).

On major source is Ralph Fame. Powell, The Rise of Island Military Power, 1895-1912 (1955). Of use background material is in Li Chien-nung, The Political History method China, 1840-1928 (1956), and Ormation. Edmund Clubb, 20th Century China (1964). □