While the Qing Dynasty suffered its decline, Yuan’s fate saw the
opposite. He rose up to become of the most influential officials and court.
However, with this rise, he collected enemies who strike against him in the
most opportune time. From then on he faced a roller coaster ride of ups and
downs that would lead him to one of the most prominent figures in a time of
great turbulence in Chinese history.
Retirement and Revolution
In 1908, Yuan suffered a huge blow in his career. The Guangxu Emperor
passed away and shortly afterward, so as his patron the Empress Dowager Cixi.
The Dragon Throne fell to a mere infant boy Puyi who ascended as the Xuantong
Emperor. The blow came as a regency council formed around the child emperor
headed by his opponent Prince Chun. As expected by Yuan, he lost his position
as Viceroy and Commander of the Beiyang army. He faced this dismissal with
grace and chose to retire to his hometown in Henan for the next 3 years.
Yuan’s career seemed to hit rock bottom, but events in 1911 allowed him to bounce back and even surpass his previous achievements. On
October 1911, an accidental blast in Hankow uncovered a plot by revolutionaries
within the New Army aiming to overthrow the Qing Dynasty. The accident sparked
panic from the revolutionaries within the stationed New Army unit in Wuchang
who decided to start an uprising. The uprising grew to other provinces
and turned into the Xinhai Revolution.
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| Nanjing Road during the Xinhai Revolution |
Beijing court descended once again into turmoil. The regency council of
Prince Chun swallowed their pride and sought Yuan’s help recalling him from
retirement and appointing him commander of Beiyang Army. Yuan grabbed the
opportunity to take revenge and decided to refuse the appointment citing his
ailing feet. He dragged on the bargaining until the Court grew more desperate
as the revolutionaries continued to make gains. He finally relented to the
request only after the court agreed to his demands of a constitution and
creation of the position of Premier. He then marched with his military forces
pushing back the revolutionaries. By November 1911, he received the post of
Premier as a reward and part of the deal. However, sensing the already impending
doom of the Qing, he decided to negotiate for a peaceful settlement with the
Provisional Government centered in Nanjing headed by the renowned Dr. Sun
Yat-sen.
 |
| Dr. Sun Yat-sen |
He and the revolutionaries agreed to a settlement calling for the
abdication of the Emperor, the establishment of a constitution with a republican
government, and the election of Yuan Shikai as President of the new Republic of
China. Yuan, with his military might and past exploits, won the ultimate price
of becoming China’s head of state. He successfully convinced the regency to
agree to the terms and on January 1, 1912, witnessed the birth of the Republic
of China. By February 12, 1912, the Xuantong Emperor abdicated ending more than
a millennium of imperial rule. On the same day, Yuan Shikai took his oath as
the new President of the Republic of China.
President of China
Yuan Shikai served as President of China from 1912 until 1916. In his tenure, he faced tremendous challenges that polarized the country. With the whole of China still defining its direction, Yuan for all of his intents and
purposes decided to embark into a controversial project that marred his
presidency broke his heart and finally contributed to his demise.
 |
| Yuan Shikai in Uniform |
Yuan Shikai established Beijing as his capital, a political move meant
to bring the government in his power base. He resided in the new presidential
palace west of the Forbidden City – the Zhongnanhai. As the President of a
newly born Republic, he faced a tough task of firmly establishing a government
and finally tackling the enormous problems that China faced.
 |
| Xinhua Gate of Zhongnanhai |
He began to restart the Chinese economy. He supported the modernization
of many industries and oversaw the establishment of about 4,000 factories. He
promoted agricultural mechanization through training and importation of new
technology. He modernized the financial sector by reforming the currency,
issuing bonds, and founding numerous banks.
He also supported education ordering a 4-year mandatory education to
all young Chinese. He made attempts to establish an independent judiciary to repeal the extraterritorial rights of foreigners. Nevertheless,
his grand projects met financial restraints such as in the fields of the judiciary.
Moreover, some provinces and army units remained autonomous and rogue. Furthermore,
he faced difficulty in establishing good relations with the national assembly.
Yuan and the National Assembly, in particular, the majority party the
Guomindang had a terrible relationship. Yuan viewed the National Assembly as
slow and meddlesome. In March 1913, the Guomindang party headed by Song Jiao-ren
opposed Yuan’s decision to take a foreign loan. Suddenly on March 20, 1913, Song
Jiao-ren fell to an assassin’s bullet. Fingers pointed towards Yuan Shikai as the
culprit of the assassination, but the lack of evidence allowed Yuan to retain
the presidency. Nevertheless, the assassination sowed the seeds of mistrust and
enmity between Yuan and the Guomindang now led by Sun Yat-sen. Yuan ordered the
arrest of Dr. Sun who fled to Japan where he called for another revolution
against Yuan.
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| Song Jiao-ren |
President Yuan then moved to establish a presidential rather than a
parliamentary government. By May 1914, he declared himself President for Life.
He then abolished all legislative bodies from national to local levels. Local
administration transferred from local assemblies to magistrates just like in
the old days of the Qing. By 1915, Yuan consolidated his power as the strong
authoritarian President of China.
Yuan’s consolidation and monopolization of power made him unpopular
among the revolutionaries including Sun Yat-sen, but his decline in popularity
further plunged in 1915 by consenting to the notorious 21 Demands. While the
west fought among themselves during World War I, Japan made its move to
advance its interest in China in form of 21 Demands which included extraterritorial
rights and territorial concessions. Yuan understood the superiority of Japan’s
military might and agreed to hold talks regarding the demands. From February 2
to May 7, Chinese and Japanese diplomats negotiated the 21 demands reaching an
agreement that formalized the unpopular concessions on May 8, 1915. Yuan’s
reputation dropped as many labeled him as a traitor.
 |
| The Chinese's Acceptance of the Twenty-One Demands |
Yuan, however, saw no other choice as the other meant war, but the
episode made him realized the utter weakness of China and saw only a single
solution to solve it. He believed that only through autocracy would China once
again be strong. He thought autocracy had been in Chinese culture for more than
a millennium and it saw its worst and best. He hoped autocracy to deliver
faster recovery and strengthening of the nation. Thus, during the 2nd half of
1915, he embarked on his project to re-establish the imperial system with him
as the new Emperor and founder of a new dynasty.
On November 20, 1915, President Yuan convened a special national
assembly to discuss the restoration of imperial rule. Of course, the assembly
only meant for formalities and the result came as expected with President Yuan
being elected as the new Emperor of China. By December 12, 1915, he enthroned
himself as China’s new Hongxian (Constitutional Abundance) Emperor. He changed
the name of the Zhongnanhai into the Xinhua Palace which meaning New China
Palace. He also mulled on establishing new imperial traditions and ceremonies
to aggrandize the new dynasty.
His restoration of the Empire on the other hand garnered tremendous disgust.
The Guomindang and Sun Yat-sen grew louder in calling for Yuan’s ousting.
Provincial generals and even conservatives also rallied against Yuan for his
decision. Overwhelming pressure burdened Yuan and by March 1916, he abandoned
his imperial dreams.
The event struck President Yuan and caused his health to decline. By
May 1916, his conditions worsen until June 6, 1916, when he passed away at 57
years old due to organ failure.
 |
| The Funeral of Yuan Shih-kai |
Aftermath
After the presidency of Yuan Shikai, the country descended into further
chaos. Yuan’s generals further split China into their own domains more than the
west did. This era of powerful generals came to be known as the Warlord Era.
Summing Up
Yuan Shikai had a controversial life. His ascendency to the presidency
had been an inspirational tale from a man who failed the civil service exams
twice to one if not the most powerful man in China in the 1910’s. He earned a
reputation as a skilled politician, administrator, and soldier garnering him
the necessary resources to become the President of the Republic of China. As
President, he faced tremendous challenges with some out of his control. Either
lack of imagination or ambition or even desperation he made the wrong choice of
restoring a hated system, thus tarnishing his reputation and his own heart in the
process. Yuan Shikai’s rise and fall tell an inspirational as well as warning
tale in a time of tremendous changes in China’s history.
Bibliography:
Books:
Fairbank, John King. China: A New History. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 2006.
Websites:
Ch’en, Jerome. “Yuan Shikai.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Accessed on July 26, 2020. URL: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Yuan-Shikai
David. “The Top 10 Facts on Yuan Shikai - Qing China's Greatest General.” China Highlights. Accessed July 26, 2020. URL: https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/china-history/yuan-shikai-facts.htm
Fercility. “Yuan Shikai.” China Highlights. Accessed July 26, 2020. URL: https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/china-history/yuan-shikai.htm
Pruitt, Sarah. “Who was Yuan Shikai?” History.com. Accessed on July 26, 2020. URL: https://www.history.com/news/who-was-yuan-shikai
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