Yuan Shih-k sumed the attitude quarrelled with Pa serted the preside Jover his Cabinet. Tong Shao-yi, who was the first Premier of the Republic, was forced to resign when the found that the Premier and the Cabinet were to have almost no voice in government; chat the President was to assume not only leadership, but. dictatorship.
The year 1912 was spent in organizing the government, in write og a constitution, in planning for ithe reconstruction of the government, On April 8, 1913, the two Houses of Parliament, after due election, mot and immediately a battle ensued between the President and Parliament, Jas to which was to assume leadership jin shaping the affairs of the nation.
In July 1913, the "Second Revolution" broke out, the first of a series minor civil wars, which have for their object the selection of a Government and the determination of poli-teal issues by armed force. This revolution was led by leaders of the Kuomintang, a political party which assumed leadership immediately after the abdication of the Manchus and which regarded it as its hi torical aim to model the Chinese Government after European and American political formulae. This revolution was soon suppressed. Yuan Shih-kai, who had not been formally elected President, was now constitutionally placed in that office, Jand General Li Yuan-hung, who had Ted the revolutionary armies Wuchang, was elected Vice-President, Yuan now proscribed the Kuomintang as a seditious body and deprived ite members of seats in Parliament, This had the immediate effect of leaving, Parliament without a quorum, since the Kuomin-Rang easily held the—majority of seats, Yuan now dete govern altogether without Parl ent. He abolished it and organized fan advisory body which he filled with hhis friends. From. January 1914, for two years, Yuan Shih-Kal was absolute dictator of China, It was [during this period that he considered [the possibility of returning to the. fmonarchieal form' of government with himself as Emperor. This plan had some official: support, many his colleagues in office agreeing to the proposal. The articulate public was, however, dissatisfied with the plan.
On Christmas Day, 1915, Tsai Ao jin "distant Yunnan. raised the standard of revolt. Again a-civil }war-broke out, the southern pro-wines. taking the!!-lead. Yunnan, [Kueichow:- and Kuangsi> declared "themselves independent of the Cen-whatever power accrued: to him in this way, to strengthen the army and to use it to establish another military dictatorship.
On March 4, 1917, Tuan resigned and left for Tientsin. This act wai sufficient to frighten the President into a belie? what a fourth civil war was imminent; he recalled Tuan, agreed to his policies and pra placed himself in the position subservience to lis own Premier, to consider ina's participation in' the. war. When," the resolution proposing China's entry into the war' as a bel= higerent was laid before Parliament, was opposed there and serious demonstrations took place in Poking. The Military Governors demanded that Parliament be dissolved, since the constitution on which it was still labouring was unworkable, "General Chang Hsun now undertook to the President from. Peking and to restore the Emperor, Tuan Chi-jul, who had retired, took up arms against Chang Hsun, defeated him and restored the Re: public. Li Yuan-hung, who fled during Chang Hsun's coup, declined to return, Feng Kuo-chang, the Vice: President, thereupon assumed the Presidency,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.