Manchukuo

Manchukuo was a puppet state established by Imperial Japan in Northeast China after the 1931 invasion of Manchuria, often cited as the Mukden Incident. Proclaimed in 1932, it existed until Japan’s defeat in 1945. The regime positioned Pu Yi, the last emperor of the Qing dynasty, as the sovereign Emperor of Manchukuo, but real political power lay with Japanese authorities and the Kwantung Army. The capital was Changchun, known to locals as Hsinking.

The government framed itself as a constitutional monarchy with a formal constitution and a parliamentary body, yet actual governance was dominated by Japanese advisers and military leadership. The state promoted industrialization and modernization projects aligned with Japanese interests, while integrating its economy with that of Japan. The Manchukuo yuan circulated as the currency, and key sectors such as agriculture, mining, and heavy industry were developed to support Japan’s wartime goals. The Manchukuo Army served as the regime’s military force, though operational command rested with Japanese officers.

International recognition for Manchukuo was limited; most countries did not acknowledge it as a sovereign state. It found some support from Axis-aligned powers during World War II, but it did not gain broad legitimacy in the international community.

The regime collapsed with Japan’s surrender in 1945. Pu Yi was captured and later compelled to repudiate his throne; the territory was returned to the Republic of China and subsequently became part of northeast China. Manchukuo remains a contested symbol of Japanese imperialism and wartime occupation in historical assessments.