Provisional Government of the Republic of China (1912)
Encyclopedia
The Provisional Government of the Republic of China (中華民國臨時政府) was a provisional government
established during the Xinhai Revolution
by the revolutionaries in 1912. After the success of the Wuchang uprising
, revolutionary provincial assembly representatives held a conference in Wuchang which framed the organizational outline of the Provisional Government.
came together with the revolutionary group in Shanghai led by Chen Qimei
and Cheng Dequan (程德全) to prepare for the establishment of a new central government. The group in Wuchang wanted to establish a government in Wuchang, while the group in Shanghai
wanted a government in Shanghai. By November 20 the two groups compromised and recognized Hubei as the central government and proposed everyone go to Wuchang. On November 28 Wuchang and Hanyang
had fallen back to the Qing army. So for safety the revolutionaries convened their first conference at the British concession in Hankou
on November 30. Tan Renfeng (譚人鳳) was the chairman of the session. Twenty-three representatives from the 11 provinces participated. The representatives decided to frame the organizational outline of the Provisional Government, and they elected Lei Fen (雷奮), Ma Junwu
, and Wang Zenting (王正廷) to prepare the draft.
Because on December 2 the revolutionary forces were able to capture Nanking in the uprising, the revolutionaries decided to make it the site of the new provisional government.The conference passed the outline the very next day, which consisted three chapters and twenty-one clauses. It also confirmed that the new government would be a republic
. It was announced that the provincial representatives would meet in Nanking in seven days to elect a provisional government.
and Chen Qimei gathered the provincial representatives in Shanghai and held an assembly on December 4. On December 25, Sun Yat-sen
, accompanied by general Homer Lea
, his closest foreign adviser returned to Shanghai. On December 29, the presidential election was held in Nanking. According to the first article of the "Provisional Government Organization Outline", the Provisional President was to be elected by representatives from the provinces of China; the candidate who received more than 2/3 of the votes would be elected. Each province was entitled to one vote only. 45 representatives from seventeen provinces participated in this election, and Sun Yat-sen received 16 valid votes out of 17.
announced the establishment of the Republic of China in Nanking, and he was inaugurated as the Provisional President of the Republic
. General Li Yuanhong
was made Provisional Vice President
. Under the Provisional Government, there were ten ministries:
There were additional appointments, such as Hu Hanmin
as the Secretary of the President, Song Jiaoren
as the Director-general of Law-making, and Huang Fushen as the Director-general of Printing. The speaker of the Provisional Senate was Lin Sen
.
. Thousands of people were killed. This mutiny was actually ordered by Yuan and Cao Kun
. Yuan intimidated the revolutionaries and made it clear that the new government would have to go to him in Peking, he was not going to the south. This was an excuse to move the capital of the new republic from Nanking back to Peking.
, the Premier of the Qing government, negotiated with the revolutionaries in exchange of the post of the president. Avoiding a civil war, the revolutionaries agreed to Yuan's plan of the unified China under Yuan's government. On March 8, 1912 the Provisional Senate passed the Provisional Constitution
to limit Yuan's power in the future. On March 10, the Senate elected Yuan as the second Provisional President of the Republic. The power of the Nanking Government and the Provisional Senate hence transitioned to the Beiyang Government
in Peking
, which signified the dissolution of the Provisional Government. The transition to the north in the next few years would be challenging with factions, warlords, constitutional movements and many other issues.
Provisional government
A provisional government is an emergency or interim government set up when a political void has been created by the collapse of a very large government. The early provisional governments were created to prepare for the return of royal rule...
established during the Xinhai Revolution
Xinhai Revolution
The Xinhai Revolution or Hsinhai Revolution, also known as Revolution of 1911 or the Chinese Revolution, was a revolution that overthrew China's last imperial dynasty, the Qing , and established the Republic of China...
by the revolutionaries in 1912. After the success of the Wuchang uprising
Wuchang Uprising
The Wuchang Uprising began with the dissatisfaction of the handling of a railway crisis. The crisis then escalated to an uprising where the revolutionaries went up against Qing government officials. The uprising was then assisted by the New Army in a coup against their own authorities in the city...
, revolutionary provincial assembly representatives held a conference in Wuchang which framed the organizational outline of the Provisional Government.
Planning
In November 1911 the revolutionary group in Wuchang led by Li YuanhongLi Yuanhong
Li Yuanhong was a Chinese general and political figure during the Qing dynasty and the republican era. He was twice president of the Republic of China.- Early history :...
came together with the revolutionary group in Shanghai led by Chen Qimei
Chen Qimei
Chen Qimei was a Chinese revolutionary activist, close political ally of Sun Yat-sen, and early mentor of Chiang Kai-shek. He was as one of the founders of the Republic of China, and the uncle of Chen Guofu and Chen Lifu....
and Cheng Dequan (程德全) to prepare for the establishment of a new central government. The group in Wuchang wanted to establish a government in Wuchang, while the group in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
wanted a government in Shanghai. By November 20 the two groups compromised and recognized Hubei as the central government and proposed everyone go to Wuchang. On November 28 Wuchang and Hanyang
Hanyang
Hanyang was one of the three cities that merged into modern-day Wuhan, the capital of the Hubei province, People's Republic of China. Currently, it is a district and stands between the Han River and the Yangtze River, where the former falls into the latter...
had fallen back to the Qing army. So for safety the revolutionaries convened their first conference at the British concession in Hankou
Hankou
Hankou was one of the three cities whose merging formed modern-day Wuhan, the capital of the Hubei province, China. It stands north of the Han and Yangtze Rivers where the Han falls into the Yangtze...
on November 30. Tan Renfeng (譚人鳳) was the chairman of the session. Twenty-three representatives from the 11 provinces participated. The representatives decided to frame the organizational outline of the Provisional Government, and they elected Lei Fen (雷奮), Ma Junwu
Ma Junwu
Ma Junwu 馬君武 was a celebrated scientist and educator in China and first president of Guangxi University.-Biography:Ma Junwu was born in Guilin in 1881 and enlisted in one of the new schools for higher education there...
, and Wang Zenting (王正廷) to prepare the draft.
Because on December 2 the revolutionary forces were able to capture Nanking in the uprising, the revolutionaries decided to make it the site of the new provisional government.The conference passed the outline the very next day, which consisted three chapters and twenty-one clauses. It also confirmed that the new government would be a republic
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
. It was announced that the provincial representatives would meet in Nanking in seven days to elect a provisional government.
President selection
Instead of attending Nanking's assembly, Song JiaorenSong Jiaoren
Song Jiaoren was a Chinese republican revolutionary, political leader and a founder of the Kuomintang . He was assassinated in 1913 after leading his Kuomintang party to victory in China's first democratic elections...
and Chen Qimei gathered the provincial representatives in Shanghai and held an assembly on December 4. On December 25, Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen was a Chinese doctor, revolutionary and political leader. As the foremost pioneer of Nationalist China, Sun is frequently referred to as the "Father of the Nation" , a view agreed upon by both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China...
, accompanied by general Homer Lea
Homer Lea
Homer Lea , was an American adventurer and author. He is today best known for his involvement with Chinese reform and revolutionary movements in the early twentieth century as close advisor to Dr. Sun Yat-sen during the 1911 Chinese Republican revolution that overthrew the Manchu Dynasty...
, his closest foreign adviser returned to Shanghai. On December 29, the presidential election was held in Nanking. According to the first article of the "Provisional Government Organization Outline", the Provisional President was to be elected by representatives from the provinces of China; the candidate who received more than 2/3 of the votes would be elected. Each province was entitled to one vote only. 45 representatives from seventeen provinces participated in this election, and Sun Yat-sen received 16 valid votes out of 17.
Establishment of government
On 1 January 1912, Sun Yat-senSun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen was a Chinese doctor, revolutionary and political leader. As the foremost pioneer of Nationalist China, Sun is frequently referred to as the "Father of the Nation" , a view agreed upon by both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China...
announced the establishment of the Republic of China in Nanking, and he was inaugurated as the Provisional President of the Republic
President of the Republic of China
The President of the Republic of China is the head of state and commander-in-chief of the Republic of China . The Republic of China was founded on January 1, 1912, to govern all of China...
. General Li Yuanhong
Li Yuanhong
Li Yuanhong was a Chinese general and political figure during the Qing dynasty and the republican era. He was twice president of the Republic of China.- Early history :...
was made Provisional Vice President
Vice President of the Republic of China
The Vice President of the Republic of China is the second-highest executive official of the Republic of China . The existing office was created in 1948 under the 1947 Constitution of the Republic of China...
. Under the Provisional Government, there were ten ministries:
- Huang XingHuang XingHuang Xing or Huang Hsing , was a Chinese revolutionary leader, militarist, and statesman, was the first army commander-in-chief of the Republic of China. As one of the founders of the Kuomintang and the Republic of China, his position was next to Sun Yat-sen. Together they were known as...
was appointed both as the Minister of the Army and as Chief of Staff - Huang Zhongying as the Minister of the Navy
- Wang Chonghui as the Minister of Foreign Affairs
- Wu TingfangWu TingfangWu Tingfang was a Chinese diplomat and politician who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and briefly as Acting Premier during the early years of the Republic of China. He is also known under his Cantonese name Ng Choy -Biography:...
as the Minister of the Judiciary - Chen Jingtao as the Minister of Finance
- Cheng Dequan as the Minister of Internal Affairs
- Cai YuanpeiCai YuanpeiCai Yuanpei was a Chinese educator and the president of Peking University. He was known for his critical evaluation of the Chinese culture that led to the influential May Fourth Movement...
as the Minister of Education - Zhang JianZhang Jian (politician)Zhang Jian , courtesy name Jizhi , sobriquet Se'an , was a Chinese entrepreneur, politician and educationist.-Biography:Zhang was born in Haimen County, Jiangsu Province in 1853...
as the Minister of Commerce - Tang Soqian as the Minister of Communications.
There were additional appointments, such as Hu Hanmin
Hu Hanmin
Hu Hanmin was one of the early leaders of Kuomintang , and a very important right-winger in Kuomintang.-Biography:Hu Hanmin was qualified as juren at 21 years of age. He studied in Japan since 1902, and joined Tongmenghui as an editor of 《Minbao》 in 1905. From 1907-1910, he participated in...
as the Secretary of the President, Song Jiaoren
Song Jiaoren
Song Jiaoren was a Chinese republican revolutionary, political leader and a founder of the Kuomintang . He was assassinated in 1913 after leading his Kuomintang party to victory in China's first democratic elections...
as the Director-general of Law-making, and Huang Fushen as the Director-general of Printing. The speaker of the Provisional Senate was Lin Sen
Lin Sen
Lin Sen , courtesy name Zichao , sobriquet Changren , was President of the National Government of the Republic of China from 1931 until his death.-Early life:...
.
Dong'anmen Gate incident
The revolutionaries were trying to lure Yuan Shikai to the south. By making Yuan the president of the southern Nanking-based provisional government, he would have to give up his military power base in the north. In February 1912, troops were looting shops and stealing from rich commercial areas. They then burned down the Dong'anmen gate (東安門) on the wall surrounding the Imperial CityImperial City (Beijing)
The Imperial City is a section of the city of Beijing in the Ming and Qing dynasties, with the Forbidden City at its center. It refers to the collection of gardens, shrines, and other service areas between the Forbidden City and the Inner City of ancient Beijing...
. Thousands of people were killed. This mutiny was actually ordered by Yuan and Cao Kun
Cao Kun
|-...
. Yuan intimidated the revolutionaries and made it clear that the new government would have to go to him in Peking, he was not going to the south. This was an excuse to move the capital of the new republic from Nanking back to Peking.
End of provisional government
Yuan ShikaiYuan Shikai
Yuan Shikai was an important Chinese general and politician famous for his influence during the late Qing Dynasty, his role in the events leading up to the abdication of the last Qing Emperor of China, his autocratic rule as the second President of the Republic of China , and his short-lived...
, the Premier of the Qing government, negotiated with the revolutionaries in exchange of the post of the president. Avoiding a civil war, the revolutionaries agreed to Yuan's plan of the unified China under Yuan's government. On March 8, 1912 the Provisional Senate passed the Provisional Constitution
Provisional Constitution of the Republic of China
After the victory in Xinhai Revolution, the Nanjing Provisional Government of the Republic of China, led by Sun Yat-sen, framed the Provisional Constitution of the Republic of China , which was an outline of basic regulations with the qualities of a formal constitution.On March 11, 1912, it...
to limit Yuan's power in the future. On March 10, the Senate elected Yuan as the second Provisional President of the Republic. The power of the Nanking Government and the Provisional Senate hence transitioned to the Beiyang Government
Beiyang Government
The Beiyang government or warlord government collectively refers to a series of military regimes that ruled from Beijing from 1912 to 1928 at Zhongnanhai. It was internationally recognized as the legitimate Government of the Republic of China. The name comes from the Beiyang Army which dominated...
in Peking
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, which signified the dissolution of the Provisional Government. The transition to the north in the next few years would be challenging with factions, warlords, constitutional movements and many other issues.
See also
- Xinhai RevolutionXinhai RevolutionThe Xinhai Revolution or Hsinhai Revolution, also known as Revolution of 1911 or the Chinese Revolution, was a revolution that overthrew China's last imperial dynasty, the Qing , and established the Republic of China...
- Provisional Constitution of the Republic of ChinaProvisional Constitution of the Republic of ChinaAfter the victory in Xinhai Revolution, the Nanjing Provisional Government of the Republic of China, led by Sun Yat-sen, framed the Provisional Constitution of the Republic of China , which was an outline of basic regulations with the qualities of a formal constitution.On March 11, 1912, it...
- History of the Republic of ChinaHistory of the Republic of ChinaThe History of the Republic of China begins after the Qing Dynasty in 1912, when the formation of the Republic of China put an end to over two thousand years of Imperial rule. The Qing Dynasty, also known as the Manchu Dynasty, ruled from 1644 to 1912...