China: Yuan Shikai (16 September 1859 - 6 June 1916), second provisional president of the Republic of China (r. 1912-1915), 'Emperor of China' (1915-1916), c. 1910. Yuan Shikai was a Chinese general and statesman who was a significantly influential figure in the last days of the Qing dynasty. He masterminded a raft of major reforms and modernisation programs, and helped to secure the abdication of the Xuantong Emperor in 1912, which marked the fall of the Qing Empire. He became the second provisional president, but in 1915 he declared himself the Hongxian Emperor, a fiercely unpopular move.

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