Yuan Shikai overthrows the Qing earlier

What if Yuan Shikai overthrew the Qing Dynasty in a Coup détat around during or after the Boxer Rebellion, and declare himself Emperor.

How would Foreign Powers react to this Coup?
Would Yuan Shiaki modernize his new Empire of China like Japan
Would he create a constitutional monarchy?
 
Actually he wasn't. He was just an opportunist. If he thought the Qing was doomed to fall to westerners during the Boxer Rebellion, then he would have overthrown the Dynasty in Beijing and set up his own dynasty.
Though it would be at the ire of the Southern Governors.
 
Actually he wasn't. He was just an opportunist. If he thought the Qing was doomed to fall to westerners during the Boxer Rebellion, then he would have overthrown the Dynasty in Beijing and set up his own dynasty.
Though it would be at the ire of the Southern Governors.

Thank you! Wasn’t he also, around that time, the leader of the New Army(Beiyang Army)?
 

Kaze

Banned
Probably not having the constitution - but the power was in reach of any ambitious general.

Hell - there is a legend that after the Taiping Rebellion that one of the Qing Dynasty generals was presented a yellow robe (the same robe that Hong wore) and a note saying "now what" - he proceeded to eat both the robe and the note swallowing them. Yet the general was realistic to realize that he could do the "now what", but was too loyal to do so.

But the chaos of the rebellion could be a useful way to trigger your coup. As for dealing with the west - it would be best to send a message to the British viceroy in Hong Hong that you are suppressing the rebels and punishing them.
 
Wasn’t he also, around that time, the leader of the New Army(Beiyang Army)

You are correct there.

As well as being governor of the Shandong Province, who managed to surpress the Boxers in said province.

Incentive also comes in fear of the Gangxu Emperor returning to power, as he helped imprison him in a palace
 
Aside from shameless advertisement of my TL that deals with a similar scenario: the Powers would have to recognize him, as the alternative of a fragmented China and open scramble for concessions terrified them in 1900.
 
But whereas the Powers would give him recognition out of necessity, why would the other generals, viceroys and Manchu bannermen support him?
 
Actually he wasn't. He was just an opportunist. If he thought the Qing was doomed to fall to westerners during the Boxer Rebellion, then he would have overthrown the Dynasty in Beijing and set up his own dynasty.
Though it would be at the ire of the Southern Governors.

There's a good TL right there
 
Aside from shameless advertisement of my TL that deals with a similar scenario: the Powers would have to recognize him, as the alternative of a fragmented China and open scramble for concessions terrified them in 1900.

I will admit a lot of what I know of this time and place are from your timeline.

But whereas the Powers would give him recognition out of necessity, why would the other generals, viceroys and Manchu bannermen support him?

Well he had a base of power in Shandong and he was Governor, had a tight control over the New Army he was in charge of, and disobeyed the imperial Court in dealing with the Boxers and 8 nation alliance. If he decided to join this international alliance in besieging Beijing, he could have been served the offer to start his own dynasty in place.

Although I am curious about the implications of an Earlier warlord era.
 
Also I just want to say, Sun Yet-Sen was, around this time, was in exile. Would he return Early and try to start a a Republic with any Warlords he could work with, and fight against Yuan Shikai, Empire?
 

RousseauX

Donor
Also I just want to say, Sun Yet-Sen was, around this time, was in exile. Would he return Early and try to start a a Republic with any Warlords he could work with, and fight against Yuan Shikai, Empire?
No, Sun was always a figurehead until the 1920s, in otl he transferred the presidency to Yuan voluntarily
 
No, Sun was always a figurehead until the 1920s, in otl he transferred the presidency to Yuan voluntarily

I’m going to have to disagree with there. Sun Yet-Sen wasn’t just a figurehead, he was a Revolutionary Writer, in OTL he tried to start many uprisings against the Qing, and he started many groups against the Qing, like the Tongmenghui
 

RousseauX

Donor
I’m going to have to disagree with there. Sun Yet-Sen wasn’t just a figurehead, he was a Revolutionary Writer, in OTL he tried to start many uprisings against the Qing, and he started many groups against the Qing, like the Tongmenghui
Sun literally learned about the 1911 révolution in an american newspaper.
 
I’m going to have to disagree with there. Sun Yet-Sen wasn’t just a figurehead, he was a Revolutionary Writer, in OTL he tried to start many uprisings against the Qing, and he started many groups against the Qing, like the Tongmenghui
Sun Yatsen being some Chinese Washington who swooped in to singlehandedly save China from ruination and whatnot has been greatly embellished by a century of KMT-CCP propaganda.
 
Sun Yatsen being some Chinese Washington who swooped in to singlehandedly save China from ruination and whatnot has been greatly embellished by a century of KMT-CCP propaganda.

The not saying he was the greatest Revolutionary or comparing him to Washington, but he has the respect of both The People’s republic of China and the Republic of China, so I think there something to admire about him
 
The not saying he was the greatest Revolutionary or comparing him to Washington, but he has the respect of both The People’s republic of China and the Republic of China, so I think there something to admire about him
A large portion is because of how uncontroversial he was, as well as his message of centralizing and later one party rule being in line with KMT and CCP narratives.
 
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