Empire of Manchuria

The **Empire of Manchuria** is a nation that is located northeast of the Heavenly Empire of China, northwest of the Kingdom of Korea, south of the Tsardom of Russia and east of the Imperial State of Mongolia. Manchuria is a nation that has hordes of natural resources that they manufacture and export which makes Manchuria an economic powerhouse.

## History

### First Incarnation

The Qing Dynasty of Manchurian origin ruled the Empire of China since 1646 when the Manchu Aisin-Gioro clan had conquered the entirety of China with the Ultra Conservative elites of China. The Qing era coincided for China with the highly-representative reigns of Kangxi (康熙) and Cixi (慈禧), but also with the increased isolation of China and the rise of European colonialism, reaching his peak with the Boxer Rebellion.

Following the death of Emperor Guangxu (光緒皇帝) and his aunt, Empress Dowager Cixi (慈禧太后), on November 1908, China was on the brink of collapse. The despotic and corrupt rule of Empress Dowager Cixi, beginning after the Opium Wars and Taiping Rebellion, froze any chance of reform, allowed for foreign powers to dismember the Middle Kingdom with impunity, and allowed the European powers and Japan to intervene in Chinese domestic policy. After the death of the Emperor, his three-years-old nephew Puyi succeeded him, with the regency ensured by his father, Zaifeng, the 2nd Prince Chun.

The regent tried to enhance reforms for a more modern constitutional monarchy, eventually removing the powerful general Yuan Shikai from all his positions. However, on October 10, 1911, a military uprising broke out in Wuchang, where an anti-Qing plot within army units had been unveiled: the revolt quickly began to spread throughout China. The Republican leader, Sun Yat-Sen, quickly came back from exile to lead the revolution: on December 29, 1911, the provinces which had declared their independence from the Qing Empire elected Sun as the provisional President of the Republic of China, officially proclaiming the Republic on January 1, 1912. Meanwhile, Yuan Shikai, who had been recalled by the powerless regency to lead the army, agreed to recognize the Republic and forced the Empress Dowager Longyu to sign the abdication papers on behalf of the Emperor, Puyi.

### Second incarnation

The Second Incarnation of Manchuria officially the State of Manchukuo prior to 1934 and the Empire of (Great) Manchuria after 1934, was a puppet state of the Empire of Japan in Northeast China and Inner Mongolia from 1932 until 1945. It was founded as a republic in 1932 after the Japanese invasion of Manchuria, and in 1934 it became a constitutional monarchy. Under the *de facto* control of Japan, it had limited international recognition.

The area was the homeland of the Manchus, including the emperors of the Qing dynasty. In 1931, the region was seized by Japan following the Mukden Incident. A pro-Japanese government was installed one year later with Puyi, the last Qing emperor, as the nominal regent and later emperor. Before World War II, the Japanese colonized Manchukuo and used it as a base from which to invade China. The Manchu General Tong Linge was killed in action by the Japanese in the Battle of Beiping–Tianjin, which marked the beginning of the Second Sino-Japanese War. In the summer of 1939 a border dispute between Manchukuo and the Mongolian People's Republic resulted in the Battle of Khalkhin Gol. During this battle, a combined Soviet-Mongolian force defeated the Japanese Kwantung Army (*Kantōgun*) supported by limited Manchukuoan forces.

Manchus formed a minority in Manchukuo, whose largest ethnic group was Han Chinese. The population of Koreans increased during the Manchukuo period, and there were also Japanese, Mongols, White Russians, and other minorities. The Mongol regions of western Manchukuo were ruled under a slightly different system in acknowledgment of the Mongolian traditions there. The southern tip of the Liaodong Peninsula (present-day Dalian) continued to be directly ruled by Japan as the Kwantung Leased Territory until the end of World War II.

### Aftermath of the Fall of the First Manchukuo

On 8 August 1945, the Soviet Union declared war on Japan, in accordance with the agreement at the Yalta Conference, and invaded Manchukuo from outer Manchuria and Outer Mongolia. During the Soviet offensive, the Manchukuo Imperial Army, on paper a 200,000-man force, performed poorly and whole units surrendered to the Soviets without firing a single shot; there were even cases of armed riots and mutinies against the Japanese forces. Emperor Kangde had hoped to escape to Japan to surrender to the Americans, but the Soviets captured him and eventually extradited him to the government of China, when the Chinese Communist Party came to power in 1949, where the authorities had him imprisoned as a war criminal along with all other captured Manchukuo officials.

From 1945 to 1948, Manchuria (Inner Manchuria) served as a base area for the People's Liberation Army in the Chinese Civil War against the National Revolutionary Army. The Chinese Communists used Manchuria as a staging ground until the final Nationalist retreat to Taiwan in 1949. Many Manchukuo army and Japanese Kantōgun personnel served with the communist troops during the Chinese Civil War against the Nationalist forces. Most of the 1.5 million Japanese who had been left in Manchukuo at the end of World War II were sent back to their homeland in 1946–1948 by U.S. Navy ships in the operation now known as the Japanese repatriation from Huludao.

### Second Manchukuo

The Empire was restored after Japan invaded Manchuria and Vladivostok to prevent the communists in North Korea from getting help in subjugating the South and helped unify Korea under the Korean Empire and prevent Japan's Island territories and Taiwan from falling into the hands of the Chinese or Soviets. Manchuria was restored as a Sovereign Nation under the Qing Dynasty just like it was during 1931 when the Japanese invaded the land, however America did not condemn Japan for the invasion as Japan was acting in self defense and defending allies and friends.

Japan then restored Pujie to the throne of Manchukuo as Emperor Kangde II with his wife Hiro Saga becoming Empress of Manchuria. China upset over the loss of it's Manchu, Xinjiang and Tibet territories unleashed hell upon the Soviets as they conquered Siberia, Northeast Burma and Turkestan (due to it having Xinjiang). Manchuria tried its best to create an era of prosperity for its multi-ethnic Empire in hopes that it would end ethnic tensions between the Han Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Manchu populations. Pujie desired to do this as a way to prevent Manchuria from becoming an apartheid Empire just like the Qing Dynasty.

Pujie was able to implement these reforms, but the reforms were implemented after his death in 1994 by his brother who ruled the Empire until 2015 when he died and he was replaced by his son Kangde IV.

## Government

The Government of Manchukuo is a constitutional monarchy headed by an Emperor and is administered by a Prime Minister who is elected into power by the Imperial Diet of Manchukuo which consists of the Imperial Household Department and the General Affairs State Council. In order not to let the routine administration take over the running of the empire, the Emperor or Empress makes sure that all important matters were decided in the "Inner Court", which was dominated by the imperial family and Manchu nobility and which is located in the Northern Part of the Imperial Palace of Manchukuo.

### Executive Branch

The Imperial Household Department's primary purpose is to manage the internal affairs of the Qing imperial family and the activities of the inner palace (in which tasks it largely replaced eunuchs), but it also plays an important role in Qing relations with it's allies to strengthen ties and make the nation strong against China. This department was also in charge of the ceremonial and spiritual activities of the Qing imperial household. These activities include the maintenance of the mausoleums of Qing emperors, polytheist worships and posthumous affairs of the royal family (the giving of temple names and posthumous names).

### Legislative Branch

The General Affairs State Council consisted of ten ministries forming a cabinet. The cabinet ministers were all native Manchukuoans, of either ethnic Manchu or Han Chinese descent, and in all cases, the vice-ministers in each ministry are Non Manchu Politicians who are elected as Senators of the regions of Imperial Manchukuo. The cabinet's duty is to elect members of the Imperial Household Agency who are generally Manchu Nobles with Political Background to appoint a Prime Minister or to approve of members of a Prime Minister's cabinet appointed into these certain positions;

* Prime Minister
* Home Affairs
* Foreign Affairs
* Defense
* Finance
* Industry and Agriculture
* Transportation and Communications
* Justice
* Education
* Health

### Cabinet

* **Emperor:** Kangde IV
* **Prime Minister:** James Soong
* **Foreign Minister:** Tsai Ing-wen
* **Home Affairs Minister:** Natsuo Yamaguchi
* **Health Minister:** Chang Chau-hsiung
* **Justice Minister:** John Kuan
* **Finance Minister:** Larry Hsien Ping Lang
* **Industry Minister:** Benjamin Yeung
* **Transportation and Communications:** Jack Ma
* **Minister of Defense:** Jong Kyong-thaek
* **Minister of Intelligence:** You Quan - Minister of Intelligence
* **Chief of Staff:** Marshal Pak Jong-chon
* **Chief of Army:** General Ri Yong-gil
* **Chief of Navy:** Fleet Admiral Li Yong-ju
* **Chief of Air Force:** Air Marshal Ri Pyong-chol

## Military

### Army

The Imperial Army of Manchukuo consists of eight armed forces groups known as the Eight Manchu Banners which are based off of the Eight Manchu Banners that used to be the official army of the Qing Dynasty. These banners each consist of clans that represent the Five ethnic groups of Manchuria (Japanese people, Han Chinese people, Manchus, Koreans and Mongolians). The eight banners like their predecessors are categorized according to two groupings. The four "upper" banners (both Yellow Banners and White Banners) are under the nominal command of the emperor or empress, whereas the four "lower" banners are commanded by others. The banners are also split into a "left wing" and a "right wing" according to how they would be arrayed in battle. The left wing occupies the eastern banner neighborhoods and the right wing occupies the western ones.

The Plain Banners consist of elites of all ethnic groups of Manchukuo who have military experience as the Bordered Banners consist of commoners of the ethnic groups of Manchukuo who are recruited into the Army by conscription.

#### Eight Banners

* **Plain Yellow Banner:** The Plain Yellow Banner is one of four "upper" banner armies under the direct command of the Emperor himself. This Banner Army consists of Manchus who are of the Manchu and Chinese Clans of Hešeri, Namdulu, Gūwalgiya and Nara and other currently active Manchu Clans who have military officers active in the Army.
* **Bordered Yellow Banner:** The Bordered Yellow Banner is one of four "upper" banner armies under the direct command of the Emperor himself. This Banner Army consists of Manchus and Chinese people who are the official ethnic groups of Manchukuo who are eligible for Military service.
* **Plain White Banner:** The Plain White banner is one of four "upper" banner armies under the direct command of the Emperor himself. This Banner Army consists of Japanese people who are of the Japanese clans who were around in the Feudal Age of Japan after they moved there for career opportunities and to marry their children into the Imperial family or Manchu clans.
* **Bordered White Banner:** The Bordered White banner is one of four "upper" banner armies under the direct command of the Emperor himself. This Banner Army consists of Japanese people who are eligible for Military service.
* **Plain Red Banner:** The Plain Red banner is one of four "lower" banner armies under the direct command of the Emperor himself. This banner army consists of Koreans who are of the Kim Dynasty (Kim Il Sung's family) and Park Family (Park Chung He's family), the two ruling Korean Families who retreated to Manchuria after the fall of North and South Korea during WWIII with many loyalists.
* **Bordered Red Banner:** The Bordered Red Banner is one of the four "lower" banner armies under the direct command of the Emperor himself. This Banner army consists of Koreans who are eligible for Military service.
* **Plain Blue Banner:** The Plain Blue Banner is one of the four "lower" banner armies under the direct command of the Emperor himself. This banner army consists of Mongolian elites such as the Borjigin Clan and Yujiulü clan‎.
* **Bordered Blue Banner:** The Bordered Blue Banner is one of the four "lower" banner armies under the direct command of the Emperor himself. This banner army consists of Mongolians who are eligible for Military service.

### Navy

The Navy is strong, but large enough to only cover all of Manchukuo's coastal areas and it is also used only for self defense. The Navy is supplied with the best defense ships manufactured by Japan and America. The Imperial Navy was drilled by America, Japan and Imperial Iran in Naval Drills and given tons of resources and oil to power their ships to fight Naval incursions against mainland China.

### Air Force

The Air Force of Manchuko is able to cover much of the country's airspace and protect Manchukuo itself from Chinese aggression. The Air Force is equipped with the best up to date planes manufactured by Japan, America and Iran.

## Economy

Manchuria is a free market economy in which many businesses are able to practice business practices freely unless they are under prohibition by the Government for a logical reason such as working with enemy countries. The most notable companies that contribute to the economy of Manchukuo are the Alibaba Company which specializes with online delivery and the Changchun Film Studio which is also one of the remaining film studios of the era.

### Agriculture

Manchuria's agricultural production is centered upon rice, wheat, maize, and sorghum. Rice is mostly cultivated in the eastern parts, such as Yanbian Prefecture. The Changbai Mountains are an important source of lumber. Sheep herding is an important activity in the western parts, such as Baicheng.

Among its natural resources, Manchuria has the largest reserves of shale oil and one of the top five largest mineral reserves in China. Compared to other provinces of China, Manchuria has extensive deposits of Kieselguhr, wollastonite, floatstone, and molybdenum. Industry in Manchukuo is concentrated on automobiles, train carriages, and iron alloy. Manchuria is one of the most important commodity grain bases in China. It is ranked 6th in timber production. Traditionally, Manchuria has been known as a major pharmaceutical center, with yields of ginseng and deer antlers among the largest in China, being used extensively in the field of Chinese medicine. This is helps Manchuria gain an advantage on China as Manchuria can prevent China from having access to the medicine if China does something stupid. Other agricultural products of Manchuria include maize, sorghum, and soybeans. Manchuria's fruits include apples from Dalian and Yingkou, golden peaches from Dalian, pears from Beizhen of Jinzhou, white pears from Huludao and Suizhong, and apricots and plums from Gushan of Dandong.

### Industry

Manchuria also has the largest and wealthiest provincial economy of Asia. Its nominal GDP for 2017 was 2.39 trillion yuan (ca. US$354 billion), making it the 14th largest in the EAPTA organization. Its per capita GDP was 54,745 yuan (US$8,108). Manchuria also is an important production base of equipment and machinery manufacturing, with Shenyang and Dalian being the industrial centers. Enterprises such as Shenyang Jinbei Co. Ltd., Daxian Group Co. Ltd., and Shenyang Machine Tool Co. Ltd., are leaders in their sectors. Manchuria's light industry mainly focuses on textiles and clothing industries which include cotton and wool spinning, chemical fiber production, knitting, silk production, and the manufacturing of both garments and textile machinery. Manchukuo also has the most iron, magnesite, diamond, and boron deposits among all province-level subdivisions of China. Liaoning is also an important source of petroleum and natural gas. Salt is produced along the coast. Other than Manchuria's rich mineral reserves, the nation also has abundant deposits of crude oil, especially in the Liaohe Oilfield.

Manchuria is one of Asia's most important industrial bases, covering a wide range of industries, such as machinery, electronics, metal refining, petroleum, chemical industries, construction materials, coal, and so on. The sea off Dalian abounds with quality seafood, such as abalones, sea cucumbers, scallops, prawns, crabs, and sea urchins. The big fish of Dandong, the jellyfish of Yingkou, and the clams of Panjin are known worldwide for their good tastes right from the sea and in products made in Liaoning for export domestically and internationally.

## Demographics

### Ethnicity

Manchuria's population is majority Han Chinese, with ethnic minorities such as Manchus (the official and native ethnic group), Koreans, Mongols, Hui, Xibe, Japanese, Vietnamese, Eskimo, Filipino, Indigenous Taiwanese and Hezhen.

### Religion

The religion of Manchuria is Manchu religion which usually distinguishes two types of ritual, "domestic" and "primitive", which can be performed in two cultic settings, "imperial" and "common". The domestic ritual primarily involves the sacrifices for the progenitors of lineages and is the most important, while the primitive ritual involves the sacrifices for zoomorphic gods. The ritual manual of Qianlong was an attempt to adapt all kins' ritual traditions to the style of the imperial kin's ritual tradition. This was only partially effective as common cults were preserved and revitalised over time.

The ancestral ritual is the same in the common and imperial cults. It is composed of three main moments: the dawn sacrifice (Chinese: *chaoji*), the sunset sacrifice (*xiji*) and the "light-extinguishing" sacrifice (*beidingji*) held at midnight. Both common and imperial rituals make use of the gods' pole (Chinese: 神杆 *shéngān* or 神柱 *shénzhù*, Manchu: *šomo*) as a means of establishing connection with Heaven.

While the domestic ritual is bright and harmonious, the primitive or "wild" ritual is associated with darkness and mystery. Deities involved are not those of the sky, the earth or the ancestors, but are zoomorphic chthonic deities. With its reliance on techniques of ecstasy, the primitive ritual had long been discouraged by the court (Hong Taiji proscribed it as early as 1636).

Other religions include, Shintoism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Russian Orthodox Christianity and Roman Catholic Christianity which are minority religions in the nation.

## Culture

Manchuria's culture is part of a culture of East Asia that is relatively homogeneous across this region, known in Mandarin Chinese as "Dongbei" (the northeast). Manchuria's culture tends to be a modern but integrist lecture of Manchu Folk values, centered on the image of the Monarch: it doesn't correspond anymore to nowadays Chinese values, but still receives great support from the majority of the people.