Battle of Yangxia

The Battle of Yangxia (simplified Chinese: 阳夏之战; traditional Chinese: 陽夏之戰), also known as the Defense of Yangxia (simplified Chinese: 阳夏保卫战; traditional Chinese: 陽夏保衛戰), was the largest military engagement of the Xinhai Revolution and was fought from October 18 to November 27, 1911, between the revolutionaries of the Wuchang Uprising and the loyalist armies of the Qing dynasty. The battle was waged in Hankou and Hanyang, which along with Wuchang collectively form the tri-cities of Wuhan in central China. Though outnumbered by the Qing armies and possessing inferior arms, the revolutionaries fought valiantly in defense of Hankou and Hanyang. After heavy and bloody fighting, the stronger loyalist forces eventually prevailed by taking over both cities, but 41 days of determined resistance by the Revolutionary Army allowed the revolution to strengthen elsewhere as other provinces defied the Qing dynasty. The fighting ended after the commander-in-chief of the Qing forces, General Yuan Shikai, agreed to a cease-fire and sent envoys to peace talks with the revolutionaries. Political negotiations eventually led to the abdication of the Xuantong Emperor, the end of the Qing dynasty and the formation of a unity government for the newly established Republic of China.