synonymResearch Department(Research department) Generally refers to the Constitutional Research Association
On September 12, 1916, the "Constitutional Research Association" originally composed of members of the Progressive Party headed by Tang Hualong was merged with the "Constitutional Research Comrades Association" headed by Liang Qichao into the "Constitutional Research Association".He opposed the establishment of the Constitution on the basis of the Provisional Constitution to serve the needs of the Anhui warlord Duan Qirui to consolidate the central position, which was called the "Research Department" at that time.On August 1, 1916, the Congress officially resumed its session.The members of the Progressive Party immediately began to organize activities and organized two political groups.In June 1922, Li Yuanhong became the President and ordered the restoration of the old Congress. The members of the Research Department were divided into several small groups, but the former atmosphere could not be restored.In 1924, the Congress was dissolved again, and the research department disappeared.[1]
Chinese name
Constitutional Research Association
Also called
Research Department
Times
Early Republic of China
Type
Political groups
Purpose
Studying the Constitution and Constitutionalizing to Improve China
On September 12, 1916, the "Constitutional Research Association" originally composed of members of the Progressive Party headed by Tang Hualong was merged with the "Constitutional Research Comrades Association" headed by Liang Qichao into the "Constitutional Research Association".He opposed the establishment of the Constitution on the basis of the Provisional Constitution to serve the needs of the Anhui warlord Duan Qirui to consolidate the central position, which was called the "Research Department" at that time.
In June 1916, after the death of Yuan Shikai, Li Yuanhong succeeded to the presidency and Duan Qirui became the Premier of the State Council.The Beijing government announced the resumption of the National Assembly and the Provisional Constitution.In this way, parliamentary politics and party politics will resume in China.In view of the criticism of the party struggle in the early Republic of China, when the political parties revived, they began to flaunt "non party doctrine".Liang Qichao and Tang Hualong, the leaders of the Progressive Party, have successively issued the "Non party Declaration", on the one hand, they claimed that "if we establish the Party's banner, there will be hundreds of harms but no benefits", and they should "eliminate the former Party's banner".On the other hand, in order to control the upcoming Congress, the Progressive Party is required to step up its organizational strength to establish a new "strong invisible party".
On August 1, 1916, the Congress officially resumed its session.The members of the Progressive Party immediately began to organize activities and organized two political groups.On August 22, Tang Hualong and Liu Chongyou convened more than 90 members of the Progressive Party to hold a meeting in Anqing Hall and decided to form the Constitutional Law Research Association.On the 31st, the official inaugural meeting was held, and the Declaration was issued, which stated: "We should study the constitutional case in the spirit of freedom, according to the national conditions, the external situation, and the academic theory, with a view to forming a good constitution".At the same time, more than 180 people, led by Wang Jiaxiang, Chen Guoyang, Lin Changmin and other key members of the Progressive Party, set up the Constitutional Research Comrades' Meeting on September 2, and also declared that they would "dispel the party's views and gather the masses' thoughts", and "study the Constitution and present its findings to the Congress for reference".The main purpose of the merger of the Constitutional Case Research Association and the Constitutional Research Comrades' Association to establish the Constitutional Research Association is to compete with the Constitutional Commerce Association composed of KMT members.On September 12, the Constitutional Research Association was established.After the merger, the Constitutional Research Association has about 200 members in the Congress, and its organs are the Current Affairs News and the Morning Bell.
The Constitutional Research Association, boasting of studying the Constitution, actively supported and enlisted in the Northern Warlord Duan Qirui.On the constitutional issue, he opposed the establishment of a unicameral system on the basis of a provisional constitution, opposed the inclusion of the provincial system in the Constitution and the popular election of provincial governors proposed by members of the Kuomintang, and supported the centralized dictatorship of the Anhui warlords.In the political tide surrounding diplomacy with Germany in the spring of 1917, the research department not only "absolutely advocated breaking off diplomatic ties with Germany", but also "absolutely advocated declaring war on Germany", following Duan Qirui.The Research Department also closely cooperated with Duan Qirui in instigating the "Citizens' Petition Group" event and destroying the Congress.After Li Yuanhong ordered to remove Duan Qirui from his post, Duan left Tianjin and instigated the Anhui Clique to supervise the army for independence.In order to resist Li Yuanhong's dismissal of Duan Qirui, members of the Research Department raised difficulties in the Congress and resigned one after another, making it impossible for the Congress to meet.After the failure of Zhang Xun's restoration, the important people of the Research Department gathered in Tianjin to participate in the "rebellion".The Morning Bell Newspaper sponsored by the Research Department was also moved from Beijing to set the eyes for Duan.
After the failure of Zhang Xun's restoration, Duan Qirui became the Prime Minister of the State again in July 1917.Due to Yi Zan's contribution, the important persons of the research department, Liang Qichao, Tang Hualong, Lin Changmin, Fan Yuanlian, were recruited into the cabinet and were transferred to the posts of chief of finance, internal affairs, justice and education respectively.Although Wang Dabian, the Foreign Minister, was not a research department, he once belonged to the Progressive Party.This was the heyday of the research department on the political stage.This situation greatly encouraged the leaders of Liang, Tang and other research departments to try to rely on the power of the Anhui warlords to develop their own forces and establish a one party cabinet to control the political power.To this end, the research department opposed the restoration of the old Congress, and proposed Duan Qirui to convene the provisional Senate, amend the National Assembly Election Law and the Organic Law, and then convene a new Congress, so as to completely eliminate the Kuomintang.Liang Qichao formulated a series of plans to reform the currency system and rectify the finance, and was ready to make a big effort.
However, Duan Qirui did not trust the Research Department after he returned to power.The important officials of the Anhui Department were extremely dissatisfied with the important cabinet posts of the Research Department. The Anhui Department and the Department of Transportation closely colluded to exclude and attack the Research Department.As a result, the research department soon lost power and the one party cabinet became an illusion.The relationship between the research department and the Anhui department has deteriorated, and the attitude towards supporting the section has also changed.In November 1917, Duan Qirui was forced to resign due to the failure of the Sichuan and Hunan wars, and a member of the research department also resigned.
After the Research Department stepped down, Tang Hualong was assassinated in Vancouver, Canada, on September 1, 1918. Liang Qichao declared that he would not interfere with politics, but devoted himself to cultural and academic research.Since the loss of the core, the research department has been declining.In August 1918, the Anfu Congress was held, and the Research Department only obtained more than 20 seats. The anti Duan trend further developed in politics, publicly criticized Duan's policy of military reunification, and advocated mediation and negotiation with the southern law protection forces.In 1920, after the Zhiwan War, Anfu Congress was also dissolved by the Zhili.In terms of ideology and culture, the Research Department, in the name of discussing socialist issues during this period, attacked Marxism on a large scale and was firmly hit back by Marxists.In June 1922, Li Yuanhong became the President and ordered the restoration of the old Congress. The members of the Research Department were divided into several small groups, but the former atmosphere could not be restored.In 1924, the Congress was dissolved again, and the research department disappeared.[1]
