Biography of Yuan Shikai: Volume 1 and 2

Author: Liu Yijiang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-06-01
Features: Sorting out the threads of historical development from a century of chaos, providing readers with a unique perspective on historical figures. Based on contemporary public and private documents and recollections of the parties involved as primary sources, it vividly portrays the turbulent political landscape of the late Qing and early Republican era, recreating the life trajectory of Yuan Shikai: in his youth, he was a lone hero, maneuvering skillfully in the East, engaging in intellectual battles with foreign powers, and independently supporting the; in middle age, he became the pillar of the Great Qing and an able minister for governing times, inheriting Li Hongzhang's legacy and becoming the leader of the later reform movement; in his later years, his mind was clouded by selfish desires, he proclaimed himself emperor, manipulated power, misled himself and the country, and became a warlord-like figure in chaos. This transformation of events and the rise and fall of figures hold lessons and warnings for posterity. The author's purpose in sifting through historical materials is to restore Yuan Shikai, a figure often reduced to a caricature, to a believable historical life, to give a fair and objective evaluation of his merits and demerits, and to trace the twists and turns of China's social transformation with a calm mindset, enabling readers to draw useful lessons and experiences from the successes and failures of the past.