, ▁these ▁were ▁considered ▁to ▁be ▁signs ▁of ▁the ▁dire ▁situation ▁of ▁China ▁at ▁the ▁time . ▁Before ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁such ▁exception al ▁women ▁were ▁believed ▁to ▁have ▁fought ▁to ▁defend ▁China ' s ▁traditional ▁patri arch al ▁order ▁and ▁society , ▁not ▁to ▁change ▁it . ▁▁ 2 0 th ▁century ▁A ▁number ▁of ▁women , ▁and ▁some ▁men , ▁started ▁to ▁speak ▁out ▁against ▁these ▁conditions ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 th ▁and ▁early ▁ 2 0 th ▁centuries , ▁but ▁to ▁little ▁avail . ▁The ▁situation ▁only ▁began ▁to ▁change ▁as ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁X in hai ▁Revolution ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 1 . ▁In ▁course ▁of ▁this ▁w ides p read ▁u pr ising ▁against ▁the ▁r uling ▁Q ing ▁dynast y , ▁several ▁women ▁re bel ▁units ▁were ▁raised ▁such ▁as ▁Wu ▁Sh u q ing ' s ▁Women ' s ▁Revolution ary ▁Army , ▁Y in ▁We ij un ▁and ▁Lin ▁Z ong x ue ' s ▁Z he ji ang ▁Women ' s ▁Army , ▁Tang ▁Q un ying ' s ▁Women ' s ▁Northern ▁Ex ped ition ▁Brigade , ▁and ▁many ▁others . ▁All ▁these ▁units ▁were ▁dis band ed ▁by ▁the ▁Pro vis ional ▁Government ▁of ▁the ▁Republic ▁of ▁China ▁on ▁ 2 6 ▁February ▁ 1 9 1 2 , ▁mostly ▁for ▁ch au vin istic ▁reasons . ▁Nevertheless , ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁they ▁had ▁fought ▁alongside ▁men ▁encourag ed ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁women ▁who ▁had