Manchukuo was a

puppet state A puppet state, puppet régime, puppet government or dummy government, is a state that is ''de jure'' independent but ''de facto'' completely dependent upon an outside power and subject to its orders.Compare: Puppet states have nominal sove ...

set up by the

Empire of Japan The also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was a historical nation-state and great power that existed from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 until the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of Japan, 1947 constitu ...

Manchuria Manchuria is an exonym (derived from the endo demonym " Manchu") for a historical and geographic region in Northeast Asia encompassing the entirety of present-day Northeast China (Inner Manchuria) and parts of the Russian Far East (Outer M ...

which existed from 1931 to 1945. The Manchukuo regime was established four months after the Japanese withdrawal from Shanghai with

Puyi Aisin-Gioro Puyi (; 7 February 1906 – 17 October 1967), courtesy name Yaozhi (曜之), was the last emperor of China as the eleventh and final Qing dynasty monarch. He became emperor at the age of two in 1908, but was forced to abdicate on 1 ...

as the nominal but powerless head of state to add some semblance of legitimacy, as he was a former

emperor An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...

and an ethnic Manchu.

Government

Manchukuo was proclaimed a

monarchy A monarchy is a government#Forms, form of government in which a person, the monarch, is head of state for life or until abdication. The legitimacy (political)#monarchy, political legitimacy and authority of the monarch may vary from restric ...

on 1 March 1934, with former

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-spea ...

emperor

assuming the Manchukuo throne under the reign name of Emperor Kang-de. An

imperial rescript In legal terminology, a rescript is a document that is issued not on the initiative of the author, but in response (it literally means 'written back') to a specific demand made by its addressee. It does not apply to more general legislation. Over ...

issued the same day, promulgated the organic law of the new state, establishing a Privy Council, a Legislative Council and the

General Affairs State Council The was the official executive administrative branch of the government of the Japanese-controlled Empire of Great Manchuria from 1934–1945. Background Manchukuo was proclaimed a monarchy on 1 March 1934, with former Qing dynasty emperor Puyi ...

to "advise and assist the emperor in the discharge of his duties". The Privy Council was an appointive body consisting of Puyi's closest friends and confidants, and the Legislative Council was largely an honorary body without authority. The State Council was therefore the center of political power in Manchukuo. The organic law was largely an abridged version of the Imperial Japanese Constitution, with an important difference being the lack of any mention of

civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life o ...

and the increased authority of the Privy Council. As with all other aspects of Manchukuo, the government was purely ceremonial and existed to authenticate the

rather than to rule the people of Manchukuo. True authority remained in the hands of the

Kwantung Army ''Kantō-gun'' , image = Kwantung Army Headquarters.JPG , image_size = 300px , caption = Kwantung Army headquarters in Hsinking, Manchukuo , dates = April ...

Composition

Political parties and movements

During his administration, the Kangde Emperor, in an interview with foreign journalists, mentioned his interest in forming a political party with

Confucian Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China. Variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, a way of governing, or ...

doctrines. The Japanese "native" establishment, however, organized some right-wing and

nationalist Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: Th ...

parties, in the Militarism-Socialism mould. Such movements, which had official status, were: *

Concordia Association The Concordia Association ( Japanese Shinjitai: 満州国協和会, Hepburn: ''Manshū-koku Kyōwakai'') was a political party in Manchukuo. Established to promote the ideals of Pan-Asianism and the creation of a multi-ethnic nation-state and ...

(State-sponsored political party) *Northeast Administrative Committee (Manchukuo

local party) * White Russian Fascist Party (later the Russian Fascist Party; White Russian anti-communist party in Manchukuo, used the swastika as the party symbol, and guided by a Russian fascist "

Duce ( , ) is an Italian title, derived from the Latin word 'leader', and a cognate of ''duke''. National Fascist Party leader Benito Mussolini was identified by Fascists as ('The Leader') of the movement since the birth of the in 1919. In 192 ...

") *Bureau for Russian Emigrants in Manchuria (BREM) led by General Vladimir Kislitsin *Monarquic Party (White Russian Tsarist Monarchic party with Japanese approval) *Betarim Jew Zionist Movement (Jewish rights movement in Manchukuo) *Far Eastern Jewish Council (

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

Zionist council in Harbin, Manchukuo led by Dr.

Abraham Kaufman Dr. Abraham Josevich Kaufman (Абрам Иосифович Кауфман, b. November 22, 1885 – d. March 25, 1971) was a Russian-born medical doctor, community organizer and Zionist who helped protect some tens of thousands of Jews seeking saf ...

, with Japanese Army support)

Notable people

The Imperial Manchu Court

* Aisin Gioro Henry Puyi (Kangde Emperor and head of state) * Madame Wanrong (Empress and first wife of the Kangde Emperor) * Prince Aisin Gioro

Pujie Pujie (; 16 April 1907 – 28 February 1994) was a Qing dynasty imperial prince of the Aisin-Gioro. Pujie was the younger brother of Puyi, the last Emperor of China. After the fall of the Qing dynasty, Pujie went to Japan, where he was educated ...

(brother of Puyi, possible heir of Manchukuo Throne) * Prince Aisin Gioro Puren (brother of Puyi) * Prince Aisin Gioro

Yuyan Yuyan (1918–1997), courtesy name Yanrui, nickname Xiaoruizi, was a Chinese calligrapher of Manchu descent. He was a member of the Aisin Gioro clan, the imperial clan of the Qing dynasty. He claimed that he was appointed by Puyi, the las ...

(nephew of Puyi) *

Hiro Saga was a Japanese noblewoman and memoir writer. She was the daughter of Marquis Saneto Saga and a distant relative of Emperor Shōwa. She was married in 1937 to Pujie, the younger brother of Puyi, the last monarch of the Qing dynasty of China betw ...

(Japanese sister-in-law of the Kangde Emperor) *

Wenxiu Wenxiu (20 December 1909 – 17 September 1953), also known as Consort Shu (hanzi: 淑妃) and Ailian (愛蓮), was a consort of Puyi, the last Emperor of China and final ruler of the Qing dynasty. She was from the Mongol Erdet (額爾德特) Clan ...

(first concubine of the Emperor) *

Tan Yuling Tan Yuling, Noble Consort Mingxian (born Tatara Yuling; 11 August 1920 – 14 August 1942), was a concubine of China's last emperor Puyi. She married Puyi when the latter was the nominal emperor of the puppet state of Manchukuo during the Second ...

(2nd Wife of the Kangde Emperor) *

Li Yuqin Li Yuqin (15 July 1928 – 24 April 2001), sometimes referred to as the "Last Imperial Concubine" (末代皇娘), was the fourth wife of China's last emperor Puyi. She married Puyi when the latter was the nominal ruler of Manchukuo, a puppet stat ...

(4th Wife of the Kangde Emperor) * Princess Aisin Gioro

Huisheng Aisin-Gioro Huisheng (26 February 1938 – 4 December 1957), better known simply as Huisheng or Eisei, was a Manchu-Japanese noblewoman. She was born in the Aisin Gioro clan, the imperial clan of the Qing dynasty. She was the elder daughter of ...

(daughter of Pu-Chieh and Hiro Saga) * Princess Aisin Gioro Xianyu (distant relative)

Others (local)

Bao Guancheng Bao Guancheng (; Hepburn romanization, Hepburn: ''Hō Kanchō''; 1898–1975) was a Manchukuo politics of Manchukuo, politician, who served as mayor of Harbin and ambassador to Empire of Japan, Japan. Career Bao was born in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu. ...

, Manchukuo's first ambassador in Tokyo * Yuan Cheng-Tse, Manchukuo ambassador in Tokyo * Li Shao-Keng, Manchukuo ambassador in Tokyo * Gen. Tinge, Manchukuo diplomat in Tokyo * Lu Yiwen, Manchukuo ambassador in Berlin

Kwantung Army

;Commanders ;Chief of Staff * Koji Miyake (10 August 1928 – 8 August 1932) * Kuniaki Koiso (8 August 1932 – 5 March 1934) * Juzo Nishio (5 March 1934 – 23 March 1936) *

Seishirō Itagaki was a Japanese military officer and politician who served as a general in the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II and War Minister from 1938 to 1939. Itagaki was a main conspirator behind the Mukden Incident and held prestigious chief of ...

(23 March 1936 – 1 March 1937) *

Hideki Tōjō Hideki Tojo (, ', December 30, 1884 – December 23, 1948) was a Japanese politician, general of the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA), and convicted war criminal who served as prime minister of Japan and president of the Imperial Rule Assista ...

(1 March 1937 – 30 May 1938) *

Rensuke Isogai was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army and Governor of Hong Kong under Japanese occupation from February 20, 1942 to December 24, 1944. Biography Early career A native of Hyōgo Prefecture, Isogai graduated from the 16th class of the Imp ...

(18 June 1938 – 7 September 1939) *

Jo Iimura was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army in the Pacific War. Biography A native of Ibaraki prefecture, Iimura graduated from the 21st class of the Imperial Japanese Army Academy in 1909, and was assigned to the Imperial Guards 3rd Regiment. ...

(7 September 1939 – 22 October 1940) *

Heitarō Kimura was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army. He was convicted of war crimes and sentenced to death by hanging. Biography Kimura was born in Saitama prefecture, north of Tokyo, but was raised in Hiroshima prefecture, which he considered to be h ...

(22 October 1940 – 10 April 1941) *

Teiichi Yoshimoto was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army during the World War II. Biography Early career Yoshimoto was the eldest son of an indigo merchant from Tokushima Prefecture. He was born in Tokyo, but his birth was registered in Tokushima. He graduat ...

(10 April 1941 – 1 August 1942) *

Yukio Kasahara was a leading general in the Imperial Japanese Army in the Second Sino-Japanese War. Biography Kasahara was born into a military family in Sendai, but attended the First Tokyo Middle School as a youth. He graduated from the 22nd class of the Im ...

(1 August 1942 – 7 April 1945) * Hikosaburo Hata (7 April 1945 – 11 August 1945)

Others (Japanese)

* Nobusuke Kishi, Deputy Minister of Industrial Development, architect of the exploitative slave economy in Manchukuo, war criminal and later post-war

Prime Minister of Japan The prime minister of Japan (Japanese: 内閣総理大臣, Hepburn: ''Naikaku Sōri-Daijin'') is the head of government of Japan. The prime minister chairs the Cabinet of Japan and has the ability to select and dismiss its Ministers of Sta ...

* Chu Kudo, Chamberlain, aide-de-camp to Emperor Puyi *

Yoshioka Yasunori 250px, Yoshioka Town Culture Center is a town located in Gunma Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 21,749 in 8,311 households, and a population density of 1100 persons per km². The total area of the town is . Geograph ...

Army senior staff officer and Attaché to the Imperial Household in Manchukuo * Kenjiro Hayashide official Kangde emperor biographer and author of "Epochal Journey to Japan" *

Chiune Sugihara was a Japanese diplomat who served as vice-consul for the Japanese Empire in Kaunas, Lithuania. During the Second World War, Sugihara helped thousands of Jews flee Europe by issuing transit visas to them so that they could travel through ...

, Vice Foreign Minister * Hoshino Naoki, Vice Minister of Finance *

Kenji Doihara was a Japanese army officer. As a general in the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II, he was instrumental in the Japanese invasion of Manchuria. As a leading intelligence officer, he played a key role to the Japanese machinations that ...

, Japanese spymaster and military commander *

Norihiro Yasue was an Imperial Japanese Army colonel who played a crucial role in the so-called Fugu Plan, in which Jews were rescued from Europe and brought to Japanese-occupied territories during World War II. He was known as one of Japan's "Jewish experts", ...

, Army officer, author of the ''

Fugu Plan Shortly prior to and during World War II, and coinciding with the Second Sino-Japanese War, tens of thousands of Jewish refugees were resettled in the Japanese Empire. The onset of the European war by Nazi Germany involved the lethal mass persecuti ...

'' * Koreshige Inuzuka, Navy officer, co-author of the ''Fugu Plan'' *

Masahiko Amakasu was an officer in the Imperial Japanese Army imprisoned for his involvement in the Amakasu Incident, the extrajudicial execution of anarchists after the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake, who later became head of the Manchukuo Film Association. B ...

, Vice Minister of Civil Affairs and head of

Manchukuo Film Association or (Chinese: 株式會社滿洲映畫協會) was a Japanese film studio in Manchukuo during the 1930s and 1940s. Background Man'ei was established by the Kwantung Army in the occupied northeast part of China in 1937. Man'ei controlled the en ...

Yoshisuke Aikawa was a Japanese entrepreneur, businessman, and politician, noteworthy as the founder and first president of the Nissan ''zaibatsu'' (1931–1945), one of Japan's most powerful business conglomerates around the time of the Second World War. Biog ...

, prominent industrialist *

Tatsunosuke Takasaki was a Japanese businessman-politician. Takasaki was born in Takatsuki, Japan, on 7 February 1885. After finishing school in Japan, Takasaki spent his younger days in Manchuria, and was the chairman of Manchurian Industrial Development Compan ...

, prominent businessman * Toranosuke Hashimoto, State Shinto head priest * Yanagida Genzo Commander, Kwantung Defense Command *

Takashi Hishikari was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army. Biography A native of Kagoshima, Hishikari graduated from the 5th class of the Imperial Japanese Army Academy in 1894. During the First Sino-Japanese War, Hishikari was an officer in the IJA 3rd Infan ...

Kwantung Army ambassador to Manchukuo. * Kimio Miyagawa Japanese Consul-general in Harbin * Funao Miyakawa Japanese General Counselor in Vladivostok and then in Harbin * Prince Fumitaka Konoe Army Senior Lieutenant, son and personal secretary of Prince Fumimaro Konoe * Shun Akifusa Chief of military Mission in Harbin and political adviser to the white Russian political groups in same city * Genzo Yanagita head of the Japanese military mission in Harbin *

Kenji Ishikawa is a Japanese former swimmer. He competed in the men's 4 × 100 metre medley relay with a final rank of fifth at the 1964 Summer Olympics. References External links * 1946 births Living people Japanese male breaststroke swimmers ...

head of a sabotage group of that mission * Yutaka Takeoka intelligence officer and head of the Dairen military mission * Saburo Asada head of the 2nd (Intelligence) department of the staff of the Kwantung Army * Tamaki Kumazaki deputy chief of intelligence of Kwantung Army * Hiroki Nohara deputy chief of Kwantung Army Intelligence *

Yoshio Itagaki is a Japanese artist and photographer. He has appeared on the American television program ''Nightline'' and on ''News 11'' on Japan's NHK. Education Itagaki received a B.A. in Studio Art from Tama Art University (Tokyo, Japan) in 1991 and a ...

deputy chief of Kwantung Army Intelligence and son of Seishiro Itagaki, war minister from 1938–1939

Others

* Genrikh Lyushkov, ex-Soviet Far East NKVD defector, adviser to Kwantung Army * Konstantin Vladimirovich Rodzaevsky, White Russian anticommunist leader *

General Kislitsin Vladimir Alexandrovich Kislitsin (russian: Влади́мир Алекса́ндрович Кисли́цын) (born January 9, 1883, Bila Tserkva — died May 18, 1944, Harbin) was an officer in the Imperial Russian Army and later ...

, another White Russian anticommunist chief *

, founder of Far Eastern Jewish Council and Betarim Jew Zionists Movement * Trebitsch Lincoln, Hungarian pro-Japanese collaborator * August Ponschab, German consul in Harbin, Manchuria * Auguste Ernest Pierre Gaspais, Vatican representative in Harbin, Manchuria *

Charles Lemaire Charles LeMaire (April 22, 1897 – June 8, 1985) was an American costume designer. He was born in Chicago. LeMaire's early career was as a vaudeville performer, but he became a costume designer for such Broadway productions as '' Ziegfeld Fo ...

, Vatican diplomatic officer in Harbin, Manchuria *

Lian Yu Lian Yu (; born 1886) was a diplomat, politician, judicial officer and lawyer in the Republic of China. He was an important politician during the Reformed Government of the Republic of China and Wang Jingwei regime (Republic of China-Nanjing). ...

, ambassador from the Japanese-sponsored Nanjing Nationalist Government * Mariano Amoedo Galarmendi, Spanish chargé d'affaires to 1939 * Fernando Valdés Ibargüen, Count of Torata, Spanish minister 1941 to 1942 * José González de Gregorio y Arribas, Spanish chargé d'affaires 1942 to 1943, commercial attaché since 1940

References

{{Chief of military by country