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Nanking Provisional Government cabinet
1st Cabinet of the Provisional Government of the Republic of China
3 January 1912–1 April 1912
The first cabinet meeting of the Nanking Provisional Government cabinet, 21 January 1912.
Date formed	3 January 1912
Date dissolved	1 April 1912
People and organisations
Head of state	Sun Yat-sen (1 January–1 April 1912, as provisional President) Yuan Shikai (10 March–1 April 1912, as provisional President)
Head of government	Sun Yat-sen (1 January–1 April 1912)
Deputy head of government	Li Yuanhong (as provisional Vice-President)
No. of ministers	9 ministers and 9 deputy ministers
Total no. of members	20 (including the provisional President and provisional Vice President)
Member parties	Tongmenghui (12)   Beiyang clique (2)   Unity Party (2)   National Progressive Association (1)   Nonpartisans (3)
Status in legislature	Tongmenghui-led provisional coalition government
History
Election	1911 Chinese provisional presidential election
Legislature term	Provisional Government of the Republic of China
Predecessor	Cabinet of Yuan Shikai (Qing Dynasty)
Successor	First Tang Shaoyi cabinet

The Nanking Provisional Government cabinet (Chinese: 南京臨時政府內閣; pinyin: Nánjīng línshí zhèngfǔ nèigé), also known as the Sun Yat-sen cabinet, was a temporary cabinet of the republican era of China. The first cabinet assembled following the formation of the Provisional Government on 1 January 1912, it was formed on 3 January 1912 and dissolved on 1 April the same year. It was the first and only cabinet led by Sun Yat-sen, the first provisional President of the Republic of China.

History

On 1 January 1912, Sun Yat-sen, the leader of the Tongmenghui, was inaugurated as the first provisional President of the newly proclaimed Republic of China following the conclusion of the Xinhai Revolution. Two days later, representatives of all provincial leaders approved a list of ministerial heads to be appointed in the first cabinet. The absence of several cabinet members in Nanking (presently Nanjing) delayed the first cabinet meeting, which wasn't held until 21 January. The meeting was hosted by Sun.

On 13 March, Tang Shaoyi, the first Premier of the Republic of China, began the formation of a new cabinet at Peking (presently Beijing). On 1 April, Sun Yat-sen resigned from his position as provisional President. In his resignation letter, written two days after his resignation, Sun stated, "Today (3 April 1912), Premier Tang went southbound and visited me, all ministerial positions in the cabinet were confirmed, and the news has been reported to me at Nanking on 1 April. I hereby resign today (as President)......all cabinet ministers will remain and continue their duties until all new replacements are appointed." All ministers and their respective deputies in the cabinet were subsequently relieved of their duties once the new cabinet was formally appointed.

The Nanking Provisional Government was a presidential government under the leadership of a president. This system was abolished following Yuan Shikai's ascension to power whereby a parliamentary government was introduced in the form of the National Assembly led by a Premier. The changes were made to limit Yuan's presidential powers, making him a figurehead in the government.

Ministries

Prior to the formation of the Provisional Government in 1912, the revolutionaries had notified provincial representatives to form local general staffs to unify the military situation during the revolutions in 1911. However, when Sun Yat-sen became provisional President, none of the provincial representatives had arrived to meet him in time, thus when the General Staffs Office was founded on 6 February 1912, Sun appointed Huang Xing as its first chief of staff.

On 3 January 1912, the list of ministers of the first cabinet was approved by all provincial representatives in the new Republic. On 5 January, an inauguration ceremony of all cabinet ministers was hosted by provisional President Sun Yat-sen. Each ministries were founded on different dates after the inauguration of their respective ministers. Their date of founding is listed as such:

• The Jiangnan Navy Academy, the former headquarters of the Ministry of the Navy.
• The Commission House, part of the Presidential Palace at Nanking (presently Nanjing), housed the first Presidential Office of the Provisional Government.
• The Drum Tower of Nanjing housed the offices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after 2 March 1912.

Composition

Overview

• Yuan Shikai, Provisional President (10 March 1912 onwards).
• Sun Yat-sen, Provisional President (until 1 April 1912) and head of government.
• Li Yuanhong, Vice Provisional President.

Full ministers

Key of political parties or affiliations:
  Tongmenghui (4)
  Unity Party (2)
  National Progressive Association (1)
  Nonpartisans (3)

Portfolio		Portrait	Title Office Bearer (Lifespan)	Took office	Left office	Party	Notes
Minister of the Presidential Office 總統府總長			Sun Yat-sen 孫文 (1886–1925)	1 January 1912	1 April 1912	Tongmenghui	Also assumed position of Provisional President. Resigned in favor of Yuan Shikai.
Minister of the Army 陸軍部總長			General Huang Xing 黃興 (1874–1916)	3 January 1912	29 March 1912	Tongmenghui	Also appointed as the Chief of Staffs on 6 February 1912.
Minister of the Navy 海軍部總長			General Huang Zhong-ying 黃鍾瑛 (1869–1912)	3 January 1912	29 March 1912	Nonpartisan	-
Minister of Finance 財政部總長			Chen Jintao 陳錦濤 (1871–1939)	3 January 1912	29 March 1912	National Progressive	-
Minister of Internal Affairs 內務部總長			General Cheng De-quan 程德全 (1860–1930)	3 January 1912	29 March 1912	Unity	Duties transferred to Deputy Minister Ju Zheng after declared sick on 1 February 1912.
Minister of Foreign Affairs 外交部總長			Wang Ch'ung-hui 王寵惠 (1881–1958)	3 January 1912	29 March 1912	Tongmenghui	-
Minister of Justice 司法部總長			Wu Tingfang 伍廷芳 (1842–1922)	3 January 1912	29 March 1912	Nonpartisan	-
Minister of Education 教育部總長			Cai Yuanpei 蔡元培 (1868–1940)	3 January 1912	29 March 1912	Tongmenghui	-
Minister of Transportation 交通部總長			Tang Shoutao 湯壽潛 (1856–1917)	3 January 1912	29 March 1912	Unity	Never assumed office.
Minister of Trade 實業部總長			Zhang Jian 張謇 (1853–1926)	3 January 1912	29 March 1912	Nonpartisan	Never assumed office.

Deputy ministers

Key of political parties or affiliations:
  Tongmenghui (8)
  Beiyang clique (2)

Portfolio		Portrait	Title Office Bearer (Lifespan)	Took office	Left office	Party	Notes
Deputy Minister of the Presidential Office 總統府次長			Generalissimo Li Yuanhong 黎元洪 (1864–1928)	1 January 1912	1 April 1912	Beiyang clique	Also assumed position of Deputy Provisional President until 6 June 1916.
Deputy Minister of the Army 陸軍部次長			General Chiang Tso-pin 蔣作賓 (1884–1942)	3 January 1912	29 March 1912	Tongmenghui	-
Deputy Minister of the Navy 海軍部次長			Admiral Tang Xiangming 湯薌銘 (1885–1975)	3 January 1912	29 March 1912	Beiyang clique	-
Deputy Minister of Finance 財政部次長			Wang Hongyou 王鴻猷 (1878–1916)	3 January 1912	29 March 1912	Tongmenghui	-
Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs 內務部次長			Ju Zheng 居正 (1876–1951)	3 January 1912	29 March 1912	Tongmenghui	Assumed full ministerial duties after Minister Cheng De-quan was declared sick on 1 February 1912.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs 外交部次長			Wei Chenzu 魏宸組 (1885–1942)	3 January 1912	29 March 1912	Tongmenghui	-
Deputy Minister of Justice 司法部次長			Lü Zhiyi 呂志伊 (1881–1940)	3 January 1912	29 March 1912	Tongmenghui	-
Deputy Minister of Education 教育部次長			Jing Yaoyue 景燿月 (1881–1944)	3 January 1912	29 March 1912	Tongmenghui	-
Deputy Minister of Transportation 交通部次長			Yu Youren 于右任 (1879–1964)	3 January 1912	29 March 1912	Tongmenghui	-
Deputy Minister of Trade 實業部次長			Ma Junwu 馬君武 (1881–1940)	3 January 1912	29 March 1912	Tongmenghui	-

See also

• Politics of the Republic of China
• Warlord Era

References

Citations

1. ^ 刘寿林等编，民国职官年表，北京：中华书局，1995年
2. "孙中山主持第一次内阁会议，中山文史(第35辑) ，2006年3月22日". 22 March 2006. Archived from the original on 8 December 2011. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
3. 王耿雄，孙中山史事详录:1911-1913，天津：天津人民出版社，1986年，第130页

Bibliography

Academic books and journals

• 謝彬 (1924年). 民國政黨史. 上海學術研究會叢書部. ISBN 978-7-101-05531-3.

• Provisional governments
• 1912 in China
• Cabinets established in 1912
• Cabinets disestablished in 1912