General yuan shikai biography

Yuan Shikai ( – ) was a Chinese politician, militarist, general, warlord and the first official or formal President of the Republic of China.

He had huge influence during the last days of the Qing Dynasty (–) and the beginning of the Republican era ( – ). Here are top ten facts about China's greatest general.

1. He was the first official president of the Republic of China.

Yuan Shikai was named the first official president of China on February 15, after the abdication of Qing Dynasty's last emperor Aisian-Gioro (Puyi) who became emperor at the age of 2 years, 4 years earlier, after being summoned by Empress Dowager Cixi, the true, behind-the-curtain ruler at the end of the QIng era.

After the Revolution, Yuan Shikai negotiated the abdication of Puyi, which led to the formal fall of the Qing Dynasty after a brief civil war with Sun Yat-sen's forces.

Sun Yat-sen was the provisional president until Yuan Shikai too