Beginning of Essay
Yaun Shih-k’ia (1859-1916) was one of China’s most successful rulers, but his rise to power came the way many modern dictators claim control. Yuan would use his military family lineage and knowledge to create the first modern and dominant army in China. Thi ....

Middle of Essay
.... of the members of the clan had either ( Ch’en, Yuan Shih-k’ai, p 1). By entering the family Shih-k’ai would take the clan name of Yuan and also gain the advantage of being in a very influential military family. All of this would help him later in his military career. In 1886, Shih-k’ai would be taken to begin preparing for his career in the civil service. China had been using exams for many generations to decide who its leaders would be, and these test would be based on the Confucius theories. Its desire to hold on to the old ways would cause the country to become a target for foreign countries to try and control. The foreign invasion ....