The rule of the Qing dynasty over Tibet was established after a Qing expedition force defeated the Dzungar Khanate which had occupied Tibet in 1720, and lasted until the fall of the Qing dynasty in 1912. The Imperial Edict of the Abdication of the Qing Emperor issued in 1912 provided the legal basis for the Republic of China (ROC) to inherit all Qing territories, including Tibet. However, the ROC had no effective control over Tibet from 1912 to 1951; In the opinion of the Chinese government, this condition does not represent Tibet's "de jure" independence as many other parts of China also enjoyed "de facto" independence when the Chinese state was torn by warlordism, Japanese invasion, and civil war.