The meaning of the word Manchukuo. The Manchukuo army: how the Japanese created the second "Manchurian empire" and its armed forces History of Manchukuo

K: Appeared in 1932 K: Disappeared in 1945

Manchu-go, Manchuria(Chinese 滿洲國, State of Manchuria(Chinese 大滿洲帝國), "Damanzhou-digo" (Great Manchurian Empire)) is a puppet state (empire) formed by the Japanese military administration on the territory of Manchuria occupied by Japan; existed from March 1, 1932 to August 19, 1945. It bordered the Empire of Japan, the MPR, the USSR, Mengjiang, and the Republic of China.

In fact, Manchukuo was controlled by Japan and followed entirely in line with its policy. In the city, the armed forces of Manchukuo took part in the battles on the Khalkhin Gol River (in Japanese historiography - “The Incident at Nomonkhan”). During the Soviet-Japanese war, Manchukuo ceased to exist. On August 19, 1945, Emperor Pu Yi was captured at Fengtian Airport by Red Army paratroopers. The territory of Manchukuo became part of the People's Republic of China.

Story

The clash of Russian and Japanese interests led to the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, as a result of which Russian influence in Manchuria was replaced by Japanese. In the period between 1925 and 1925, Japan significantly increases its influence in Inner Manchuria, relying on economic leverage.

During the Russian Civil War of 1918-1921, Japan took advantage of Russia's weakening and occupied Outer Manchuria. Manchuria became the arena of struggle between Russia, Japan and China.

A buffer Far Eastern Republic was formed between Soviet Russia and Japan, but the further strengthening of the Bolshevik regime and disagreements between the Western powers and Japan led to the withdrawal of the occupying forces in 1925 and the restoration of Russian jurisdiction.

The commander of the Kwantung Army was also the Japanese ambassador to Manchukuo and had the right to veto the emperor's decisions. From 1932 to 1945, 6 people replaced each other in this post:

1. Nobuyoshi Muto (August 8, 1932 – July 25, 1933)
2. Takashi Hisikari (July 29, 1933 – December 10, 1934)
3. Jiro Minami (December 10, 1934 – March 6, 1936)
4. Kenkichi Ueda (March 6, 1936 – September 7, 1939)
5. Yoshijiro Umezu (September 7, 1939 – July 18, 1944)
6. Otozo Yamada (July 18, 1944 – August 11, 1945).

There was a Legislative Assembly in the state, whose role was actually reduced to the formal approval of the decisions of the State Council. The only political party allowed was the government-funded Concord Society; in addition to him, several emigrant groups, in particular, Russian emigrants, were allowed to organize their own political movements (see, for example, the Russian Fascist Party, Bureau of Russian Emigrants in the Manchurian Empire).

Administrative division

Concord Society

The Accord Society played a key role in Manchukuo. Its name is explained by the pan-Asian concept of the "consent of peoples" put forward by the Japanese, which assumed the self-determination of various Asian peoples along the lines of the Soviet model of the "union of peoples". At the same time, the coexistence of various nationalities was assumed strictly within the framework of a single centralized state, which could help to avoid possible weakening. The Concord Society assumed self-organization within separate communities for different nationalities; it included Mongols, Manchus, Koreans, Japanese, Muslims, Russian emigrants and a Chinese majority. At the same time, the organization was characterized by reliance on traditional religious leaders for each community.

The society was conceived as the main political force of Manchukuo, designed to replace the Kwantung Army in this capacity. However, in reality, the Concord Society has become an ideological tool in the hands of the Japanese military. In the mid-1930s, the leadership of the Kwantung Army ordered the society to purge its leaders, who were accused of left-wing sympathies. After the purge, the organization became, in fact, no different from its progenitors - the fascist parties of Europe of that time, standing on the positions of anti-communism and corporatism, and was transformed for mobilization purposes.

All civil servants, up to teachers, and all important figures of society were included in the society. Young people aged 16 to 19, starting in 1937, were automatically enrolled in the organization. By 1943, up to 10% of the population of Manchuria was in society.

Although formally a one-party system was not established in Manchukuo, in fact the only political party allowed was the Concord Society. An exception to this rule were various political movements of immigrants living in Manchuria.

Armed forces

The Kwantung Army, the Japanese army group in the Far East, played a key role in the creation and further life of Manchukuo. The decision to seize Manchuria in 1932 was made by the command of the Kwantung Army arbitrarily, without the consent of the Japanese Parliament.

The Kwantung Army formed and trained the Manchurian Imperial Army. Its core was the North-Eastern Army of General Zhang Xueliang, numbering up to 160 thousand people. The main problem of these troops was the low quality of the personnel; many were poorly trained, and there were large numbers of opium addicts in the army. The Manchu troops were prone to desertion. So, in August 1932, 2000 soldiers deserted from the Wukumiho garrison, and the 7th Cavalry Brigade mutinied. All of these forces joined the Chinese guerrillas fighting the Japanese.

Manchukuo had his own navy.

Demography

coal industry

In 1933, the Japan-Manchuria Coal Company was established, and coal production increased 3.6 times (25.6 million tons) in 1932-1944.

Metallurgy

Two large metallurgical enterprises operated in Manchukuo: the Anshan plant, where iron production increased from 276 tons to 1.3 million tons in 1931-1943, and the plant in Benxi, which increased iron smelting from 65 thousand tons in 1931-1944. .tons up to 370 thousand tons.

mechanical engineering

The engineering industry of Manchukuo was represented by the Manchurian Bearing Factory, the Dalian Railway Factory, the Manchurian Vehicle Factory.

Chemical industry

The lack of oil forced Tokyo to start up the Fushun coal liquefaction plant in Manchukuo in 1939, as well as a similar enterprise in Siping.

Currency unit

Monetary unit - yuan (1 yuan = 10 jiao = 100 fen = 1000 li)

see also

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Notes

3. see Japan-Manchurian Protocol
4. Nish, Ian Hill (2002) Japanese foreign policy in the interwar period, Westport, CT: Praeger, p. 95, ISBN 0275947912.
5. Lu, David John (2002) Agony of choice: Matsuoka Yōsuke and the rise and fall of the Japanese Empire, 1880-1946, Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, p. 83, ISBN 0739104586.
10. Alexandrova M.V. Japanese capital and its significance in the industry of Northeast China (end of the 19th century - 1945) // China in world and regional politics. History and modernity. - 2014. - T. 19. - No. 19. - S. 343-344
11. Alexandrova M.V. Japanese capital and its significance in the industry of Northeast China (end of the 19th century - 1945) // China in world and regional politics. History and modernity. - 2014. - T. 19. - No. 19. - S. 345-346
12. Alexandrova M.V. Japanese capital and its significance in the industry of Northeast China (end of the 19th century - 1945) // China in world and regional politics. History and modernity. - 2014. - T. 19. - No. 19. - S. 346-347
13. Alexandrova M.V. Japanese capital and its significance in the industry of Northeast China (end of the 19th century - 1945) // China in world and regional politics. History and modernity. - 2014. - T. 19. - No. 19. - S. 348-349
14. Alexandrova M.V. Japanese capital and its significance in the industry of Northeast China (end of the 19th century - 1945) // China in world and regional politics. History and modernity. - 2014. - T. 19. - No. 19. - S. 350

Literature

• Aurilene E. E. Russian Diaspora in China: Manchuria. Northern China. Shanghai (1920 - 50s). Khabarovsk, 2003;
• Aurilene E. E., Potapova I.V. Russians in Manchukuo-Di-Go: Emigrant Government. Khabarovsk, 2004.
• Bisson T. A. Military economy of Japan / transl. from English. - M.: Publishing house of foreign literature, 1949.
• Joett F. Japanese army. 1931-1942 / transl. from English. - M.: ACT: Astrel, 2003.
• Zakharova G. F. Japanese policy in Manchuria, 1932-1945. - M.: Nauka, 1990.
• Kara-Murza G.S. Manchukuo is a Japanese colony in Manchuria. Chita, 1944.
• Usov V.N.. - M .: Olma-press, 2003. - 415 p. - ISBN 5-224-04249-6.

Story State symbols State structure External relations Economy Army

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An excerpt characterizing Manchukuo

Pierre could no longer take it upon himself to turn away and close his eyes. The curiosity and excitement of him and the whole crowd at this fifth murder reached the highest degree. Like the others, this fifth one seemed calm: he wrapped his robe and scratched one bare foot against the other.
When they began to blindfold him, he straightened the very knot on the back of his head, which cut him; then, when they leaned him against a bloodied post, he fell back, and, as he was uncomfortable in this position, he recovered and, putting his legs straight, leaned calmly. Pierre did not take his eyes off him, not missing the slightest movement.
A command must have been heard; after the command, shots of eight guns must have been heard. But Pierre, no matter how much he tried to remember later, did not hear the slightest sound from the shots. He only saw how, for some reason, the factory worker suddenly sank down on the ropes, how blood appeared in two places, and how the very ropes, due to the weight of the hanging body, unraveled and the factory worker, unnaturally lowering his head and twisting his leg, sat down. Pierre ran up to the post. Nobody held him back. Frightened, pale people were doing something around the factory. An old, mustachioed Frenchman's jaw shook as he untied the ropes. The body went down. The soldiers awkwardly and hurriedly dragged him behind a post and began to push him into the pit.
Everyone, apparently, undoubtedly knew that they were criminals who needed to cover up the traces of their crime as soon as possible.
Pierre looked into the pit and saw that the factory worker was lying there with his knees up, close to his head, one shoulder higher than the other. And this shoulder convulsively, evenly fell and rose. But already shovels of earth were falling all over the body. One of the soldiers angrily, viciously and painfully shouted at Pierre to return. But Pierre did not understand him and stood at the post, and no one drove him away.
When the pit was already filled up, a command was heard. Pierre was taken to his place, and the French troops, standing in fronts on both sides of the pillar, made a half-turn and began to walk past the pillar with measured steps. Twenty-four men of riflemen with unloaded rifles, standing in the middle of the circle, ran up to their places, while the companies passed by them.
Pierre was now looking with meaningless eyes at these shooters, who ran out of the circle in pairs. All but one joined the companies. A young soldier with a deadly pale face, in a shako that fell back, having lowered his gun, was still standing opposite the pit in the place from which he fired. He staggered like a drunk, taking a few steps forward and then back to support his falling body. An old soldier, a non-commissioned officer, ran out of the ranks and, grabbing a young soldier by the shoulder, dragged him into the company. The crowd of Russians and French began to disperse. Everyone walked in silence, with their heads bowed.
- Ca leur apprendra a incendier, [This will teach them to set fire.] - said one of the French. Pierre looked back at the speaker and saw that he was a soldier who wanted to console himself with something in what had been done, but could not. Without finishing what he started, he waved his hand and walked away.

After the execution, Pierre was separated from the other defendants and left alone in a small, ruined and filthy church.
Before evening, the guard non-commissioned officer with two soldiers entered the church and announced to Pierre that he was forgiven and was now entering the barracks of prisoners of war. Not understanding what they told him, Pierre got up and went with the soldiers. He was led to the booths built at the top of the field from burnt boards, logs and hews and entered into one of them. In the darkness about twenty different people surrounded Pierre. Pierre looked at them, not understanding who these people were, why they were and what they wanted from him. He heard the words that were spoken to him, but did not draw any conclusion or application from them: he did not understand their meaning. He himself answered what was asked of him, but did not understand who was listening to him and how his answers would be understood. He looked at faces and figures, and they all seemed equally meaningless to him.
From the moment Pierre saw this terrible murder committed by people who did not want to do this, it was as if in his soul that spring was suddenly pulled out, on which everything was supported and seemed to be alive, and everything fell into a heap of senseless rubbish. In him, although he did not realize himself, faith was destroyed in the improvement of the world, and in the human, and in his soul, and in God. This state was experienced by Pierre before, but never with such force as now. Before, when such doubts were found on Pierre, these doubts had their source of guilt. And in the very depths of his soul, Pierre then felt that from that despair and those doubts there was salvation in himself. But now he felt that it was not his fault that the world had collapsed in his eyes and only meaningless ruins remained. He felt that it was not in his power to return to faith in life.
Around him in the darkness stood people: it is true that something interested them very much in him. They told him something, asked about something, then they took him somewhere, and he finally found himself in the corner of the booth next to some people who were talking from different sides, laughing.
“And now, my brothers ... the same prince who (with a special emphasis on the word which) ...” said a voice in the opposite corner of the booth.
Silently and motionlessly sitting against the wall on the straw, Pierre first opened and then closed his eyes. But as soon as he closed his eyes, he saw before him the same terrible, especially terrible in its simplicity, the face of a factory worker and the faces of unwitting murderers, even more terrible in their anxiety. And he opened his eyes again and stared senselessly in the darkness around him.
Sitting next to him, bent over, was a small man, whose presence Pierre noticed at first by the strong smell of sweat that separated from him with his every movement. This man was doing something in the dark with his legs, and, despite the fact that Pierre did not see his face, he felt that this man was constantly looking at him. Looking closely in the darkness, Pierre realized that this man was taking off his shoes. And the way he did it interested Pierre.
Unwinding the twine with which one leg was tied, he carefully folded the twine and immediately set to work on the other leg, looking at Pierre. While one hand was hanging the string, the other was already beginning to unwind the other leg. Thus, in neat, round, argumentative movements that followed one another without slowing down, the man took off his shoes and hung his shoes on pegs driven in above his heads, took out a knife, cut something, folded the knife, put it under the head of the head and, having sat down better, hugged his raised knees with both hands and stared directly at Pierre. Pierre felt something pleasant, soothing and round in these disputed movements, in this well-organized household in the corner, in the smell of even this man, and he, without taking his eyes off, looked at him.
- And you saw a lot of need, master? A? said the little man suddenly. And such an expression of affection and simplicity was in the melodious voice of a man that Pierre wanted to answer, but his jaw trembled, and he felt tears. The little man at the same moment, without giving Pierre time to show his embarrassment, spoke in the same pleasant voice.
“Hey, falcon, don’t grieve,” he said with that softly melodious caress with which old Russian women speak. - Do not grieve, my friend: endure an hour, but live a century! That's it, my dear. And we live here, thank God, there is no offense. There are good and bad people, too,” he said, and, still speaking, with a flexible movement he leaned over on his knees, stood up and, clearing his throat, went somewhere.
- Look, rogue, come! - Pierre heard the same gentle voice at the end of the booth. - The rogue has come, remembers! Well, well, you will. - And the soldier, pushing away the little dog that jumped towards him, returned to his place and sat down. In his hands was something wrapped in a rag.
“Here, eat, master,” he said, again returning to his former respectful tone and unwrapping and serving Pierre several baked potatoes. - There was stew at dinner. And the potatoes are important!
Pierre had not eaten all day, and the smell of potatoes seemed to him unusually pleasant. He thanked the soldier and began to eat.
- Well, so then? - the soldier said smiling and took one of the potatoes. - And here's how you are. - He again took out a folding knife, cut the potatoes into equal two halves in his palm, sprinkled salt from a rag and brought it to Pierre.
“Potatoes are important,” he repeated. - You eat like this.
It seemed to Pierre that he had never eaten food tastier than this.
“No, it’s all right for me,” said Pierre, “but why did they shoot these unfortunates! .. The last one was about twenty years old.
“Tsk, tsk…” said the little man. “That’s a sin, that’s a sin ...” he quickly added, and, as if his words were always ready in his mouth and inadvertently flew out of him, he continued: “What is it, sir, did you stay in Moscow like that?
I didn't think they would come so soon. I accidentally stayed, - said Pierre.
- But how did they take you, falcon, from your house?
- No, I went to the fire, and then they grabbed me, they tried me for an arsonist.
“Where there is judgment, there is untruth,” put in the little man.
– How long have you been here? asked Pierre, chewing the last potato.
– I that? That Sunday I was taken from the hospital in Moscow.
Who are you, soldier?
- Soldiers of the Apsheron regiment. He died of a fever. They didn't tell us anything. There were twenty of our people. And they didn’t think, they didn’t guess.
- Well, are you bored here? Pierre asked.
- How boring, falcon. Call me Plato; Karataev’s nickname, ”he added, apparently in order to make it easier for Pierre to address him. - Nicknamed Falcon in the service. How not to be bored, falcon! Moscow, she is the mother of cities. How not to get bored looking at it. Yes, the worm is worse than cabbage, but before that you yourself disappear: that’s what the old people used to say, ”he added quickly.
- How, how did you say that? Pierre asked.
– I that? asked Karataev. “I say: not by our mind, but by God’s judgment,” he said, thinking that he was repeating what he had said. And immediately he continued: - How do you, master, have patrimonies? And do you have a house? So, a full bowl! And is there a hostess? Are the old parents still alive? he asked, and although Pierre did not see in the dark, he felt that the soldier's lips were wrinkled with a restrained smile of affection while he was asking this. He, apparently, was upset that Pierre did not have parents, especially a mother.
- A wife for advice, a mother-in-law for greetings, but there is no sweeter mother! - he said. - Well, do you have kids? he continued to ask. Pierre's negative answer again, apparently, upset him, and he hastened to add: - Well, young people, God willing, they will. If only to live in the council ...
“But now it doesn’t matter,” Pierre involuntarily said.
“Oh, you are a dear person,” Plato objected. - Never refuse the bag and the prison. He settled himself better, cleared his throat, apparently preparing himself for a long story. “So, my dear friend, I was still living at home,” he began. “Our patrimony is rich, there is a lot of land, the peasants live well, and our house, thank God. The father himself went out to mow. We lived well. Christians were real. It happened ... - And Platon Karataev told a long story about how he went to a strange grove beyond the forest and got caught by the watchman, how he was flogged, tried and handed over to the soldiers. “Well, falcon,” he said in a voice that changed from a smile, “they thought grief, but joy!” Brother would go, if not my sin. And the younger brother himself has five guys, - and I, look, have one soldier left. There was a girl, and even before the soldiery, God tidied up. I came to visit, I'll tell you. I look - they live better than before. The yard is full of stomachs, women are at home, two brothers are working. One Mikhailo, the smaller one, is at home. The father says: “To me, he says, all the children are equal: no matter what finger you bite, everything hurts. And if Plato had not been shaved then, Mikhail would have gone. He called us all - you believe - he put us in front of the image. Mikhailo, he says, come here, bow at his feet, and you, woman, bow, and bow to your grandchildren. Got it? speaks. So, my dear friend. Rock heads looking. And we judge everything: it’s not good, it’s not okay. Our happiness, my friend, is like water in a nonsense: you pull - it puffed up, and you pull it out - there is nothing. So that. And Plato sat down on his straw.
After a few moments of silence, Plato stood up.
- Well, I'm tea, do you want to sleep? - he said and quickly began to cross himself, saying:
- Lord, Jesus Christ, Saint Nicholas, Frola and Lavra, Lord Jesus Christ, Saint Nicholas! Frola and Lavra, Lord Jesus Christ - have mercy and save us! - he concluded, bowed to the ground, got up and, sighing, sat down on his straw. - That's it. Put, God, a pebble, raise a ball, - he said and lay down, pulling on his overcoat.
What prayer did you read? Pierre asked.
- Ash? - Plato said (he was already asleep). - Read what? He prayed to God. And don't you pray?
“No, and I pray,” said Pierre. - But what did you say: Frola and Lavra?
- But what about, - Plato answered quickly, - a horse festival. And you need to feel sorry for the cattle, - said Karataev. - Look, the rogue, curled up. You've warmed up, you son of a bitch," he said, feeling the dog at his feet, and, turning again, immediately fell asleep.
Outside, weeping and shouting were heard somewhere in the distance, and fire was visible through the cracks of the booth; but it was quiet and dark in the booth. Pierre did not sleep for a long time and with open eyes lay in the darkness in his place, listening to the measured snoring of Plato, who lay beside him, and felt that the previously destroyed world was now being erected in his soul with new beauty, on some new and unshakable foundations.

In the booth, which Pierre entered and in which he stayed for four weeks, there were twenty-three captured soldiers, three officers and two officials.
All of them then appeared to Pierre as if in a fog, but Platon Karataev remained forever in Pierre's soul the strongest and dearest memory and personification of everything Russian, kind and round. When the next day, at dawn, Pierre saw his neighbor, the first impression of something round was completely confirmed: the whole figure of Plato in his French overcoat belted with a rope, in a cap and bast shoes, was round, his head was completely round, back, chest, shoulders, even the arms that he wore, as if always about to embrace something, were round; a pleasant smile and large brown gentle eyes were round.
Platon Karataev must have been over fifty years old, judging by his stories about the campaigns in which he participated as a longtime soldier. He himself did not know and could not in any way determine how old he was; but his teeth, bright white and strong, which kept rolling out in their two semicircles when he laughed (as he often did), were all good and whole; not a single gray hair was in his beard and hair, and his whole body had the appearance of flexibility and especially hardness and endurance.
His face, despite the small round wrinkles, had an expression of innocence and youth; his voice was pleasant and melodious. But main feature his speech was immediacy and argumentative. He apparently never thought about what he said and what he would say; and from this there was a special irresistible persuasiveness in the speed and fidelity of his intonations.
His physical strength and agility were such during the first time of captivity that he did not seem to understand what fatigue and illness were. Every day in the morning and in the evening, lying down, he said: “Lord, put it down with a pebble, raise it up with a ball”; in the morning, getting up, always shrugging his shoulders in the same way, he would say: "Lie down - curled up, get up - shake yourself." And indeed, as soon as he lay down to immediately fall asleep like a stone, and as soon as he shook himself, in order to immediately, without a second of delay, take up some business, the children, having risen, take up toys. He knew how to do everything, not very well, but not badly either. He baked, steamed, sewed, planed, made boots. He was always busy and only at night allowed himself to talk, which he loved, and songs. He sang songs, not like songwriters sing, knowing that they are being listened to, but he sang like birds sing, obviously because it was just as necessary for him to make these sounds, as it is necessary to stretch or disperse; and these sounds were always subtle, tender, almost feminine, mournful, and his face was very serious at the same time.
Having been captured and overgrown with a beard, he, apparently, threw away everything that was put on him, alien, soldierly, and involuntarily returned to the former, peasant, people's warehouse.
“A soldier on leave is a shirt made of trousers,” he used to say. He reluctantly spoke about his time as a soldier, although he did not complain, and often repeated that he had never been beaten during his entire service. When he told, he mainly told from his old and, apparently, dear memories of the "Christian", as he pronounced, peasant life. The proverbs that filled his speech were not those, for the most part, indecent and glib sayings that the soldiers say, but these were those folk sayings that seem so insignificant, taken separately, and which suddenly take on the meaning of deep wisdom when they are said by the way.
Often he said the exact opposite of what he had said before, but both were true. He loved to talk and spoke well, embellishing his speech with endearing and proverbs, which, it seemed to Pierre, he himself invented; but the main charm of his stories was that in his speech the simplest events, sometimes the very ones that, without noticing them, Pierre saw, took on the character of solemn decorum. He liked to listen to fairy tales that one soldier told in the evenings (all the same), but most of all he liked to listen to stories about real life. He smiled joyfully as he listened to such stories, inserting words and asking questions that tended to make clear to himself the beauty of what was being told to him. Attachments, friendship, love, as Pierre understood them, Karataev did not have any; but he loved and lived lovingly with everything that life brought him, and especially with a person - not with some famous person, but with those people who were before his eyes. He loved his mutt, loved his comrades, the French, loved Pierre, who was his neighbor; but Pierre felt that Karataev, in spite of all his affectionate tenderness for him (with which he involuntarily paid tribute to Pierre's spiritual life), would not have been upset for a minute by parting from him. And Pierre began to experience the same feeling for Karataev.
Platon Karataev was for all the other prisoners the most ordinary soldier; his name was falcon or Platosha, they good-naturedly mocked him, sent him for parcels. But for Pierre, as he presented himself on the first night, an incomprehensible, round and eternal personification of the spirit of simplicity and truth, he remained so forever.
Platon Karataev knew nothing by heart, except for his prayer. When he spoke his speeches, he, starting them, seemed not to know how he would end them.
When Pierre, sometimes struck by the meaning of his speech, asked to repeat what was said, Plato could not remember what he had said a minute ago, just as he could not in any way tell Pierre his favorite song with words. There it was: “dear, birch and I feel sick,” but the words did not make any sense. He did not understand and could not understand the meaning of words taken separately from the speech. Every word of his and every action was a manifestation of an activity unknown to him, which was his life. But his life, as he himself looked at it, had no meaning as a separate life. It only made sense as a part of the whole, which he constantly felt. His words and actions poured out of him as evenly, as necessary and immediately, as a scent separates from a flower. He could not understand either the price or the meaning of a single action or word.

Having received news from Nikolai that her brother was with the Rostovs in Yaroslavl, Princess Marya, despite her aunt's dissuades, immediately prepared to go, and not only alone, but with her nephew. Whether it was difficult, easy, possible or impossible, she did not ask and did not want to know: her duty was not only to be near, perhaps, her dying brother, but also to do everything possible to bring him a son, and she got up. drive. If Prince Andrei himself did not notify her, then Princess Mary explained this either by the fact that he was too weak to write, or by the fact that he considered this long journey too difficult and dangerous for her and his son.
In a few days, Princess Mary got ready for the journey. Her crews consisted of a huge princely carriage, in which she arrived in Voronezh, chaises and wagons. M lle Bourienne, Nikolushka with her tutor, an old nanny, three girls, Tikhon, a young footman and a haiduk, whom her aunt had let go with her, rode with her.

The Great Empire of Manchukuo was proclaimed on March 1, 1934 and was a puppet state of Japan on the territory of China occupied by Japan. With his first edict, the newly proclaimed emperor Pu Yi announced the establishment of an award system for the empire. Three orders were established: the Order of the Blooming Orchid, which became the highest order of the empire, the Order of the Illustrious Dragon and the Order of Beneficent Clouds. All orders of Manchukuo had their full counterparts in the Japanese system of awards. So, the Order of the Blooming Orchid corresponded to the Japanese Order of the Chrysanthemum, the Order of the Illustrious Dragon - to the Order of the Rising Sun with paulownia flowers, and the Order of Beneficent Clouds, which had 8 degrees - to the Order of the Rising Sun.

On April 19, 1934, the law on orders and insignia was adopted, which regulates the issues of the award system. Orders for the production of awards were placed at the mint in Osaka. The control over the awards was carried out by the command of the Kwantung Army, since the vast majority of the awards were made to Japanese military personnel and officials. In total, during the existence of the empire, according to various sources, from 166 to 196 thousand orders of all degrees were made.

On July 14, 1938, five medals were established to reward various civilian merit. A number of award signs were also established, worn without ribbons, and having a lower status than medals on ribbons.

On October 1, 1938, the distinctions of the Manchukuo Red Cross Society were established: the Order of Merit, medals for special and ordinary members of the society. As in the case of orders, these awards repeated similar awards of the Japanese Red Cross.

With the fall of imperial power in August 1945, all the awards of the Great Empire of Manchukuo ceased to exist.

Order of the Blooming Orchid

The Order of the Blooming Orchid (大勲位蘭花章), the highest state award of the Great Manchukuo Empire, was established by Imperial Edict No. 1 on the day the State of Manchukuo was proclaimed an empire, March 1, 1934. The order was actually the equivalent of the Japanese Order of the Chrysanthemum. The award was divided into two classes: the order with a chain (大勲位蘭花章頸飾) and the order with a large ribbon (大勲位蘭花大綬章). The order on a chain was intended for monarchs and heads of state, on a large ribbon - for high dignitaries. From 1934 to 1941, two holders of the order with a chain are known - Emperors Pu Yi and Hirohito. Until 1945, several more orders with a chain were awarded, including the King of Romania, Mihai I. From 1934 to 1940, three orders with a large ribbon are known to be awarded, the total number of awards has not been established.

The chain of the order is gold, consists of one central large link and 20 small links, interconnected by figured intermediate links in the form of a Buddhist "endless knot". The small links of the chain are openwork slotted pentagons with rounded corners, symbolizing clouds. Eight of them contain the “eight auspicious signs of Buddha” covered with green enamel: to the left of the central link - a lotus flower, a precious vessel, two fish and an endless knot; to the right of the central link - a shell, a wheel of teaching, a precious umbrella and a banner of victory. Round medallions with trigrams "qian" and "kun" are inscribed in two links. The ten others are inscribed with stylized "spiral clouds". The central link is an openwork slotted hexagon, symbolizing a cloud, into which a round medallion of blue enamel is inscribed. The medallion depicts a dragon “in the clouds” wriggling around the flaming Sun. The badge of the order is suspended from the central link.

The badge of the order for the chain is gold, with a diameter of 71 mm, it is a stylized image of the main imperial symbol - an orchid flower. On the front side, the sign looks like a round jagged medallion of green enamel, on which is superimposed a star of five narrow “petals” of yellow enamel. A large pearl is fixed in the center of the star, between the “petals” there are golden stems with fixed small pearls, five in each corner. On the reverse side of the badge are four hieroglyphs - "大勲位章" (highest merit award). Through a rectangular bracket on the upper "petal" the sign is attached to the intermediate link, which is a reduced copy of the sign itself, without enamels and pearls. At the upper end of the intermediate link there is a transverse eyelet for attaching to the chain of the order.

The badge of the order for the large ribbon is the same as for the chain, but somewhat smaller, made of gilded silver. The "petals" on the intermediate link are covered with yellow enamel. A ring is passed through the eyelet at the upper end of the intermediate link for attaching to the ribbon of the order.

The star of the order is silver (gilded), ten-pointed, multi-beam, 90 mm in diameter. Five groups of five rays are covered with white enamel, five groups of seven rays are without enamel, with a "diamond" cut. The badge of the order is superimposed on the center of the star, somewhat smaller than the badge for the large ribbon. On the reverse of the star are the same hieroglyphs as on the reverse of the badge. Worn on the left side of the chest.

The ribbon of the order is yellow silk moire with dark yellow stripes along the edges. The width of the tape is 108 mm, the width of the strips along the edges is 18 mm. Worn over the right shoulder. Knights of the order with a large ribbon were awarded a badge for the ribbon, a star and a ribbon of the order. Cavaliers of the order with a chain were awarded a chain and a badge for the chain, and in the absence of earlier badges of a large ribbon - a complete set of badges of the order.

Order of the Illustrious Dragon

The Order of the Illustrious Dragon or the Order of the Glorious Dragon (龍光章) was established by Imperial Edict No. 1 on the day the State of Manchukuo was declared an empire, March 1, 1934. The award, in fact, was the equivalent of the Japanese Order of the Rising Sun with paulownia flowers. The order was presented with a large ribbon (龍光大綬章), and was the empire's highest merit award. They could be awarded to officials and military officers of the highest ranks, already marked with the Orders of Beneficent Clouds and Pillars of the State. From 1934 to 1940, 33 Orders of the Illustrious Dragon are known to have been awarded, the total number of awards has not been established.

The badge of the order is silver gilded, with a diameter of 70 mm, it is an eight-pointed multi-beam star. All rays are smooth, eight of the shortest rays are covered with light green enamel. A round medallion of blue enamel is superimposed on the center of the star, on which a dragon is depicted wriggling around the flaming Sun, surrounded by six clouds emerging from the edges of the medallion. Around the medallion are 28 small disks of ruby ​​enamel, symbolizing the 28 positions of the Moon during the month. On the reverse side of the badge are four characters - "勲功位章" (award for merit). The sign is attached through a rectangular bracket on the upper beam to an intermediate link of light green enamel, which is an openwork slotted pentagon, into which a similar smaller pentagon and a spiral are inscribed, symbolizing clouds. At the upper end of the intermediate link there is a transverse eye with a ring for attaching to the ribbon of the order.

The star of the order is silver gilded, 90 mm in diameter, repeating the badge of the order in its appearance. On the back, the same hieroglyphs are applied as on the back of the badge. Worn on the left side of the chest. The ribbon of the order is silk moire blue with white stripes along the edges. The width of the tape is 106 mm, the width of the strips along the edges is 18 mm. Worn over the right shoulder.

Order of Auspicious Clouds

The Order of Auspicious Clouds (景雲章) was established by Imperial Edict No. 1 on the day the State of Manchukuo was declared an empire, March 1, 1934. It was actually the equivalent of the Japanese Order of the Rising Sun. The order existed in eight classes. Prior to the establishment in September 1936 of the Order of the Pillars of the State, it was a junior order in the Manchurian hierarchy of orders. From 1934 to 1940, it is known that 54,557 badges of the Order of Auspicious Clouds were awarded, including: 1st class - 110, 2nd class - 187, 3rd class - 701, 4th class - 1820, 5th class - 3447, 6th class - 6257, 7th class - 8329, 8th class - 33 706. Most of the awarded were employees of the Japanese army and the Japanese administration of Manchukuo. The total number of awards during the existence of the order has not been established, however, according to the Japanese Mint, about 129,500 signs of all classes were made.

The badge of the order of the 1st-5th classes is a silver gilded cross, each shoulder of which is made up of three shtrals, the central ones of which are covered with white enamel, and the side ones are yellow. In the center is a round yellow enamel medallion with a wide red enamel rim. In the corners of the cross are stylized images of clouds in light blue enamel; the space between the clouds and the central medallion is filled with black enamel. On the reverse side of the badge, smooth without enamels, four hieroglyphs are depicted - "勲功位章" ("merit award"). The badge through a rectangular bracket at the upper end is attached to the intermediate link in the form of the main imperial symbol - an orchid flower, five petals, which are covered with yellow enamel. At the upper end of the intermediate link there is a transverse eye with a ring for attaching to the ribbon of the order. Dimensions of signs with an intermediate link: 1st class - 71 × 108 mm; 2nd and 3rd grades - 62 × 97 mm, 4-6th grades - 48 × 80 mm.

The badge of the order of the 6th class is similar to the badges of the senior degrees, but the intermediate link with the ring is not gilded.

The badge of the order of the 7th-8th class is similar to the badges of the senior degrees, but without enamels, without a wide rim on the central medallion and without an intermediate link.

Sign of the 8th class - without gilding. Size - 46 × 46 mm.

The star of the order is silver, eight-pointed multi-beam with a “diamond” cut, 91 mm in diameter. The badge of the order (without an intermediate link) is superimposed on the center of the star. On the back of the star, the same hieroglyphs are applied as on the back of the badge.

The ribbon of the order is silk moire white with a pale bluish tint, with red stripes along the edges. The width of the tape of the 1st class is 107 mm, the width of the strips along the edges is 14 mm at a distance of 11 mm from the edges. The width of the tape of other classes is 37 mm, the width of the strips along the edges is 4.5 mm at a distance of 3.5 mm from the edges. A round rosette of the same ribbon with a diameter of 22 mm is attached to the ribbon of the 4th class order.

Knights of the Order of Auspicious Clouds 1st Class wear the badge of the order on a wide ribbon with a rosette over the right shoulder and the star of the order on the left side of the chest. Knights of the 2nd class wear the badge of the order on a narrow ribbon around the neck and the star of the order on the left side of the chest. Knights of the 3rd class wear the badge of the order on a narrow ribbon around the neck. Knights of the 4th-8th classes wear the badge of the order on a narrow ribbon on the left side of the chest.

Order of the Pillars of the State

The Order of the Pillars of the State or the Order of the Support (桂國章) is a state award of the Great Empire of Manchukuo, established in eight classes by Imperial Edict No. 142 of September 14, 1936. The name of the order symbolizes the traditional Chinese pillars (pillars) used in the construction of temples and palaces. The award was actually the equivalent of the Japanese Order of the Sacred Treasure. From 1936 to 1940, it is known about the award of 39,604 signs of the order, including: 1st class - 47, 2nd class - 97, 3rd class - 260, 4th class - 657, 5th class - 1 777, 6th class - 2 778, 7th class - 9 524, 8th class - 24 464. Most of the awarded were employees of the Japanese army and the Japanese administration of Manchukuo. The total number of awards during the existence of the order is unknown, however, according to the Japanese Mint, about 136,500 signs of all classes were made.

The badge of the order of the 1st and 3rd classes is silver gilded, which is a cross of four pillars diverging from the center, each of which is made up of several rectangular and rounded blocks. The lower blocks are covered with red enamel, the upper blocks are without enamel. In the center of the sign is an octagonal yellow enamel medallion with five narrow rims - (from the center) black, white, blue and red enamel and an outer silver one, without enamel, with gilded dots. In the corners of the cross there are wands, at the end of each one is fixed one pearl and at the base - two smaller pearls. On the obverse of the badge, smooth without enamels, four hieroglyphs are depicted - "勲功位章" (merit award). To the upper end of the badge is attached a curly brace of two stalks of Manchurian sorghum, through which the ribbon of the order is passed.

The badge of the order of the 4th-5th class is similar to the badges of the senior classes, but instead of pearls there are white enamel discs.

The badge of the order of the 6th-8th class is similar to the badges of the 4th-5th classes, but without gilding on the badge and without red enamel on the pillars.

Dimensions of signs (without brackets): 1st and 3rd classes - 63 × 63 mm; 4th-8th grades - 40 × 40 mm.

The star of the order is silver, eight-pointed multi-beam, with a diameter of 81 mm. Diagonal groups of rays, 5 rays each, are gilded. The badge of the order (without a bracket) is superimposed on the center of the star. On the back of the star, the same hieroglyphs are applied as on the back of the badge.

The ribbon of the order is silk moire red with yellow stripes along the edges. The width of the tape of the 1st class is 106 mm, the width of the strips along the edges is 18 mm. The width of the tape of other classes is 38 mm, the width of the strips along the edges is 6.5 mm. Ribbon strap - rectangular silver with a rim and a wavy ornament. For the 4th and 5th grades - planks gilded with white enamel, for 6-8th grades - without gilding and enamel. The strap size is 37×6 mm.

Cavaliers of the Order of the Pillars of the State 1st Class wear the badge of the order on a wide ribbon with a rosette over the right shoulder and the star of the order on the left side of the chest. Knights of the 2nd class wear only the star of the order on the left side of the chest. Knights of the 3rd class wear the badge of the order on a narrow ribbon around the neck. Knights of the 4th-8th classes wear the badge of the order on a narrow ribbon on the left side of the chest. To distinguish degrees, strips are attached to the tape: for the 4th grade - two gilded ones; for the 5th grade - one gilded; for the 6th grade - three silver; for the 7th grade - two silver; for the 8th grade - one silver.

Medal "Military Border Incident"

The Medal "Military Border Incident" (國境事変従軍記章) was established by Imperial Edict No. 310 of November 5, 1940 to commemorate the battles with the Mongolian and Soviet troops at Khalkin Gol from May to September 1939. The medal could be awarded to:

- participants in hostilities (this category included military and civilians, both direct participants in hostilities and administrative workers in the rear, as well as military and civilians who were involved in special work / services related to the incident);
— all persons mobilized before the official end of the incident;

— persons involved in the incident in the transport, engineering, communication and information services;

- military police;

— medical personnel;

- persons who died during the hostilities (the medal is awarded to the head of the family of the deceased).

Despite the fact that the medal was from the mother country, most of the awards were received by Japanese soldiers.

On the obverse of the medal there is the coat of arms of Manchukuo (orchid), below - a part of the globe, in the center - a dove with outstretched wings, surrounded by a stylized image of clouds against the background of diverging rays of light. On the reverse of the medal, four hieroglyphs run from right to left, meaning "border incident". Above and below the inscription are images of clouds. The 37 mm wide ribbon is made of golden yellow moire silk with two dark blue stripes on the edges 9.5 mm wide each. The medal has a diameter of 30 mm and is made of brass with an articulated suspension and a bar on which four kanji symbols are applied, which translates as “military medal”. According to estimates, from 75 to 100 thousand people were awarded the medal.

Manchukuo Red Cross Awards

Plan
Introduction
1. History
1.1 Diplomatic recognition

2 Politics
3 Concord Society
4 Armed forces
5 Demographics
6 Currency
Bibliography

Introduction

Manchu-guo, Manchuria (Chinese 滿洲國 - State of Manchuria, whale. 大滿洲帝國 - "Damanzhou-digo" (Great Manchurian Empire)), a state (empire) formed by the Japanese military administration on the territory of Manchuria occupied by Japan; existed from March 1, 1932 to August 19, 1945.

The capital is Xinjing (now Changchun); the last Chinese emperor (from the Manchu Qing dynasty) Pu Yi (Supreme ruler in 1932-1934, emperor from 1934 to 1945) was placed at the head of the state.

In fact, Manchukuo was controlled by Japan and followed entirely in line with its policy. In 1939, the armed forces of Manchukuo took part in the battles on the Khalkhin Gol River (in Japanese historiography - the "Incident at Nomonhan"). During the Soviet-Japanese war, Manchukuo ceased to exist. On August 19, 1945, Emperor Pu Yi was captured in the Mukden airport building by Red Army paratroopers. In 1949, the territory of Manchukuo became part of the PRC.

1. History

After the conquest of China by the Manchu tribes, the Ming dynasty was overthrown. The conquerors proclaimed the power of their Qing dynasty in China, but their historical homeland, Manchuria, was not fully integrated with China, which became part of the Qing empire, retaining legal and ethnic differences.

The progressive weakening of the Qing Empire in the 19th century caused the separation of part of the border regions and the strengthening of the great powers competing with each other. Russia expressed significant interest in the northern territories of the Qing Empire and in 1858, under the Beijing Treaty, gained control over the territories called Outer Manchuria in China (modern Primorsky Krai, Amur Region, southern Khabarovsk Territory and the Jewish Autonomous Region). However, the further weakening of the Qing government led to the strengthening of Russia also in Inner Manchuria, where the CER was built, running along the route Harbin - Vladivostok. The Russian government considered the Zheltorossiya project, the basis of which was to be the exclusion zone of the CER, the formation of a new Cossack army and Russian colonists.

The clash of Russian and Japanese interests led to the Russo-Japanese War of 1905, as a result of which Russian influence in Manchuria was replaced by Japanese. In the period between 1905 and 1925, Japan significantly increases its influence in Inner Manchuria, relying on economic leverage.

During the Russian Civil War of 1918-1921, Japan took advantage of Russia's weakening and occupied Outer Manchuria. Manchuria became the arena of struggle between Russia, Japan and China.

A buffer Far Eastern Republic was formed between Soviet Russia and Japan, but further strengthening of the Bolsheviks and pressure from the Western powers on Japan led to the withdrawal of the occupying forces in 1925.

Beginning in 1925, China began to counteract the growing Japanese influence on the continent. During the civil war in the former Qing Empire, General Zhang Zuolin captured Inner Manchuria with the help of the Japanese, but was liquidated in 1928. In 1931, the Japanese invaded Manchuria and invited the last Qing emperor, Pu Yi, to restore the Manchu state. On March 1, 1932, by decision of the All-Manchurian Assembly, the State of Manchuria was formed, then recognized by Japan. The new state immediately became the scene of a battle between the Japanese and Chinese armed groups, which continued for several years.

Pu Yi, originally appointed Head of State - Supreme Ruler (he took office on March 9, 1932), was declared emperor two years later. The motto of his reign was "Kangde" (康德), or "Tranquility and Virtue". On March 1, 1934, Manchukuo was declared the Great Manchurian Empire (Manchukuo-di-go). Thanks to Japanese investment and rich natural resources, Manchuria was industrialized.

Manchukuo was used by Japan as a springboard for an attack on China. In the summer of 1939, the territorial disputes between Manchuria and the Mongolian People's Republic led to clashes at Khalkhin Gol between the Soviet-Mongolian and Japanese-Manchurian troops.

On August 8, 1945, the USSR, pursuant to the decisions of the Yalta Conference, declared war on Japan and attacked Manchukuo from the territory of Outer Mongolia and the former Outer Manchuria. Emperor Pu Yi tried to break through to the Japanese in order to subsequently surrender to the American army, but was arrested by Soviet troops and extradited to the Chinese communist government.

In the period 1945-1948, the territory of Inner Manchuria, thanks to I. V. Stalin, became the base for the People's Liberation Army of China.

1.1. Diplomatic recognition

The League of Nations refused to recognize Manchukuo, which led Japan to withdraw from the organization in 1934. At the same time, Manchukuo was recognized by 23 of the 80 states of the world that existed at that time. Diplomatic relations were established with the USSR (de facto March 23, 1935; de jure April 13, 1941), Germany, Italy, Spain, and later the Vichy regime in France. The state was also recognized by El Salvador and the Dominican Republic. In particular, the state was recognized:

2. Politics

Historians often view Manchukuo as a puppet state. In China, this state is usually referred to as "Wei Manchukuo" (false state of Manchuria), although it had a succession from the state of the Manchus, which gave rise to the Qing Empire.

On March 1, 1934, Manchuria was declared a monarchy. The emperor ruled based on the Privy Council and the Council of State. It was the State Council that was the center of political power. It consisted of several ministers, with each of them a Japanese deputy minister.

Manchukuo had state symbols: a flag, a coat of arms, and an anthem.

The commander of the Kwantung Army was also the Japanese ambassador to Manchukuo, and had the right to veto the decisions of the emperor.

There was a Legislative Assembly in the state, whose role was reduced to stamping the decisions of the State Council. The only political party allowed was the government-funded Concord Society (see below). en:Concordia Association); in addition to him, several emigrant groups, in particular, Russian emigrants, were allowed to organize their own political movements (see, for example, the Russian Fascist Party, Bureau of Russian Emigrants in the Manchurian Empire).

3. Society of Concord

The Accord Society played a key role in Manchukuo. Its name is explained by the pan-Asian concept of “the consent of peoples” put forward by the Japanese, which assumed the self-determination of various Asian peoples along the lines of the Soviet model of the “union of peoples”. At the same time, the coexistence of various nationalities was assumed strictly within the framework of a single centralized state, which could help to avoid possible weakening. The Concord Society assumed self-organization within separate communities for different nationalities; it included Mongols, Manchus, Koreans, Japanese, Muslims, Russian emigrants, and also a Chinese majority. At the same time, the organization was characterized by reliance on traditional religious leaders for each community.

The society was conceived as the main political force of Manchukuo, designed to replace the Kwantung Army in this capacity. However, in reality, the Concord Society has become an ideological tool in the hands of the Japanese military. In the mid-1930s, the leadership of the Kwantung Army ordered the society to purge its leaders, who were accused of left-wing sympathies. After the purge, the organization became, in fact, no different from its progenitors - the fascist parties of Europe of that time, standing on the positions of anti-communism and corporatism, and was transformed for mobilization purposes.

The model for the Concord Society was the Japanese organization Taisei Yokusenkai (Association for the Relief of the Throne). All civil servants, up to teachers, and all important figures of society were included in the society. Young people aged 16 to 19, starting in 1937, were automatically enrolled in the organization. By 1943, up to 10% of the population of Manchuria was in society.

Although a one-party system was not formally established in Manchukuo, in fact the only political party allowed was the Concorde Society. An exception to this rule were various political movements of immigrants living in Manchuria.

4. Armed Forces

The Kwantung Army, the Japanese army group in the Far East, played a key role in the creation and further life of Manchukuo. The decision to seize Manchuria in 1932 was made by the command of the Kwantung Army arbitrarily, without the consent of the Japanese Parliament.

In the future, the commander of the Kwantung Army simultaneously served as the ambassador of Japan, and had the right to veto the decisions of Emperor Pu Yi. Thus, the status of Manchukuo did not actually differ from the status of a protectorate of any of the European colonial empires.

The Kwantung Army formed and trained the Manchu Imperial Army. Its core was the North-Eastern Army of General Zhang Xueliang, numbering up to 160 thousand people. The main problem of these troops was the low quality of the personnel; many were poorly trained, and there were large numbers of opium addicts in the army. The Manchu troops were prone to desertion. So, in August 1932, 2000 soldiers deserted from the Wukumiho garrison, and the 7th Cavalry Brigade mutinied. All of these forces joined the Chinese guerrillas fighting the Japanese.

11. Supreme Ruler of Manchukuo

Having suffered a defeat in Shanghai, Japan began to strengthen its military-political apparatus in the occupied territory of the three northeastern provinces of China. Back in November 1931, the Council of the League of Nations became aware of the "abduction" by the Japanese of the dethroned former Chinese Emperor Pu Yi.

Pu Yi in his memoirs says that on the eve of September 18, 1931, he only thought that he would soon become emperor again. On September 30, 1931, in Tianjin, Pu Yi was invited to the Japanese barracks, where he was handed a large envelope containing a letter from his distant relative Xi Xia, who was the chief of staff of the deputy commander of the Northeastern Army, Zhang Zuolin, and at the same time the governor of Jilin province ( Jilin). Xi Xia, taking advantage of his superior's absence, surrendered Jirin to the Japanese troops without a fight. In a letter, Xi Xia asked Pu Yi to "waste no time immediately" to return to "the cradle of his ancestors"; with the help of the Japanese, he wrote, "we will first get Manchuria, and then Central China." Xi Xia reported that as soon as Pu Yi returned to Shenyang, Jilin would immediately announce the restoration of the Qing monarchy.

On the day they received the letter from Xi Xia, the Japanese offered Pu Yi to move to the Northeast.

On November 2, at night, Pu Yi was visited by the head of intelligence in Shenyang, Japanese Colonel Doihara, offering Pu Yi to go to Shenyang and stand at the head of the "new" state in Manchuria.

During a conversation between Pu Yi and Doihara, Pu Yi asked: "What will the new state be like?" Doihara replied: “I have already said that it will be an independent, sovereign state, in which Emperor Xuantong (that is, Pu Yi - V.U .)».

“I'm not asking about that. I want to know if it will be a republic or a monarchy?

– This issue can be resolved upon arrival in Shenyang.

- No! I resolutely objected. - If the restoration is carried out, then I will go; if not, then I stay here.

He smiled and, without changing his tone, said:

- Of course, the monarchy. There can be no doubt about this.

“If the monarchy, then I’ll go!” Pu Yi exclaimed.

Then I ask, Your Majesty, to leave as soon as possible and by all means arrive in Manchuria before the 16th. After arriving in Shenyang, we will discuss all plans in detail.

On November 10, 1931, Pu Yi fled Tianjin by hiding in the trunk of a racing car. The driver was not very experienced, and when the racing car was leaving the gates of the Quiet Garden, it crashed into a telegraph pole, Pu Yi hit his head hard on the trunk lid, then the car raced on, bouncing on potholes, it was accompanied by another, in which Yoshida was sitting. The car stopped at the agreed place near the restaurant, Yoshida got out of his car, approached and opened the trunk of the sports car, where Pu Yi was sitting, and helped him get out of there. They entered the restaurant, where a Japanese officer, Captain Magata, was already waiting for them. He provided Pu Yi with a Japanese military overcoat and cap, which the fugitive had to quickly change into.

Then they in two cars - a sports car and a Japanese military one - rushed along the embankment of the Baihe River straight to the port. There they were waiting for a small steamboat with extinguished lights, the Hijiyama Maru, which belonged to the transport department of the Japanese headquarters. In view of the transportation of "special" cargo, sandbags were piled on the deck and steel armor plates were installed. On board were about a dozen Japanese soldiers, who were entrusted with the protection of the emperor. A large barrel of gasoline was hidden on this steamboat, about which Pu Yi did not know anything, although he was sitting three meters from it. It was assumed that if the escape failed and the ship began to be pursued by Chinese troops, the Japanese soldiers would set fire to the steamer. At midnight, they reached the mouth of the Dagu River, where, according to the plan, the Japanese merchant ship Awaji Maru was supposed to come and take the emperor on board. Finally, on the morning of November 13, the ship "Awaji Maru" with Pu Yi moored in the port of Yingkou City, Liaoning Province. Such is the story of the "kidnapping" of Pu Yi by the Japanese.

In Yingkou, Pu Yi, who went ashore, was met by several Japanese. Among them was a certain Amakasu Masahiko. He was known in Japan for the fact that after the earthquake in Japan in 1923, when, taking advantage of the panic among the population, the Japanese military department killed many progressive figures and the actions of the military authorities became known to the general public, the authorities were forced to public opinion as a scapegoat to bring the captain of the Japanese gendarmerie Amakasa Masahiko to trial. A military tribunal then sentenced him to life imprisonment. However, he was soon amnestied and sent to France to "study". There he allegedly studied painting and music. A few years later, this "artist" returned to Japan, and he was immediately sent to work in his "profession" - to serve in the intelligence service of the Kwantung Army. And this polite short-sighted "artist" in thin-rimmed glasses met Pu Yi in the port. The emperor was asked to sit in the waiting carriage, which took him to the railway station. Then for about an hour the fugitive rode the train, then again in the carriage, finally, he reached the Tangangtse hot springs resort area. Pu Yi was quietly placed in the best room on the second floor of the superbly furnished Japanese-style Duinuige Hotel, owned by the Japanese railway company of the South Manchurian Railway Mantetsu, where only Japanese officers, the highest employees of the South Manchurian Railway, usually settled. and high-ranking Chinese dignitaries. Temporarily, he was not only not allowed to take a walk outside, but was even forbidden to go down to the first floor. “At that time, I did not yet know that the Japanese were very worried about the current situation,” Pu Yi recalled. “In the international arena, Japan was isolated, and within the country there was still no consensus on what form of government to choose for the new colony. In this regard, the Kwantung Army, of course, could not allow me to immediately go on stage. I just felt that the Japanese do not treat me with the same respect as in Tianjin. And Kayoshisumi was no longer the same as before. So I spent a whole week waiting for trouble. Suddenly, Itagaki called me and invited me to Lushun (Port Arthur - V.U.)» . On the same day in the evening, Pu Yi boarded a train for Lushun and the next morning was in the city. There he stayed on the second floor of the famous Yamato Hotel in the city. At this time, Pu Yi's wife Wan Rong also decided to move from Tianjin to Luishun, but when she was given the order of the Japanese forbidding to move, she decided that something had happened to Pu Yi, threw a grandiose tantrum, after which she was allowed to go to husband. However, she was not allowed to live in the Yamato Hotel, and only when a month later the leadership of the Kwantung Army moved Pu Yi to a private house, she and the two sisters of the emperor were allowed to live with him.

In considerable isolation, Pu Yi lived in Lüshun for three months. He was worried that the Japanese to this day have not determined what system will be in the new state: monarchical or republican. At this time, he fell into mysticism, often referring to the Chinese book "The Art of Foreseeing the Future", brought from Tianjin, fortune-telling on coins, asking the spirits for advice.

On February 9, 1932, on the second day after Pu Yi's birthday, a message arrived: The Administrative Council of the Northeast decides to establish a republic in Manchuria.

On February 18, one of the members of this council, at the behest of the Japanese Itagaki, announced the decision to establish a republic, followed by the publication of the Declaration of Independence of Manchuria and Mongolia. It said:

“Several months have passed like a moment since the incident in the Northeast. The people have always sought to have power over themselves, like those who are thirsty to quench their thirst. At present, during the period of major transformations, the desire of the people for revival is becoming especially sincere. ... A new government body was created, consisting of the top leaders of each province of the Special Region of the Eastern Provinces and Mongolia, with the assignment of the name "North-Eastern Administrative Committee". The creation of this Committee was announced everywhere. With this, all communication with the government of Zhang Xueliang was interrupted, and the Northeastern provinces gained full independence.

The despotic power has already been destroyed, the bloodshed is over. The people survived the times of severe trials, when no one was sure of saving their lives. But the tears of the bitter sufferings experienced have not yet dried up and the remnants of the forces of usurper power, which is like the claws of a predatory beast, have not yet been completely eradicated. A complete elimination of these forces is necessary to prevent any possibility of their resurrection and spread.

The sacred books say: "The queen lavishes favors, and the king protects the people."

The creation of a government that aims at good governance and striving to ensure the peace and well-being of the revived people is the first task of the Administrative Committee. In the final part of the document, they called on all compatriots to provide assistance and assistance to the Administrative Committee.

When this news reached the emperor, he was beside himself. “I hated Doihara and Itagaki with all my heart,” Pu Yi recalled. “That day, like a madman, throwing the book“ The Art of Foreseeing the Future ”on the carpet, I rushed around the living room of the former Grand Duke Su and smoked one cigarette after another. I remembered the Quiet Garden and suddenly thought that if I did not become emperor, then it would be better for me to just live the quiet life of a man who retired from business. Having sold some of the jewelry and paintings, I could go abroad and live there for my own pleasure.

Then Pu Yi decided to express in writing to the command of the Kwantung Army those thoughts and arguments that arose in his head, proving the need to preserve hereditary imperial power. And if the Japanese military command does not support him, then immediately return to Tianjin. They came down to 12 points (the last four were added by one of his associates):

"1. We cannot relinquish hereditary imperial authority out of respect for five thousand years of East Asian morality.

2. Maintaining high morality, first of all, it is necessary to think about the foundations of relationships between people, and this requires hereditary imperial power.

3. When governing the state, it is necessary that the people be full of faith and respect, and for this, hereditary imperial power is necessary.

4. China and Japan are friendly fraternal powers. If we want to live in peace and achieve common glory, then we must respect the firmly established moral foundations so that the peoples of our countries are brought up in the spirit of equality, and this requires hereditary imperial power.

5. China has been harmed by its democratic system of government for more than 20 years. With the exception of a tiny handful of egoists, the vast majority of the people hate the republic and are full of love for our dynasty, therefore hereditary imperial power is necessary.

6. Manchus and Mongols have long been accustomed to preserve their customs, and in order to gain their trust and respect, hereditary imperial power is needed.

7. The republican system is falling into more and more decline every day, to this must be added the unemployment growing every day - all this causes great anxiety to the Japanese empire; if China achieves the restoration of the imperial system of government, then this will be a great boon for our peoples, both mentally and morally, and for this, hereditary imperial power is necessary.

8. The great Qing dynasty existed in China for more than 200 years, before that it ruled in Manchuria for more than 100 years; in order to preserve the customs of the people, calm people's hearts, pacify our land, preserve the spirit of the inhabitants of the East, restore imperial power, strengthen the imperial traditions of both your country and our country, hereditary imperial power is needed.

9. The heyday of your country falls on the reign of Emperor Meiji. His instructions and decrees addressed to the people are aimed at educating the people in morality and devotion. Emperor Meiji was in favor of using the achievements of Europe and America in science, and took Confucius and Mencius as real foundations; he preserved the spirit of ancient times that reigned in the East in order to avoid the corrupting influence of European vices; therefore, he achieved that all the people fell in love and began to respect their mentors and elders, whom they guard like the apple of their eye. All this deserves great respect. To follow the path of Emperor Meiji, hereditary imperial power is needed.

10. All Mongol princes inherit the old titles. With the introduction of the republican system, their titles will have to be abolished, which will cause ferment among them, and there will be no way to control them. Therefore, it is impossible to do without hereditary imperial power.

11. Your state provides support and assistance to the three Northeastern provinces, it cares about the happiness of thirty million people, which deserves gratitude and respect. We only want your attention to extend beyond the populations of the three North Eastern Provinces; it is our sincere desire that you use the North Eastern Provinces as a base to win the hearts of the people of our entire country and thereby save them from disaster and hardship. As for the common fate, the general flourishing of East Asia, the interests of the ninety million people of your empire are fully connected with this. We cannot have differences in the forms of government either. In order to develop both countries, hereditary imperial power is necessary.

12. Twenty years have passed since the events of the xinhai year, when I retired from power and began to live among the people. I do not think at all about personal honor and respect, all my thoughts are aimed at saving the people. If someone appears who will take on this mission and change our unfortunate fate in a fair way, I, as a simple person, express my full desire and consent to this. If I myself have to undertake this mission, then it will be impossible to repair the damage done by twenty years of republican rule. If I do not receive the legitimate title of emperor, then in fact I will not be able to exercise the right to dispose of people and therefore an independent state will not be created. One title without real power will only cause many difficulties, will not provide any help to the people and will only increase their suffering, which is completely at odds with my intentions. Then my guilt will be even more aggravated, with which I can by no means agree. Twenty years, during which I was not in power, interrupted my ties with society, and if one day I again begin to rule the country and the people, then whoever I become - president or emperor - I will be completely and completely satisfied . All my intentions are directed only for the good of the people, for the good of the country, for the good of our two powers, for the good of the general situation in East Asia. There are no selfish, selfish interests in this, therefore, hereditary imperial power is necessary.

This document, along with several jewels intended as a gift from Itagaki, Pu Yi asked his close associate Zhang Xiaoxu to hand over to the Japanese who arranged a meeting in Shenyang. However, as it turned out later, he did not even bother to do this, as he expected the Japanese to get a good post in the future new state. Even in a conversation with Itagaki, he assured the latter that he was taking over Emperor Pu Yi. The emperor is like a sheet of white paper and the Japanese military can draw whatever they want on this sheet.

On the afternoon of February 23, 1932, Pu Yi met with Itagaki. The latter thanked the emperor for the gifts and then explained that he had arrived on the orders of the commander of the Kwantung Army, Khonze, with a report on the creation of a new state on the territory of Manchuria. “The people in Manchuria do not support the harsh regime of Zhang Xueliang,” Itagaki began slowly and in a quiet voice about the plan to create a new state, “Japanese rights and privileges have no guarantees ... The Japanese army sincerely wants to help the Manchus establish virtuous rule and create a paradise. ... This new state will be called Manchukuo. Its capital is the city of Changchun, which from now on will be called Xinjing - the new capital. The state will include five main nationalities: Manchus, Mongols, Hans, Japanese and Koreans. The Japanese, who have lived in Manchuria for many decades, are giving away their strength and ability; therefore their legal and political position must naturally be the same as that of other nationalities. For example, they can, like others, serve as officials in the new state.

Itagaki pulled out the Declaration of the Manchu and Mongolian peoples from his briefcase, as well as the five-colored flag of Manchukuo, and placed it on the table in front of Pu Yi. Pu Yi was most interested in the question of the nature of the future state: will it be a monarchy or a republic? He insisted on a monarchy, but the Japanese said that the administrative council had made a decision and supported Pu Yi's candidacy for the post of head of the new state, that is, the supreme ruler. “I am very grateful for the great help of your state; we can agree on all other issues, but I cannot accept the regime of the supreme ruler, ”Pu Yi answered excitedly and passionately to Itagaki’s proposal. – I inherited the imperial title from my ancestors; if I cancel it, I will act dishonestly and disrespectfully towards them.” “The so-called regime of the supreme ruler is only a transitional period,” he heard in response. - I am sure that when the parliament is formed, it will certainly adopt a constitution on the restoration of the imperial system. Therefore, at present, such a “regime” can be considered as a transitional period. Pu Yi repeated three times his twelve points on the need for hereditary power, drawn up earlier, proving that he could not refuse them. Itagaki insisted on his own, their conversation lasted more than three hours. Finally, the Japanese calmly began to collect his briefcase, making it clear that the conversation was over and advising his opponent to think carefully before tomorrow. That evening, Pu Yi gave a banquet at the Yamato Hotel in honor of Itagaki. At the banquet that ended at 10 pm, he kept a close eye on Itagaki's mood. However, the latter's face was completely impassive, he drank heavily, happily joined in every toast, never once recalling the argument that had arisen a few hours earlier. The next morning, the Japanese invited Pu Yi's assistants to his place and asked them to tell his master that the requirements of the Japanese military department had not changed. If Pu Yi does not accept them, his behavior will be considered as clearly hostile and measures will be taken against him as an enemy.

With these words, Pu Yi was terribly frightened, his legs buckled and he fell on the sofa, for a long time he could not utter a word. One of his advisers, calming the emperor, said that, as the Chinese proverb says, "without entering the lair of a tiger, you will not get a tiger cub." That it is necessary to understand the current situation, that they are now in the hands of the Japanese, and it is not worth running into trouble, and in no case should you now break with the Japanese. One should act flexibly and deliberately depending on the circumstances, making better use of the opponent's plan. Others in Pu Yi's entourage also insisted that they should not break with the Japanese, as they would do as they were told. You should temporarily agree with the Japanese military department for one year, but if in a year the imperial power is not restored, you can refuse the title of ruler. This was decided by sending a messenger to Itagaki. Soon the messenger returned and announced that Itagaki agreed and that evening he would arrange a small banquet in honor of the future ruler. In the evening, Itagaki invited Japanese prostitutes to a banquet for guests, everyone drank wine and had fun. The Japanese did not hide his pleasure, drank a lot, treated Pu Yi with wine, wishing "a successful future fulfillment of all his desires."

“Thus,” Pu Yi wrote later, while living in the PRC, “because of my spinelessness, and also because I dreamed of restoring the throne, I openly embarked on this vile and vile path, became the main traitor to my homeland, a fig leaf for bloody rulers. Under the cover of this fig leaf, from February 23, 1932, the North-East of our country completely turned into a colony, and for thirty million compatriots a life full of disasters and suffering began.

On February 29, 1932, the so-called All-Manchurian Assembly, at the direction of the Fourth Division of the Kwantung Army in Shenyang, adopted the "Declaration of Independence of the New Mongol-Manchurian State."

It said: “Manchuria and Mongolia are starting a new life. In ancient times, Manchuria and Mongolia were annexed and separated more than once, but now the natural connection has been restored.

These lands have colossal natural wealth, and the peoples living here are distinguished by their straightforwardness and simplicity of morals.

Over the years, the population of Manchuria and Mongolia has increased and in parallel with this - the national economy is growing and strengthening, the markets for raw materials and furs are increasing.

In 1911, a revolution took place in China. From the very first moment after the formation of the Republic, the despotic militia captured the Three Eastern Provinces.

Military tyrants have criminally violated international and state law for about twenty years, demonstrating to the whole world exceptional greed, outright robbery of the population and disgusting depravity.

All this had a painful effect on the masses.

As a result of the wild management of the state, the region became the scene of an economic crisis. Trade and industry came to a standstill.

Tyrants often stepped outside the Great Wall and this caused internecine bloodshed. In the end, the unfortunate rulers lost all authority and aroused the hatred of all neighboring states.

Criminally trampling on people's rights, they also took up the persecution of foreigners. The whole region was filled with bandit gangs, which, without meeting resistance from the authorities, openly robbed the civilian population, devastating villages and villages.

As a result, popular discontent grew, the cadres of the hungry grew, but the authorities continued their former suicidal policy.

Now the thirty million people of Manchuria and Mongolia, who were suffocating under the old tyrants, can finally breathe freely.

The new state opens before him wide doors and a bright new life.

To the great happiness of 30 million, the hand of a neighboring power liquidated the barbarian military, liberated the tormented region from tyrants. The dawn of a new life calls on all the peoples of Manchuria and Mongolia to wake up from their sleep and begin building a new life in the name of a radiant future.

When we remember what was inside China and on its outskirts before, from the moment of the revolution to the very last days. We are confronted with pictures of internecine wars created by unscrupulous military parties that had nothing in common with the masses of the people in whose name they spoke.

These parties cared only about their partial welfare, and how can they be called "national"? Of course not, because state power in the hands of the Kuomintang was a sinecure of money-loving dictators and idlers.

The hegemony of military groups brought the country to the point where even the establishment of more or less definite territorial boundaries was impossible in China.

A rich country has fallen into poverty. Increasingly, the era of a happy life during the Daqing dynasty, as well as the dynasty of the three emperors Taku, began to resurrect in the memory of the people.

Just as doctors are the enemies of disease, so we, the new government, are ardent enemies of communism, to which all the old military groups would inevitably lead the country.

A few months ago, we started organizing meetings to create a right-wing state here. For this purpose, we invited representatives of Mukden, Girin, Tsitsikar, Zhehe and Mongolian khoshuns. At all these meetings, we unanimously reached the following conclusions:

Based on the fact that Manchuria and Mongolia used to be independent states, we have now decided to create a powerful independent state of "Manchukuo" from these two components.

In this declaration, we bring to the attention of the public so far the most important principles of our work, about which we inform foreign states.

The foundation of the future government will be exclusively justice, proceeding from the highest moral standards.

The new government will rely on the broad masses of the people, and not on the selfish interests of the rulers.

All citizens of the new state will have equal rights; all privileges - personal, class and national - are abolished.

In addition to the indigenous inhabitants of the Han, Manchu and Mongol tribes, all other nationalities, like the Nippons (as the Japanese were then called - V.U.), Koreans, Russians and others will enjoy all the rights in our country.

Having eliminated the dark past, the government reforms laws, encouraging county autonomy, developing industry and Agriculture by assisting in the development of natural resources.

The reform of the police apparatus and the uncompromising struggle against banditry and communism are also considered the priorities of the new government.

Every effort will be made to develop the education of the broad masses of the people.

In the nomes of the state, religions will receive special protection, mockery of which will be considered as a serious crime.

All nationalities included in the state of Manchukuo will have the opportunity, like the rising sun, to shine with their exemplary behavior and create the unfading glory of East Asia.

There will also be purity and justice in foreign policy; all the debts of the old authorities will be recognized. Those who wish to invest their capital in the trade and industry of the new State will be welcomed by us, in accordance with the policy of open doors.

The above declaration is an important basis for the structure of the new state. From the day of her reign, all responsibility falls on the new government.

We take care of a population of 30 million and swear that we will do our duty.

Government of the State of Manchukuo".

Pu Yi was appointed the supreme ruler of the new state.

Further, according to the planned Japanese scenario, it was necessary to play a small performance in two acts. As Pu Yi was informed, the delegates of the assembly will arrive in Lüshun to ask him to assume this position. He must prepare a response speech by this time. There should be two such speeches. The first should contain the refusal, and the second - the consent, which he had to give when the delegates of the assembly made their request a second time.

On March 1, 1932, the expected 11 delegates arrived in Lushun and met with Pu Yi. The performance began, which lasted twenty minutes. The delegates, in accordance with the written script and the text of a short speech, strenuously "persuaded" Pu Yi, and he "refused" in every possible way. The second act of the performance took place on March 5, when 29 delegates arrived according to the written script to turn to Pu Yi with a "request" for the second time. This time, their mission was successful. “I do not dare to refuse the great responsibility that your trust imposes on me,” said Pu Yi. “After deep reflection, I realized that I should not disappoint the hopes of the people ... I will try my best and will perform the functions of the supreme government for one year. If there are too many shortcomings, then in a year I will retire. If, within a year, a constitution is drawn up and the form of government established in accordance with the way I imagine it, I will think again, weigh my strength and decide how to proceed.

On March 1, 1932, the Japanese cabinet unanimously decides to create a new state in the occupied Manchurian territory - Manchukuo. The Japanese put the last emperor of the Qing dynasty, Pu Yi, at the head of this puppet state. Xinjing (“New Capital”) becomes the residence of Pu Yi and the capital of the new state, former city Changchun. The administrative division is also changing: instead of three large provinces: - Heilongjiang, Jilin, Fengtian - 12 dwarf ones were formed.

A week later, on March 8, 1932, Pu Yi, together with his wife Wan Rong, arrived in Changchun by train. Before the train had even reached the platform of the station, the sounds of a military band rang out on the platform. Surrounded by his retinue, where there were also the Japanese Amakasu and Kaeisumi, Pu Yi got out of the train car. “Everywhere you could see detachments of Japanese gendarmes and multi-colored ranks of those who met,” he later recalled. - Among the latter were people in long robes, jackets, European costumes and Japanese clothes. They had flags in their hands. All this touched me very much. Finally, I saw what I dreamed about on the pier in Yingkou. Xi Xia, pointing to a flag with a yellow dragon, visible among many other flags with the image of the rising sun, said: - These are all the Manchus, they have been waiting for Your Majesty for twenty years.

Tears welled up in my eyes, and I realized that I had something to hope for.

A dragon flag and an orchestra at the Changchun railway station, a crowded celebration ceremony on the occasion of Pu Yi's accession to the position of Supreme Ruler, welcoming speeches - all this, as we can see, made a deep impression on Pu Yi.

“If we work with the Japanese,” he thought, “perhaps they will support me and restore my imperial title. Since I am now the head of state, it will be easier for me to talk with the Japanese. When will I have capital? Pu Yi considered the position of the Supreme Ruler as a step towards the transition to the "imperial throne".

He believed that he should "successfully overcome this stage" and safely take the "throne". A few days later, he expressed the new ideas that came into his head to his Chinese advisers as "two oaths and one wish" that he must implement and then "die in peace." First, Pu Yi will try to correct all his previous shortcomings, especially laziness and frivolity. Secondly, he is ready to put up with all the hardships and swore he promised not to stop until he restored the great deeds of his ancestors. Third, he asked the heavenly ruler to send him a son in order to continue the lineage and deeds of the great Qing dynasty.

The following day, March 9, an official inauguration ceremony for Pu Yi was held in a hastily prepared reception hall. The ceremony was attended by the Japanese side - Director of the South Manchuria Railway Uchida, Commander of the Kwantung Army Honjo, Chief of Staff of the Kwantung Army Miyake, State Councilor Itagaki and other important people, from the Chinese - Pu Yi's inner circle, old Qing dignitaries and some Mongol princes, former leaders of the Fengtian militarist group, a lawyer who processed Pu Yi's divorce in Tianjin. The supreme ruler of Manchukuo was dressed in a European full dress.

Under the gaze of high Japanese officials, the “founders of the nation” bowed three times in etiquette to Pu Yi, and he answered them with one bow. Then the "delegates" on behalf of the "people of Manchuria" presented Pu Yi with the seal of the supreme ruler, wrapped in yellow silk.

Then, on behalf of the Supreme Ruler, the Declaration of the Supreme Ruler on the occasion of the founding of the state was read out with the following content:

“Humanity must respect the moral principles. To recognize the inequality of different peoples means to oppress others in order to exalt themselves, and thereby violating the principles of morality up to their complete trampling. Mankind must respect the principles of benevolence and peacefulness, while international enmity is directed towards harming others and extracting benefits for oneself; thus, the principles of benevolence and peacefulness are violated to the point of their complete trampling.

Now a new state has been created. The basis of this state is morality, benevolence and peacefulness. We will destroy the differences between peoples, we will not allow international clashes. Let everyone see in practice the implementation of Wang Dao's principle of justice, which leads to earthly well-being.

I call on all loyal subjects to follow this path together with Us.

After the official celebration, a reception of foreign guests took place, at which the director of the South-Western Railway, Uchida, delivered a greeting and one of the Chinese dignitaries read out the response speech of the Supreme Ruler. After that, everyone went out into the courtyard to raise the flag of the Republic of Manchukuo and take pictures. At the end, a solemn banquet was given.

About a month after these events, the residence of the "supreme ruler" moved to a newly converted building - the former administration building of the Jilin-Heilongjiang salt company. Pu Yi gave the name to some rooms and offices, he called his office "the office of serving the people."

So, in Manchuria, a “new” state was formed - Manchukuo, headed by Pu Yi, who was entirely in the hands of the Japanese and their henchmen.

On April 28, 1932, the Manchurian Daily Newspaper (Manshu Niti-Niti), which began to appear in Japanese in Xinjing, wrote in an editorial: “1312 thousand square meters. km of territory, stretching from north to south for 1700 km and from east to west for 1400 km, represent the widest field of activity for the liberated 30 million Manchu population. Warmed by the rising sun of the Yamato empire, it begins to turn over the pages of the history of its free development, and it is no longer threatened by either the colonial expansion of the West, or communist aggression from the USSR or the agents of the Comintern from Beijing or Nanjing.

On March 13, 1932, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Manchukuo sent a telegram to M.M. Litvinov, in which he announced the creation of the Manchu state, declared that this state recognized the international obligations of the Republic of China and proposed to establish "formal diplomatic relations." However, Moscow did not give a direct answer to this proposal. On March 23, 1932, an official of the Soviet Consulate General in Harbin visited the head of the diplomatic department in this city only to report that the Kremlin had received this telegram. From the point of view of international law, the existence of consular relations, according to the historian and sinologist R.A. does not mean diplomatic recognition of a particular state entity. In 1933, the Japanese government and the Manchu authorities again raised the issue of the exchange of ambassadors between Manchukuo and the USSR with the Soviet government, the Soviet Union again refused. However, this did not prevent Moscow from maintaining de facto diplomatic relations with Manchukuo. Thus, the Soviet Union allowed the Manchu authorities to open five consulates, including in Moscow. The same number of Soviet consulates existed in Manchuria. The People's Commissariat for Foreign Affairs quite logically explained this step "by the practical necessity to maintain actual relations with the authorities that currently exist in Manchuria, where our road is located, where we have tens of thousands of our citizens, where we have 5 of our consulates and where, in addition to the power of Manchukuo- Guo, there is no other person to talk to and do business with.”

It is well known that in China since ancient times, among the most widespread forms of cult, the cult of ancestors, which meant the deification and veneration of the common ancestor of a clan or family in the male line, was of particular importance among the people. In other words, the cult of ancestors, which should have been especially revered, is a belief in the independent existence of the spirit of the deceased.

The descendants of the deceased have always believed that his spirit constantly keeps in touch with them and influences their lives. And if this is so, he should be regularly helped, provided with everything necessary: ​​housing, food, clothing, basic necessities, etc. All this was "delivered" to the spirits of the ancestors by means of sacrifices.

Strictly observing the complex ritual of honoring the spirits of their ancestors, the descendants counted on their help in a variety of earthly affairs. They asked the dead to prolong the life of family members, to give happiness and well-being to the whole family. At the same time, during the ceremony of worshiping ancestors, the descendant had to report to his parents once a year for what he had done and report on his future plans.

On June 26, 1932, Pu Yi just performed such a ceremony, bowing to the ancestors and uttering the following words during the sacrifice:

“It is hard to look at the disasters experienced by the people for 20 years and be powerless to help them. Now that the people of the three Northeastern provinces are giving me support and a friendly power is helping me, the situation in the camp is forcing me to take responsibility and come to the defense of the state. Starting any business, it is impossible to know in advance whether it will be successful or not.

But I remember the signs of sovereigns who had to restore their throne in the past. For example, the Jin prince Wen-gong defeated the Qin prince Mu-gong, the Han emperor Guan Wu-di overthrew the emperor Geng-shi, the founder of the Shu state defeated Liu Biao and Yuan-shao, the founder of the Ming dynasty defeated Han Lin'er. All of them, in order to fulfill their great mission, had to resort to external help. Now I, covered with shame, want to take on a great responsibility and continue the great work, no matter how difficult it may be. I want to devote all my strength to the sure salvation of the people, and I will act very carefully.

In front of the graves of my ancestors, I sincerely speak about my desires and ask them for protection and help.

In June 1932, the lower house of the Japanese Parliament at its meeting unanimously adopted a resolution on the immediate recognition of Manchukuo. It was also decided to establish the post of ambassador in Manchuria, whose tasks would include coordinating the activities of all Japanese institutions there, as well as commanding the Kwantung Army.

Before de jure To recognize Manchukuo in Tokyo on September 15, 1932, the Japanese government gathered for a meeting, for which the Headquarters of the Kwantung Army, which settled in Xinjing, prepared and published a special reference book "Manchukuo". Any member of the government from the directory could learn about the natural resources of Manchuria. Iron ore reserves were estimated at 5 billion tons, coal - 20-30 billion tons, timber - 100 billion cubic meters, oil shale - over 7 billion tons, there were significant reserves of non-ferrous metal ores, and agriculture made it possible to collect annual grain harvest is about 18-20 million tons. The SMWR Board prepared and published an appendix to the guide, which gave a brief description of the already existing industrial centers in Anshan, Fushun, Mukden. And the Japanese leadership hoped to soon use these riches of Manchuria. (Already in the early 1930s, Japan accounted for 39% of Manchurian exports and 41% of imports, and at the end of the decade, 65% and 85%, respectively).

It was after getting acquainted with these data on September 15, 1932 that the Japanese government recognized Manchukuo de jure.

Even before the recognition of Manchukuo de jure in Tokyo, the initial scheme of its state structure which gave the appearance of independence. Formally, all power in the country was concentrated in the hands of the supreme ruler, and then the "emperor" Pu Yi. He was also declared the commander-in-chief of the "national armed forces." The "State Council", that is, the government, consisted of ministers appointed by Pu Yi after the approval of their candidacies by the Japanese. Zhang Jinghui, who had worked with Zhang Zuolin for many years in the interests of Japanese imperialism, was appointed President of the State Council. In the same way, heads of departments and departments were appointed.

In reality, all power belonged to the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Manchukuo, who was also the Commander-in-Chief of the Kwantung Army. All Japanese adviser officers in the Manchukuo army were subordinate to him, and as an ambassador, all Japanese holding any positions in the government apparatus and local provincial authorities. A department of "general affairs" was created at the Japanese Embassy, ​​which controlled the activities of all ministers and heads of government departments. The head of this department, a Japanese, convened the so-called coordinating meetings of vice ministers, at which draft laws and regulations were considered. Then they were formally approved by the "State Council".

By the end of 1932, in the state apparatus of Manchukuo there were three thousand deputies and advisers specially trained and sent from Tokyo - the Japanese, who essentially managed all the affairs of the "state" of Manchukuo.

Even before the official recognition of Manchukuo, the Japanese prepared a future draft cooperation agreement in top secret.

At the Tokyo trial in 1946-1947. a secret transcript of the meeting of the Privy Council of the Japanese Empire dated September 13, 1932 was placed on the court table as evidence, which contained the text of the secret part of the treaty between Japan and Manchukuo and cited the statements of the members of this council, who were supposed to approve this treaty. The document is rather curious and cynical.

This document stipulated that this agreement "will be strictly confidential by mutual agreement between Japan and Manchukuo."

"A. Manchuria will entrust our country with its national defense and the maintenance of peace and order, and will bear all the corresponding costs, - said the first paragraph.

B. Manchuria agrees that the control of railways, harbours, river routes, air lines, etc., as well as the construction of new communication channels, insofar as this will be carried out by our imperial army for the purposes of national defense, be completely entrusted to Japan or such organization as she may designate, said the second paragraph.

V. Manchukuo will help with all possible means in relation to the various necessary measures carried out by our imperial army, - was said in paragraph three. -

D. The position of state councilors of Manchukuo will be appointed from among the far-sighted and well-reputed Japanese, and, in addition, the Japanese will be officials of both central and local government institutions. The choice of these officials will be made on the recommendation of the commander of the Kwantung Army, and their removal will be carried out with his own consent. The issue of increasing or decreasing the number of state advisers will be decided by negotiations between both parties.”

Judging by the documents presented, this draft treaty caused a mixed reaction and disputes even among some statesmen Japanese empire.

Thus, adviser Okada, who approved the draft treaty, at the same time stated "that the Manchurian question cannot be resolved simply by our recognition of Manchukuo", since the secret agreement violated the international "pact of nine powers", according to which Japan pledged to respect the integrity of the Chinese state and the independence of his people.

Okada did not hide his doubts from his colleagues: “A comparison of the secret agreements in this project with the Nine Powers Pact shows that there are many controversial points that reveal contradictions between these two documents. Besides, is it even possible to keep these agreements strictly secret? This is probably possible for Japan, but hardly possible for Manchukuo. I believe that it is necessary to recognize the impossibility of keeping them secret. If the secrets are disclosed, China will not be silent, but will demand the convening of a conference of powers that have signed the Nine Powers Pact ... And Japan will find itself in a very difficult situation.

Foreign Minister Uchida hastened to reassure the venerable adviser. He stated that the "Nine Power Pact" provides for respect for the territorial integrity of China, but does not provide for a provision for a part of China to become independent as a result of its internal division. He also referred to the help of the “Far East Munich”: “Ambassador Debuti recently asked the leading figures of America whether they would protest if Japan recognized Manchukuo. They replied that they did not have the slightest intention of making any protest or calling a conference of nine powers, since there was no hope that such a conference would come to any agreement. And then Uchida summarized: “I see no objection to Manchuria instructing Japan to deal with those issues that she herself cannot deal with. If the secret agreements between Japan and Manchukuo are disclosed, then I do not think that our side will become aware of them. Manchukuo must pay special attention to ensuring that these agreements are not disclosed to them.

The minister was energetically supported by Ishii's adviser: "Now that Japan has formally recognized Manchulu-Guo and entered into an alliance with the latter, Japan will be able to declare in the future that the independence of Manchukuo is the result of China's disintegration and that the territorial integrity of the Republic of China was violated by no one other than Manchukuo. This will nullify the argument that Japan allegedly violated the Nine Power Pact. Now that Japan has made an alliance with Manchuria for the sake of a united national defense, I believe that there will be no objection to the stationing of Japanese troops in Manchuria, thus the latest resolution of the League of Nations will turn into an empty piece of paper.

Even Minister of War Araki, who was famous for his aggressiveness, paragraph "A" of the above treaty seemed excessive.

“The national defense of Manchukuo is also the national defense of our country,” he said. “Therefore, I believe that it would be unfair and unreasonable to force Manchuria alone to bear all the expenses necessary for national defense.”

But, despite certain doubts and discussion, when the chairman of the Privy Council proposed to vote, the law was adopted unanimously. After that, as the protocol says, “His Majesty the Emperor retired to the inner palace.”

And here is how Pu Yi himself described the preparation of this document, recognizing that he was a puppet in the hands of the Japanese command.

“On August 18, 1932, Zheng Xiaoxu came to my office, took out a bundle of documents, and said, “Here is the agreement that we signed with Commander Khonjo. I ask Your Majesty to take a look. After reviewing the agreement, I was furious.

Who gave you permission to sign this?

“All this was agreed with Itagaki back in Lüshun,” Zheng Xiaoxu replied calmly. “Itagaki talked about this with Your Majesty even earlier.

- I don't remember that. Yes, if he did. Before signing, you should have told me about it!

“That's what Honjo told me. He was afraid that Hu Siyuan and the others, not understanding the current situation, would only complicate things.

Who is the boss here anyway? you or me?

- Guilty. This agreement is only a temporary measure. If Your Majesty is counting on the help of the Japanese, how can you deny them the rights that they actually already have? In the future, it may be possible to sign another agreement under which these rights will be valid only for a certain period.

He was right. The rights that the Japanese asked for in the agreement actually belonged to them long ago. The agreement had 12 points and a lot of all sorts of applications. Its main content was as follows: state security and public order in Manchukuo is entirely the responsibility of Japan; it will control railroads, ports, waterways and airways, and, if necessary, create new ones; Manchukuo is responsible for the material resources and equipment needed by the Japanese army. Japan has the right to conduct exploration and build mines; Japanese can be appointed to positions in Manchukuo; Japan has the right to resettle Japanese in Manchukuo, etc. The agreement stipulated that in the future it would form the basis of a formal bilateral treaty. ... Since I was counting on help, I was supposed to pay a reward. ... It only remained to come to terms with what had already happened.

By mid-September 1932, the new commander of the Kwantung Army and the first ambassador to Manchukuo Muto Nobuyoshi arrived from Japan in Changchun (Colonel General in the past, served as deputy chief of staff, chief inspector for training, military adviser. In the first world war he commanded the Japanese army that occupied Siberia, died in 1933), soon received the rank of marshal.

On behalf of the Japanese government, on September 15, 1932, he signed the Japanese-Manchurian Protocol, which was based on the previously signed secret agreement.

Routinely, three times a month, Pu Yi met with the new commander of the Kwantung Army and the Japanese ambassador to discuss some issues.

The choice of Pu Yi by the Japanese as the ruler of Manchukuo was due to his claims to restore Qing monarchy in China. The Japanese hoped to make Pu Yi an instrument for asserting Japanese dominance throughout China. Without waiting for the discussion of the report of the Lytton Commission in the League of Nations, the Japanese government hurried to "recognize" de jure Manchukuo and sign with his government on September 15, 1932 in Xinjing the "Protocol of the Nippono-Manchurian Agreement."

The 1st clause of this "agreement" provided for the recognition and respect for the rights and interests of Japan and Japanese subjects in the territory of Manchukuo in accordance with all previous Japanese-Chinese treaties, agreements and various private treaties; The 2nd paragraph of the protocol recorded that in the event that a threat to the territory, peace, order, coexistence of one of the “high contracting parties” is recognized, Japan and Manchukuo will jointly cooperate in maintaining national security the injured party. For these purposes, Japanese troops will be deployed on the territory of Manchukuo.

The Japanese authorities, casually hinting to local Chinese officials about possible troubles in the near future, recommended that those who served the former Manchu government not leave their posts and continue to fulfill their duties. This was part of the general plan: the whole world and, above all, the League of Nations, should make sure that the formation of Manchukuo was the result of a "revolution carried out by the people of Manchuria"; Japan has only an indirect relation to this. But there was another part of the plan - according to which, back in September, Lieutenant-General Honjo received an order from "neutral" Tokyo: "Evict 25,000 Chinese families and prepare conditions for the resettlement of Japanese families in their place." This part of the plan began to be quickly implemented even with a certain excess: if before the occupation there were about 250 thousand Japanese in Manchuria (of which 115 thousand were in the Kwantung region), then by the end of 1932 their number reached 390 thousand (with 220 thousand outside this area).

150,000 soldiers and officers of the Kwantung Army were hastily deployed on the territory of Manchuria. From March 1932, under the auspices of Tokyo, the "national armed forces" of Manchukuo began to form, which by the end of the year had more than 75 thousand military personnel. They were equipped at the expense of Japanese supplies with old equipment that had been decommissioned in the Japanese army. At the lower ranks, there were also such museum exhibits as Mauser guns of the 1888 model of the year, infantry, sappers and cavalry were armed with small-caliber five-shot Japanese rifles and carbines. All non-commissioned officers were equipped with dust goggles, two non-commissioned officers per squadron with binoculars. Each officer relied on glasses and binoculars. The commander-in-chief was Pu Yi, who formally owned all the fullness civil authority. But in reality, all real power was concentrated in the hands of the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Manchukuo, who was also the Commander-in-Chief of the Kwantung Army. In all military formations of Manchukuo - from a platoon to a division - Japanese military advisers and instructors were appointed, who determined the programs of military training and ideological education and were responsible for the morale of the soldiers. At the headquarters of military units, Japanese gendarmerie units were created with a total number of about 18 thousand people who performed counterintelligence functions. Another four thousand secret service agents were engaged in counterintelligence. All of them were supposed to "protect the people of Manchuria from the Chinese Bolsheviks, the Kuomintang and other bandits." Almost all financial leverage was also in the hands of the Japanese.

Attention is drawn to the abundance of various intelligence and police agencies in Manchukuo, proving that it was created as a police state.

In addition to the police apparatus, the following Japanese intelligence and police agencies existed there:

Japanese intelligence, the head of which reported directly to Tokyo.

Japanese gendarmerie subordinate to the Japanese military authorities.

Gendarmerie of Manchukuo, subordinate to the military authorities of Manchukuo.

State Police of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Manchukuo.

City police, run by the city government.

Japanese Consular Police.

Criminal Investigation Departments, independent and not subordinate to the city police.

State intelligence agencies of the Military Ministry of Manchukuo.

The railway police are run by the railway administration.

In addition, by the end of 1932, there were about three thousand Japanese "advisors" and "consultants" to the government administration in the state apparatus of Manchukuo. (By 1935 their number already reached 5 thousand, and by 1945 - 100 thousand people). Not only a department or office, but also an ordinary employee worked under the supervision of one or even two "advisers"; they controlled everything and everyone, demanding strict compliance with their orders.

Who acted as Japanese advisers in Manchukuo, given the urgent need for in large numbers"advisers" and "consultants"?

As the Italian intelligence officer Amleto Vespa, who worked in Manchukuo for the Japanese in those years, reported, the first contingent of Japanese advisers to the government of Manchukuo were the most random people: any Japanese who explained himself in Chinese or Russian with sin in half, could well count on this position. Moreover, in 1932, 95% of all Japanese in Manchuria were people who were somehow at odds with the law: owners of brothels and drug dens, smugglers and adventurers of all stripes - in short, representatives of various types of underground business . Before the occupation, all these people with a dubious past and no less dubious present, under the protection of their white flag with a red circle in the center and enjoying the rights of extraterritoriality, were inaccessible to Chinese laws. Now most of them - and many unexpectedly for themselves - found themselves in the chairs of the heads of administrative institutions, they became the owners of almost unlimited power, punishing or pardoning "according to their mood." You can't take a step without paying them. If the Japanese could, they would probably tax all non-Japanese for the mere ability to breathe Manchu air. (This is generally a trend of the Japanese occupation policy: after all, even after the Russo-Japanese war of 1904-1905, the Chinese in Kwantung conquered by the Japanese from Russia ate all their dogs, the meat of which is widely eaten by both the Chinese and Koreans, because the new owners and this the animal was taxed exorbitantly).

In the construction and functioning of the puppet state of Manchukuo, the Japanese authorities in Tokyo gave an important place to the award system as a tool not only to encourage, but also to manage the political elite of the "new independent state". But to no lesser extent, this system they created was used "for their own needs." Orders and medals of Manchukuo were generously awarded to members of the Japanese imperial family and representatives of the highest aristocracy, numerous Japanese officials and advisers who worked in the government of the "empire", officers and ordinary soldiers of the Kwantung Army, as well as officials of some local administrations of the Republic of China, who worked closely with Manchukuo. Rewarding others foreign citizens performed quite rarely.

Officially, the system of state awards of Manchukuo originated from the law prepared by Japanese officials on orders of merit and medals, adopted on April 19, 1934. The award system of the new "empire" was borrowed from Japan and was practically its "tracing paper". It had analogues of most Japanese orders (including the same degrees, rules for awarding and wearing as in Japan). Appearance orders of Manchukuo were developed by Professor Hata Sekiti, who taught at the Tokyo Higher Technical School. They were made at the mint in Osaka (Japan) and usually had the hallmark of this mint in the form of the Latin letter “M” of the Order, according to O. Rozanov, they were made in a manner and technique typical of Japanese masters. On its reverse there are the same hieroglyphs as on Japanese orders.

The medals were made at the Osaka Mint, as well as by some private firms. Award bars, lapel rosettes and even award boxes were similar to those in Japan.

Officers and soldiers of the Kwantung Army wore Manchdou Guo awards along with Japanese ones. The order of location on a common block was determined by the sequence of their receipt by the awarded.

Manchurian order Pillars of the state was established by the edict of Pu Yi on September 14, 1936. It had eight degrees and corresponded to the Japanese Order of the Sacred Treasure. The name of the order was taken from Chinese classical history.

October 1, 1938 Orders and medals were established Red Cross Societies Manchukuo. In addition, about eight medals were introduced in Manchukuo.

Having occupied Manchuria, Japan proceeded to strengthen the military position of this region for a future offensive against the USSR. The construction and modernization of a network of railways and highways to strategic points along the Soviet border began. A belt of fortified areas was created, especially in the coastal direction. At the same time, the power of the Kwantung Army increased significantly: in ten years, from two divisions in 1931, it grew to 15. Military airfields and warehouses, barracks for soldiers, and defensive structures appeared on strategic axes. Piers and river ports have grown along the banks of the Sungari and along the right bank of the Amur. Large military factories and arsenals arose in the rear. The network of built Manchurian railways and highways led from the main centers to the border with the Soviet Union. The deep strip along the Soviet border was densely populated by Japanese reserve colonists, ready at any moment to put on military uniforms and join the Kwantung Army.

During 1936, the Japanese provoked more than 40 border incidents here, which threatened to develop into a serious military clash. Military provocations intensified and western borders Manchukuo - with the Mongolian People's Republic. These border clashes sometimes had the character of open reconnaissance in force. Japanese reconnaissance groups were often able to penetrate Mongolian territory and carry out reconnaissance work in preparation for an invasion from Manchuria. Defiantly provocative actions were accompanied by the intensification of anti-Soviet and anti-Mongolian propaganda on the radio and in the press in Japan and especially in Manchukuo.

On March 23, 1935, the "Agreement between the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and Manchukuo on the cession of the rights of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in relation to the Chinese Eastern Railway (North Manchurian Railway)" was signed in Tokyo. The agreement consisted of 14 articles that regulated in great detail the procedure for the transfer of the road, the payment of the redemption sum and the supply of goods. The agreement did not say anything about the USSR's ownership of the Chinese Eastern Railway - the general wording "all rights" was used, which the USSR cedes for the sum of 140 million yen to the government of Manchukuo-Di-Go.

Recall that negotiations on the purchase of the railway by Japan began in June 1933 and ended almost two years later. The initial price requested by the Soviet side was 250 million gold rubles (at the exchange rate of that time it was 625 million yen), and the CER was sold for four times less.

Tension in relations between Japan and the USSR increased even more after the conclusion in August 1937 of the Soviet-Chinese non-aggression pact. This period was marked by Tokyo's major military adventures carried out from the territory of Manchukuo, primarily the undeclared war on Khalkhin Gol in May-September 1939. However, the rebuff received by the Japanese military made it possible to preserve the independence of the MPR and forced the Japanese leadership to postpone plans for "expansion north" against the Soviet Union.

After the conclusion of the aggressive "anti-Comintern pact" by Japan, Italy and Germany in 1936, Japan's military leadership began to make attempts to draw Manchukuo into this pact. Thus, on November 13, 1937, the commander of the Kwantung Army sent a top secret telegram to the Comrade Minister of War and Deputy Chief of the Japanese General Staff. “I believe,” wrote the commander of the Kwantung Army, “that under the present circumstances it would be timely to force Manchukuo to join the said pact ... If you have no particular objections, we would like Manchukuo to begin its diplomatic activities in this direction".

This proposal was motivated, in particular, by the fact that such accession would help to achieve international recognition of the state of Manchukuo.

However, if the Japanese military tried to speed up this process, then the diplomats of the country of the Rising Sun acted in the same direction more carefully and more slowly, but more consistently.

This can be eloquently evidenced by the second telegram dated May 15, 1938, from the commander of the Kwantung Army to the Japanese Ministry of War. Referring to his first telegram mentioned above, the commander points out: “Now that the friendship treaty between Manchukuo and Germany has been signed and diplomatic relations between the two countries have been established ... it is necessary that Manchukuo join the Anti-Comintern Pact as soon as possible.”

And, finally, on May 24, 1938, the War Ministry gave the actual owner of Manchuria, the commander of the Japanese occupying army, a long-awaited positive answer: help her…” Here we see that the question is being resolved - how best to technically furnish the entry of Manchukuo into the "anti-Comintern pact".

After such secret preparations, the Manchukuo government finally entered into the Anti-Comintern Pact. He signed in February 1939 a special Protocol on the prolongation of the Pact against the Comintern for another five years. It said:

“The governments of Japan, Germany, Italy, Hungary, Manchukuo and Spain, stating the fruitfulness of the pact concluded between them in order to protect against the harmful activity of the Comintern, and the commonality of interests of the contracting states demanding solid cooperation against a common enemy, decided to prolong the aforementioned pact and to this end decided as follows:

Article 1.

Pact against the Comintern, consisting of the pact concluded on November 25, 1936 and the protocol attached to it, as well as the protocol of November 6, 1937, and to which: Hungary - according to the protocol of February 24, 1939, Manchukuo Go - according to the protocol of February 24, 1939, Spain - according to the protocol of March 27, 1939, - to extend the validity period for five years ... ".

The extreme northeast of China, overhanging the Korean Peninsula and bordering Russia in the north, and Mongolia in the southwest, has long been inhabited by local Tungus-Manchu peoples in addition to the Chinese. The largest of them are the Manchus up to the present time. The ten million people of the Manchus speak the languages ​​of the Tungus-Manchu group of the Altai language family, that is, they are related to the natives of Russian Siberia and the Far East - the Evenks, Nanais, Udeges and some other peoples. It was this ethnic group that managed to play a colossal role in the Chinese. In the 17th century, the state of Qing arose here, originally called the Later Jin and created as a result of the unification of the Jurchen (Manchurian) and Mongolian tribes living in Manchuria. In 1644, the Manchus managed to defeat the decrepit Chinese Ming empire and take Beijing. This is how the Qing Empire was formed, subordinating China to the power of the Manchu dynasty for almost three centuries.

For a long time, the Manchu ethnocracy in China prevented the penetration of the Chinese into the territory of their historical homeland - Manchuria, trying to preserve the ethnic isolation and originality of the latter. However, after Russia annexed part of the lands called Outer Manchuria (now it is Primorsky Krai, Amur Region, Jewish Autonomous Region), the Qing emperors, having no other options to save Inner Manchuria from gradual absorption by the Russian Empire, began to populate the region with Chinese . As a result, the population in Manchuria increased dramatically. However, to late XIX century, it became obvious that the region was of interest to two neighboring states, significantly superior in economic and military potential to the weakened and archaic Qing empire - for the Russian Empire and for Japan. In 1896, the construction of the Chinese Eastern Railway began, in 1898 Russia leased the Liaodong Peninsula from China, and in 1900, in the course of countering the uprising of the "Boxers", Russian troops occupied part of the territory of Manchuria. The refusal of the Russian Empire to withdraw troops from Manchuria became one of the key reasons for the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. The defeat of Russia in this war led to the actual establishment of Japanese control over Manchuria.

Creation of Manchukuo and Emperor Pu Yi

Japan, seeking to prevent the return of Manchuria to the orbit of Russian influence, in every possible way prevented the reunification of Manchuria with China. This opposition began especially actively after the overthrow of the imperial Qing dynasty in China. In 1932, Japan decides to legitimize its presence in Manchuria by creating a puppet state entity, which would formally be independent state, but in fact it should have been completely in the wake of Japanese foreign policy. This state, created on the territory occupied by the Japanese Kwantung Army, was called Damanzhou-digo - the Great Manchurian Empire, also abbreviated as Manchukuo or the State of Manchuria. The capital of the state was in the city of Xinjing (modern Changchun).

At the head of the state, the Japanese put Pu Yi (Manchu name - Aisin Gero) - the last Chinese emperor of the Qing dynasty, who was removed from power in China back in 1912 - after the Xinhai Revolution, and in 1924 was finally deprived of the imperial title and all regalia.

Pu Yi in 1932-1934 was called the supreme ruler of Manchukuo, and in 1934 became emperor of the Great Manchurian Empire. Despite the fact that 22 years passed between the overthrow of Pu Yi in China and his accession to Manchuria, the emperor was a young man. After all, he was born in 1906 and ascended the throne of China at the age of two. So by the time Manchukuo was created, he was not even thirty years old. Pu Yi was a rather weak ruler, since his formation as a person took place after he abdicated, in an atmosphere of constant fear for his existence in revolutionary China.

The League of Nations refused to recognize Manchukuo, thereby calling into question the real political sovereignty of this state and contributing to Japan's withdrawal from this international organization. However, many countries of the world "second Manchu empire" was recognized. Of course, Manchukuo was recognized by Japan's European allies - Germany, Italy, Spain, as well as a number of other states - Bulgaria, Romania, Finland, Croatia, Slovakia, Denmark, Vichy France, the Vatican, El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, Thailand. He recognized the independence of Manchukuo and the Soviet Union, establishing diplomatic relations with this state.

However, it was clear to everyone that behind the back of Emperor Pu Yi was the real ruler of Manchuria - the commander of the Japanese Kwantung Army. The emperor of Manchukuo himself admitted this in his memoirs: “Muto Nobuyoshi, a colonel general in the past, held the positions of deputy chief of staff, chief inspector for military training and military adviser. During the First World War, he commanded the Japanese army, which occupied Siberia. This time he came to the Northeast, combining three positions: the commander of the Kwantung Army (previously lieutenant generals were appointed to this position), the governor general of the Kwantung leased territory (before the events of September 18, Japan established the governor general of colonies on the Liaodong Peninsula) and ambassador to Manchukuo. Shortly after arriving in the Northeast, he received the rank of marshal. It was he who became the real ruler of this territory, the true emperor of Manchukuo. Japanese newspapers called him "the guardian spirit of Manchukuo". In my opinion, this sixty-five-year-old gray-haired man really possessed the majesty and power of a deity. When he bowed respectfully, it seemed to me as if I was receiving the blessing of Heaven itself ”(Pu Yi. The last Emperor. Ch. 6. Fourteen years of Manchukuo).

Indeed, without support from Japan, Manchukuo would hardly have been able to exist - the times of Manchu dominance had long ended and by the time of the events described, ethnic Manchus did not make up the majority of the population even on the territory of their historical homeland - Manchuria. Accordingly, it would have been very difficult for them, without Japanese support, to resist the vastly outnumbered Chinese forces.

The Japanese Kwantung Army, a powerful grouping of Japanese troops stationed in Manchuria, remained the forceful guarantor of the existence of Manchukuo. Created in 1931, the Kwantung Army was considered one of the most combat-ready formations of the Imperial Japanese Army and by 1938 had increased its personnel strength to 200,000. It was the officers of the Kwantung Army who carried out the formation and training of the armed forces of the Manchu state. The appearance of the latter was due to the fact that Japan sought to demonstrate to the whole world that Manchukuo is not an occupied part of China or a Japanese colony, but a sovereign state with all the signs of political independence - both symbolic, such as a flag, emblem and anthem, and managerial, such as the emperor and the Privy Council, and power - their own armed forces.

Manchu imperial army

The history of the armed forces of Manchukuo began with the famous Mukden incident. On September 18, 1931, the railway track of the South Manchurian Railway exploded, the Japanese Kwantung Army was responsible for protecting it. It has been established that this explosion was carried out as a provocation by the Japanese officers themselves, but became the reason for the start of the Kwantung Army's offensive against Chinese positions. The weak and poorly trained Northeast Army of China, commanded by General Zhang Xueliang, was quickly demoralized. Part of the units retreated deep into the continent, but most of the soldiers and officers, numbering about 60 thousand people, came under the control of the Japanese. It was on the basis of the remnants of the Northeastern Army that the formation of the Manchu armed forces began after the creation of the state of Manchukuo in 1932. Moreover, many divisions of the Chinese army were still commanded by the old Manchu generals, who began their service in the Qing Empire and hatched revanchist plans to restore the former power of the Manchu state.

The direct process of creating the Manchu imperial army was led by Japanese officers from the Kwantung Army. Already in 1933, the number of armed forces of Manchukuo amounted to more than 110 thousand military personnel. They were divided into seven military groups stationed in the seven provinces of Manchukuo, cavalry units, and the imperial guard. Representatives of all nationalities living in Manchuria were recruited into the armed forces, however, individual units, primarily the imperial guard of Pu Yi, were recruited exclusively by ethnic Manchus.

It should be noted that the Manchu army did not differ in high fighting qualities from the very beginning. This was due to several reasons. First, since the surrendered units of the Chinese Northeast Army became the basis of the Manchu army, it also inherited all the negative features of the latter, including low combat capability, indiscipline, and poor preparedness. Secondly, many ethnic Chinese served in the Manchu army, who were disloyal to the Manchu authorities and especially the Japanese, and who aspired to desert at the slightest opportunity, or even go over to the side of the enemy. Thirdly, the real "scourge" of the Manchu armed forces was opium smoking, which turned many soldiers and officers into complete drug addicts. The low fighting qualities of the Manchurian army were exacerbated by the lack of properly trained officers, which led the imperial government and Japanese advisers to the need to reform the training of the officer corps. In 1934, a decision was made to staff the officers of the Manchu imperial army exclusively at the expense of graduates of the Manchu military educational institutions. In 1938, two Manchu military academies were opened in Mukden and Xinjing to train officers.

Another serious problem of the Manchurian army for a long time was the lack of unified uniforms. For the most part, soldiers and officers used the old Chinese uniform, which deprived them of their differences from the uniforms of the enemy and led to serious confusion. Only in 1934 was it decided to introduce uniforms based on the uniform of the Japanese imperial army. On May 12, 1937, the uniform standard for the Manchu imperial army was approved according to the Japanese model. It imitated the Japanese army in many ways: in the presence of a leather inclined belt and chest pocket, and in shoulder straps, and in a headdress, and in a cockade with a pentagram, the rays of which were painted in the colors of the state flag of Manchukuo (black, white, yellow, blue-green, red). The colors of the military branches also copied the Japanese: red meant infantry units, green meant cavalry, yellow meant artillery, brown meant engineering, blue meant transport and black meant police.

The following military ranks were established in the Manchu imperial army: army general, colonel general, lieutenant general, major general, colonel, lieutenant colonel, major, captain, senior lieutenant, lieutenant, junior lieutenant, warrant officer, senior sergeant, sergeant, junior sergeant , acting junior sergeant, private higher class, private first class, private second class.
In 1932, the Manchukuo army numbered 111,044 military personnel and included the army of Fengtian province (number - 20,541 military personnel, composition - 7 mixed and 2 cavalry brigades); army of Xin'an province (number - 4,374 military personnel); army of Heilongjiang province (number - 25,162 military personnel, composition - 5 mixed and 3 cavalry brigades); army of Jilin province (number - 34,287 military personnel, composition - 7 infantry and 2 cavalry brigades). Also, the Manchurian army included several separate cavalry brigades and auxiliary units.

In 1934, the structure of the Manchu army was reformed. It consisted of five district armies, each of which included two or three zones with two or three mixed brigades in each. In addition to the zones, the army could include operational forces represented by one to three cavalry brigades. The number of armed forces by this time consisted of 72,329 military personnel. By 1944, the number of the Manchu imperial army was already 200 thousand people, and the composition included several infantry and cavalry divisions, including 10 infantry, 21 mixed and 6 cavalry brigades. Units of the Manchurian army took part, together with the Japanese troops, in suppressing the actions of Korean and Chinese partisans.

In 1941, Soviet intelligence, which carefully monitored the state of the Japanese troops and the armed forces of their allies, reported on the following composition of the armed forces of Manchukuo: 21 mixed brigades, 6 infantry brigades, 5 cavalry brigades, 4 separate brigades, 1 guards brigade, 2 cavalry divisions, 1 “calm division”, 9 separate cavalry regiments, 2 separate infantry regiments, 9 training detachments, 5 anti-aircraft artillery regiments, 3 air detachments. The number of military personnel was estimated at 105,710 people, light machine guns - 2039, heavy machine guns - 755, bombers and mortars - 232, 75-mm mountain and field guns - 142, anti-aircraft guns - 176, anti-tank guns - 56, aircraft - 50 (Reconnaissance report No. 4 (in the East), Moscow: RU General Staff of the Red Army, 1941, p. 34).

An interesting page in the history of Manchukuo was the participation of Russian white emigrants and their children, of whom a lot migrated to the territory of Manchuria after the defeat of the Whites in the Civil War, in the military-political activities of the Manchu state. In 1942, all Russian men under 35 years old were involved in compulsory military training, and in 1944 the age of those involved in general military training was raised to 45 years. Every Sunday, Russian emigrants were taught drill and fire training, and a short-term field camp was organized in the summer months. At the initiative of the Harbin military mission in 1943, Russian military units were created with Russian officers at the head. The first infantry detachment was stationed at the Handaohedzi station, and the second cavalry detachment at the Sungari 2nd station. Russian youths and men were trained in a detachment under the command of Colonel Asano of the Japanese Imperial Army, later replaced by a Russian officer - an emigrant Smirnov.

All servicemen of the cavalry detachment at Songhua 2nd station were listed as part of the armed forces of Manchukuo, officer ranks were assigned by the Manchu military command. In total, 4-4% of thousands of Russian emigrants managed to serve in the detachment on Sungari 2nd. At the Handaohedzi station, where the detachment was commanded by Colonel Popov, 2,000 servicemen were trained. Note that the Russians were considered the fifth nationality of Manchukuo and, accordingly, had to bear the full military service as citizens of this state.

special elite unit The Manchurian army was left with the Manchukuo imperial guard, staffed exclusively by ethnic Manchus and deployed in Xinjing, near the imperial palace of the head of state Pu Yi. The Japanese imperial guard became the model for creating the Manchukuo imperial guard. The Manchus recruited into the guard were trained separately from other military personnel. The armament of the guard consisted of firearms and cold weapons. The guards wore gray and black uniforms, caps and helmets with a five-pointed star on the cockade. The number of guards was only 200 military personnel. In addition to the imperial guard, over time, the guard was given the function of modern special forces. It was performed by the so-called. A special guard engaged in counter-guerrilla operations and the suppression of popular uprisings on the territory of the Manchu state proper.

The Manchurian imperial army was distinguished by weak weapons. At the beginning of its history, it was armed with almost 100% captured Chinese weapons, primarily rifles and pistols. By the mid-1930s, the ordering of the arsenal of the Manchu armed forces began. First of all, large consignments of firearms arrived from Japan - first 50,000 cavalry rifles, then consignments of machine guns. As a result, by the time the Second World War began, the Manchurian army was armed with: Type-3 machine gun, Type-11 light machine gun, Type-10 mortar and Type-38 and Type-39 rifles. The officer corps was also armed with Browning and Colt pistols, and the non-commissioned officers were armed with Mausers. As for heavy weapons, the artillery of the Manchurian army consisted of Japanese artillery pieces - mountain 75-mm Type-41, field Type-38, as well as captured Chinese artillery pieces. Artillery was the weak side of the Manchurian army, and in the event of serious clashes, the latter would have to rely solely on the help of the Kwantung. As for armored vehicles, for a long time it was practically absent. Only in 1943 did the Kwantung Army hand over 10 Type 94 tankettes to the Manchus, as a result of which a tank company of the Manchu Imperial Army was formed.

The sea and air fleet of the Manchus

End of the Manchu Empire

The state of Manchukuo fell under the blows of the Soviet army, which defeated the Japanese Kwantung Army, like other puppet states created by the "axis countries". As a result of the Manchurian operation, 84 thousand Japanese soldiers and officers were destroyed, 15 thousand died of wounds and diseases, 600 thousand people were captured. These figures are many times greater than the losses of the Soviet Army, estimated at 12,000 servicemen. Both Japan and its satellites on the territory of present-day China - Manchukuo and Mengjiang (a state on the territory of modern Inner Mongolia) suffered a crushing defeat. The personnel of the Manchurian armed forces were partly killed, partly surrendered. Japanese settlers living in Manchuria were interned.

As for Emperor Pu Yi, both the Soviet and Chinese authorities treat him quite humanely. On August 16, 1945, the emperor was captured by Soviet troops and sent to a prisoner of war camp in the Khabarovsk region. In 1949, he asked Stalin not to turn him over to the revolutionary Chinese authorities, fearing that the Chinese Communists would sentence him to death. However, he was nevertheless deported to China in 1950 and spent nine years in a re-education camp in Liaoning province. In 1959, Mao Zedong allowed the "reformed emperor" to be released and even settled in Beijing. Pu Yi got a job in a botanical garden, then worked in the state library, trying in every possible way to emphasize his loyalty to the new authorities of revolutionary China. In 1964, Pu Yi even joined the political advisory council of the People's Republic of China. He died in 1967, at the age of sixty-one, from liver cancer. He left the famous book of memoirs The Last Emperor, in which he also writes about the fourteen-year period during which he occupied the imperial throne in the puppet state of Manchukuo.

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