辛亥革命爆发后,袁世凯在帝国主义的支持下,东山再起,就任内阁总理大臣。他凭借手握的北洋重兵,翻云覆雨,玩弄“南北和谈”的阴谋;在逼清朝皇帝退位后,又攫取了中华民国大总统的职位。中华民国临时大总统孙中山让位时,提出必须以袁世凯到南京就职为条件,并把“争都” 问题,看作一场严重的政治斗争。袁世凯认为,这是调虎离山之计,一旦他离开北洋势力盘踞的北方,必然势单力孤。因此,一再借词推卸。
        1912年2月,当南京临时政府的“迎袁特使”到北京后,他便唆使亲信部队发动兵变,声称反对袁世凯南下,以制造北方局势不稳,必须由袁世凯坐镇北京的假象。接着,天津驻军 (还有保定驻军),也如法炮制,挥兵闹事,重演了兵变事件。这就是天津历史上说的 “天津兵变”或称“壬子兵变” 。
        天津是北洋军阀的发祥地,军警部门都由袁世凯的亲信把持。天津镇守使张怀芝、警察厅长杨以德,都是袁世凯的得力干将。兵变前,袁世凯派郎世中带着密令来到天津活动。郎世中是日本士官学校第六期毕业生,同日本方面有着密切联系,他事先和日本驻军互通信息,以求得租界帝国主义列强的谅解和支持。
        1912年3月2日,晚八时许,街上的巡警早已躲得踪影全无。事先开进河北法政桥附近的张怀芝所部巡防营 (时称灰老鼠) ,倾巢出动。随后,事先集结在西于庄附近的北郊韩柳墅驻军的一个团,兵分3路出动。变兵扑向西关大街、太平街、河北大街、北门外、北门里、估衣街、北马路、东马路及河北大经路等天津华界的繁华商业街。变兵鸣枪呼啸,烧杀抢掠; 流氓歹徒和保安队也趁火打劫。厂店当铺,被抢掠殆尽; 银楼钱庄,被劫焚一空; 坐落在北马路的实习工厂售品陈列所的众多名品,无一幸免; 天津造币厂银元、元宝,任人抢掠。一夜之间,华北工商大都市的天津,面目全非。受灾铺户,多达2200余家; 损失银1212万两以上。大街上扔满了变兵带不走的商品。沿途死尸横陈,一片凄惨景象。
        拂晓前,变兵满载而去以后,杨以德带领警察,以 “巡查弹压” 为名,拘捕在大街上携带财物包裹的市民,约在一个小时内,便逮捕了260多人,分3批,杀掉50人。此后2天,传闻小站、马厂的驻军也要到天津抢掠发财,闹得市民人心惶惶,纷纷搬往租界。
        3月5日,日、俄、德军队2000余人,从旅顺、哈尔滨、青岛等地,也开到天津,大有袁世凯一离开北京,“内忧外患” 便会接踵而至之势。在这种情况下,南京临时政府只得再次让步。3月10日,袁世凯在北京就任临时大总统,开始了北洋军阀集团的统治。

        

· “壬子兵变”后,天津警察机关处斩 “乱兵” 和 “抢民”

        After Xinhai Revolution broke out,under the supportof imperialists,Yuan Shikai became the minister of thecabinet. With the strong military power of Beiyang army,he plotted scheme of peaceful discussion between thesouth and the north to disguise his ambition of being thepresident. He forced the abdication of Pu Yi,Emperor ofthe Qing government,and then grabbed the position ofPresident of the Republic of China. When the provisionalpresident Sun Yat-sen resigned,he put forward thatYuan Shikai assume position in Nanjing. Sun regardedthe matter of capital location as a serious political strife.Yuan Shikai thought that once he left the northern areacontrolled by the Beiyang army,he must be losing hispower and fell into aloof situation. Therefore,he rejectedSun`s suggestion with all kinds of excuses.
        In February 1912,when the envoy of NanjingProvisional Government for Yuan Shikai came to Beijingfrom Nanjing,Yuan Shikai urged his fellows to starta mutiny to make a false troubled situation so that hecan have reasonable excuse for not going to Nanjing toassume office. Following the mutiny in Beijing,Tianjinand Baoding armies also played false mutinies. This wascalled Tianjin Mutiny or Renzi Mutiny (Renzi is the yearof 1912 in Chinese saying) in history.
        Tianjin was the place of origin for many warlordsof Beiyang government. The army and police forcesin Tianjin were controlled by fellows of Yuan Shikai.Tianjin commander Zhang Huaizhi and Tianjin policechief Yang Yide were both the favorite able man ofYuan Shikai. Before the mutiny,Yuan Shikai sent LangShizhong with his secret order to plan mutiny in Tianjin.Lang Shizhong was the sixth graduates of Japan OfficerSchool and had close contact with Japanese government.He had been exchanging information with Japanesearmies camped in China to seek for understanding andsupport from imperialistsin concessions.
        At eight o`clock in the night of March 2 1912,notrace of policemen could be found in the streets. Thepatrol battalions commanded by Zhang Huaizhi (calledgrey rats at that time) that had been camped aroundFazheng Bridge in Hebei District turned out in fullforce. Then a regiment of the army led by Han Liushugathered around Xiyu Village beforehand advanced inthree groups. The mutiny armies went toward businesscenters of Tianjin,including Xiguan Street,TaipingStreet,Hebei Street,areas around the north gate,GuyiStreet,North Street,East Street and Dajing Road inHebei District etc. The armies whistled and shot guns,and they burned,killed and plundered wherever theywent. Rascals,mobsters and Peace Preservation Corpsalso took advantage of the troubled situation for theirown benefits. Factories,shops,banks and pawnshopswere looted with nothing left,including goods in theexhibition of Pilot Factory located in North Street andgolden and silver dollars in Tianjin Mint. Tianjin,themetropolis in north China,lost its usual appearancein one night. More than 2200 shops were destroyedand 12.12 million silver dollars were lost. The streetswere littered with corpses and commodities thrown bythe mutiny army. Tianjin after the mutiny was quite aheartrending sight.
        Before dawning and after the mutiny army leftwith two hands full,leading his policemen,Yang Yidearrested in the name of inspection and suppression morethan 260 citizens within one hour and killed 50 of themin three times. After that,it was rumored that armiesin Xiaozhan and Mache would also come to Tianjin tomake fortunes. People in Tianjin were filled with anxietyand moved to the concessions in groups.
        In March 5,more than 2000 soldiers from theJapanese,Russian and German armies also marched toTianjin from Lvshun,Ha`erbin and Qingdao.It seemedthat domestic trouble and foreign invasion would soonfall upon the Chinese people once Yuan Shikai leftBeijing. Under this situation,the Nanjing ProvisionalGovernment had to give in. In March 10,Yuan Shikaiassumed provisional president in Beijing and theBeiyang warlord group began to control China.