What was the Xinhai Revolution?

The Xinhai Revolution of 1911 overthrew China's final imperial dynasty, the Qing, ending over two millennia of imperial rule and establishing the Republic of China. Triggered by the Wuchang Uprising and a decade of agitation, the movement culminated in a compromise where revolutionary forces negotiated the emperor's abdication. Its name derives from the traditional Chinese sexagenary calendar cycle for the year 1911.

What we know

• The Xinhai Revolution ended the 267-year reign of the Qing dynasty and over two millennia of imperial rule in China. [1, 2]
• The flashpoint of the revolution was the Wuchang Uprising, an armed rebellion by members of the New Army on October 10, 1911. [1, 2]
• Sun Yat-sen was named the first President of the Republic of China after its establishment on January 1, 1912. [1, 2]
• The six-year-old Xuantong Emperor's edict of abdication was promulgated on February 12, 1912, following negotiations led by Yuan Shikai. [1, 2]

Where to go next

• what caused itHow did the Wuchang Uprising trigger the fall of the Qing dynasty?
• what followedWhat led to decades of warlordism in China after 1916?
• how it workedHow did traditional calendar cycles assign the name Xinhai?
• how we knowWhat is inside the Memorial Museum of the 1911 Revolution?
• whoWho was Sun Yat-sen?
• an unexpected connectionHow did a 1911 Chinese revolution share its timeline with European imperial collapses?While the Xinhai Revolution toppled China's dynastic empire in 1911, parallel massive political upheavals like the German revolution similarly dismantled major global empires around the same historical era.

Sources

• [1]Xinhai Revolution (Wikidata Q190517) · CC0 1.0
• [2]1911 Revolution · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]French Revolution · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Memorial Museum of 1911 Revolution · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]German revolution of 1918–1919 · CC BY-SA 4.0