The Xinhai Revolution, also known as the 1911 Revolution, ended China's last imperial dynasty, the Manchu-led Qing dynasty, and led to the establishment of the Republic of China. Failure of reform from the top and the fiasco of the Boxer Uprising convinced many Chinese that the only real solution lay in outright revolution, in sweeping away the old order and erecting a new one patterned preferably after the example of Japan. The revolution was the culmination of a decade of agitation, revolts, and uprisings. Its success marked the collapse of the Chinese monarchy, the end of 2,132 years of imperial rule in China and 276 years of the Qing dynasty.

The Qing dynasty had struggled for a long time to reform the government and resist foreign aggression, but the program of reforms after 1900 was opposed by conservatives in the Qing court as too radical and by reformers as too slow. Several factions, including underground anti-Qing groups, revolutionaries in exile, reformers who wanted to save the monarchy by modernizing it, and activists across the country debated how or whether to overthrow the Qing dynasty. The flash-point came on 10 October 1911, with the Wuchang Uprising, an armed rebellion among members of the New Army. Similar revolts then broke out spontaneously around the country, and revolutionaries in all provinces of the country renounced the Qing dynasty. On 1 November 1911, the Qing court appointed Yuan Shikai (leader of the powerful Beiyang Army) as Prime Minister, and he began negotiations with the revolutionaries.

Sun Yat-sen, who would become the leader of the revolution, was still in the United States fundraising when this chaotic outbreak occurred. He wasn't aware of this revolt until months later, after which he went to England and contacted other Western countries in order to assure their neutrality and receive financing for a new republic. After this attempt, which proved unsuccessful, Sun Yat-sen returned to China, arriving there in late December 1911. However, when Sun Sat-yen was abroad, the Xinhai Revolution was in search of a leader. The people thrust the role upon Li Yuanhong, a military commander. Thus, this revolution was truly "home-grown." Many dissident provinces staged their own attacks but there were two regions that deviated from the revolutionary pattern of uprisings: Tibet and Mongolia. Their status was held in abeyance until order returned.