Progressive Party (China)
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The Progressive Party (Traditional: 進步黨; Simplified: 进步党; pinyin: jìnbùdǎng) was founded in 1913 as a merger between three parties in the National Assembly of the Republic of China.
The 1912 elections were won by the Nationalists. The next three largest parties in order of seats were the Republican, Unity, and Democratic parties. The Republicans were largely financed by the provisional president, Yuan Shikai. They were an ultranationalist and militarist party. Unity was led by Zhang Binglin and represented the interests of the civil service and gentry. The Democrats were mostly ex-constitutional monarchists of the defunct Constitutionalist Party before the Xinhai Revolution.
On May 29, 1913, these parties merged under the leadership of Democratic head Liang Qichao. The party's platform was nationalism with strong central government, liberty through the rule of law, and peaceful foreign policy. As the second largest party, it portrayed the rival Nationalists as supporters of mob rule.
The Progressives supported Yuan against the failed Second Revolution but objected to the outlawing of the Nationalist Party since only some of its members took part. The expulsion of the Nationalists led to the Assembly losing its quorum so Yuan disbanded it altogether which was also fiercely opposed by the Progressives.
When Yuan tried to crown himself emperor, Liang convinced Yunnan's military governor, Cai E, to lead a revolution against monarchism. Progressive Party branches across the country agitated for the overthrow of Yuan. Yuan's government became paralyzed and he abandoned his scheme. The party's leadership, however, was split into pro- and anti-Yuan factions.
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