Second Revolution

The "Second Revolution" in Chinese history refers to a revolt in 1913 against Yuan Shikai, who had become president after the 1911 Chinese Revolution overthrew the Qing dynasty. The revolutionaries, largely represented by the Nationalist Party (Kuomintang), had won a majority in the newly elected parliament and advocated for a cabinet responsible to the legislature, not the president.1

Following the assassination of a key Nationalist leader, Song Jiaoren, and Yuan Shikai's securing of a large loan from foreign banks, tensions escalated. Yuan dismissed Nationalist provincial governors, prompting a revolt led by revolutionaries who had fled to Japan. Yuan's forces quickly suppressed this uprising, and he subsequently dissolved parliament, establishing a dictatorship. This period highlights the early power struggles and the challenges of establishing a stable republic in China.12