清末皇族内争与袁世凯复出

Infighting among the Imperial Family in the Last Years of the Qing Dynasty and the Return of Yuan Shikai

慈禧临终遗命衍生出宣统朝隆裕、载沣互为牵制的权力格局,袁世凯被罢及复出自然绕不开隆裕的态度。载沣之弟载涛在力推军机更迭时原本有意让袁世凯复出,因隆裕反对未能实现。皇族内阁出台后,载涛与隆裕一派的载泽围绕继任内阁总理之争日趋激烈,皇族内争使得袁世凯成为各方拉拢的对象,复出时机逐渐成熟。袁世凯在武昌起义之后决意复出,提出过一些条件,其中最重要的是"取得讨伐军总指挥权"。1911年10月21日,由于载泽的支持,清廷已基本应允袁世凯此项要求。因此,袁世凯顺利复出,主要得益于皇族各派的支持,与列强施压关系不大。

The Empress Dowager Cixi's deathbed edict gave rise to a power structure of mutual containment between Empress Dowager Longyu and the Prince Regent Zaifeng in the Xuantong reign period.The dismissal and return of Yuan Shikai was naturally predicated on Longyu's attitude.Zaifeng's younger brother Zaitao,who was promoting military reform,had intended to let Yuan Shikai return to office,but Longyu's opposition prevented this from coming to fruition.With the setting up of the imperial cabinet,the fighting between Zaitao and Longyu's supporter Zaize over the Prime Ministership intensified.The imperial family's infighting meant that each party sought to win over Yuan Shikai,creating the conditions for his return.After the Wuchang Uprising,Yuan made the decision to return to office,but he attached some conditions,the chief of which was 'becoming Commander-in-Chief of the Insurrection-Suppressing Army.'Zaize's support was instrumental in the Qing court's basically agreeing to Yuan's demands on October21,1911.Yuan's return thus derived from the support of the imperial family rather than from pressure exerted by the Western powers.