Assassination of Song Jiaoren and the Second Revolution
Also called: Second Revolution, Reorganisation Loan
On 20 March 1913 Song Jiaoren, whose Kuomintang had won China’s first parliamentary election, was shot at Shanghai station and died two days later. When Yuan Shikai took a foreign loan without parliament’s consent, Sun Yat-sen and others launched the Second Revolution in July, which collapsed within two months.
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In August 1912 Song Jiaoren built the Kuomintang around the Tongmenghui, and in the first parliamentary elections, held from the end of that year, it won the most seats. Song meant to bind the president through cabinet government answerable to parliament. On 20 March 1913, about to leave for Beijing, he was shot at Shanghai station and died on the 22nd, aged 30; the investigation led to the circle of Yuan’s premier.
In April Yuan, without parliament’s consent, borrowed £25 million from a five-power consortium of Britain, France, Germany, Russia and Japan (the Reorganisation Loan), pledging the salt tax and accepting foreign supervision of its collection. With the money he strengthened his army and replaced Kuomintang governors; in July, beginning with Li Liejun in Jiangxi, several southern provinces declared independence (the Second Revolution).
The Beiyang Army took Nanjing on 1 September and crushed the rising within two months; Sun Yat-sen and Huang Xing fled again to Japan. Elected full president in October, Yuan dissolved the Kuomintang in November and did away with parliament the next year.
