1912 CE / East Asia
The Republic of China Is Founded and Imperial Rule Ends
Sun Yat-sen took office as provisional president in Nanjing, and the Qing emperor subsequently abdicated; the establishment of a republic began a new phase of state-building while leaving problems of divided power and war.
The story
On January 1, 1912, Sun Yat-sen took office in Nanjing as provisional president of the Republic of China. The Qing emperor abdicated in February, Yuan Shikai subsequently succeeded Sun, and a republican system replaced imperial rule. Yet a single revolution did not resolve relations between central and local power, constitutional government, or popular participation, and warlord fragmentation and political conflict followed. This entry records the founding of the Republic of China and the end of imperial rule in 1912; the years 1912–1949 serve only to define a phase of modern mainland Chinese history in this atlas.
Elsewhere in the world
The revolution at the end of the Qing dynasty was connected to overseas Chinese communities, the international circulation of ideas, and diplomacy among the major powers; transitions from empires to republics also occurred elsewhere in the world.
Dates and precision
1912 CE Documented date
Positioned by the documented year, month or day; missing months and days are not inferred.
Representative map location
Nanjing
Nanjing represents the establishment of the provisional government. The Qing emperor abdicated in Beijing; this point does not locate the presidential palace’s inauguration hall.
Representative coordinates · 32.06°, 118.797°
Coordinates locate a representative point for the story. They do not mean the event happened only here and do not represent historical borders.
Bibliography
- National Museum of China | Provisional President Sun Yat-sen’s Address to Army and Navy Personnel
- National Museum of China | Abdication Edict of the Qing Xuantong Emperor Puyi
- Office of the Historian, U.S. Department of State | The Chinese Revolution of 1911
- Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum, Hong Kong | Record of the January 1, 1912 Inauguration in Nanjing
Sources are listed as bibliography titles, without external links. A reference does not mean every sentence or interpretation has been independently verified.