The History of Manchuria, 1840-1948: A Sino-Russo-Japanese Triangle (Politics, Security and Society in Asia Pacific)

In A History of Manchuria, Ian Nish describes the turbulent times which the three Northeastern Provinces of China experienced in the last two centuries. The site of three serious wars in 1894, 1904 and 1919, the territory rarely enjoyed peace though its economy progressed because of the building of arterial railways. From 1932 it came under the rule of the Japanese-inspired government of Manchukuo based at Changchun. But that was short-lived, being brought to an end by the punitive incursion and occupation of the country by Soviet forces in 1945. Thereafter the devastated territory was fought over by Chinese Nationalist and Communist armies until Mukden (Shenyang) fell to the Communists in October 1948. Manchuria, under-populated but strategically important, was the location for disputes between China, Russia and Japan, the three powers making up the 'triangle' which gives the name to the sub-title of this study. These countries were hardly ever at peace with one another, the result being that the economic growth of a potentially wealthy country was seriously retarded. The story is illustrated by extracts drawn from contemporary documents of the three triangular powers. The History of Manchuria, 1840-1948 is the first fully researched and documented history of its kind, representing a significant benchmark in scholarly studies of the region. In this his long-awaited final major work, Ian Nish provides valuable new perspectives on the turbulent times suffered by the three north-eastern provinces of China, generally called 'Manchuria', in the course of the last two centuries. The territory rarely enjoyed peace, although its economy progressed as a result of the building of arterial railways. Two major wars - both resulting in appalling casualties - were fought on its soil in 1894 and 1904; in addition, a major international incident took place in 1919 involving the forces of many Powers. Manchuria also had an important role in world affairs from 1932, when the state of Manchukuo, based at Changchun, was declared by the Japanese Government. But that was to be short-lived, being brought to an end by the punitive incursion and occupation of the country by Soviet forces in August 1945. Thereafter, the devastated country was fought over in a brutal civil war by Chinese Nationalist and Communist armies until Mukden (Shenyang) fell to the Communists in October 1948. Volume 1 - Historical Narrative - comprises ten chapters, supported by a 12-page colour plate section of rarely seen images, plus bibliography. Volume 2: Primary Sources. Importantly, this work is supported and enhanced by extracts from a wide selection of contemporary documents from the archives of the parties concerned, including the full report of the Lytton Commission (1932) -- Back cover Contents Preface Acknowledgements Name Conventions Boundaries of Fengtien Province of China (1895-1945) List of Abbreviations Major battles of the Russo-Japanese War, 1904-05 List of Maps Railways and railway plans for Korea and North China, December 1927 VOLUME I: Historical Narrative Chapter 1: Manchuria and Russian Ambition, 1840s-1890s Chapter 2 : The Sino-Japanese War and After, 1894–1900 Chapter 3: Prelude to the Russo-Japanese War, 1900–1905 Chapter 4: Railways, Reforms and Revolutions, 1906–1914 Chapter 5: Wartime Turmoil in Manchuria, 1915–1922 Chapter 6: Chang Tso-Lin’s Manchuria, 1922–1928 Chapter 7: Chinese Nationalism and Foreign Railways, 1919–1931 Chapter 8: Lytton Commission in Manchuria, 1931–1932 Chapter 9: Manchukuo: From Republic to Empire, 1933–1937 Chapter 10: A Decade of Wars, 1938–1948 Epilogue Select Bibliography Index Front Matter 2 Contents VOLUME 2 VOLUME 2 : SELECT PRIMARY SOURCES Chapter 1: 1840–1894 Chapter 2: 1895–1899 Chapter 3: 1900–1905 Chapter 4: 1905–1914 Chapter 5: 1915–1922 Chapter 6: 1922–1928 Chapter 7: 1929–1931 Chapter 8: 1931–1932 Chapter 9: 1933–1937 Chapter 10: 1938–1948 Appendix