State of Manchuria (Cherry, Plum, and Chrysanthemum)



The Dominion of Manchuria (traditional Chinese: 滿洲自治領 Mǎnzhōu Zìzhìlǐng; Manchu script: ᠮ ᠨᡨᠰᠣᡠ ᡷᡳᡳᡷᡳᡳᠯᡳᠩ Mantsuo Jyijyiling) was a designation of Manchuria from 1932 to 1950 when the country was an associated state of Japan. The region was the historical homeland of the Manchus, who founded the Qing Empire in China. In 1931, the region was transferred to Japan by Republic of China following the end of Sino-Japanese War. In 1932, a dominion government was established. In 1950, the Dominion ended and Manchuria was proclaimed as an independent state.

Manchus formed a minority in Manchuria, whose largest ethnic group were Han Chinese. There were also Koreans, Japanese, Mongols, White Russians and less numerous minorities.The southern part of the Liaodong Peninsula was ruled by Japan as the Territory of Kwantung.

Structure
The structure of Dominion of Manchuria described in 1931 Manchurian Dominion Law, which remained effective from 1931 until 1950, and was self-governing although foreign policy and defense affairs would be under the responsibility of Japan, and certain legislation required the approval of the Congress of Japan.

The High Commissioner of Manchuria (滿洲高級專員 Mǎnzhōu Gāojí Zhuānyuán) is the representative of Government of Japan in Manchuria and the nominal head of state of the Dominion. The High Commissioner appointed by the President of Japan by the concern of Congress of Japan every five years. According to the Manchurian Constitution, the High Commissioner must a native Manchurian, held the Manchurian citizenship and has non-military background. The High Commissioner functioned to advise the Dominion government of matters concerning executive, defense and financial in Manchuria.

The Executive Council of Manchuria (管理會 Guǎnlǐ Huì), headed by the Prime Minister of Manchuria (首相 Shǒuxiàng) and responsible for day-to-day administration affairs of the Dominion. Unlike its Japanese and Korean counterpart, the Manchurian Executive Council modeled after the Council of People's Commissars of the Soviet Union and played greater part in matter of the Dominion government policy. The Executive Council of Manchuria responsible to the Parliament of Japan

The Legislative Council of Manchuria (立法評議 Lìfǎ Píngyì) serves as the rubber-stamp legislature of the Dominion. Most of the Councillors directly elected every four years and must a native Manchurian. Since 1935, the pro-Japanese conservative Solidarity Party dominated the Great Council although most of the Councillors are independents.

The Great Court of Manchuria (大裁判所 Dà Cáipànsuǒ) appointed by the High Commisioner by the concern of Executive Council in charge of judication matters and supervision and administration of lower courts. Every Manchurian citizens are the subjects of Manchurian law and under the authority of Manchurian Great Court, not to Japanese law and the Japanese National Court.

History
As a direct result of the Russo-Japanese War (1904/05) Japanese influence replaced Russia's in Inner Manchuria. In 1906, Japan laid the South Manchurian Railway to Port Arthur (Japanese: Ryojun). After the World War I, Manchuria became a political and military battleground between Russia, Japan, and China. Japan moved into Outer Manchuria as a result of the chaos following the Russian Revolution of 1917. A combination of Soviet military successes and American economic pressure forced the Japanese to withdraw from the area, however, and Outer Manchuria returned to Soviet control by 1925.

During the warlord period in China, the warlord Zhang Zuolin established himself in Inner Manchuria with Japanese backing. Later, the Japanese Kwantung Army found him too independent, so he was assassinated in 1928.

Birth of the Dominion government
The regime in Japan changed from Empire to Republic in 1931. With the advices from left-wing members of the State Council and the Legislative Council, President Nagayama Yoshida decided to talk with the Government of Republic of China in Nanjing in the issue of Manchuria and the armistice for Sino-Japanese war in March 6, 1931. Former Imperial Prime Minister, Shidehara Kijuro chosen as the head of Japanese delegations for negotiates with Chiang Kai-shek’s Republic of China government over those issues in April 5, 1931. Both of parties agreed to ceasefire the conflict and signed the Nanjing Peace Treaty in April 30, 1931.

The Chinese Government in return also recognized the new Japanese Republican government and agreed to transferred northern part of Manchuria into Japan to become the buffer territory between anti-communist Kuomintang China and communist Soviet Union. The territories annexed by Japan included southern Heilongjiang, Hejiang, Songjiang, Nenjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Andong, Shenyang, and Yanbian.

The commanding officer of Provincial Army of Jilin and also a supporter of independent Manchurian state, General Xi Qia formed the provisional government of Manchuria with Changchun as its capital in May 13, 1931. Separately, Japan formed the Harbin Committee chaired by Jiang Yue-xin in May 27, 1931. The committee initially formed to handles the migration of thousand Han peoples from the Japan-controlled Manchurian provinces to Chinese territories, but later its influences grew as the executive board and the quasi-legislature of four Northern Manchurian provinces.

In August 8, 1931, the delegations of Jilin Government met before the Harbin Committee in Harbin to formed the unified government led by Jiang Yue-xin as the provisional head of state and General Xi Qia as the commander-in-chief of Manchurian Provisional Army.

The Congress of Japan passed the Manchurian Dominion Law in October 24, 1931. Manchuria granted the dominion status by the Republican government, modeled after British dominion system as the Dominion of Manchuria with Jilin as the capital of new entity. Jiang Yuexin elected as the first High Commisioner, General Xi Qia as the commander-in-chief of the military and Hu Jiaoyi as the first prime minister on January 18, 1932. The Dominion of Manchukuo was validated with Protocol of Dalian ratification in February 25, 1932.

Industrialization
In 1933, non-partisan Prime Minister Hu Jiaoyi resigned from his position after lost the supports from the Solidarity Party-dominated Great Council for his failed actions to develops Manchurian economy and finances. Manchuria succumbed into economic depression at the time and the unemployment number is about 29% of Manchurian population.

The pro-Japanese Solidarity Party leader, Fu Shanxun, began to rise as the country's unofficial leader and nominated Lin Zhengxiao, the professor of Manchurian culture and political science of Jilin University as the new Prime Minister. Lin's non-political background made the office of Prime Minister was lack of influences while Fu himself as the Minister of Economic Affairs of Manchuria was ruled behind the curtain.

Under his "Steel Hands" leadership, Fu became the Chairman of State Planning Council and formulated the First Five-Year Plans in the economy and social fields in 1934. With his ambitious First Five-Year Plans, Fu tried to make Manchuria as the second industrialized Asian nation after Japan. With Japanese investment and rich natural resources, Manchuria became an industrial powerhouse. In 1935, the Dominion government bought the Chinese Eastern Railway from the Soviet Union.

The first industrial centers in Manchuria were in the Shenyang area. Industrial centers were in Anshan, Shakakon, Fushun, Fushin, and other cities. Manchuria used Kwantung for the area of Yellow Sea and Korean ports for the area of Sea of Japan. Major cities include Shenyang, Dalian, Harbin and Changchun, all with several million inhabitants. Other cities include the steel making centres of Fushun and Anshan in Liaoning, Jilin City in Jilin, and Qiqihar and Mudanjiang in Heilongjiang.

Hydroelectric power provided the majority of electricity in Manchuria. In 1936, the Japanese government invested in power plants on the Sungari and Yalu rivers. In 1939, 54% of Manchurian area already had enjoyed the electricity.

The government also campaigned against the corruption, bribery, moral deviation and banditry in Manchuria. Fu's efforts was to make Manchuria as the prosperous, stable and strong centralized country in contrast with its neighbor country, Republic of China, which succumbed into chaotic national crisis and the endless Civil War.

World War II
In the World War II, Japanese Provisional Government in Vladivostok issued an order to the Dominion of Manchuria and Dominion of Korea to autonomously resisted the Fascist Japan regime on May 1942. Vice Prime Minister Fu Shanxun then formed the Manchurian Liberation Forces when the Fascist Japan formed a pro-Fascist government led by Wen Gongjin on January 24, 1943. Manchurian Liberation Forces then united with Japan's Republic Liberation Forces, Japan's People Volunteers Army and Korean Independence Army under the name of Anti-Fascist Japanese Liberation Forces (AFJLF) on September 12, 1943. Two Manchurian units of AFJLF officially formed on September 14, 1943

By the end of World War II, the United States troops occupied this country and established the United States Military Administration for Manchuria (USAMM) in September 4, 1945.

Toward to Independent Nation
From 1945 to 1948, Inner Mongolia served as a base area for the People's Liberation Army in the Chinese Civil War against the Kuomintang (KMT). PLA forces itself unsuccesfully tried to attacking the Manchurian borders in the southern Liaoning on 4 June 1948. Aware of wider Civil War, Prime Minister Fu ordered Manchurian Home Guards to protected Manchurian borders on 5 June 1948 by the permission of Japanese government and USAMM. Several smaller combats occured between PLA and combined Japanese-American-Manchurian forces in the country borders from 1948 to 1950. This event later escalated into the Sino-Manchurian War (1950-1952)

Japan ceremonially turn the authority over Guandong to the government of Manchuria in 1948. In early 1949, Dominion of Manchuria handled back from the U.S to Japanese government. The independence of dominion was proclaimed on February 18, 1950, and the dominion renamed as Democratic State of Manchuria with Zhao Xinzu as its first President and Fu Shanxun as the first Prime Minister.