Republic Of China Local Warlords (1912-1916)

During the late Qing Dynasty, The centralization of authority of the Qing government declined. at the same time, the regional power groups headed by regional military governors grew up, and controlled the regional power. The Qing government tried to take back the power controlled by regional military governors, but the result was very few. the power controlled by regional military governors became the main political tendency.When the 1911 Revolution broke out, many provinces declared independence one after another, electing military governors, establishing the military governments, and divorced from the rule of the Qing government. At the same time, the military governors in the provinces took the opportunity to expand armed forces, and control local financial revenue, forming the regional power groups headed by military governors in the provinces.In 1912, Although the central government was set up in Beijing, and Yuan Shikai became the interim president of the Republic of China, he can not control the provinces all of the country. The military governors of the provinces opposed the policy that civil affairs and military affairs separately administrated, and advocated to Leave them as they were. The relationship between military governors of the provinces and central government became increasingly intense. After the outbreak of the Second Revolution, Yuan Shikai eventually suppressed the resistance in the southern provinces relying on powerful military forces, unified the country and controlled the political situation temporarily. But the regional power groups still existed, and control the regional power. So, strengthening centralization of authority was the primary task of the government ruled by Yuan Shikai.In 1914, Yuan Shikai implemented the policy in all provinces that civil affairs and military affairs separately administrated, and implemented fiscal reformed, he wanted to take these policies to undermine and wipe out the power of the regional power groups. thus strengthening the centralization of authority, making real national unity. Though the reform acquired some substantial results(the policy of civil affairs and military affairs separately administrated have been implemented in most provinces, the financial condition of central government has been improved), the measures of strengthening the centralization by Yuan Shikai was resisted strongly by the regional power groups and fail to make the desired effects come true. On the contrary, it intensified the contradiction between the central government and the regional power groups, undermining the political foundation ruled by Yuan Shikai.During 1915, not only the regional power groups come from 1911 Revolution had not been completely wiped out, the provinces under the control of the Northern Warlord military force also had been to new regional power groups. At the same time, the regional power groups also preserved strength, waiting for the opportunities to re-emergence.In 1916, the war that protecting the Republic of China broken out because of the imperialization implemented by Yuan Shikai. During the war, the regional power groups took the opportunity to rise one after another. Some of them crusaded against Yuan Shikai by force, others declared neutrally. At the same time, they expanded their influence. The monarchy movement failed ultimately. Yuan Shikai died of depression.After Yuan Shikai's death, regional power groups rose again, controlled the provinces, and undermined the centralization of authority. At last, they became new political force-warlord. The results, what were achieved from the reform by Yuan Shikai, were all lost. The political situation of Republic of China became chaotic situation once again, and run into the time that warlord dominating region.This article regards the regional power groups as the research object, regards the provinces as the research region, regards the period ruled by Yuan Shikai as research period, regards the the centralization of authority and separation of powers as the breakthrough point, standing out the principal contradictions between the central government ruled by Yuan Shikai and the regional government ruled by regional power groups, so as to understand the regional power groups correctly. At the same time, in order to make the article more lively and specifically, this article will describe the policies implemented by Yuan Shikai and the fluctuations of the military forces in all provinces during this period so as to make the description more engaging and painstakingly.