Xu Shichang (Chinese:徐世昌; pinyin:Xú Shìchāng; Wade–Giles:Hsü2Shih4-ch'ang1; courtesy nameJuren (Chinese:菊人; pinyin:Júrén; Wade–Giles:Chu-jen); 20 October 1855 – 5 June 1939) was a Chinese politician who served as the President of China from 10 October 1918 to 2 June 1922. A member of the Anhui clique, he was the only permanent president of the Beiyang government to be a civilian; his presidency was also the longest of the Warlord Era. Previously, he was Minister of the Cabinet of the Imperial Cabinet during the Qing dynasty.
His election as president was largely engineered by Duan Qirui and his Anhui clique. He was chosen because he was a civilian yet had close ties to the Beiyang Army and was neutral to both its Zhili and Anhui cliques. Lacking any military power of his own, he had to play Duan, Zhili leader Cao Kun, and Fengtian leader Zhang Zuolin against each other to stay in power.
Xu believed the monarchy would eventually be restored, and to prepare Puyi for the challenges of the modern world had hired Reginald Johnston to teach Puyi "subjects such as political science, constitutional history and English".[3]
He held a massive celebration in Beijing for China's victory in World War I on 18 November 1918. However, he then brought troops into the Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War. A ceasefire with Sun Yat-sen's rival Constitutional Protection Junta based in Guangzhou was declared and intellectuals were given greater freedom. This lasted until news from France revealed that Duan Qirui had promised former German territory in Shandong to Japan. Large student protests in the May Fourth Movement led to Xu cracking down with mass arrests. Ma Jun (馬駿), a Muslim, led protests against the Versailles Treaty.[4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] The delegation was ordered home and China refused to sign or ratify the Treaty of Versailles. Consequently, the shaky alliance between the Zhili and Anhui cliques collapsed with Duan decisively defeated. This led to the era of high warlordism. Conflict with the anti-Beiyang movements in Southern China flared again in 1920, and he also failed to retake Outer Mongolia. Cao Kun, who never liked Xu, pressured him out of office and restored Li Yuanhong.
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