The Unity Party () was a short-lived political party in the early of the Republican period of China from 1912 to 1913.

History

The Unity Party was formed in Shanghai on 2 March 1912, as the merger of

Zhang Binglin Zhang Binglin (January 12, 1869 – June 14, 1936), also known by his art name Zhang Taiyan, was a Chinese philologist, textual critic, philosopher, and revolutionary. His philological works include ''Wen Shi'' (文始 "The Origin of Writing"), ...

's Chinese Republican United Association (中華民國聯合會) and Zhang Jian's Preliminary Constitutional Consortia (預備立憲公會), as well as former officials and local gentries. As a former

Tongmenghui The Tongmenghui of China (or T'ung-meng Hui, variously translated as Chinese United League, United League, Chinese Revolutionary Alliance, Chinese Alliance, United Allegiance Society, ) was a secret society and underground resistance movement ...

member and leader of the

Guangfuhui {{Unreferenced, date=December 2009 Guangfuhui ( zh, t=光復會, p=Guāngfùhuì, l=Revive the Light Society), or the Restoration Society, was an anti-Qing organization established by Cai Yuanpei in 1904. Many members were from Zhejiang. Notable me ...

, Zhang Binglin set up the Chinese Republican United Association in early 1912 to participate in new Republican politics. Zhang Jian was a major figure of the Constitutional Movement in the late Qing period, he and Zhang Binglin wanted to form a grand coalition to counter the radical

in the Nanjing Provisional Government. The Unity Party was formed with Zhang Binglin, Cheng Dequan, Zhang Jian, and

Xiong Xiling Xiong Xiling, or Hsiung Hsi-ling (); 1870–1937) was a Chinese philanthropist and politician, who served as premier of the Republic of China from July 1913 to February 1914. Biography Born in Fenghuang, Xiangxi prefecture of Hunan, China, Xi ...

as heads. Other notable founding members included Tang Soqian,

Tang Shaoyi Tang Shaoyi (; 2 January 1862 – 30 September 1938), also spelled Tong Shao Yi, courtesy name Shaochuan (), was a Chinese statesman who briefly served as the first Premier of the Republic of China in 1912. In 1938, he was assassinated by the ...

and Tang Hualong. The Unity Party also held many ministry offices in the provisional government, such as Zhang Jian as the Minister of Commerce, Cheng Dequan as the Minister of Internal Affairs, and Tang Soqian as the Minister of Communications. In late April 1912, the party moved its headquarters to Beijing with the provisional government. The Unity Party was one of the targets the

Yuan Shikai Yuan Shikai (; 16 September 1859 – 6 June 1916) was a Chinese military and government official who rose to power during the late Qing dynasty and eventually ended the Qing dynasty rule of China in 1912, later becoming the Emperor of China. H ...

's government wanted to ally with. Besides funding the party, Zhang Binglin was invited as Yuan's adviser and Cheng Dequan was appointed as

Governor of Jiangsu The politics of Jiangsu Province in the People's Republic of China is structured in a dual party-government system like all other governing institutions in mainland China. The Governor of Jiangsu is the highest-ranking official in the People's Gove ...

when the Provisional Senate was opened. Unity Party's Wu Jinglian was also elected as the Speaker to replace Tongmenghui's

Lin Sen Lin Sen (; 16 March 1868 – 1 August 1943), courtesy name Tze-chao (子超), sobriquet Chang-jen (長仁), was a Chinese politician who served as Chairman of the National Government of the Republic of China from 1931 until his death. Early li ...

. Under the guide of Yuan Shikai and

Liang Qichao Liang Qichao (Chinese: 梁啓超 ; Wade-Giles: ''Liang2 Chʻi3-chʻao1''; Yale: ''Lèuhng Kái-chīu'') (February 23, 1873 – January 19, 1929) was a Chinese politician, social and political activist, journalist, and intellectual. His thou ...

, the Unity Party, Democratic Party and

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa * Republican Party (Liberia) *Republican Party ...

merged into the

Progressive Party Progressive Party may refer to: Active parties * Progressive Party, Brazil * Progressive Party (Chile) * Progressive Party of Working People, Cyprus * Dominica Progressive Party * Progressive Party (Iceland) * Progressive Party (Sardinia), Ita ...

on 29 May 1913. The Progressive Party became the flagship pro-Yuan party in the

National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the r ...

References

Bibliography

* {{refend 1912 establishments in China 1913 disestablishments in China Conservative parties in China Defunct political parties in China Political parties disestablished in 1913 Political parties established in 1912 Political parties in the Republic of China

History

See also

References

Bibliography