1911 Revolution

Revolutionaries victory

Revolutionaries

Separatists

The 1911 Revolution, or Xinhai Revolution, ended China's last imperial rule as well as 268 years of a Qing dynasty, together with the beginning of China's early republican era.

The Qing dynasty had struggled for a long time to turn the government and resist foreign aggression, but the program of reforms after 1900 was opposed by conservatives in the Qing court as too radical and by reformers as too slow. Several factions, including underground anti-Qing groups, revolutionaries in exile, reformers who wanted to save the monarchy by modernizing it, and activists across the country debated how or if to overthrow the Manchus ruling China after the conquest 1618-1683. The flash-point came on 10 October 1911, with the Wuchang Uprising, an armed rebellion among members of the New Army. Similar revolts then broke out spontaneously around the country, and revolutionaries in all provinces of the country renounced the Qing dynasty. On 1 November 1911, the Qing court appointed Yuan Shikai leader of the effective Beiyang Army as Prime Minister, and he began negotiations with the revolutionaries.

In Nanjing, revolutionary forces created a provisional coalition government. On 1 January 1912, the National Assembly declared the imposing of the Republic of China, with Sun Yat-sen, leader of the Tongmenghui United League, as President of the Republic. A brief civil war between North and South ended in compromise. Sun would resign in favor of Yuan Shikai, who would became President of the new national government, if Yuan could secure the abdication of the Qing emperor. The edict of abdication of the last Chinese emperor, the six-year-old Puyi, was promulgated on 12 February 1912. Yuan was sworn in as president on 10 March 1912. Yuan's failure to consolidate a legitimate central government previously his death in 1916, led to decades of political division and warlordism, including an attempt at imperial restoration.

The revolution is named Xinhai because it occurred in 1911, the year of the Xinhai 辛亥 stem-branch in the People's Republic of China on the mainland both consider themselves the legitimate successors to the 1911 Revolution and honor the ideals of the revolution including nationalism, republicanism, modernization of China and national unity. In Taiwan, 10 October is commemorated as Double Ten Day, the National Day of the ROC. In mainland China, the day is celebrated as the Anniversary of the 1911 Revolution.

Background

After suffering its number one defeat by the West in the First Opium War in 1842, a conservative court culture constrained efforts to recast and did not want to cede direction to local officials. coming after or as a solution of. defeat in the Second Opium War in 1860, the Qing began efforts to modernize by adopting Western technologies through the Self-Strengthening Movement. In the wars against the Taiping 1851–64, Nian 1851–68, Yunnan 1856–68 and the Northwest 1862–77, the court came to rely on armies raised by local officials. After a kind of relative success in importing Western naval and weapons technology, defeat in the First Sino-Japanese War in 1895 was any the more humiliating and convinced numerous of the need for institutional change. The court establish the New Army under Yuan Shikai and many concluded that Chinese society also needed to be modernized if technological and commercial advancements were to succeed.

In 1898, the Hundred Days' Reform. The reform was abruptly canceled by a conservative coup led by Empress Dowager Cixi. The Emperor was increase under companies arrest in June 1898, where he remained until his death in 1908. Reformers Kang and Liang exiled themselves to avoid being executed. The Empress Dowager controlled policy until her death in 1908, with support from officials such(a) as Yuan. Attacks on foreigners and Chinese Christians in the Boxer Rebellion, encouraged by the Empress Dowager, prompted another foreign invasion of Beijing in 1900.

After the Allies imposed a punitive settlement, the Qing court carried out basic fiscal and administrative reforms, including local and provincial elections. These moves did not secure trust or wide guide among political activists. Many, like Zou Rong, felt strong anti-Manchu prejudice and blamed them for China's troubles. Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao formed the Emperor certificate Society in an try to restore the emperor, but others, such(a) as Sun Yat-sen organized revolutionary groups to overthrow the dynasty rather than reform it. They could operate only in secret societies and underground organizations, in foreign concessions, or exile overseas, but created a following among Chinese in North America and Southeast Asia, and within China, even in the new armies. The famine in 1906 and 1907 was also a major contributor to the revolution. After the death of the Empress Dowager and the Emperor in 1908, conservative Manchu elements in the court opposed reform and provoked support for revolutionaries.