The Birth of China's Tragedy

The failings of China's 1911 revolution heralded decades of civil conflict, occupation and suffering for the Chinese people.

Revolutionary soldiers move a cannon over rail tracks. Many Chinese resented foreign investors building their railways. Photograph by Francis Stafford

The revolt that toppled the world’s longest-lasting empire had been brewing for decades but, when it finally came in October 1911, it was triggered by accident when a bomb exploded in the office of a group of revolutionary soldiers in the Russian concession of the city of Hankou on the river Yangtze in central China. Russian police arrived to investigate and uncovered a list of the members of the underground cell that was dedicated to overthrowing the ruling Qing dynasty. Since the Russians were likely to hand this over to the Chinese authorities, the revolutionary group was forced to consider taking action rather than continuing to plot in secret.

To continue reading this article you will need to purchase access to the online archive.

Buy Online Access  Buy Print & Archive Subscription

If you have already purchased access, or are a print & archive subscriber, please ensure you are logged in.

Please email digital@historytoday.com if you have any problems.