Manchukuo
The Empire of Manchukuo is a nation in Asia, bordering Korean Empire, the Republic of China, and the Russian Empire.
Culture
The culture of Manchukuo is heavily centered on the Manchu people of the region. However, due to Japanese occupation and establishment, the state became a Pan-Asian experiment in a sense, having a great level of Korean and Japanese populations.
Public Agenda
The government of Manchukuo believes they are the rightful government of all China. However, it's foriegn and domestic policy is greatly overseen by the Empire of Japan.
History
Following the fall of the Qing Dynasty in 1912, China entered what had become known as the Warlord Era. Many generals of the Qing army founded competing cliques and rival governments, and the young Emperor Puyi was forced to abdicate at the age of six, fleeing to Japan.
During the Great War, Japan utilized the Fengtian Clique as an attempt to control Manchuria. Even though China was officially allied to Japan via the provisional government, Japan committed atrocities in their attempts to capture German held ports. Though Japan was on the defeated side of the war and was forced to retreat, the Japanese funded Fengtians were first defeated by the British backed Zhili Clique in 1922, only to overthrow them in 1924. The Fengtian Clique effectively ruled over the Republic of China as a Japanese puppet before coming under attack by the Nationalist Kuomintang in the south.
Russia saw the Fengtian Clique's control in Manchuria as a threat to their national interests, having regained control over their ports in Liaodong and the Chinese Eastern Railway. Funded and supported by Russia, the Kuomintang launched a Northern Expedition into Manchuria in 1926, having complete control over the area by 1928. The expedition became a proxy war between Russia and Japan, with international support being retained by Russia.
However, tensions between Russia and Germany became too great, and thus began the Russo-German War. Japan eagerly sided with Germany, seeing an opportunity to regain prestige. Japan followed through with their war plan from the Great War, invading from Korea, securing Liaodong, and gaining control over Manchuria. Rather than break the terms of the treaty and annex either, the Japanese instead installed the exiled Qing Emperor Puyi as the chief executive, later as Emperor of an independent Manchukuo.
Puyi held very little power, as Japan held full control over the Manchurian Imperial Court. Japan attempted to settle the area, and more than one million Japanese citizens, mostly land poor, came to the area. Puyi was also coerced into signing the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, coming under full influence of the Empire of Japan. The old Russian held Port Arthur became a Japanese stronghold.
Though the people of Manchukuo initially welcomed the change, as they had grown tired of the European colonial powers and the warlord era of warfare, they grew to realize they were nothing more than a Japanese puppet. The surrounding areas of the Republic of China denounced the nation, calling it as such, though Puyi asserted he was the rightful government over China. However, Korea, Hawaii, SIam, and Indonesia all quickly recognized the authority of Manchukuo, though were greatly pressured to do so by Japan.
Russia quickly became weary of the threat that Manchukuo posed. Mongolia was also cautious, as the Khanate and Manchukuo had overlapping claims on Inner Mongolia, though it was still held legally by the Republic of China. In 1940, Puyi attempted to reach a cordial agreement with Mongolia, though recieved a cold response in return.
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