Liaodong Peninsula - History

History

The earliest records show that Liaodong was initially under the rule of the Guzhu a vassal state of Shang and Zhou dynasty located in southern Hebei province in the vicinity of present day Tangshan. And that later, a the State of Yan), under the leadership of General Qin kai, conquered this region. Later on various states such as the Han Dynasty, Goguryeo, Balhae, Khitan, Jurchen, Yuan Dynasty, Ming Dynasty and Qing Dynasty ruled Liaoning. The peninsula was an important area of conflict during the First Sino-Japanese War (1894–1895), which the Japanese won.

Defeat precipitated decline in the Chinese Empire which was exploited by colonial powers who extracted numerous concessions. The peninsula was ceded to Japan by the Treaty of Maguan of 17 April 1895 but this was rescinded after the Triple Intervention of 23 April 1895 by Russia, France and Germany. In the aftermath of this intervention, the Russian government pressured the ruling Qing dynasty to lease Liaodong and the strategically important Lüshunkou (Port Arthur) for use by the Russian Navy. This caused resentment in Japan and was a factor leading to the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905) when negotiations concerning the peninsula, Manchuria, and Korea broke down, due to Russia's unwillingness to treat Japan seriously as another power.

As in the First Sino-Japanese War the Liaodong peninsula was the scene of major fighting in the Russo-Japanese War. As a consequence of the Treaty of Portsmouth (5 September 1905), which ended the Russo-Japanese War, both sides agreed to evacuate Manchuria and return its sovereignty to China, but Japan was given the lease for the Liaotung/Liaodong (Kwantung Leased Territory).