“The conflict between Yuan Shikai (Yuan Shih-k’ai) and the Guomindang, GMD (Kuomintang, KMT) undermined the principles of the Chinese Republic.” Discuss.

Candidates will offer a considered and balanced review of the ways in which Yuan Shikai (Yuan Shih-k’ai) undermined the principles of the Chinese Republic. Yuan was fundamentally opposed to the three principles proposed by the Guomindang, GMD (Kuomintang, KMT) and it is this conflict that was the core of Yuan’s attempts to seize power and consistently undermine the GMD.
Candidates may offer a conclusion that supports or rejects, wholly or partially, the view expressed. Both Yuan Shikai and the inchoate nationalist GMD were products of the collapse of China, and the breakdown of the state is a thread that runs through this period.

Indicative content

• Sun Yixian (Sun Yat-sen) returned from abroad after the 1911 “Double Ten” Nationalist Revolution and he became the provisional President of the new Chinese Republic. This was due to the popularity of his revolutionary ideals.
• Sun gave up the presidency of the republic to Yuan by 1 January 1912 because his fellow revolutionaries felt that Yuan was a strong and popular general who could save the country from civil war and that Yuan had the connections to facilitate the abdication of the Qing dynasty.
• This effectively ignored Sun’s Three Principles of the People and his theories about how a revolutionary government should be established.
• Once President, Yuan ignored the original conditions about transferring to Nanjing because he wanted to keep his support base in the north.
• Sun created the parliamentary party, the GMD, from the Alliance League in 1912 and it won a landslide election victory for the National Assembly in 1913.
• Sun remained in the south, but he was appointed director of railways. Sun initially had a naive faith in Yuan’s ability to be a good revolutionary ruler.
• Yuan felt threatened by the GMD. He had Song Jiaoren (Sung Chiao-jen), a prominent GMD member of the Assembly, assassinated.
• When Yuan borrowed money from foreign sources, the National Assembly attempted to impeach him.
• Sun, other GMD supporters and some provincial governors tried to overthrow Yuan, but he crushed the opposition violently and party politics failed.
• In November 1913, Yuan outlawed the GMD and Sun had to flee the country. In 1914, he dissolved the National Assembly and provincial assemblies, created a Council of State and became a dictator.
• Yuan’s government gave in to Japan’s 21 Demands in 1915. He tried to make himself emperor in 1915, but was thwarted by his own army officers and by unrest in various provinces.
• By the time he died in 1916, the power of the central government had been seriously weakened. His example undoubtedly encouraged other military commanders to use their armies to establish control over whatever regions they could and the period from 1916 to 1927 is considered the Warlord Era.

The above material is an indication of what candidates may elect to write about in their responses. However, the list is not exhaustive and no set answer is required.

Examiners and moderators are reminded of the need to apply the markbands that provide the “best fit” to the responses given by candidates and to award credit wherever it is possible to do so.

[20 marks]