生平

創設新軍

咸豐十一年七月十四日生于書香門第。從小即被過繼給長房伯父如松。但伯父如松與父親如柏皆早逝。與母親相依為命。因家庭貧窮，他早年習練弓馬，1878年（光緒四年）入學正定鎮標學兵隊。此後，他隨葉志超調赴山海關。1885年（光緒十一年），他入學天津武備學堂，3年後以優秀成績畢業。此後他回山海關督辦隨營砲隊學堂。

1894年（光緒二十年）王士珍隨直隸提督葉志超赴朝鮮。甲午戰爭中，王士珍處在平壤防衛戰最前綫。王士珍在奮勇殺敵的同時，向葉志超獻策並請求救援，遭到葉的全面否決。葉志超喪失鬥志逃跑，平壤落在日軍手中。王士珍在戰鬥中受傷，被炸掉一個手指。戰後隨敗軍撤退。回國後，王士珍仍統領榆台炮隊，駐防山海關。馬關條約簽訂後，王士珍隨新任直隸提督聶士成移駐蘆台。

1895年（光緒二十一年）12月，袁世凱開始在天津開始小站練兵。王士珍任督操營務處會辦兼講武堂總教習，並兼任工程営管帶、工兵德文堂監督。王士珍指導訓練的能力強，受到袁的信任。袁世凱任山東巡撫後，王士珍參謀全省軍務。他還曾赴日本考察軍事訓練。

1900年（光緒二十六年）王士珍參與鎮壓義和團之亂。同年，山東省內的黃河決口，他率工兵隊築垻，減輕了災情。

1902年（光緒二十八年）春，北洋軍政司始設於保定，王士珍任總參議。北洋常備軍編成，王士珍任左翼翼長。此後，他歷任軍學司正使、軍政司正使、北洋軍第2鎮統制官、第6鎮統制官。其間，他為北洋常備軍的訓練和正規化整備貢獻了力量。1906年（光緒三十二年）冬，王士珍被任命為新設的陸軍部右侍郎。翌年，他任江北提督兼鹽漕事務。

北洋要人

1911年（宣統三年）10月武昌起義爆發。袁世凱東山再起任內閣總理，王士珍任陸軍大臣。王士珍對清朝的忠誠心強，在清朝滅亡後，王士珍隨即退職。

1914年（民國三年），王士珍被授與陸軍上將銜，參加北洋政府。5月他任陸海軍大元帥統率辦事處辦事員（坐辦）、模範團籌備處處長。1915年（民國四年）8月，他繼段祺瑞之後任陸軍總長。1916年（民國5年）4月23日，他任參謀部總長，6月6日袁世凱死後他留任。

府院之爭中，王士珍支持黎元洪，反對對德國宣戰。1917年（民國六年）5月23日，黎罷免段祺瑞國務總理職務，同日，王士珍被任命為京津一帶臨時警備總司令。李經羲內閣成立後，他任陸軍總長兼參謀部總長。

7月，張勳假意調停府院之爭，率領辮軍進入燕京，卻乘機擁立前清宣統皇帝，王士珍參與，任內閣議政大臣、參謀部大臣。復闢失敗後，王士珍回到故鄉隱居。後來以維持北京秩序有功為理由，他重回北京，任段祺瑞的參謀部總長。

段祺瑞的皖系和馮國璋的直系就針對南方政府（護法軍政府）究竟實行「武力統一」（皖系主張）還是「和平統一」（直系主張）起了紛爭。因湘南戰事失利，11月22日段辭任國務總理，在多番周折下，11月30日，馮國璋任命王士珍署理總理，協助推動南北和談及撫平主戰派。事情卻不如人意，1918年（民國七年）2月20日，王稱病辭任，馮國璋不準他離任，只給假養病，暫由內務總長錢能訓兼代國務總理。3月23日，因段祺瑞復任總理，王士珍始能正式離任。

晩年生活

1920年（民國九年）12月，王士珍任蘇皖贛三省巡閱使，翌年1月初辭任。1922年（民國十二年）1月，他被總統徐世昌授予將軍府「德威上將軍」。1925年（民國十四年）2月，他任善後會議議員、軍事整理委員會委員長。

晩年王士珍從軍政前臺退居幕後。他曾以京師治安維持會會長的身分調停北方各派軍閥，維護北京治安，推進慈善事業。王士珍的活動為北京免遭戰禍貢獻很大。

1930年（民國十九年）7月1日，他在北平去世。享壽70歲（滿68歲）。進士尚秉和作的《德威上將軍正定王公行狀》載有其生平。

家族

祖父王履安是秀才，除精通醫術外還尚武術，有「戎馬書生」的稱號。父親王如柏。長房伯父王如松。

逸事

王士珍是袁世凱時期「北洋三傑」之一，號稱「王龍」，另兩人為「段虎」段祺瑞、「馮狗」馮國璋。段與馮後來都當上民初總統，且參與第一次世界大戰並獲勝。

王士珍內閣

1917年12月1日成立，1918年3月23日結束。

Biography

Born on July 14, the 11th year of Emperor Xianfeng's reign, in a family of scholars. He was adopted by his eldest uncle, Rusong, when he was young. However, both his uncle Rusong and his father, Rubai, died early. He depended on his mother for life. Due to his poor family, he practiced archery and horse riding in his early years. In 1878 (the fourth year of Emperor Guangxu's reign), he enrolled in the Zhengding Zhenbiao Cadet Corps. After that, he followed Ye Zhichao to Shanhaiguan, In 1885 (the 11th year of Emperor Guangxu's reign), he enrolled in Tianjin Military Academy and graduated with excellent grades three years later. After that, he returned to Shanhaiguan to supervise the school of the artillery corps.

In 1894 (the 20th year of Emperor Guangxu's reign), Wang Shizhen accompanied Zhili Admiral Ye Zhichao to Korea, During the Sino-Japanese War, Wang Shizhen was at the forefront of the Pyongyang defense battle. Wang Shizhen was injured in the battle and one of his fingers was blown off. After the war, he retreated with the defeated army. After returning to China, Wang Shizhen still commanded the Yutai artillery team and stationed at Shanhaiguan. After the signing of the Treaty of Shimonoseki, Wang Shizhen moved to Lutai with the new Zhili Admiral Nie Shicheng,

In December 1895 (the 21st year of Emperor Guangxu's reign), Yuan Shikai began to train troops in Xiaozhan, Tianjin. Wang Shizhen served as the director of the training camp office and the chief instructor of the military training hall. He also served as the director of the engineering department and the supervisor of the German language hall of the engineers. After Yuan Shikai was appointed as the governor of Shandong, Wang Shizhen was the military advisor of the whole province. He also went to Japan to inspect military training.

In 1900 (the 26th year of Emperor Guangxu's reign), Wang Shizhen participated in suppressing the Boxer Rebellion, In the same year, the Yellow River burst its banks in Shandong Province, and he led an engineering corps to build embankments, alleviating the disaster.

In the spring of 1902 (the 28th year of Emperor Guangxu's reign), the Beiyang Military and Political Department was established in Baoding, and Wang Shizhen was appointed as the chief counselor. When the Beiyang regular army was organized, Wang Shizhen was appointed as the commander of the left wing. After that, he served successively as the chief envoy of the Military Science Department, the chief envoy of the Military and Political Department, the commander of the 2nd and 6th Beiyang Army. During this period, he contributed to the training and regular preparation of the Beiyang regular army. In the winter of 1906 (the 32nd year of Emperor Guangxu's reign), Wang Shizhen was appointed as the right assistant minister of the newly established Army Department. The following year, he served as the governor of Jiangbei and concurrently in charge of salt and water transport affairs.

Beiyang dignitaries

In October 1911 (the third year of the Xuantong reign), the Wuchang Uprising broke out. Yuan Shikai made a comeback and became the Prime Minister, while Wang Shizhen became the Minister of the Army. Wang Shizhen was very loyal to the Qing Dynasty, and he retired immediately after the demise of the Qing Dynasty,

In 1914 (the third year of the Republic of China), Wang Shizhen was awarded the title of Army General and joined the Beiyang Government, In May, he served as the Office of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy and the Director of the Model Regiment Preparation Office. In August 1915 (the fourth year of the Republic of China), he succeeded Duan Qirui as the Chief of the Army. On April 23, 1916 (the fifth year of the Republic of China), he was appointed Chief of the General Staff, and he remained in office after Yuan Shikai's death on June 6.

In the dispute between the government and the parliament, Wang Shizhen supported Li Yuanhong and opposed the declaration of war on Germany, On May 23, 1917 (the sixth year of the Republic of China), Li dismissed Duan Qirui from the post of Prime Minister. On the same day, Wang Shizhen was appointed as the temporary commander-in-chief of the Beijing-Tianjin area.  After Li Jingxi's cabinet was established, he served as the Chief of the Army and Chief of the General Staff.

In July, Zhang Xun led the imperial guards into Beijing under the pretense of mediating the dispute between the government and the parliament. He took the opportunity to establish the Xuantong Emperor of the former Qing Dynasty, which was the imperial guards restoration. Wang Shizhen participated in it and served as the Minister of State Affairs and the Minister of the General Staff. After the restoration failed, Wang Shizhen returned to his hometown and lived in seclusion. Later, he returned to Beijing and served as the Chief of Staff of Duan Qirui on the grounds of his contribution to maintaining order in Beijing.

Duan Qirui's Anhui clique and Feng Guozhang 's Zhili clique had a dispute over whether the southern government (the Protection of the Constitution Army Government) should implement "military unification" (the Anhui clique advocated) or "peaceful unification" (the Zhili clique advocated). Due to the defeat in the Hunan-Southern War, Duan resigned as Prime Minister on November 22. After many twists and turns, on November 30, Feng Guozhang appointed Wang Shizhen as Acting Prime Minister  to help promote the North-South peace talks and appease the pro-war faction. However, things did not go as planned. On February 20, 1918 (the seventh year of the Republic of China), Wang resigned due to illness. Feng Guozhang did not allow him to leave, but only gave him leave to recuperate. The Minister of the Interior Qian Nengxun temporarily served as the acting Prime Minister, On March 23, Wang Shizhen was able to officially resign because Duan Qirui was reinstated as Prime Minister.

Later life

In December 1920 (the 9th year of the Republic of China), Wang Shizhen was appointed as the inspector of Jiangsu, Anhui and Gan provinces, and resigned in early January of the following year. In January 1922 (the 12th year of the Republic of China), he was awarded the title of "Admiral of Virtue and Power" by President Xu Shichang, In February 1925 (the 14th year of the Republic of China), he served as a member of the Post-war Conference and chairman of the Military Arrangement Committee.

In his later years, Wang Shizhen retired from the military and political front. As the chairman of the Beijing Public Security Association, he mediated between the northern warlords, maintained Beijing's public security, and promoted charity. Wang Shizhen's activities made a great contribution to Beijing's escape from war.

On July 1, 1930 (the 19th year of the Republic of China), he died in Beijing at the age of 70 (68 years old). His life story is recorded in the "Biography of the Virtuous General Zhengding Prince" written by Jinshi Shang Binghe.

Family

His grandfather, Wang Lu'an, was a scholar who was proficient in medicine and martial arts, and was known as a "scholar who loves war". His father was Wang Rubai, and his eldest uncle was Wang Rusong.