History UsefulNotes / NoMoreEmperors

In response to these concessions, resentment grew towards the Qing Dynasty and its inability to ward off foreign powers from its soil. Chinese intellectuals and revolutionaries formed organizations which aimed to overthrow the weak Qing government and establish a new Chinese state that could defend itself against foreign intrusions. In 1905, several of these revolutionary groups merged to form the Tongmenghui, or United League. The organization was headed by Sun Yat-Sen[[note]]also known as Sun Yixian [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Names_of_Sun_Yat-sen among other names,]] based on [[UsefulNotes/WhyMaoChangedHisName the current Pinyin scheme of transcribing the Chinese language into the Latin alphabet]],[[/note]], an intellectual and doctor by trade, who believed that a new China must arise based on what he believed to be the '''Three Principles of the People''': Nationalism, Democracy, and Socialism. These principles attracted wide support from nationalists, communists, and even some monarchists. Because of his broad appeal, Sun Yat-Sen has been regarded as the "father of modern China" in both Taiwan and China.

In response to these concessions, resentment grew towards the Qing Dynasty and its inability to ward off foreign powers from its soil. Chinese intellectuals and revolutionaries formed organizations which aimed to overthrow the weak Qing government and establish a new Chinese state that could defend itself against foreign intrusions. In 1905, several of these revolutionary groups merged to form the Tongmenghui, or United League. The organization was headed by Sun Yat-Sen[[note]]also known as Sun Yixian [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Names_of_Sun_Yat-sen among other names,]] based on [[UsefulNotes/WhyMaoChangedHisName the current Pinyin scheme of transcribing the Chinese language into the Latin alphabet]],[[/note]], an intellectual and doctor by trade, who believed that a new China must arise based on what he believed to be the '''Three Principles of the People''': Nationalism, Democracy, and Socialism. These principles attracted wide support from nationalists, communists, and even some monarchists. Because of his broad appeal, Sun Yat-Sen has been regarded as the "father of modern China" in both Taiwan and the communist mainland.

Taking advantage of the ensuing political turmoil, Yuan pressured what remained of the National Assembly into declaring him president, then ejected the KMT and its loyalists from government and dissolved the body. Yuan was more or less in complete control of China, but with that said, he was not a particularly popular leader. His popularity took a nosedive when he conceded to most of the 'Twenty-One Demands' made by UsefulNotes/ImperialJapan, granting them economic and territorial concessions in Northern China/UsefulNotes/{{Manchuria}}. In an attempt to boost his shaky legitimacy, he ''tried to declare himself Emperor''. However, most of the country's middle classes wanted a Republic, and a democratic one at that. Yuan was forced to resign as Emperor in 1916, and died soon after. His rule undid many of the successes of the 1911 Revolution, most notably all hope of a central and stable government, let alone a democratic one. Under his rule the different regions of China slowly drifted apart, and upon his death the country fragmented.

It's worth noting that although overall growth was veeeery slow because most regions attracted little foreign investment from those not keen to invest in intermittent-warzones, domestic investment prevented stagnation and several more stable and relatively-unmolested areas, like Manchuria (and the lower Yangzi, to a lesser extent), prospered and experienced growth and development which brought them on-par with parts of south-eastern Europe, India, or Latin America. The net effect was a Chinese economy which grew at roughly the same rate it had done in the last few decades of the Empire of the Qing's existence. One could say that this was development ''despite'' the country's somewhat-unstable political situation, and certainly not ''because'' of it.

* The ''VideoGame/VictoriaAnEmpireUnderTheSun'' series takes place between 1836-1936. Thus, while not guaranteed to happen in every playthrough due to [[AlternateHistory every game playing out in its own unique way]], it is possible to witness the historical collapse of the Qing Dynasty and the descent of China into warlordism. The third game's DLC ''Voice of the People'' also includes Sun Yat-Sen as a historical republican agitator who may appear in China around the turn of the century. On top of that, while various {{Game Mod}}s to first and second game railroad the game pretty heavily to turn China into bunch of warlord states from the turn of the century onward - and second game had an unlikely, but still scripted possibility for the Republic of China to devolve into the major warlord cliques.

* The ''VideoGame/VictoriaAnEmpireUnderTheSun'' series takes place between 1836-1936. Thus, while not guaranteed to happen in every playthrough due to [[AlternateHistory every game playing out in its own unique way]], it is possible to witness the historical collapse of the Qing Dynasty and the descent of China into warlordism. The third game's DLC ''Voice of the People'' also includes Sun Yat-Sen as a historical republican agitator who may appear in China around the turn of the century.

By the turn of the twentieth century, the Qing Dynasty, which had been in power since 1644, [[VestigialEmpire had become a shell of its former self]], its power and influence having dwindled greatly. It had failed to modernize its government and economy, and did not take part in the industrial revolution, remaining a predominantly agrarian nation, as it had been since the beginning of recorded history. As a result of its weakness, foreign powers such as Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and Japan had all made concessions in China, taking control of its ports and railways, and ultimately having more influence in China than the Imperial Government itself.

By the turn of the twentieth century, the Qing Dynasty, which had been in power since 1644, [[VestigialEmpire had pretty much become a shell of its former self]], its power and influence having dwindled greatly. This was mainly due to the fact that it had failed to modernize its government and economy, and did not take part in the industrial revolution, remaining a largely agrarian nation, as it had been since the beginning of history. As a result of its relative weakness, foreign powers such as Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and Japan had all made concessions in China, taking control of its ports and railways, and ultimately having more influence in China than the Imperial Government itself.

-->- [[http://digitalarchive.wilsoncenter.org/document/112080 July 31, 1958, FIRST CONVERSATION BETWEEN N.S. KHRUSHCHEV AND MAO ZEDONG, HALL OF HUAIZHENTAN (BEIJING)]]

[[caption-width-right:300:Yuan Shikai became president, manipulated a rubberstamp assembly into giving him full powers, and then declared himself emperor. It didn't work out.]]

->'''UsefulNotes/{{Mao|Zedong}}:''' ''[[UsefulNotes/JosephStalin Stalin's]] first major error was one as a result of which the Chinese Communist Party was left with one-tenth of the territory that it had. His second error was that, when China was ripe for revolution, he advised us not to rise in revolution and said that if we started a war with [[UsefulNotes/ChiangKaiShek Jiang Jieshi]] that might threaten the entire nation with destruction.''\\

* The first ''VideoGame/ShadowHearts'' game takes place in mainland China in 1914. Due to the AlternateTimeline the series is set on, events differs from their real life counterparts: Imperial Japan has been in control of Shanghai since at least 1900 as the backstory of the main antagonist of the first half involved him trying to summon a god to wipe out all the "foreign devils" in the city fifteen years prior to the events of the game only to be foiled at the last minute. Yuri and co. are trying to foil his second attempt while getting help from the Japanese army at the request of Lieutenant Colonel Kawashima who has taken great interest on the group.

* ''Spring in a Small Town'' (小城之春) by Fei Mu is also set during the short lull after Second Sino-Japanese War, as well as its 2002 remake by Tian Zhuangzhuang.