New Army officer forced into the governorship at the Wuchang Uprising, twice president of the Republic
From Huangpi in Hubei, he graduated from the Tianjin naval academy, served in the First Sino-Japanese War and later commanded the 21st Mixed Brigade of the Hubei New Army. At the Wuchang Uprising of October 1911 the revolutionaries, needing a figure of standing, dragged him from hiding and made him military governor of Hubei. He was vice-president under both the Nanjing provisional government and the Beijing government from 1912, and in 1913 formed the Progressive Party with Liang Qichao and sided with Yuan Shikai in the Second Revolution. On Yuan’s death he became president in June 1916 and restored the Provisional Constitution and parliament, but clashed with Duan Qirui over entering the war and resigned after Zhang Xun’s restoration of 1917. He was president again in 1922–23 until Cao Kun forced him out.
Also known as: Li Yuan-hung
Activities and affiliations
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–1911
Qing dynasty state institutionsHubei New Army brigade commander
Military command -
1912
Republic of China state institutionsProvisional Vice President
Government and administration -
1916–1923
Beiyang government and warlordsPresident of the Republic of ChinaMain
Government and administration
Career Timeline
- 1894Served in the First Sino-Japanese War, surviving the sinking of his cruiser
- 1911Military governor of the Hubei Military Government
- 1912–1913Provisional Vice President of the Republic
- 1913Co-founded the Progressive Party
- 1916–1917President of the Republic of China
- 1917Resigned after Zhang Xun’s restoration
- 1922–1923President again