AHC: Yuan Shikai's New Chinese Empire Endures

Hendryk

Banned
Didn't someone write a TL about it here?

Edit: No, I remember it wrong. It's Hendryk's Superpower Empire I'm thinking about, but he has Yuan Shikai replaced by a more competent person (Yuan Shikai was pretty much just a corrupt douche-bag). Here's the link:https://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=86560&highlight=Superpower+Empire
Yes, the POD of my TL is that Yuan dies in February 1912. The result is close--a successful imperial restoration--but it isn't OTL's attempt. Yuan had several things going against him, one of them being his reliance on Beiyang officers who were loyal to him so long as he could deliver the goodies, but who went rogue the minute supporting him was no longer expedient. If one wants Yuan to stay in power, one needs a POD circa 1913, as the seeds of warlordism were sown in the 1913-1915 period, and by the time he made his bid for emperorship it was too late (see Edward McCord's The Power of the Gun: The Emergence of Modern Chinese Warlordism).

There is a very narrow window in December 1915 during which Yuan might nip in the bud the incipient rebellion against his rule (perhaps Cai E's earlier death could help with that) but even then, it was probably only a question of time until the Beiyang officers turned against him.
 
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