辛亥革命爆發(fā)后，袁世凱在帝國主義的支持下，東山再起，就任內(nèi)閣總理大臣。他憑借手握的北洋重兵，翻云覆雨，玩弄“南北和談”的陰謀；在逼清朝皇帝退位后，又攫取了中華民國大總統(tǒng)的職位。中華民國臨時大總統(tǒng)孫中山讓位時，提出必須以袁世凱到南京就職為條件，并把“爭都” 問題，看作一場嚴重的政治斗爭。袁世凱認為，這是調(diào)虎離山之計，一旦他離開北洋勢力盤踞的北方，必然勢單力孤。因此，一再借詞推卸。
1912年2月，當南京臨時政府的“迎袁特使”到北京后，他便唆使親信部隊發(fā)動兵變，聲稱反對袁世凱南下，以制造北方局勢不穩(wěn)，必須由袁世凱坐鎮(zhèn)北京的假象。接著，天津駐軍 (還有保定駐軍),也如法炮制，揮兵鬧事，重演了兵變事件。這就是天津歷史上說的 “天津兵變”或稱“壬子兵變” 。
天津是北洋軍閥的發(fā)祥地，軍警部門都由袁世凱的親信把持。天津鎮(zhèn)守使張懷芝、警察廳長楊以德，都是袁世凱的得力干將。兵變前，袁世凱派郎世中帶著密令來到天津活動。郎世中是日本士官學校第六期畢業(yè)生，同日本方面有著密切聯(lián)系，他事先和日本駐軍互通信息，以求得租界帝國主義列強的諒解和支持。
1912年3月2日，晚八時許，街上的巡警早已躲得蹤影全無。事先開進河北法政橋附近的張懷芝所部巡防營 (時稱灰老鼠) ,傾巢出動。隨后，事先集結(jié)在西于莊附近的北郊韓柳墅駐軍的一個團，兵分3路出動。變兵撲向西關大街、太平街、河北大街、北門外、北門里、估衣街、北馬路、東馬路及河北大經(jīng)路等天津華界的繁華商業(yè)街。變兵鳴槍呼嘯，燒殺搶掠； 流氓歹徒和保安隊也趁火打劫。廠店當鋪，被搶掠殆盡； 銀樓錢莊，被劫焚一空； 坐落在北馬路的實習工廠售品陳列所的眾多名品，無一幸免； 天津造幣廠銀元、元寶，任人搶掠。一夜之間，華北工商大都市的天津，面目全非。受災鋪戶，多達2200余家； 損失銀1212萬兩以上。大街上扔滿了變兵帶不走的商品。沿途死尸橫陳，一片凄慘景象。
拂曉前，變兵滿載而去以后，楊以德帶領警察，以 “巡查彈壓” 為名，拘捕在大街上攜帶財物包裹的市民，約在一個小時內(nèi)，便逮捕了260多人，分3批，殺掉50人。此后2天，傳聞小站、馬廠的駐軍也要到天津搶掠發(fā)財，鬧得市民人心惶惶，紛紛搬往租界。
3月5日，日、俄、德軍隊2000余人，從旅順、哈爾濱、青島等地，也開到天津，大有袁世凱一離開北京，“內(nèi)憂外患” 便會接踵而至之勢。在這種情況下，南京臨時政府只得再次讓步。3月10日，袁世凱在北京就任臨時大總統(tǒng)，開始了北洋軍閥集團的統(tǒng)治。

· “壬子兵變”后，天津警察機關處斬 “亂兵” 和 “搶民”

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.