WI: Russia annexes Manchuria

Vingilótë

Vingilótë

jackalope said:
A) Manchuria was barren territory inhabited by a few nomads, the Manchus who used it as a preserve. The penalty for the average Chinese to be caught a few miles north of Beijing was death, if I recall correctly, not completely unlike Ghenghis Khan's idea of laying waste the Northern Chinese Plains to pasture. (After 1911, it was open season and practically a Oklahoma land rush during times of famine in parts south.) Drop an eminent domain purchase at low price to the Manchu owners, offer the land to those in Russia and those in Eastern Europe (mostly Slavic, of course), could do the trick of settling the land, quick, by westerners.
Click to expand...

Just a note, 1911 is far too late; the aforementioned Chuang Guandong was already in full swing by the late 19th century.
 

Peger

HunterX said:
If we're talking about a Russian protectorate (the likely scenario), Han migration is probably not going to interfere with Russia's ability to exploit Manchuria's resources. Long-term annexation is not going to be feasible, but that's getting into a whole different time period.
Click to expand...
Any protectorate would run into the same problems Japan's puppet state did, though. It probably would not make it past the 50s as the push for unification with China both within Manchuria and from whoever controls the rest of China at the time will be incredibly strong. The Russians were only able to secure permanent independence for Mongolia (and only a portion of Mongolia at that - Inner Mongolia had too many Han to be chipped off from China proper by 1911) because its population was overwhelmingly Mongolian.
 

jackalope

HunterX said:
If we're talking about a Russian protectorate (the likely scenario), Han migration is probably not going to interfere with Russia's ability to exploit Manchuria's resources. Long-term annexation is not going to be feasible, but that's getting into a whole different time period.
Click to expand...

Yes (but that was not the thread topic):

"
WI: Russia annexes Manchuria
What happens if Russia annexes the entirety of Manchuria, instead of making it a protectorate? "

Have no Han migration, and you make it a wise addition to the Empire. The thread guideline was about Russia annexation of Manchuria, not as a mere protectorate or colony. With more than 10%, you have the tendency for people to slip inside the border, especially during famine, much as happens now with the Koreans long in place inside Manchuria. Doing the US trick of late 1800's (no female migration), might help, but the distances are too small to make it effective. Not nice, but necessary. With Tuva not being absorbed formally until 1943, I recall (Richard Feynman, the physicist, wanted to go there for that express reason of late absorption), and that was the less careful Soviets, one can get the reluctance to take on new territories formally.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top
Top