Russo-Corean War
The Russo-Corean War (Corean: 러-서광 전쟁 La-Sjakwang Tsjantsjeng, Dutch: De Orientale Oorlog, Russian: Русско-Kорейская Bойна Russko-Korejskaja Vojna), also known in the Sinosphere as the Chinese Unification War (統一戰爭; Cantonese: Tungjat Tsintsang; Mandarin: Tung'i Chancheng) was a military fought between 1932–1936. It was a punitive war launched by and Russia (supported by Japan and the Wah-hah Republic) against Corea (supported by the Netherlands [until 1934])
| Russo-Corean War | |||||||
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| Part of The warring 30s | |||||||
| File:Russo Corean War.png | |||||||
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
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Killed: 510,000 Missing: 240,000 Total Casualties 760,000 |
Civilian dead: 670,000 wounded (Estimated) Military dead: 1,819,910 Total Casualties | ||||||
Context
The monarchy of 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.
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 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 War
Corean Invasion of Qing territory
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 the Russians declare war on Corea, their first strike did not go into Manchuria as Corea suspected, rather it came from the air, a fleet of 95 bombers on the 9th of may conduct 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 houses made out of wood were burned to the ground, setting the stage for the kind of war the conflict would become.
During the rest of the war, more Russian air raids occurred in Poeja (Corean Manchuria) and in the Corean Heartland itself. Japan assisted the war effort by performing a naval blockade over the Dutch ports of Desjima. 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.
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.
Withdrawal of the Dutch (1935)
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 1st Sino-Corean War. During the withdrawal, there were reports of violence among Corean and Dutch soldiers, but these reports were mostly unconfirmed.
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.
Japan
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
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Corean royal army soldiers out in the field.
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Russian soldiers in the ruined outskirts of Pjangjang.
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Dutch soldiers in the outskirts of Poesjan.
