|
| date = 1932 – 1935
| place = East Asia
| result = * Defeat and dismantlement of [[Corea]]'s empireimperial sphere
* Reunification of the Chinese state under the [[China#Chinese_Republic_(1936-)|Second Chinese Republic]]
* Russian annexation of [[Poeja]]
* Return of Tsushima to Japan
* Start of the [[1936 Maizuru Incidents]]
| combatant1 = * [[History_of_Corea#Sjakwang_period_(1883-1936)|Sjakwang Corea]]
* [[Netherlands]] (until 1934)
* [[Tauland]] (support, until 1933)
| combatant2 = * [[Russia]]
* [[China#Wahhah_Republic_(1931-1936)|First Chinese Republic]]
| casualties1 = '''Killed:''' 510,000 <br> '''Missing:''' 240,000 <br> '''Total Casualties''' 760,000
| casualties2 = '''Civilian dead:''' 670,000 <br> wounded (Estimated) <br>'''Military dead:''' 1,819,910 <br> '''Total Casualties'''
| combatant3 = [[Qing]]
}}
The '''Russo-Corean War''' (Corean: 서광붕맹, Dutch: ''De Slag naar Coree'', Russian: Русско-Kорейская Bойна), also known in the Sinosphere as the '''Chinese Unification War''' (統一戰爭; Cantonese'': tungjang zinzang;'' [[Mandarin]]'': tung'i chan cheng'') was a military fought between 1932 and 1936. It was a punitive war launched by and [[Russia]], supported by [[Japan]] and the [[Wahhah Republic|Wah-hah Republic]], against [[Corea]] in response to the empire's expansionism.
== ContextOverview and context ==
Prior to the conflict, the [[Russian Civil War]] (1925-1928) gave rise to the [[National republicanism|national republican]] government of Russia. The Corean military assumed that Russia's turmoil would prevent them from entering the war, an assumption which was eventually proved wrong. Russia was joined by Japan, who also had territorial claims in Corea. In turn, Corea calls upon its trusted ally, the [[Netherlands]]. Russia, China, and Japan joined in a coalition to defeat the Corean empire and to annex their claimed territories.
The monarchy of [[Huaxia#Kingdom of Canton|Canton]] had been overthrown in 1931 by the Huaxia National Reform Party. This threatened Corea's position in the region. Fearing that the new government of Canton would seek to bring the territories of the Qing state to their fold, Corea pre-emptively invaded the Shantung and Chili provinces on the 8th of February, 1932, breaking the Treaty of Peking (1888) when both the Russians and Coreans pledged not to invade the Great Qing. ▼
==== Second Sino-Corean War (1931) ====
The Coreans invaded during the aftermath of the Russian Civil War (1925-1928), that saw the rise of the Russian Nationalist-Republican government in its infancy. While initially, Corea hoped that Russia was weakened by the civil war enough that it would not honor the Treaty of Peking, Russia declared war on Corea, being joined by their ally Japan. In turn, Corea calls upon the Netherlands with who it has an alliance. Thus, through a patchwork of alliances that would later see the [[Wahhah Republic|Wah-hah Republic]] join in (after being promised the reunification of China), the Russo-Corean war starts. It was a war marked by its high numbers of casualties, use of new technologies & the application of new doctrines, and their impact on modern warfare. Many historians nowadays call this conflict the first “modern” war.
▲The monarchy of [[Huaxia#Kingdom of Canton|Canton]] had been overthrown in 1931 by the Huaxia National Reform Party , who established the First Chinese Republic. This threatened Corea's positiondominance in theNortheast regionAsia. Fearing that the newFirst government of CantonRepublic would seek to bringreunify theChina territoriesand ofinvade the waning [[Great Qing #Eastern stateQing todynasty their(1857-1936)|Qing folddynasty]], Corea pre-emptively invaded the Shantung[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_China_Plain and ChiliGreat provincesChinese Plains]on the 8th of February, 19321931, breakingviolating the [[Treaty of Peking ]] of (1888 ) when both the Russians and Coreans pledged not to invade the Great Qing.
After three months of fighting, the city and Qing capital of Peking fell to Corean forces. The [[Haboek|Kingdom of Haboek]] was established as a Corean puppet state, with a member of the [[House of Ki|Ki dynasty]] chosen to serve as king.
== The War ==
== Progression of the war ==
==== Corean invasion and annexation of Haboek ====
It is often said that the war truly starts during the Corean siege of Peking. It was in the capital of the Qing remnant state that some hardline Qing loyalists made a last stand, that in turn proved to last long enough to delay the invasion of Corea. However the overwhelming firepower and air power by the Coreans was enough and within 3 months the Qing forces are largely defeated. However at the end of those 3 months theThe Russians declare war on Corea,. theirTheir first strike did not go into Manchuria as Corea suspected, rather it came from the air, as a fleet of 95 bombers on the 9thninth of mayMay conductconducted the first successful strategic bombing mission. The city of Sjimjang was razed to the ground by a firebombing campaign and many of the city's wooden houses made out of wood were burned to the ground, settingforeshadowing the stagehorrible fortactics that the kindbelligerents ofwould waremploy in the conflict would becomewar.
During the rest of the war, moreMore Russian air raids occurred in [[Poeja (Corean Manchuria)]] and in the Corean Heartlandpeninsula itself. [[Japan]] assisted the war effort by performing a naval blockade overblockading the Dutch ports of Desjima and Poesjan. The [[Netherlands]], in turn, used [[Tauland]] as a naval base during the course of the war to support Corea. Tauland was considered an unwilling participant of the war. The Netherlands had used a naval agreement they had with Tauland (signed after Tauland's independence in 1895) in order to have a formidable position in East Asia. This strained the Netherlands' relations with the Taulander government.
Tauland was considered an unwilling participant of the war. The Netherlands had employed a controversial naval agreement they made with Tauland in 1895. This strained the Netherlands' relations with the Taulanders. The island suffered numerous air raids launched from CantonChina and civilian casualties were high. This turned TaulanderTauland's public opinion against the war and pressured the government to cut ties withexit the Netherlandswar and expel theirthe Dutch navy. ▼To further undermine the position of Corea, Russia began talks with the Wah-hah republican government in Kwongsau, Canton. In exchange for their help in defeating Corea, Russia promised them the Qing provinces as a reward. Canton's role in the war was a lot larger than the Russians had anticipated, diminishing the war efforts by Japan which were mostly limited to naval warfare and blockading of Dutch and Corean ports. ▼
▲Tauland suffered numerous air raids launched from Canton and civilian casualties were high. This turned Taulander public opinion against the war and pressured the government to cut ties with the Netherlands and expel their navy.
▲To further undermine the position of Corea, Russia began talks with the Wah-hahChinese republicanFirst government in KwongsauRepublic, Canton.convincing Inthem exchangeto for their help in defeating Corea, Russia promised themjoin the Qing provinces as a rewardwar. CantonChina's role in the war was a lot larger than the Russians had anticipated, diminishing the war efforts by Japan which were mostly limited to naval warfare and blockading of Dutch and Corean ports. [[File:A hazy picture of Dutch soldiers somewhere around Busan.jpg|thumb|Soldiers with a ''Beest'' armoured personal carrier, somewhere in Poeja. |left]]
==== Withdrawal of the Dutch ====
After the [[Great War]] erupted in Europe in May 1935, the Russia entered an alliance with [[ United Kingdom|Great Britain]]. Afraid that the Russo-Corean conflict would merge with the Great War and invite possible British intervention in the war, the Netherlands declared thatexited the kingdomwar wasin dropping out of the war1934. It was unprecedented move that neitherNeither Russia and Corea expected the move. Their withdrawal in the war was immediately recognized by Russia, and the Netherlands started pulling their troops out of Corea. This inflameddestroyed Dutch-Corean relations, andwith the Coreans sawviewing it as a betrayal . ofThe alliances (which theyDutch had likenedpreviously tobetrayed the similar Dutch betrayal of thetheir Qing duringallies thein [[Sino-Corean War| 1stFirst Sino-Corean War]]. During the withdrawal, there were reports of violence among Corean and Dutch soldiers, but these reports were mostly unconfirmed. ▼[[File:A hazy picture of Dutch soldiers somewhere around Busan.jpg|thumb|An Beest armoured personal carrier in the background with a Dutch soldier, somewhere in Manchuria exact locations unknown. ]]
=== Conclusion and aftermath === ▼▲After the [[Great War]] erupted in Europe in May 1935, the Russia entered an alliance with [[Great Britain]]. Afraid that the Russo-Corean conflict would merge with the Great War and possible British intervention in the war, the Netherlands declared that the kingdom was dropping out of the war. It was unprecedented move that neither Russia and Corea expected. Their withdrawal in the war was immediately recognized by Russia, and the Netherlands started pulling their troops out of Corea. This inflamed Dutch-Corean relations, and the Coreans saw it as a betrayal of alliances (which they had likened to the similar Dutch betrayal of the Qing during the [[Sino-Corean War|1st Sino-Corean War]]. During the withdrawal, there were reports of violence among Corean and Dutch soldiers, but these reports were mostly unconfirmed.
[[File:Captured German soldiers ww2.jpg|thumb|Dutch soldiers being captured around Daqing, this wassurrendering after the siegeRussian ofmilitary's DaqingSiege in which the defenders fought as hard as theyof couldSartu. ]]
Russia was eventually able to occupy Hansjang, the Corean capital, in 1935. Outside of the Kyanggi region, several Corean guerrilla armies continued fighting against the Russians and Japanese. Later in that year, the [[House of Ki|imperial family of Corea]] fled to [[Vietnam]]. This demoralised the Corean resistance. Eventually, republican activists and intellectuals in the upper echelons of Corean society decided to end the war by pre-emptively surrending to their opponents.
On the same year, the Cantonese were able to siege down Peking, the capital of the Corean occupied Qing territory.
▲=== Conclusion and aftermath ===
Russia was eventually able to enter the Corean capital, Hansjang, in 1935. However, fighting continued to occur in Southern Corea. Late in that year, the royal family of Corea clandestinely fled to Viet-Nam, demoralizing the remaining Corean soldiers loyal to the emperor. Not long after, Corean Nationalist-Republicans and Russian collaborationists were placed to administer Corea. The war officially ended in 1936 with the signing of the Treaty of Hansjang.
==== Corea ====
Corea was re-established as the Nationalist Republic of Corea, led by the local Corean Nationalist-Republican party. Though a nominally independent state, they were mainly under the influence of the Russians. A new constitution was drafted, which erased several aspects of the Corean state, including the monarchy.
==== Poeja ====
Poeja, with its ethnically mixed population of Han Chinese, Coreans, and Manchus, was formally annexed into the Russian National Republic as an Autonomous National Republic (ANR). The Russians allowed several former administrators to administer the Poeja Autonomous National Republic. The Russians also allowed the continued use of the Hankoel script for the different Poejan languages, including Corean, Mandarin, and Manchu.
==== Wah-hah Republic ====
The Russians recognized the considerable contributions of the Wah-hah Republic (Canton) to the war. Under the Treaty, Canton was granted Peking and the rest of the Corean Haboek, effectively unifying Qing territory into the nation.
==== JapanTreaty of Hansjang (1936) ====
{{Main|The_Great_War#The_Treaty_of_Hansjang|l1 = Treaty of Hansjang}}
The victory of Japan and its allies bolstered the popularity of the Japanese Emperor at home. However, the Russian government heavily underplayed its role in the war, mostly limited to naval blockades on the Dutch and Corean ports. Under the Treaty of Hansjang, the Russians awarded Japan the island of Tsushima and the Dutch port of Desjima but reneged on their promises of returning the ports of Maizuru and Idzu. This had caused the public opinion in Japan to turn against Russia and National-Republicanism. A few years later, Japan would forcefully retake Maizuru and Idzu from the Russians via military force, assisted and recognized by Great Britain.
== Gallery ==
* [[Russia]]
* [[CoreaChina]]
* [[Corea]] (and its [[History of Corea|history]])
* [[Sino-Corean War|First Sino-Corean War]] ▼* [[Japan]] (and its [[History of Japan|history]])
*[[Great War]]
▲* [[Sino-Corean War|First Sino-Corean War]]
{{Timeline and Lore}}
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