The Second Revolution's failure allowed Yuan Shikai to consolidate authoritarian control over the Republic of China and drove KMT leaders into exile.
Key Facts
- Revolt declared
- 12 July 1913, Jiangxi
- Nanjing captured
- 1 September 1913
- Provinces involved
- Six provinces plus Shanghai
- Song Jiaoren assassinated
- 22 March 1913
- Outcome for KMT leaders
- Sun Yat-sen and Huang Xing fled to Japan
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The KMT won a majority in the 1912 National Assembly elections, but its intended premier Song Jiaoren was assassinated on 22 March 1913, widely attributed to Yuan Shikai's orders. Yuan then began dismissing republican governors, pushing southern provinces toward open resistance against his centralizing rule.
On 12 July 1913, Jiangxi governor Li Liejun declared independence, and five other provinces along with Shanghai followed. Huang Xing organized an anti-Yuan military force in Nanjing, but his poorly prepared troops were swiftly defeated by the Beiyang Army. Nanjing fell on 1 September 1913, and all rebel provinces surrendered shortly afterward.
The revolt's collapse enabled Yuan Shikai to further consolidate presidential power and suppress republican opposition. Sun Yat-sen and Huang Xing fled to Japan, and the KMT was left severely weakened, marking a significant setback for parliamentary democracy in early Republican China.