republic · China, Tibet and Mongolia

Beiyang government

1912 CE – 1928 CE · capital Beijing

The internationally recognised government of the Republic of China based in Beijing, dominated first by Yuan Shikai and then by rival warlord cliques.

Origins

Yuan Shikai, commander of the Beiyang Army, the most modern Qing force, negotiated the abdication of the last emperor in 1912 and replaced Sun Yat-sen as president of the new Republic of China, keeping the capital in Beijing. He crushed the Nationalists' Second Revolution of 1913 and governed increasingly as a dictator.

Rule and society

After Yuan's failed attempt to restore the monarchy as the Empire of China (1915-1916) and his death, control of Beijing passed between military cliques: the Anhui clique of Duan Qirui, the Zhili clique of Cao Kun and Wu Peifu, and the Fengtian clique of Zhang Zuolin. Cabinets and presidents changed rapidly, while provinces ruled themselves. China joined the First World War in 1917, and anger at the peace settlement sparked the May Fourth Movement in 1919.

Decline and legacy

The Nationalist government's Northern Expedition from 1926 defeated the northern warlords. Zhang Zuolin abandoned Beijing in June 1928 and was killed by a Japanese bomb; Beijing was renamed Beiping and the capital moved to Nanjing.

Lineage

Empire of China (1915-1916) 1915 CE – 1916 CEBeiyang governmentEmpire of China (1915-1916) 1915 CE – 1916 CE Nationalist government 1925 CE – 1948 CE

Connections (2)

Beiyang government was part of Republic of China1912 CE – 1928 CE
Canton Military Government split from Beiyang government1917 CE

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Cite this page

APA: The Epoch Institute. (2026). Beiyang government. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/beiyang-government
MLA: “Beiyang government.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/beiyang-government. Accessed .
Chicago: The Epoch Institute. “Beiyang government.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/beiyang-government.
Harvard: The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Beiyang government’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/beiyang-government (Accessed: ).

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