China's First President Destroyed Democracy to Become Emperor

Added: 2026-05-20

[00:00:00]The most trusted man in China was destroyed by the very power he craved most. It's 1912, Beijing, China. Yuan Shikai becomes the Republic's first president after the Qing Dynasty falls.

[00:00:12]Both revolutionaries and royalists trust him to build modern China. His military strength seems unshakable, his political position secure. He controls the army, commands respect, and holds the nation's future. For 3 years, he rules the new republic, but absolute power calls to him, and he declares himself emperor in 19 15. The same generals who supported his presidency immediately rebel against his monarchy. Provinces revolt, his empire crumbles in 83 days, and he dies of humiliation 6 months later. The strongman who killed China's first democracy was Yuan Shikai.