Politics
Historians generally consider Manchukuo a puppet state of Imperial Japan because of the Japanese military's strong presence and strict control of the government administration. Chinese historians generally refer to the state as 'Wei Manzhouguo' ('illegal Manchukuo'). Some historians see Manchukuo as an effort at building a glorified Japanese state in mainland Asia that deteriorated due to the pressures of war.
The independence of Manchuria was proclaimed on 18 February 1932, and renamed to Manchukuo. The Japanese military commander appointed Puyi as regent (reign name Datong) for the time being and would become Emperor of Manchukuo but that he could not reign using the title of Emperor of China. Manchukuo was proclaimed a monarchy on 1 March 1934, with Puyi assuming the throne under the reign name of Emperor Kang-de. Puyi was assisted in his executive duties by a Privy Council (Chinese: 參議府), and a General Affairs State Council (Chinese: 國務院). This State Council was the center of political power, and consisted of several cabinet ministers, each assisted by a Japanese vice-minister.
The commanding officer of the Kwantung Army in Manchukuo was additionally the Japanese ambassador to Manchukuo. He functioned in a manner similar to that of a British resident officer in British overseas protectorates, with the power to veto decisions by the emperor. The Kwangtung Army leadership placed Japanese vice ministers in his cabinet, while all Chinese advisors gradually resigned or were dismissed.
The Legislative Council (Chinese: 立法院) was largely a ceremonial body, existing to rubber-stamp decisions issued by the State Council. The only authorized political party was the government-sponsored Concordia Association, although various émigré groups were permitted their own political associations.
When the Japanese surrender was announced on 15 August 1945, Puyi was "asked" to abdicate, which he did.
| Personal Names | Period of Reigns | Era names (年號) and their corresponding range of years | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All given names in bold. | ||||
| Aisin-Gioro Puyi 愛新覺羅溥儀 Àixīnjuéluó Pǔyì | March 1932 – August 1945 | Datong (大同 Dàtóng) 1932–1934 Kangde (康德 Kāngdé) 1934–1945 |
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