Changes

==Republic: 1912-1949==

==Republic: 1912-1949==

===Dictatorship of Yuan Shikai 1911-1916===

===Dictatorship of Yuan Shikai 1911-1916===

By 1911 China had 400 million people and the beginnings of a railroad system. The administrative system remained hopelessly inadequate; for example the central government never knew how much was raised in taxes (only a small part of which it obtained). The old dynasty collapsed in 1911 as soldiers of the modernized army revolted, and the emperor abdicated in early 1912. A republic was proclaimed on January 1, 1912, but power was held by leader [[Yuan Shikai]] (1859-1916), leader of Beiyang army. The Nationalist ("Kuomintang" or [[KMT]]) party won parliamentary elections in 1912, but Yuan had the KMT leader assassinated, crushed republican uprisings in 1913 (called the "Second revolution"), shut down parliament, and ruled as dictator. Yuan proclaimed himself emperor, which triggered an uprising based in the South. The Beiyang leaders felt Confucian loyalty to Yuan as the founder and former director of academy in which they were trained. But few appreciated the prospect of serving his playboy son, who was now heir to the throne. Confrontation was averted when Yuan suddenly died of natural causes in June 1916.<ref>Hsü, (1999) ch 20</ref>

By 1911 China had 400 million people and the beginnings of a railroad system. The old dynasty collapsed in 1911 as soldiers mutinied, and the emperor abdicated in early 1912. A republic was proclaimed on January 1, 1912, but power was held by [[Yuan Shikai]] (1859-1916), leader of Beiyang army. The Nationalist ("Kuomintang" or [[KMT]]) party won parliamentary elections in 1912, but Yuan had the KMT leader assassinated, crushed republican uprisings in 1913 (called the "Second revolution"), shut down parliament, and ruled as dictator. Yuan proclaimed himself emperor in 1915. This immediately triggered an uprising based in the South. The Beiyang officers felt loyalty to Yuan as a former commander who reorganized the army; Most owed their positions to him. But few appreciated the prospect of serving his playboy son, who was now heir to the throne. Confrontation was averted when Yuan suddenly died of natural causes in June 1916.<ref>Hsü, (1999) ch 20</ref>

===Age of warlords, 1916-1927===

===Age of warlords, 1916-1927===