How did Sun Yat-sen become provisional president of the Republic of China?

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Following the outbreak of the 1911 revolution in Wuhan, which led to the successful secession of various provinces from the Qing dynasty, Sun Yat-sen returned to China from the United States in December 1911.12

Upon his arrival in Shanghai, delegates gathered in Nanjing elected him as the provisional president of the newly proclaimed republic. Sun’s tenure was brief; recognizing the military strength of the imperial minister Yuan Shikai, Sun sought to unify the country by negotiating a transition of power. After the abdication of the Qing emperor in February 1912, Sun voluntarily resigned his position, and Yuan Shikai was subsequently elected as his successor.123