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Politics of Manchukuo

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Manchukuo was a puppet state set up by the Empire of Japan in Manchuria which existed from 1931 to 1945. The Manchukuo regime was established four months after the Japanese withdrawal from Shanghai with Puyi as the nominal but powerless head of state[1] to add some semblance of legitimacy, as he was a former emperor and an ethnic Manchu.

Manchukuo Politicians-Front row, from left: Yu Zhishan (於芷山), Minister of military affairs; Xie Jieshi (謝介石), Ambassador to Japan; Xi Qia, Chief of imperial household agency; Zhang Jinghui, Prime Minister; Zang Shiyi, President of the senate; Lü Ronghuan (呂榮寰), Minister of civil affairs; Ding Jianxiu (丁鑑修), Minister of industry.
Rear row, from left: Yuan Jinkai (袁金鎧), Minister of Palatine affairs; Li Shaogeng (李紹庚), Minister of traffic; Ruan Zhenduo (阮振鐸), Minister of education; Zhang Yanqing (張燕卿), Minister of foreign affairs.

Government

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"Manchukuo government" redirects here. For the modern organisation, see Manchukuo Government.

Manchukuo was proclaimed a monarchy on 1 March 1934, with former Qing dynasty emperor Puyi assuming the Manchukuo throne under the reign name of Emperor Kang-de. An imperial rescript 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 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 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 puppet state rather than to rule the people of Manchukuo. True authority remained in the hands of the Kwantung Army.

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Composition

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Portfolio Minister Took office Left office Ref
Prime Minister9 March 193221 May 1935
21 May 193518 August 1945
Minister of Foreign Affairs19321935
1935May 1937
May 1937July 1937
July 1937April 1938
April 1938May 1940
May 1940September 1942
September 1942April 1944
April 194418 August 1945
Minister of Defense9 March 19327 April 1932
7 April 193220 May 1935
21 May 193524 April 1939
24 April 1939September 1942
September 194218 August 1945
Minister of the Interior21 May 193518 August 1945
Minister of Finance9 March 193221 May 1935
21 May 1935September 1942
May 1937May 1940
May 1940September 1942
September 1942April 1944
December 194418 August 1945
Minister of Economic AffairsMarch 1932May 1935
May 1935May 1937
May 1937May 1940
May 1940September 1942
September 194218 August 1945
Minister of TransportMarch 1932March 1935
March 1935December 1940
December 1940September 1942
January 1941September 1942
Minister of HealthMarch 1932March 1935
March 1935May 1937
May 1937May 1940
May 1940January 1941
January 1941September 1942
September 1942December 1944
April 194418 August 1945
Minister of EducationMay 1935July 1937
Lord Keeper of the Privy SealMarch 1934December 1934
February 1935April 1944
April 194418 August 1945

Political parties and movements

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During his administration, the Kangde Emperor, in an interview with foreign journalists, mentioned his interest in forming a political party with Confucian doctrines. The Japanese "native" establishment, however, organized some right-wing and nationalist parties, in the Shōwa militarist mould. Such movements, which had official status, were:

  • Concordia Association (State-sponsored political party)
  • Northeast Administrative Committee (Manchukuo nationalist 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")
  • 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 Zionist council in Harbin, Manchukuo led by Dr. Abraham Kaufman, with Japanese Army support)

Notable people

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The Imperial Manchu Court

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Puyi as Emperor of Manchukuo
  • Aisin Gioro Henry Puyi (Kangde Emperor and head of state)
  • Madame Wanrong (Empress and first wife of the Kangde Emperor)
  • Prince Aisin Gioro Pujie (brother of Puyi, possible heir of Manchukuo Throne)
  • Prince Aisin Gioro Puren (brother of Puyi)
  • Prince Aisin Gioro Yuyan (nephew of Puyi)
  • Hiro Saga (Japanese sister-in-law of the Kangde Emperor)
  • Wenxiu (first concubine of the Emperor)
  • Tan Yuling (2nd Wife of the Kangde Emperor)
  • Li Yuqin (4th Wife of the Kangde Emperor)
  • Princess Aisin Gioro Huisheng (daughter of Pu-Chieh and Hiro Saga)
  • Princess Aisin Gioro Xianyu (distant relative)

Others (local)

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Kwantung Army

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Main article: Kwantung Army
Commanders
No. Portrait Commander Took office Left office Time in office
1
Shigeru Honjō
Honjō, ShigeruGeneral
Shigeru Honjō
(1876–1945)		1 August 19318 August 19321 year, 7 days
2
Nobuyoshi Mutō
Mutō, NobuyoshiField Marshal
Nobuyoshi Mutō
(1868–1933)		8 August 193227 July 1933 †353 days
3
Takashi Hishikari
Hishikari, TakashiGeneral
Takashi Hishikari
(1871–1952)		29 July 193310 December 19341 year, 134 days
4
Jirō Minami
Minami, JirōGeneral
Jirō Minami
(1874–1955)		10 December 19346 March 19361 year, 87 days
5
Kenkichi Ueda
Ueda, KenkichiGeneral
Kenkichi Ueda
(1875–1962)		6 March 19367 September 19393 years, 185 days
6
Yoshijirō Umezu
Umezu, YoshijirōGeneral
Yoshijirō Umezu
(1882–1949)		7 September 193918 July 19444 years, 315 days
7
Otozō Yamada
Yamada, OtozōGeneral
Otozō Yamada
(1881–1965)		18 July 194411 August 19451 year, 24 days
Chief of Staff

Others (Japanese)

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Others

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References

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  1. ^ Taylor, Anne; Hopper, Stephen (1988). The Banksia Atlas (Australian Flora and Fauna Series Number 8). Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service. ISBN 0-644-07124-9.
  2. ^ "Another League", The Straits Times, p. 6, 11 October 1932, retrieved 20 October 2023

Ebrey, Patricia Buckley (1996), The Cambridge Illustrated History of China, New York, pp. 282, ISBN 0-521-66991-X{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

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