5-2. Uncertainty

Spring of 1912, and Yuan Shikai is the first president of the Republic of China.  He was given considerable powers, and quickly moved to consolidate it. The newly elected legislative assemblies, both national and provincial, were new political concepts to China.  Whether or not any of this new concept would work depended on many factors and time.   The Nationalists, or Guomindang, were the dominant political party.  They soon, however, found themselves in dispute against the president, Yuan Shikai.  By 1914, he had dissolved the national and local legislatures.  In 1916, he sought to appoint himself an emperor.  That was quickly abandoned after strong and determined opposition. 

By 1915, world war was consuming the world’s attention. China declared her neutrality.  She had her own issues dealing with Japanese aggression in China.