民初宋教仁遇刺案探疑

宋教仁遇刺是民初影响深远的重大历史事件,在以往的著述中,袁世凯阴谋策划刺宋的说法几成定论。但此说存在不少疑点,从宏观政治形势上看,袁世凯未必愿意刺杀宋教仁;根据具体证据,刺宋是会党头目应夔丞主动提出并策划的,受到洪述祖的推动,袁世凯、赵秉钧是否知情只能存疑。参与推翻清朝的各派势力在民初成为分享政权的既得利益者,他们彼此虽有矛盾,但并不会轻率冒险决裂,惟独会党由于自身素质的局限,被排斥于权力格局之外,心怀不满并积极寻找出路,其行为方式又带有浓厚的暴力色彩,成为民初社会中的破坏性因素。会党力量有限,常常依附于其他势力,这样其暴力活动在各势力间起到了激化矛盾的作用,最终加速了合作局面的瓦解和大规模内战的爆发。

A Study on the Assassination of Song Jiaoren in 1913

The assassination of Song Jiaoren was a great political earthquake in 1913. Many scholars thought it was President Yuan Shi-kai who plotted the act, but this theory lacks enough evidence. Many materials show the gangsterdom played an active role in the assassination. The gangsterdom rose in politics by joining the revolution which overthrew Qing Dynasty, but their inclination to violence brought great danger to the political structure and promoted the beginning of the civil war in 1913.