Editing Yuan Shikai (section)

=== Second revolution ===
Seeing the situation for his party worsen, Sun Yat-sen fled to Japan in August 1913, and called for a Second Revolution, this time against Yuan Shikai.<ref>Albert A. Altman, and Harold Z. Schiffrin, "Sun Yat-sen and the Japanese: 1914–16." ''Modern Asian Studies'' 6.4 (1972): 385–400.</ref> Subsequently, Yuan gradually took over the government, using the military as the base of his power. He dissolved the national and provincial assemblies, and the House of Representatives and Senate were replaced by the newly formed "Council of State", with [[Duan Qirui]], his trusted Beiyang lieutenant, as prime minister. He relied on the American-educated [[Tsai Tingkan]] for English translation and connections with western powers. Finally, Yuan had himself elected president to a five-year term, publicly labelled the KMT a seditious organization, ordered the KMT's dissolution, and evicted all its members from Parliament. The KMT's "Second Revolution" ended in failure as Yuan's troops achieved complete victory over revolutionary uprisings. Provincial governors with KMT loyalties who remained willingly submitted to Yuan. Because those commanders not loyal to Yuan were effectively removed from power, the Second Revolution cemented Yuan's power.<ref>Bonavia 36</ref><ref>Norman D. Palmer, "Makers of Modern China: II. The Strong Man: Yuan Shih-kai" ''Current History''   (Sep 1948): 15#85 pp. 149–55.</ref>

In January 1914, China's Parliament was formally dissolved. To give his government a semblance of legitimacy, Yuan convened a body of 66 men from his cabinet who, on 1 May 1914, produced a "constitutional compact" that effectively replaced China's provisional constitution. The new legal status quo gave Yuan, as president, practically unlimited powers over China's military, finances, foreign policy, and the rights of China's citizens. Yuan justified these reforms by stating that representative democracy had been proven inefficient by political infighting.<ref>Spence, Jonathan D. (1999) ''The Search for Modern China'', W.W. Norton and Company. p. 279. {{ISBN|0-393-97351-4}}.</ref>

After his victory, Yuan reorganized the provincial governments. Each province was supported by a military governor ({{lang|zh|都督}}) as well as a civil authority, giving each governor control of his own army. This helped lay the foundations for the [[warlord]]ism that crippled China over the next two decades.

During Yuan's presidency, [[Yuan Shikai coinage|silver coinage featuring his portrait]] was introduced. This coin type was the first "dollar" coin of the central authorities of the Republic of China to be minted in large quantities. It became a staple silver coin type during the first half of the 20th century and was struck for the last time as late as the 1950s. The coins were also extensively forged.<ref>{{cite book |last=Meyerhofer |first=Adi |title=袁大头. Yuan Shi-kai Dollar: 'Fat Man Dollar' Forgeries and Remints |url=http://zenwort.lima-city.de/YuanShikai-FatManDollar.pdf |year=2013 |location=Munich |access-date=25 April 2013 |archive-date=3 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303223113/http://zenwort.lima-city.de/YuanShikai-FatManDollar.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>