民国初年各省普遍设立军政府，由都督掌握一省最高军、民两政实权，实行“军民合治”。为反对军政、民政不分的弊端, 1912年4月10日和12日,黎元洪连续发出了两篇公开通电，在全国率先提出实行“军民分治”的救时主张。“军民分治”论提出后,在全国引起了巨大反响。袁世凯和地方当权都督成为“军民分治”争论的主角，其他各派也纷纷加入到其中，这是因为“军民分治”的实行与否不仅关系到国家的前途，也与各派利益的得失休戚相关。各派在“军民分治”态度上的歧见，体现了辛亥革命后人们对于国家前途的焦虑和自身的狂躁心态。民国初年“军民分治”之争持续的时间并不长，却引发了民初一股以探索民主政治为主题的社会思潮兴起。“军民分治”论本身反映的是近代中国政治体制改革的趋势，它要解决的行政制度问题正是民国初年国家面临的主要政治问题之一，也关系到中国政治现代化能否继续向前推进，从“军民分治”改革的角度可以深化对中国政治现代化的研究。“军民分治”论为解决民初全国政治秩序混乱、各省政制不一的问题提供了契机，也确实取得了一定成效，然而由于袁世凯利用“军民分治”的功利心过强，使得“军民分治”在民初未能真正实行，但对于袁世凯在中国政治现代化进程中所起的历史作用也应给予客观评价。

In the early republican period, military governments are set up in all provinces with the military governors as heads, who are also in charge of civil administration. This is known as “the integrated administration of the Army and the People”. April the 10th and the 12th in 1912 witness the successive publication of Li Yuanhong’s two open telegrams to oppose the malpractices in the integrated handling of military and civil affairs, in which he initiates the “separate administration of the army and the people”. This proposal evokes nationwide repercussions, in which Yuan Shikai and provincial in-power governors play the leading roles and other political parties also take part in because the implementation of the separate administration of the army and the people is closely related to not only the future of the nation but also the interests of different political parties. The divergence of attitudes toward the separate administration of the army and the people represents people’s anxiety about the nation’s future and their restless mentality. The dispute over the separate administration of the army and the people does not last long. However, it does lead to the emergence of the social trend of thought with the exploration of democratic politics as its theme in the republican period. Li’s proposal reflects the reform trend of the political systems in modern times. It intends to resolve the problem of the administrative system, which is the major political issue China then confronts and is also concerned with the progress of China’s political modernization. Hence, the present study from the perspective of the “separate administration of the army and the people” can to a certain extent promote the study of China’s political modernization. The proposal proves to be a turning point in resolving political disorder and inconsistency of provincial administrative systems. Besides, it does produce certain positive effects. However, the separate administration does not really get implemented because of Yuan Shikai’s strong desire to take its advantage to gain material benefits. Despite this, an objective evaluation of Yuan’s role in China’s political modernization is also desired.