Battle of Yangxia
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Yangxia also known as the Defense of Yangxia (阳夏保卫战;陽夏保衛戰;yángxià bǎowèizhàn) was fought from October 18 to December 1, 1911 between the revolutionaries of the Wuchang Uprising
and the loyalist armies of the Qing Dynasty
. The battle was the largest military engagement of the Xinhai Revolution
and was waged in Hankou
and Hanyang, which along with Wuchang collectively form the tri-cities of Wuhan
in central China
. Though outnumbered by the Qing armies and possessing inferior weaponry, the revolutionaries fought valiantly in defense of Hankou and Hanyang. After heavy and bloody fighting, the stronger loyalist forces eventually prevailed in taking both Hankou and Hanyang, but the 41 days of resistance by the Revolutionary Army gave time for the revolution's political movement to form and other provinces to join the revolution against the Qing Dynasty. Hostilities ceased on December 1, after the commander-in-chief of the Qing forces, Yuan Shikai
, agreed to a ceasefire and sent envoy to peace talks with the revolutionaries. Political negotiations eventually led to the abdication of the Last Emperor
, the end of the Qing Dynasty
and the formation of a unity government for the newly-established Republic of China
.
against the Qing Dynasty
. They quickly seized Hankou
and Hanyang, on the north bank of the Yangtze River
and made Li Yuanhong
their commander. On October 14, the Qing court in Beijing ordered Yin Chang and Feng Guozhang
to lead the Beiyang Army
, the strongest military of the regime, against the uprising in Wuhan. Sa Zhenbing
the commander of the Qing navy was ordered to sail from Qinhuangdao
to Shanghai
and then up the Yangtze River
to Wuhan to assist with military operations. The Qing court also recalled Yuan Shikai
the founder of the Beiyang Army from retirement and made him the Viceroy of the Huguang, but did not initially vest him with formal powers. Yuan had been forced into retirement in 1908 because the court feared that he wielded undue influence.
and Shaanxi Province both declared their independence from the Qing regime.
Following the setback at Liujiamiao, the Qing court removed Yin Chang's command and handed formal power to Yuan Shikai, whose lieutenants in the Beiyang Army, Feng Guozhang and Duan Qirui
, headed 1st and 2nd Armies moving on Wuhan, respectively. On October 26, the Beiyang Army moved swiftly south by rail and attacked the northern suburbs of Hankou with heavy artillery and machine guns. The revolutionaries suffered over 500 killed in action and was plagued by indecisive leadership from Zhang Jingliang, who was suspected of collaborating with the Qing government. The revolutionaries lost and regained Liujiamiao, only to lose it to the Qing troops for good on October 27. The Qing armies pressed into the city and two sides engaged in fierce house-to-house fighting.
On October 28, Huang Xing
and Song Jiaoren
two leaders of the Tongmenghui
or Revolutionary Alliance arrived in Hankou from Shanghai
to support the revolutionaries. On the 29th, Huang led over 1,000 reinforcements to Wuchang, which had 6,000 revolutionary fighters holding against superior Qing forces. Due to inferior arms, the revolutionaries suffered heavy casualties, but were supported by local residents. Feng Guozhang ordered the razing of Hankou to deprive the revolutionaries local support. The fire burned for three days and destroyed much of the city. By November 1, Qing troops controlled Hankou. Both sides suffered casualties in the thousands.
On November 3, Li Yuanhong handed the command of the revolutionary forces to Huang Xing. Their strength was boosted by the arrival of revolutionaries from Hunan. By then, 11 provinces had broken away from the Qing regime. The Qing navy had also defected sending some ships to assist the Jiangsu-Zhejiang Revolutionary Army's siege of Nanjing and other ships to support the revolutionaries in Wuhan. In Wuhan, the revolutionaries had 13,000 troops in Hanyang arrayed against 30,000 troops of the Qing military across the Han River in Hankou. Huang Xing, against the advice of Sun Wu and others who favored defending Hanyang, attempted to retake Hankou. Yuan Shikai on the other side of the river was determined to press the Qing military's local advantage to halt the momentum of the revolution nationwide.
On November 17, the revolutionaries bombarded Hankou from the heights of Guishan in Hanyang and crossed the Han River for a two-prong attack. The revolutionaries' artillery was inaccurate and the right flank was halted by the barrage from the Qing army. The left flank crossed the river alone, met stiff resistance from superior Qing forces, and was forced to retreat on the evening of 18th with over 800 casualties.
further to the west. The two sides clashed at Sanyanqiao. On November 22, another Qing force managed to cross the Han River from Hankou and gradually captured the strategic heights in Hanyang. The revolutionaries twice sent reinforcements from Wuchang across the Yangtze River to Hanyang but suffered heavy casualties enroute. Another group of revolutionaries in Wuhan planned to cross the Yangtze River to Hankou and then attack Liujiamiao behind Qing lines. But the commander of this group was drunk and did not join the assault force which faced heavy Qing artillery barrage from the opposite bank and could not land. The Hunan reinforcements were so disgusted by what they perceived as efforts by the Hubei revolutionaries to preserve their own strengths that they left the front lines and returned to Hunan, despite efforts by Li Yuanhong to clarify the misunderstanding. After seven days and nights of fierce house-to-house combat, the Qing army gradually fought their way into the city center, capturing the Hanyang Munitions Factory and the revolutionaries' artillery positions on Guishan. On November 27, the revolutionaries retreated from Hanyang. Over 3,300 revolutionary fighters and residents died defending Hanyang.
and Shanxi. On the evening of December 1, Yuan Shikai agreed to a three-day ceasefire and began talks with the revolutionaries in Hankou. The ceasefire was extended by another three days, and then by 15 days and finally to the end of December. On December 18, Yuan sent envoys on behalf of the Qing court to negotiations in Shanghai. On December 25, 1911, Sun Yat-Sen returned from exile to Shanghai and founded the Republic of China on January 1, 1912. He agreed to hand over the presidency of the provisional government
to Yuan Shikai in exchange for the latter's assistance in securing the abdication of the last Qing Emperor. When this was done on February 12, 1912, the Qing Dynasty formally ended after 267 year reign over China.
With the ceasefire of December 1, 1911, the conflict moved from the military track to the political track. This was politically-calculated decision of Yuan Shikai, who understood that if the revolution, which had him indispensable to the regime, were to be fully suppressed, he would again destined to retirement. At the same time, through the Battle of Yangxia, he had demonstrated the strength of his Beiyang Army as the most powerful in China. With his personal power at its height, he chose to maneuver politically to place himself at the top of new political regime.
During the 41-day battle, 13 other Chinese provinces joined the revolution and declared their independence from the Qing Dynasty. Peace talks were held in the British concession of Hankou and then moved to Shanghai
in late December. The political negotiations eventually led to the abdication of the last Qing Emperor, Puyi
, and the formation of a united provisional government of the Republic of China led by former loyalist Yuan Shikai and revolutionaries Sun Yat-sen
, Li Yuanhong and Huang Xing
. In October 1912, Yuan conferred honors to commanders on both sides of the battle for their contribution to the founding of the Republic.
A memorial in Wuhan was built to commemorate those who lost their lives, including 4,300 unknown soldiers, in the battle.
Wuchang Uprising
The Wuchang Uprising began with the dissatisfaction of the handling of a railway crisis. The crisis then escalated to an uprising where the revolutionaries went up against Qing government officials. The uprising was then assisted by the New Army in a coup against their own authorities in the city...
and the loyalist armies of the Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
. The battle was the largest military engagement of the Xinhai Revolution
Xinhai Revolution
The Xinhai Revolution or Hsinhai Revolution, also known as Revolution of 1911 or the Chinese Revolution, was a revolution that overthrew China's last imperial dynasty, the Qing , and established the Republic of China...
and was waged in Hankou
Hankou
Hankou was one of the three cities whose merging formed modern-day Wuhan, the capital of the Hubei province, China. It stands north of the Han and Yangtze Rivers where the Han falls into the Yangtze...
and Hanyang, which along with Wuchang collectively form the tri-cities of Wuhan
Wuhan
Wuhan is the capital of Hubei province, People's Republic of China, and is the most populous city in Central China. It lies at the east of the Jianghan Plain, and the intersection of the middle reaches of the Yangtze and Han rivers...
in central China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. Though outnumbered by the Qing armies and possessing inferior weaponry, the revolutionaries fought valiantly in defense of Hankou and Hanyang. After heavy and bloody fighting, the stronger loyalist forces eventually prevailed in taking both Hankou and Hanyang, but the 41 days of resistance by the Revolutionary Army gave time for the revolution's political movement to form and other provinces to join the revolution against the Qing Dynasty. Hostilities ceased on December 1, after the commander-in-chief of the Qing forces, Yuan Shikai
Yuan Shikai
Yuan Shikai was an important Chinese general and politician famous for his influence during the late Qing Dynasty, his role in the events leading up to the abdication of the last Qing Emperor of China, his autocratic rule as the second President of the Republic of China , and his short-lived...
, agreed to a ceasefire and sent envoy to peace talks with the revolutionaries. Political negotiations eventually led to the abdication of the Last Emperor
Puyi
Puyi , of the Manchu Aisin Gioro clan, was the last Emperor of China, and the twelfth and final ruler of the Qing Dynasty. He ruled as the Xuantong Emperor from 1908 until his abdication on 12 February 1912. From 1 to 12 July 1917 he was briefly restored to the throne as a nominal emperor by the...
, the end of the Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
and the formation of a unity government for the newly-established Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
.
Background
On October 10, 1911, revolutionaries in Wuchang launched an uprisingWuchang Uprising
The Wuchang Uprising began with the dissatisfaction of the handling of a railway crisis. The crisis then escalated to an uprising where the revolutionaries went up against Qing government officials. The uprising was then assisted by the New Army in a coup against their own authorities in the city...
against the Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
. They quickly seized Hankou
Hankou
Hankou was one of the three cities whose merging formed modern-day Wuhan, the capital of the Hubei province, China. It stands north of the Han and Yangtze Rivers where the Han falls into the Yangtze...
and Hanyang, on the north bank of the Yangtze River
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
and made Li Yuanhong
Li Yuanhong
Li Yuanhong was a Chinese general and political figure during the Qing dynasty and the republican era. He was twice president of the Republic of China.- Early history :...
their commander. On October 14, the Qing court in Beijing ordered Yin Chang and Feng Guozhang
Feng Guozhang
Féng Guózhāng, was a key Beiyang Army general and politician in early republican China. He held the office of Vice-President and then President of the Republic of China...
to lead the Beiyang Army
Beiyang Army
The Beiyang Army was a powerful, Western-style Chinese military force created by the Qing Dynasty government in the late 19th century. It was the centerpiece of a general reconstruction of China's military system. The Beiyang Army played a major role in Chinese politics for at least three decades...
, the strongest military of the regime, against the uprising in Wuhan. Sa Zhenbing
Sa Zhenbing
Sa Zhenbing KCMG was a prominent Chinese admiral. He lived through four governments in China, and had been appointed to various senior naval and political offices.-Early life:...
the commander of the Qing navy was ordered to sail from Qinhuangdao
Qinhuangdao
Qinhuangdao is a port city in northeastern Hebei province of North China. It is about 300 km east of Beijing, on the Bohai Sea, the innermost gulf of the Yellow Sea....
to Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
and then up the Yangtze River
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
to Wuhan to assist with military operations. The Qing court also recalled Yuan Shikai
Yuan Shikai
Yuan Shikai was an important Chinese general and politician famous for his influence during the late Qing Dynasty, his role in the events leading up to the abdication of the last Qing Emperor of China, his autocratic rule as the second President of the Republic of China , and his short-lived...
the founder of the Beiyang Army from retirement and made him the Viceroy of the Huguang, but did not initially vest him with formal powers. Yuan had been forced into retirement in 1908 because the court feared that he wielded undue influence.
The Battle of Hankou
Yin Chang, a Manchu noble, reached Hankou by rail and attempted to seize control of city's northern suburbs. On October 18, more than 1,000 revolutionary fighters attacked Liujiamiao, a train station guarding the northern approach to Hankou, but were driven back and retreated to Dazhimen. In the afternoon, the revolutionaries regrouped and, with the help of railway workers, ambushed a train carrying Qing troops heading south. The train derailed and sent the Qing troops fleeing, with more than 400 killed by revolutionaries. The following day, the revolutionary forces, supplemented by enthusiastic volunteers, grew to more than 5,000 troops and captured Liujiamiao. The revolutionaries on October 20 tried to press on Wushengguan further north, but were driven back with serious losses. Nevertheless, their victory at Liujiamiao boosted the morale of the revolutionary movement. On October 22, HunanHunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
and Shaanxi Province both declared their independence from the Qing regime.
Following the setback at Liujiamiao, the Qing court removed Yin Chang's command and handed formal power to Yuan Shikai, whose lieutenants in the Beiyang Army, Feng Guozhang and Duan Qirui
Duan Qirui
Duan Qirui was a Chinese warlord and politician, commander in the Beiyang Army, and the Provisional Chief Executive of Republic of China from November 24, 1924 to April 20, 1926. He was arguably the most powerful man in China from 1916 to 1920.- Early life :Born in Hefei as Duan Qirui , his...
, headed 1st and 2nd Armies moving on Wuhan, respectively. On October 26, the Beiyang Army moved swiftly south by rail and attacked the northern suburbs of Hankou with heavy artillery and machine guns. The revolutionaries suffered over 500 killed in action and was plagued by indecisive leadership from Zhang Jingliang, who was suspected of collaborating with the Qing government. The revolutionaries lost and regained Liujiamiao, only to lose it to the Qing troops for good on October 27. The Qing armies pressed into the city and two sides engaged in fierce house-to-house fighting.
On October 28, Huang Xing
Huang Xing
Huang Xing or Huang Hsing , was a Chinese revolutionary leader, militarist, and statesman, was the first army commander-in-chief of the Republic of China. As one of the founders of the Kuomintang and the Republic of China, his position was next to Sun Yat-sen. Together they were known as...
and Song Jiaoren
Song Jiaoren
Song Jiaoren was a Chinese republican revolutionary, political leader and a founder of the Kuomintang . He was assassinated in 1913 after leading his Kuomintang party to victory in China's first democratic elections...
two leaders of the Tongmenghui
Tongmenghui
The Tongmenghui, also known as the Chinese United League, United League, Chinese Revolutionary Alliance, Chinese Alliance and United Allegiance Society, was a secret society and underground resistance movement formed when merging many Chinese revolutionary groups together by Sun Yat-sen, Song...
or Revolutionary Alliance arrived in Hankou from Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
to support the revolutionaries. On the 29th, Huang led over 1,000 reinforcements to Wuchang, which had 6,000 revolutionary fighters holding against superior Qing forces. Due to inferior arms, the revolutionaries suffered heavy casualties, but were supported by local residents. Feng Guozhang ordered the razing of Hankou to deprive the revolutionaries local support. The fire burned for three days and destroyed much of the city. By November 1, Qing troops controlled Hankou. Both sides suffered casualties in the thousands.
On November 3, Li Yuanhong handed the command of the revolutionary forces to Huang Xing. Their strength was boosted by the arrival of revolutionaries from Hunan. By then, 11 provinces had broken away from the Qing regime. The Qing navy had also defected sending some ships to assist the Jiangsu-Zhejiang Revolutionary Army's siege of Nanjing and other ships to support the revolutionaries in Wuhan. In Wuhan, the revolutionaries had 13,000 troops in Hanyang arrayed against 30,000 troops of the Qing military across the Han River in Hankou. Huang Xing, against the advice of Sun Wu and others who favored defending Hanyang, attempted to retake Hankou. Yuan Shikai on the other side of the river was determined to press the Qing military's local advantage to halt the momentum of the revolution nationwide.
On November 17, the revolutionaries bombarded Hankou from the heights of Guishan in Hanyang and crossed the Han River for a two-prong attack. The revolutionaries' artillery was inaccurate and the right flank was halted by the barrage from the Qing army. The left flank crossed the river alone, met stiff resistance from superior Qing forces, and was forced to retreat on the evening of 18th with over 800 casualties.
The Battle of Hanyang
On November 21, the Qing armies launched their invasion of Hanyang. One force bypassed the revolutionaries' defense by striking from XiaoganXiaogan
Xiaogan is a prefecture-level city in Hubei province of the People's Republic of China. Its population is 5,060,000 residents.-Subdivisions:*Xiaonan District *Yingcheng City *Anlu City *Hanchuan City *Xiaochang County...
further to the west. The two sides clashed at Sanyanqiao. On November 22, another Qing force managed to cross the Han River from Hankou and gradually captured the strategic heights in Hanyang. The revolutionaries twice sent reinforcements from Wuchang across the Yangtze River to Hanyang but suffered heavy casualties enroute. Another group of revolutionaries in Wuhan planned to cross the Yangtze River to Hankou and then attack Liujiamiao behind Qing lines. But the commander of this group was drunk and did not join the assault force which faced heavy Qing artillery barrage from the opposite bank and could not land. The Hunan reinforcements were so disgusted by what they perceived as efforts by the Hubei revolutionaries to preserve their own strengths that they left the front lines and returned to Hunan, despite efforts by Li Yuanhong to clarify the misunderstanding. After seven days and nights of fierce house-to-house combat, the Qing army gradually fought their way into the city center, capturing the Hanyang Munitions Factory and the revolutionaries' artillery positions on Guishan. On November 27, the revolutionaries retreated from Hanyang. Over 3,300 revolutionary fighters and residents died defending Hanyang.
Ceasefire
At the end of November, Feng Guozhang and Duan Qirui prepared and submitted plans to take Wuchang to Yuan Shikai. By then, despite Qing advantage in Wuchang, Sichuan had seceded from the Qing regime and revolutionaries were threatening to take NanjingNanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
and Shanxi. On the evening of December 1, Yuan Shikai agreed to a three-day ceasefire and began talks with the revolutionaries in Hankou. The ceasefire was extended by another three days, and then by 15 days and finally to the end of December. On December 18, Yuan sent envoys on behalf of the Qing court to negotiations in Shanghai. On December 25, 1911, Sun Yat-Sen returned from exile to Shanghai and founded the Republic of China on January 1, 1912. He agreed to hand over the presidency of the provisional government
President of the Republic of China
The President of the Republic of China is the head of state and commander-in-chief of the Republic of China . The Republic of China was founded on January 1, 1912, to govern all of China...
to Yuan Shikai in exchange for the latter's assistance in securing the abdication of the last Qing Emperor. When this was done on February 12, 1912, the Qing Dynasty formally ended after 267 year reign over China.
With the ceasefire of December 1, 1911, the conflict moved from the military track to the political track. This was politically-calculated decision of Yuan Shikai, who understood that if the revolution, which had him indispensable to the regime, were to be fully suppressed, he would again destined to retirement. At the same time, through the Battle of Yangxia, he had demonstrated the strength of his Beiyang Army as the most powerful in China. With his personal power at its height, he chose to maneuver politically to place himself at the top of new political regime.
Signficance & Aftermath
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
in late December. The political negotiations eventually led to the abdication of the last Qing Emperor, Puyi
Puyi
Puyi , of the Manchu Aisin Gioro clan, was the last Emperor of China, and the twelfth and final ruler of the Qing Dynasty. He ruled as the Xuantong Emperor from 1908 until his abdication on 12 February 1912. From 1 to 12 July 1917 he was briefly restored to the throne as a nominal emperor by the...
, and the formation of a united provisional government of the Republic of China led by former loyalist Yuan Shikai and revolutionaries Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen was a Chinese doctor, revolutionary and political leader. As the foremost pioneer of Nationalist China, Sun is frequently referred to as the "Father of the Nation" , a view agreed upon by both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China...
, Li Yuanhong and Huang Xing
Huang Xing
Huang Xing or Huang Hsing , was a Chinese revolutionary leader, militarist, and statesman, was the first army commander-in-chief of the Republic of China. As one of the founders of the Kuomintang and the Republic of China, his position was next to Sun Yat-sen. Together they were known as...
. In October 1912, Yuan conferred honors to commanders on both sides of the battle for their contribution to the founding of the Republic.
A memorial in Wuhan was built to commemorate those who lost their lives, including 4,300 unknown soldiers, in the battle.