Editing Wuchang Uprising

{{Short description|1911 revolt against Qing rule in China}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{distinguish|Battle of Wuchang|Battle of Wuhan}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict          = Wuchang Uprising
| partof            = the [[1911 Revolution]]
| image             = Hubei Military Government.jpg
| image_size        = 300px
| caption           = Establishment of the [[Republic of China (1912–1949)|Republic of China]]
| date              = 10 October{{snd}}1 December 1911
| place             = [[Wuchang]], Hubei, [[Qing dynasty]]
| result            = [[Tongmenghui]] victory
| combatant1        = {{flag|Qing dynasty}}
| combatant2        = {{flagicon image|Naval Jack of the Republic of China.svg}} [[Tongmenghui]]<br />{{flagicon image|鐵血十八星旗.svg}} Hubei Military Government
| combatant3        = 
| commander1        = {{ubl
 | {{flagicon|Qing dynasty}} [[Ruicheng (Qing dynasty)|Ruicheng]]
 | {{flagicon|Qing Dynasty}} Zhang Hu
}}
| commander2        = {{ubl
 | {{flagicon image|Naval Jack of the Republic of China.svg}} [[Huang Xing]]
 | {{flagicon image|Naval Jack of the Republic of China.svg}} Xiong Bingkun
 | [[Li Yuanhong]]
}}
| strength1         = 10,000 troops
| strength2         = 2,000 troops
| casualties1       = ~4,000 killed
| casualties2       = ~1,000 killed
| notes             = {{Infobox Chinese|child=yes|showflag=p
 | t = 武昌起義
 | s = 武昌起义
 | j = Mou5 coeng1 hei2 ji6
 | p = Wǔchāng qǐyì
 | mi = {{IPAc-cmn|wu|3|.|ch|ang|1|-|q|i|3|.|yi|4}}
 | y = Móuh chēung héi yih
}}
}}
The '''Wuchang Uprising''' was an armed rebellion against the ruling [[Qing dynasty]] that took place in Wuchang (now [[Wuchang District]] of [[Wuhan]]) in the Chinese province of [[Hubei]] on 10 October 1911, beginning the [[Xinhai Revolution]] that successfully overthrew China's last imperial dynasty. It was led by elements of the [[New Army]], influenced by revolutionary ideas from [[Tongmenghui]].{{sfn|Esherick|Wei|2013|page=122}} The uprising and the eventual revolution directly led to the downfall of the Qing dynasty with almost three centuries of imperial rule, and the establishment of the [[Republic of China (1912–1949)|Republic of China]] (ROC), which commemorates the anniversary of the uprising's outbreak on 10 October as the [[National Day of the Republic of China]].

The uprising originated from [[Railway Protection Movement|popular unrest about a railway crisis]], and the planning process took advantage of the situation.{{sfn|Esherick|Wei|2013|page=89}} On 10 October 1911, the New Army stationed in Wuchang launched an assault on the residence of the [[Viceroy of Huguang]]. The viceroy [[Ruicheng (Qing dynasty)|Ruicheng]] quickly fled from the residence, and the revolutionaries soon took control of the entire city.{{sfn|Esherick|Wei|2013|pages=140–141}}

== Background ==
=== Tongmenghui ===

In 1895, China was decisively defeated by Japan in the [[First Sino-Japanese War]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kim |first=Samuel S. |title=The Two Koreas and the Great Powers |year=2006|publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-66899-6 |page=2 |doi=10.1017/cbo9780511510496}}</ref> Intellectuals in China were divided into several factions. Constitutional monarchist reformers led by [[Kang Youwei]] and [[Liang Qichao]] took control initially, and orchestrated the [[Hundred Days' Reform]] in the Qing government. The reforms failed due to the [[Wuxu Coup]] by [[Empress Dowager Cixi]]. Disillusioned with the [[Emperor of China|monarchy]] and the [[Qing government]], many revolutionary groups began emerging across the country. In 1905, revolutionary leaders such as [[Sun Yat-sen]] and [[Song Jiaoren]] met in [[Tokyo]] to discuss a merger between different revolutionary groups. A new group known as [[Tongmenghui]] was formed after this meeting.{{sfn|Bergère|Lloyd|1998|page=99}}

=== Railway Protection Movement ===
{{main|Railway Protection Movement}}

After the [[Boxer Rebellion]], many Western powers saw railway investments as part of the consolidation in their spheres of influence over China. Railway constructions took place across [[Shandong]], [[Yangtze Valley]], [[Kunming]] and [[Manchuria]].{{sfn|Esherick|Wei|2013|page=90}} Provincial governments, with permission from the Qing court, also began to construct their own railways. The [[Canton-Hankou Railway]] and [[Sichuan-Hankou Railway]] were under the oversight of [[Guangdong]], [[Hunan]], [[Hubei]] and [[Sichuan]].{{sfn|Esherick|Wei|2013|page=96}} Faced with ongoing financial struggles, partly due to ongoing indemnity payments from the [[Boxer Protocol]], the Qing court turned to [[Sheng Xuanhuai]] in 1910, a "classic bureaucratic capitalist", and adhered to his policy of securing foreign loans through the nationalization of all railway lines.{{sfn|Esherick|Wei|2013|page=99}} This policy was met with stiff resistance, particularly in Sichuan, and the resistance quickly turned into a movement  known as the ''Sichuan Railway Protection Movement''. In response, the Qing court suppressed the unrest by force, contributing to the declining popularity of its government.{{sfn|Esherick|Wei|2013|page=89}} By August 11 there were massive strikes and rallies in [[Chengdu]]. On 7 September the [[Viceroy of Sichuan]], [[Zhao Erfeng]], was asked to "intervene vigorously", and he ordered the arrest of key leaders in the Railway Protection League, then ordered troops to open fire on the protesters.{{sfn|Esherick|Wei|2013|page=98}} Subsequent fighting around Chengdu prompted the diversion of troops to Sichuan from [[central China]], which later became an important factor in the Wuchang Uprising's success.<ref name=":6">{{Cite book |last=Driscoll |first=Mark W. |title=The Whites are Enemies of Heaven: Climate Caucasianism and Asian Ecological Protection |date=2020 |publisher=[[Duke University Press]] |isbn=978-1-4780-1121-7 |location=Durham}}</ref>{{Rp|page=287}}

Meanwhile, inaction toward nationalization of railway lines in both Hunan and Hubei were criticized by the local press. Confidence in the Qing government among the populace continued to deteriorate in response to the escalation of the railway crisis.{{sfn|Esherick|Wei|2013|page=13}}

== Prelude ==
[[File:wuchangmilitary9star.jpg|thumb|Wuchang military nine-star flag, with the [[Taijitu]] symbol in the middle]]
[[File:鐵血十八星旗.svg|thumb|Banner of the Wuchang Uprising, later used as the flag of the Republic of China army from 1913 to 1928]]
There were two revolutionary groups in the Wuhan area, the Literary Society ({{lang|zh|文學社}}) and the Progressive Association ({{lang|zh|共進會}}). These groups, led by Jiang Yiwu ({{lang|zh|蔣翊武}}) and Sun Wu ({{lang|zh|孫武}}) respectively, worked closely together as commander and chief of staff of the revolutionary efforts in Wuhan.{{sfn|Esherick|Wei|2013|page=140}}  Beginning in September, 1911, these two groups began negotiating with the [[Tongmenghui]] ({{lang|zh-Hant|同盟會}}) for possible collaboration in the next uprising. The date was originally set for 6 October, on the [[Mid-Autumn festival]]. The date was later postponed, due to inadequate preparations.{{sfn|Esherick|Wei|2013|page=165}} On 9 October, while Sun Wu was supervising the making of explosive devices in the [[List of foreign enclaves in China#Russian|Russian concession]] in [[Hankou]], one of the devices exploded unexpectedly, inflicting serious injuries on Sun. When he was hospitalized, the hospital staff discovered his identity and alerted the Qing authorities.{{sfn|Esherick|Wei|2013|page=107}}

== New Army mutiny ==
With their identities revealed, the revolutionaries in the New Army stationed in Wuchang were facing imminent arrest by the Qing authorities. The decision was made by Jiang Yiwu of the Literary Society to immediately launch the uprising, but the plot was leaked to the Viceroy of Huguang, and he ordered a crackdown of the revolutionaries, arresting and executing several prominent members.{{sfn|Esherick|Wei|2013|page=107}}
[[File:Beheaded revolutionists in Wuchang.jpg|thumb|left|The revolutionists arrested by Qing troops were beheaded on early morning, October 10, 1911]]
On the evening of 10 October, Wu Zhaolin ({{lang|zh|吴兆麟}}) as provisional commander led the revolutionary elements of the New Army staged a mutiny against the Qing garrison in Huguang, capturing the residence of the Viceroy in the process along with securing strategic points in the city after intense fighting.{{sfn|Esherick|Wei|2013|page=107}} As the Viceroy escaped, the Qing garrison fell into disarray. Between the night of 10 October and noon of 11th, "more than 500 Manchu soldiers were killed" with "over 300 captured".{{sfn|Esherick|Wei|2013|page=141}}

== Establishment of Hubei military government ==

On 11 October, the mutineers established a military government representing the Hubei province, and persuaded one of the high-ranking officers in the New Army, [[Li Yuanhong]], to be the temporary leader.{{sfn|Esherick|Wei|2013|page=107}}{{sfn|Bergère|Lloyd|1998|page=204}} Li was initially resistant to the idea, but he was eventually convinced by the mutineers after they approached him.{{sfn|Esherick|Wei|2013|page=141}} The newly established military government were able to confirm that foreign powers would not intervene in the uprising, and they went on to raise the "iron blood 18-star flag" while signaling for the other provinces to follow their suit.{{sfn|Bergère|Lloyd|1998|page=205}} On 12 October, the revolutionaries marched toward the rest of the province, capturing [[Hankou]] and [[Hanyang District|Hanyang]] in the process.{{sfn|Bergère|Lloyd|1998|page=204}}

== Battle of Yangxia ==
{{main|Battle of Yangxia}}
[[File:Hankou Chinese Revolution 1911.jpg|thumb|[[Beiyang Army]] on the way to [[Hankou]], 1911]]

In response to the uprising, the Qing government called for the help of [[Yuan Shikai]] and the [[Beiyang Army]] to march toward Wuchang. For the revolutionaries, [[Huang Xing]] would arrive at Wuhan in early November to take over the command. Positions of revolutionary forces in Wuhan were subsequently attacked by the Beiyang Army, and the imperial troops were soon able to recapture Hankou on 1 November and Hanyang on 27 November. The offensive was halted after the capture of these two positions, as Yuan Shikai began to secretly negotiate with the revolutionaries.{{sfn|Bergère|Lloyd|1998|page=205}}{{sfn|Bergère|Lloyd|1998|page=218}}

== Aftermath ==
{{main|Xinhai Revolution}}
[[File:WuchangUprising.jpg|thumb|[[Sun Yat-sen]]'s statue at the First Uprising Plaza of [[Wuhan]] in front of the former Hubei military government building]]

The Wuchang Uprising took many revolutionary leaders by surprise; Huang Xing and Song Jiaoren were unable to reach Wuchang in time.{{sfn|Bergère|Lloyd|1998|page=204}} Sun Yat-sen was traveling in the United States speaking to [[overseas Chinese]] to appeal for financial support when the uprising took place.{{sfn|Bergère|Lloyd|1998|page=207}} Although Sun received a telegram from Huang Xing, he was unable to decipher it, and found out about the uprising the next morning in the newspaper.{{sfn|Bergère|Lloyd|1998|page=207}} After the successful uprising in Wuchang, the revolutionaries sent telegraphs to other provinces and asked them to follow in their suit, upon which eighteen provinces in [[Southern China|Southern]] and [[Central China]] agreed to secede from the Qing government by the end of December, 1911.{{sfn|Esherick|Wei|2013|page=184}}

As part of the resolution of the uprising, the Qing government agreed to a general amnesty for political prisoners.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Yang |first=Zhiyi |title=Poetry, History, Memory: Wang Jingwei and China in Dark Times |date=2023 |publisher=[[The University of Michigan Press]] |isbn=978-0-472-05650-7 |location=Ann Arbor}}</ref>{{Rp|page=44}} [[Wang Jingwei]] was among those released.<ref name=":0" />{{Rp|page=44}}

In the same month, Sun returned to China to participate in the [[1911 Republic of China provisional presidential elections|provisional presidential election]] and was elected.{{sfn|Bergère|Lloyd|1998|page=208}} Representatives from the seceding provinces met on 1 January 1912, and declared the founding of the [[Republic of China (1912–1949)|Chinese Republic]] as Sun was sworn in as the first president.{{sfn|Bergère|Lloyd|1998|page=209}} The new republic then negotiated with [[Yuan Shikai]] to pressure the Qing government to surrender, offering the presidency in the process. On 12 February 1912, [[Empress Dowager Longyu]], on behalf of [[Aisin Gioro Puyi]], the Xuantong emperor, announced the abdication of the Qing throne, marking the end of the dynasty.{{sfn|Bergère|Lloyd|1998|page=219}}

== References ==
=== Citations ===
{{Reflist|23em}}

=== Sources ===
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book |last1=Bergère|first1=Marie-Claire|last2=Lloyd|first2=Janet |title=Sun Yat-senb|date=1998|publisher=Stanford University Press |location=Stanford|isbn=978-0804740111 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=vh7M1u4IGFkC }}
* {{cite book |last1=Esherick |first1=Joseph W. |last2=Wei |first2 = C.X. George |title= China: How the Empire Fell |date=2013 |publisher=Routledge |location= New York |isbn=978-1134612222 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=7SJiAgAAQBAJ }}
* {{cite book |last=Cao|first=Yabo |title = The Real History of Wuchang Uprising |date=1930 |publisher=Shanghai Bookstore Publishing House |location=Shanghai }}
* {{cite book |author = CPPCC Hubei Committee |title = Memoirs of the 1911 Revolution: Series 1 |date=2011 |publisher=Hubei people's Publishing House |location=Wuhan |isbn=9787503431050 }}
* {{cite book |last=Li |first=Yuanhong |title=Vice President Li's Political Books |volume = iii |date=1914 |publisher=Hubei Official Book Printing Bureau |location=Wuhan |isbn=9787503431050 }}
* {{cite book |last=Lu |first=Hanchao |title = Birth of a Republic |date=2017 |publisher=University of Washington Press |location=Seattle |isbn=978-0295806907 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=KKRuPgAACAAJ }}
* {{cite journal |journal = Republic of China Gazette |title = October 22nd |date = 22 October 1911 }}
* {{cite book |last=Yang |first=Yuru |title = The First Book of the 1911 Revolution |date=2013 |publisher=Intellectual Property Publishing House |location=Beijing |isbn=9787513016780}}
* {{cite book |last=Zhang|first=Kaiyuan |title= History of the 1911 Revolution (3) |date=1980 |publisher=Oriental Press |location=Beijing|isbn=9787547301234}}
{{refend}}

== External links ==
* {{Commons category-inline|Wuchang Uprising}}

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[[Category:1911 Revolution]]
[[Category:1911 in China]]
[[Category:Military history of Wuhan]]
[[Category:Conflicts in Hubei]]
[[Category:Attacks on government buildings and structures in China]]