Ruling the Chaos: A Review of the Republic of China's President

Author: Xia Shuangren
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-02-01
Features: The era of major turning points before and after the collapse of the imperial system, where various formidable figures rose to prominence, and the Republic of China ultimately became a state of chaos. From 1912, when Yuan Shikai came to power, to 1928, when Zhang Xueliang changed the flag, it was the era of the Beijing government of the Republic of China. Due to its warlord nature, historians often refer to it as the "Beiyang Government period." Seven individuals rose to the pinnacle of power in the Beiyang Government period, namely Yuan Shikai, Li Yuanhong, Feng Guozhang, Xu Shichang, Cao Kun, Duan Qirui, and Zhang Zuolin. The era they lived in was also part of the "great changes that have occurred over three thousand years," as described by Li Hongzhang, but it was vastly different from the late Qing Dynasty: on one hand, the imperial system ended, and a republic was established; on the other hand, the imperial system still had the possibility of being overthrown by Lu Yang's swinging sword, while the republic lacked the ability to gain the trust of the people. These seven individuals played extraordinary roles in this important period of history. Based on mainstream historical perspectives, this book strives to use original historical materials to comprehensively present their rise and fall and fully shape their personal images. Readers can read it as a brief biography or as a reliable historical account.