Yuan Shikai was the most powerful military and political figure in northern China when the Qing dynasty collapsed. Sun Yat-sen agreed to resign in Yuan’s favour after the Qing abdication of 12 February 1912. The Nanjing Provisional Senate elected Yuan provisional president on 15 February, and he took office in Beijing on 10 March. The … Continue reading Yuan Shikai: How China’s First Republic Became a Dictatorship