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World War II Manchuria Manchukuo Japanese puppet state World War II in China -- Manchuria Manchukuo Japanese puppet state
World War II: Japanese Manchukuo Puppet State (1931-45)
Figure 1.-- The Kwantung Army on its own seized control of Chinese Manchuria (1931). The Japanese Governmnt had not ordered it, but neither did the Government order the Kwantung Army to cease and desist. The Japanese Government decalared Manchukuo an independent monarchy. They enthroned Pu Yi (溥儀; 1906 – 67), the last Manchu Emperor of China, as the puppet Emperor. The new state was formally created by the Japan–Manchukuo Protocol (日満議定書) (1932). Baron Nobuyoshi Mutō, Japanese ambassador to Manchukuo, signed for Japan. He was also Commander of the Kwantung Army. Here we see school children cheering Pu Yi during his enthornement ceremony. The press caption unfortunateky torn reads somethiung like, "The enthronment of Henry Pu Yi as the first Emperor Manchoukuo ??hel???/Hsinking [Changchun] on March 1, 1934. ??to S??? the flag procession of school children at Hsinking in celebration of the enthronment." Hsinking was the capital of Japanese Manchukuo. It was the Chuinese city of Changchun.
Notice what look to be Japanese flags. We are not sure why they look blank, but both the Japanese and Manuchrian flag have large light-colored fields. Some seem to be Japanese.,
It was the Kwantung Army on its own that seized contol of Chinese Manchuria (1931). The Japanese Governmnt had not ordered it, but neither did the Government order the Kwantung Army to cease and desist or punish the commanders responsible. The Japanese Giovernment decalared Manchukuo an independent monarchy. They enthroned Pu Yi (溥儀; 1906 – 67), the last Manchu Emperor of China, as the puppet Emperor. The new state was formally created by the Japan–Manchukuo Protocol (日満議定書) (1932). Baron Nobuyoshi Mutō, Japanese ambassador to Manchukuo, signed for Japan. He was also Commander of the Kwantung Army. Zheng Xiaoxu was a lederly Chinese diplomat and Qing loyalist. Japan recognized Manchukuo as an independent state. It was of course all a shame. The protocol or treaty inluded a mutual defence agreement, allowing Japanese troops to be station in Manchukuo, essentially occupy the country. The troops involved were essentially the Kwantung Army. From then on the commander of the Kwanbtung Army automatically became the ambasador to Manchukuo. In essence he was a proconsul. Any important decesion of the Manchukuo Government needed his apporoval and he could rescind any decision taken Emperor Pu Yi. The Government mimnisters were mere front met for Japanese appointed ministers. The Kwantung Army played a controlling role in the political administration of the new state as well as in its defense as well as all aspects of the politics and economic development of the new state. This was not what Pu Yi had expected and he soon became disilusioned, but had no way of influecing the Japanese and had to accept his fate as a powerless puppet. He was united with his childhood bride--Wanrong (婉容 1906–46). She had a more realistic apprecuatiion of the Japanese than Pu Yi. She became an opium addict. The Japanese role in this is unclear, but she could not have obtained opium without the Japanese allowing it. Not only did the Japanese control every aspect of Puyi's and her existence, bt Japanese commanders were heavily involved in the lucrative opium trade.
