The May 4, 1919, demonstrations (or revolution, as it is referred to sometimes) opened a public discourse in China over the nation’s past and future direction.  It was partially precipitated by the betrayal China received from the Paris Peace Conference. 

After Yuan Shikai’s death in 1916, the next twelve years pitted regional warlords against each other for control of the national government.  This period of time is known as the Beiyang Warlord Era.  China only had limited involvement in World War I.  Jap

Spring of 1912, and Yuan Shikai is the first president of the Republic of China.  He was given considerable powers, and quickly moved to consolidate it. The newly elected legislative assemblies, both national and provincial, were new political concepts to

The roughly forty-year period, between the fall of the imperial Qing Dynasty to the inauguration of the People’s Republic of China, is a complex, confusing, and ambiguous era in the history of China.  The era is defined by powerful and violent foreign inf

This series will cover the roughly 40-to-50-year period of Chinese history.  It will cover the waning years of the imperial Qing Dynasty to the inauguration of Communist China and the Chinese Nationalist resettlement on Taiwan.  A fascinating and complex

A final word about (and lessons from) each of the revolutions.

By 1797, the second Directory already had a bad reputation and was mistrusted. It was viewed as corrupt and needed the military to support its continued existence.  The public had turned against the Directory.  In desperation, a coup d’état was planned. I

The Jacobins unsuccessfully stage a coup d’état in a final attempt to restore their political power in France.  By the late 1790’s, France was ready to move away from their radical message.   A new government was elected.  A new Directory took its seat. 

By the fall of 1794, the Reign of Terror was ending.  France had turned anti-Jacobin.  The terror and tyranny offered by them was no longer seen as productive.  In 1795, the new French Constitution was adopted and the new government seated.  The new legis

By 1793, The War of (or in) the Vendee region (in France) exploded into a major counter revolution/insurrection against the French Revolution.  With the European war also going bad, the Committee of Public Safety took drastic measures to stop the insurrec