Wuchang Uprising

Wuchang Uprising
Part of Xinhai Revolution
Establishment of the Republic of China
Date October 10 , 1911 Location Wuchang, Hubei, China Result Decisive Tongmenghui Victory
Belligerents
Qing Empire	Tongmenghui
Commanders and leaders
Yuan Shikai Various others	Huang Xing Xiong Bingkun (熊秉坤) Li Yuanhong
Strength
10,000 Troops	2,000 Troops
Casualties and losses
~4,000 Killed	~1,000 killed

Wuchang Uprising
Traditional Chinese	武昌起義
Hanyu Pinyin	Wǔchāng Qǐyì
Transcriptions Mandarin - Hanyu Pinyin Wǔchāng Qǐyì Cantonese (Yue) - Jyutping mou5 coeng1 hei2 ji6

The Wuchang Uprising began with the dissatisfaction of the handling of a railway crisis. The crisis then escalated to an uprising where the revolutionaries went up against Qing government officials. The uprising was then assisted by the New Army in a coup against their own authorities in the city of Wuchang, Hubei province on October 10, 1911.^[1] The Battle of Yangxia led by Huang Xing would be the major battle in the uprising. These events served as a catalyst to the Xinhai Revolution, which led to the collapse of the Qing dynasty and the establishment of the Republic of China (ROC).

Canton and Sichuan railway crisis

Main article: Railway Protection Movement

After the Boxer Rebellion many countries saw China as a good target for railway investment.^[2] Many countries said they would build railways in areas of their influence even if the Qing government protested.^[2] Germany began building lines in Shandong, the British in Yangtze Valley, French in Kunming, Russians in Heilongjiang and the Japanese had the Southern Manchuria Railway company.^[2]

In 1905, citizens were locally managing the Canton - Hankou Railway and the Sichuan-Hankou railway (川漢鐵路) by themselves in Guangdong, Hunan, Hubei and Sichuan.^[3][4] The railways were supposed to link up with the rest of China.

In May 1911 the Qing government officials announced that they would nationalize those two railway lines, that were previously paid for by local private investors.^[3] In general, the Qing were under a lot of pressure, having to pay back huge debts for the Boxer protocol.^[2] So an announcement was made to seize the privately funded railways, to pay back debts to the foreigners, mainly Great Britain, Germany, France and the United States.^[3][1][5] Taking away the private railways caused much anger among the people. Protests were held in Changsha, and people in Guangdong boycotted government banknotes.^[3] By July the Qing government compensated the private investors, but the amount offered to Sichuan was much lower than all other provinces.^[3] This caused more anger.

By August 11 there was a massive strike and rally at Chengdu Sichuan.^[3] Governor official Zhao Erfeng in a panic, ordered the arrest of the nobles.^[3] The New Army in Wuhan were situated in Wuchang, Hankou and Hanyang at the time.^[6]

The Uprising

Wuchang military 9-star flag with the Taijitu symbol in the middle.^[1]

Revolutionary groups and bombing incident

The uprising itself broke out by accident. At the time there were two local revolutionary groups ready in Wuhan, the Literary society (文學社) and the Progressive Association (共進會).^[6] The two groups worked together led by Chiang Yi-wu (蔣翊武) and Sun wu (孫武).^[5] In September 1911 they began collaborating with the Tongmenghui.^[5] The original uprising date was set for October 6 on Mid-Autumn festival.^[5] But some people were not ready on that date, and so it was postponed.^[5] On October 9, 1911 Sun Wu was at the Russian concession of Hankou where bombs were being built. In one accident a bomb exploded causing Sun wu serious injuries.^[5] When he was sent to the hospital, the staff discovered the group were revolutionaries and alerted the Qing government.^[5]

New Army mutiny

Facing arrest, and certain execution, the revolutionaries had their identities revealed. They had no choice but to stage a coup. Qing Viceroy of Huguang Duan Zheng (瑞澂) tried to track down the revolutionaries.^[1] Jiang Yiwu (蔣翊武) of the Literary society decided to launch an attack that night, but was discovered by the Qing.^[1] Several members were arrested and executed.^[1]

Xiong Bingkun (熊秉坤) then decided to revolt on the evening of October 10, 1911 at 7pm.^[1] The modernized New Army in Wuchang staged a mutiny.^[6] While the New Army belonged to the Qing government, it has already been infiltrated by the then exiled Sun Yat-sen's anti-Qing allegiance.^[2] This event would takeover the government house office of Duan Zheng, who was terrified and escaped from a dig-tunnel.^[1] After fierce fighting, the army captured strategic points in the city. More revolutionaries joined the revolt and the government troops were defeated.^[6]

Sacrificial ceremony

Just one week after the start of the Wuchang uprising, Li Yuanhong made a sacrifice to Heaven, Earth and the Yellow Emperor.^[7] A wide earthen platform was constructed on military parade ground near the government offices. Fire sacrificial offerings were made in an altar for incense, wine and an ox according to tradition.^[7] Li and the officers kowtowed four times, while a prayer was read that told of the persecution of the Han by the Manchus and called the Yellow Emperor to assist in the establishment of the Republic.^[7] At the end, the soldiers raised their guns and shouted Ten thousand years three times.^[7] The ceremony was then over.

The Iron blood 18-star flag of the Wuchang Uprising

Establishment of Hubei military government

On October 11, the New Army established a military government in Hubei and Li Yuanhong was forced to become the new governor.^[1][6] It took some persuading to get Li to be the governor as one story said he was even hiding under a bed to avoid the position.^[4]

Once the army had taken the city, they went to the Yellow Crane Tower to raise the "Iron blood 18-star flag".^[5] This new military government called for other provinces to support the revolution and declared the founding of the Republic of China.^[6] This temporary government was referred to as the "Military Government of Hubei of the Republic of China" (湖北軍政府).^[1][5] By October 12 Hankou and Hanyang also fell into the hands of the revolutionaries.^[6]

Battle of Yangxia

Main article: Battle of Yangxia

The Qing government responded in October by ordering Yuan Shikai and the Beiyang Army to suppress the uprising in Wuchang. Huang Xing would arrive in Wuhan early November to take command of the revolutionary army.^[6] The revolutionaries and the loyalists fought a protracted battle in Hankou and Hanyang known as the Battle of Yangxia that would last until December 1, 1911. Although the loyalists eventually captured both towns, Yuan Shikai, the commander-in-chief of the Qing forces, halted the advance of loyalist Beiyang Army and agreed to a ceasefire and began negotiations on December 1.

Aftermath

Sun Yat-sen's statue stands on the First Uprising Plaza of Wuhan in front of the office building of the Hubei Military Government, the organization of revolutionaries established one day after the uprising.

Sun Yat-sen himself played no direct part with the uprising in Wuchang. He was traveling in the United States, trying to drum up financial support from overseas Chinese.^[8] At the time he was in Denver at the foot of the Rocky Mountains.^[8] He received a telegram from Huang Xing that was one week old and could not decipher it because he did not have the secret key with him.^[8] The next morning he read in the newspaper headline that the city of Wuchang was occupied by the revolutionaries.^[8] After the wuchang uprising, the revolutionaries telegraphed the other provinces asking them to declare their independence, and 15 provinces declared their independence from the Qing dynasty in Southern China and Central China.^[9]

Representatives from the seceding provinces met and declared the founding of the Republic of China on January 1, 1912.^[10] Sun Yat-sen would return to China on December 1911 to be elected provisional president of the Republic of China. Sun eventually agreed to cede his provisional presidency to Yuan Shikai, in exchange for Yuan's help in pressuring the Last Emperor to abdicate. On February 12, 1912, Puyi, the Last Emperor stepped down from the throne. The Qing dynasty could no longer govern itself as it seemed to have forefeited the mandate of heaven.^[4] This brought an end to the imperial era.

Culture

The date of the uprising, October 10, widely known as Double Ten Day (Chinese: 雙十節), is celebrated as the National Day (Chinese: 國慶日) of the Republic of China.^[11] It is one of the most important national holidays in Taiwan.

October 10 is not the National Day of the People's Republic of China, but there may also be memorial activities in mainland China, usually referring to the day as the Anniversary for the Wuchang Uprising (Chinese: 武昌起义纪念日).^[11] The equivalent celebration is usually done on October 1 on the National Day of the People's Republic of China.^[11]

See also

• Kuomintang
• Yellow Flower Mound revolt

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j} 戴逸, 龔書鐸. [2002] (2003) 中國通史. 清. Intelligence press. ISBN 962879289x. p 86-89.
2. ^ ^{a b c d e} Spence, Jonathan D. [1990] (1990). The search for modern China. W. W. Norton & Company publishing. ISBN 0393307808, 9780393307801. pg 250-256.
3. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} Reilly, Thomas. [1997] (1997). Science and Football III, Volume 3. Taylor & Francis publishing. ISBN 0419221603, 9780419221609. pg 277-278.
4. ^ ^{a b c} Fenby, Jonathan. [2008] (2008). The History of Modern China: The Fall and Rise of a Great Power. ISBN 978-0-713-99832-0. pg 107, pg 116, pg 119.
5. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i} 王恆偉. (2005) (2006) 中國歷史講堂 #6 民國. 中華書局. ISBN 962-8885-29-4. pg 3-7.
6. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h} Wang, Ke-wen. [1998] (1998). Modern China: an encyclopedia of history, culture, and nationalism. Taylor & Francis publishing. ISBN 0815307209, 9780815307204. pg 390-391.
7. ^ ^{a b c d} Harrison Henrietta. [2000] (2000). The making of the Republican citizen: political ceremonies and symbols in China, 1911-1929. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0198295197, 9780198295198. pg 16-17.
8. ^ ^{a b c d} Bergere, Marie-Claire. Lloyd Janet. [2000] (2000). Sun Yat-sen. Stanford university press. ISBN 0804740119, 9780804740111. p 207.
9. ^ Liu, Haiming. [2005] (2005). The transnational history of a Chinese family: immigrant letters, family business, and reverse migration. Rutgers University Press. ISBN 0813535972, 9780813535975.
10. ^ Welland, Sasah Su-ling. [2007] (2007). A Thousand miles of dreams: The journeys of two Chinese sisters. Rowman littlefield publishing. ISBN 0742553140, 9780742553149. pg 87.
11. ^ ^{a b c} 雙十節是？ 陸民眾：「國民黨」國慶. Tvbs.com.tw. Retrieved on 2011-10-08.