Yuan Shikai

General Yuan Shikai
袁世凱
Yuan in 1915
Emperor of China
Reign 12 December 1915 – 22 March 1916
Prime Minister	Lu Zhengxiang
Preceded by	Himself, as President
Succeeded by	Himself, as President
President of the Republic of China
In office 10 March 1912 – 12 December 1915
Premier	Tang Shaoyi Lu Zhengxiang Zhao Bingjun Duan Qirui (acting) Xiong Xiling Sun Baoqi (acting) Xu Shichang
Vice President	Li Yuanhong
Preceded by	Sun Yat-sen
Succeeded by	Himself as Emperor of China
In office 22 March 1916 – 6 June 1916
Premier	Xu Shichang Duan Qirui
Vice President	Li Yuanhong
Preceded by	Himself as Emperor of China
Succeeded by	Li Yuanhong
Imperial offices 2nd Prime Minister of the Imperial Cabinet In office 2 November 1911 – 10 March 1912 Monarch Xuantong Emperor Preceded by Yikuang, Prince Qing Succeeded by Qing dynasty ended Zhang Xun (1917) Grand Councillor In office 4 September 1907 – 2 January 1909 Monarchs Guangxu Emperor Xuantong Emperor Secretary of Foreign Affairs In office 4 September 1907 – 2 January 1909 Monarchs Guangxu Emperor Xuantong Emperor Preceded by Lu Haihuan Succeeded by Liang Dunyan
Provincial offices Viceroy of Zhili and Minister of Beiyang In office 7 November 1901 – 4 September 1907 Monarch Guangxu Emperor Preceded by Li Hongzhang Succeeded by Yang Shixiang Provincial Governor of Shandong In office 6 December 1899 – 7 November 1901 Monarch Guangxu Emperor Preceded by Yuxian Succeeded by Zhang Renjun
Personal details
Born	(1859-09-16)16 September 1859 Xiangcheng, Henan, Qing Empire
Died	6 June 1916(1916-06-06) (aged 56) Beijing, Republic of China
Political party	Beiyang clique Republican Party
Spouses	Yu Yishang Lady Shen, concubine Lady Lee, concubine Lady Kim, concubine Lady O, concubine Lady Yang, concubine Lady Ye, concubine Lady Zhang, concubine Lady Guo, concubine Lady Liu, concubine
Children	Yuan Keding Yuan Kewen 15 other sons 15 daughters
Occupation	General, politician
Awards	Order of the Paulownia Flowers Order of the Red Eagle
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	Qing Dynasty (1881–1912) Republic of China (1912–1915, 1916) Empire of China (1915–1916)
Branch/service	Beiyang Army
Years of service	1881–1916
Rank	Generalissimo
Battles/wars	Imo Incident Gapsin Coup First Sino-Japanese War Boxer Rebellion Xinhai Revolution Second Revolution Bai Lang Rebellion National Protection War

Yuan Shikai (traditional Chinese: 袁世凱; simplified Chinese: 袁世凯; pinyin: Yuán Shìkǎi; Wade–Giles: Yüan² Shih⁴-k'ai³; 16 September 1859 – 6 June 1916) was a Chinese general and statesman who served as Prime Minister of the Imperial Cabinet, the second provisional president of the Republic of China, head of the Beiyang government from 1912 to 1916 and Emperor of China from 1915 to 1916. A major political figure during the late Qing dynasty, he spearheaded a number of major modernisation programs and reforms and played a decisive role in securing the abdication of the Xuantong Emperor in 1912, which marked the collapse of the Qing monarchy and the end of imperial rule in China.

Born to an affluent family in Henan, Yuan began his career in the Huai Army. He was sent to Joseon to head a Qing garrison in Seoul and was appointed imperial resident and supreme adviser to the Korean government after thwarting the Gapsin Coup in 1885. He was recalled to China shortly before the outbreak of the First Sino-Japanese War, and received command of the first New Army, which paved the way for his rise to power. In 1898, Yuan formed an alliance with Empress Dowager Cixi and helped bring an end to the Guangxu Emperor's Hundred Days' Reform. Promoted to Viceroy of Zhili in 1902, Yuan quickly expanded the Beiyang Army into the best trained and most effective military force in China. He played an active role in the Late Qing reforms, which included the abolition of the imperial examination. Yuan fell from power upon the death of Cixi in 1908 and was forced into exile, but he retained the loyalty of the Beiyang Army and as such remained an influential figure.

On the outbreak of the Wuchang Uprising in 1911, Yuan was recalled to court, appointed Prime Minister of the Imperial Cabinet and tasked with suppressing the rebels. After brief fighting, he entered into negotiations with Sun Yat-sen's revolutionaries and arranged for the abdication of the child emperor Puyi, leading to the fall of the Qing dynasty. In return, Yuan was elected president of the new republican government in 1912 after Sun resigned in his favour. Yuan's desire for dictatorial power brought him into conflict with the National Assembly and the Kuomintang (KMT), provoking a second revolution which was decisively crushed. He then outlawed the KMT and dissolved the National Assembly.

In December 1915, in an attempt to further secure his rule, Yuan restored the monarchy and proclaimed himself as the Hongxian Emperor (洪憲). The move was met with widespread opposition from the general populace, many of his closest supporters in the Beiyang Army, as well as foreign governments. Several military governors and provinces rose in open rebellion. In March 1916, Yuan formally abdicated and restored the Republic, having been emperor for only 83 days. He died of uraemia in June at the age of 56, leaving behind a significantly weakened Beiyang government and a fragmented political landscape, which soon plunged China into a period of warlordism.