History of Manchuria

History Of Manchuria

Manchuria is a region in East Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria can either refer to a region falling entirely within China, or a larger region today divided between Northeast China and the Russian Far East. To differentiate between the two parts following the latter definition, the Russian part is also known as Outer Manchuria in English, while the Chinese part is known as Inner Manchuria. It is named for Manchu, the designation introduced in 1636 for the Jurchen people, in origin a Tungusic people which rose to power in 17th century China, establishing the Qing Dynasty.

Lying at the juncture of the Chinese, Japanese and Russian spheres of influence, Manchuria has been of significant strategic importance throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. The Russian Empire established control over the northern part of Manchuria in 1860 (Beijing Treaty). Disputes over Manchuria and Korea led to the Russo-Japanese War of 1904 to 1905. The Japanese invaded Manchuria in 1931, setting up the puppet state of Manchukuo. The Soviet invasion of Manchuria in 1945 led to the collapse of Japanese rule. Manchuria was a base of operations for the Chinese People's Liberation Army in the Chinese Civil War, leading to the formation of the People's Republic of China. In the Korean War, Chinese forces used Manchuria as a base to assist North Korea. During the Cold War era, Manchuria became a matter of contention, escalating to the Sino–Soviet border conflict in 1969. The Sino-Russian border dispute was resolved diplomatically only in 2004.