A Study of the Influence of the Political Parties' Separation and Unification in the Early National Republic Period

People's awareness of the concept of political party started with their comparison and contrast between the political party and other political groups in the modern times. In the late Qing Dynasty, an imperial edict was issued under the pressure from the various political groups officially allowing the establishment of political parties for political stability. Since the founding of the National Republic, there occurred an upsurge of democratic politics, and the number of political parties reached six hundred and eighty_two from 1911 to 1914. In such a setting, the Chinese elites begun to think of the type of political party suitable for China's modernization process. The political parties' separation and unification in the early National Republic period produced great influence on Liang Qi_chao, Sun Yat_sen and Yuan Shi_kai in their recognition of the role of party politics and their choice of pursuing a political career.