Yuan Shikai

Yuan Shikai
袁世凱
Yuan in 1915
Emperor of China
Reign
12 December 1915 – 22 March 1916
Prime MinisterLu Zhengxiang
Preceded byHimself, as President
Succeeded byHimself, as President
President of the Republic of China
In office
10 March 1912 – 12 December 1915
Premier
Vice PresidentLi Yuanhong
Preceded bySun Yat-sen
Succeeded byHimself as Emperor of China
In office
22 March 1916 – 6 June 1916
Premier
Vice PresidentLi Yuanhong
Preceded byHimself as Emperor of China
Succeeded byLi Yuanhong
Imperial offices
2nd Prime Minister of the Imperial Cabinet
In office
2 November 1911 – 10 March 1912
MonarchXuantong Emperor
Preceded byYikuang, Prince Qing
Succeeded byQing dynasty ended
Zhang Xun (1917)
Grand Councillor
In office
4 September 1907 – 2 January 1909
Monarchs
Secretary of Foreign Affairs
In office
4 September 1907 – 2 January 1909
Monarchs
Preceded byLu Haihuan
Succeeded byLiang Dunyan
Provincial offices
Viceroy of Zhili and Minister of Beiyang
In office
7 November 1901 – 4 September 1907
MonarchGuangxu Emperor
Preceded byLi Hongzhang
Succeeded byYang Shixiang
Provincial Governor of Shandong
In office
6 December 1899 – 7 November 1901
MonarchGuangxu Emperor
Preceded byYuxian
Succeeded byZhang Renjun
Personal details
Born(1859-09-16)16 September 1859
Xiangcheng, Henan, Qing Empire
Died6 June 1916(1916-06-06) (aged 56)
Beijing, Republic of China
Political party
Spouses
  • Yu Yishang
  • Lady Shen, concubine
  • Lady Lee, concubine
  • Lady Kim, concubine
  • Lady O, concubine
  • Lady Yang, concubine
  • Lady Ye, concubine
  • Lady Zhang, concubine
  • Lady Guo, concubine
  • Lady Liu, concubine
Children
OccupationGeneral, politician
Awards
Signature
Military service
Allegiance
Branch/service Beiyang Army
Years of service1881–1916
RankGeneralissimo
Battles/wars
Yuan Shikai
Traditional Chinese袁世凱
Simplified Chinese袁世凯
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinYuán Shìkǎi
Bopomofoㄩㄢˊ ㄕˋ ㄎㄞˇ
Gwoyeu RomatzyhYuan Shyhkae
Wade–GilesYüan2 Shih4-kʻai3
Tongyong PinyinYuán Shìh-kǎi
IPA[ɥɛ̌n ʂɻ̩̂.kʰàɪ]
Yue: Cantonese
Yale RomanizationYùhn Sai-hói
Jyutpingjyun4 sai3 hoi2
IPA[jyn˩ sɐj˧ hɔj˧˥]
Southern Min
Tâi-lôUân Sì-khái
Courtesy name
Traditional Chinese慰亭
Simplified Chinese慰亭
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinWèitíng
Bopomofoㄨㄟˋ ㄊㄧㄥˊ
Gwoyeu RomatzyhWeytyng
Wade–GilesWei4-tʻing2
Tongyong PinyinWèi-tíng
IPA[wêɪ.tʰǐŋ]
Yue: Cantonese
Yale RomanizationWai-tìhng
Jyutpingwai3 ting4
IPA[wɐj˧ tʰɪŋ˩]

Yuan Shikai (traditional Chinese: 袁世凱; simplified Chinese: 袁世凯; pinyin: Yuán Shìkǎi; Wade–Giles: Yüan2 Shih4-k'ai3; 16 September 1859 – 6 June 1916) was a Chinese general and statesman who served as Prime Minister of the Imperial Cabinet, the second provisional president of the Republic of China, head of the Beiyang government from 1912 to 1916 and Emperor of China from 1915 to 1916. A major political figure during the late Qing dynasty, he spearheaded a number of major modernisation programs and reforms and played a decisive role in securing the abdication of the Xuantong Emperor in 1912, which marked the collapse of the Qing monarchy and the end of imperial rule in China.

Born to an affluent family in Henan, Yuan began his career in the Huai Army. He was sent to Joseon to head a Qing garrison in Seoul and was appointed imperial resident and supreme adviser to the Korean government after thwarting the Gapsin Coup in 1885. He was recalled to China shortly before the outbreak of the First Sino-Japanese War, and received command of the first New Army, which paved the way for his rise to power. In 1898, Yuan formed an alliance with Empress Dowager Cixi and helped bring an end to the Guangxu Emperor's Hundred Days' Reform. Promoted to Viceroy of Zhili in 1902, Yuan quickly expanded the Beiyang Army into the best trained and most effective military force in China. He played an active role in the Late Qing reforms, which included the abolition of the imperial examination. Yuan fell from power upon the death of Cixi in 1908 and was forced into exile, but he retained the loyalty of the Beiyang Army and as such remained an influential figure.

On the outbreak of the Wuchang Uprising in 1911, Yuan was recalled to court, appointed Prime Minister of the Imperial Cabinet and tasked with suppressing the rebels. After brief fighting, he entered into negotiations with Sun Yat-sen's revolutionaries and arranged for the abdication of the child emperor Puyi, leading to the fall of the Qing dynasty. In return, Yuan was elected president of the new republican government in 1912 after Sun resigned in his favour. Yuan's desire for dictatorial power brought him into conflict with the National Assembly and the Kuomintang (KMT), provoking a second revolution which was decisively crushed. He then outlawed the KMT and dissolved the National Assembly.

In December 1915, in an attempt to further secure his rule, Yuan restored the monarchy and proclaimed himself as the Hongxian Emperor (洪憲). The move was met with widespread opposition from the general populace, many of his closest supporters in the Beiyang Army, as well as foreign governments. Several military governors and provinces rose in open rebellion. In March 1916, Yuan formally abdicated and restored the Republic, having been emperor for only 83 days. He died of uraemia in June at the age of 56, leaving behind a significantly weakened Beiyang government and a fragmented political landscape, which soon plunged China into a period of warlordism.