만주사변 후의 동아시아 국제관계와 일소불가침조약 체결 문제

The East Asian international order and Japan-Soviet nonaggression pact

After the Manchurian Incident, the newly built Manchukuo, the puppet state of Japan, needed to be approved as a country by other neighboring nations in East Asia. During that time, East Asia was in a very complex relationship with various conflicting interests of each nation. Manchukuo was striving for international recognition of its existence, China was trying to stop such process as much as possible, the USSR was just starting out the second 5‐year development program, trying to avoid unnecessary military encounter in order to focus on domestic reform, and finally Japan was trying to put an end to the Manchurian incident with diplomatic consent. Since the USSR was acting independently of other countries in terms of diplomacy and also because it was important for the USSR to make a quick transition from its former superficial nonaggression pacts to actual prevention of military encounter with Japan, there was a possibility for the USSR to approve of the establishment of the Manchukuo. China did its best to stop the establishment of the Manchukuo by contacting numerous figures of Japan. Simultaneously, China hesitated to restore its interchange with the USSR and wished to promote the nonaggression pact first. On the other hand, the Manchukuo was planning to bring together approvals of many countries on the basis of former consent by the three countries, Japan, the USSR, and France. They had started persuading especially the USSR way before any other countries. However, in September of 1932, the relationship between China and Japan greatly aggravated after Japan’s official approval of the Manchukuo. China pursued its efforts to persuade the USSR in disapproving of the Manchukuo. On the other hand, Japanese representative in the League of Nations visited the diplomatic official of the USSR several times to ask for cooperation in the Manchukuo issue before attending the general meeting of the League of Nations. In fact, Japan was very close to securing an agreement. However, not only the USSR’s approval of the Manchukuo but also the conclusion of the USSR-Japan nonaggression pact failed to happen because of the USSR’s concern for the infiltration of communism and the opposition of the military. Having seen all of this happen, China then, focused its concern on the diplomatic battlefield of the League of Nations. China also quickly recovered its former international relationships with the USSR. The USSR did remain open to the possibility of future conclusion of the nonaggression pact with Japan, emphasizing its necessity. However, the relationship between the USSR and Japan in terms of diplomacy and the Manchukuo approval issue definitely became a temporary respite. Hence, in the end, China’s tactic to offer an absolute recovery of the international relationship with the USSR was successful in that it did stop the USSR from approving of the Manchukuo and also let China have the inside track in the League of Nations. International relationship in East Asia after the Manchurian incident was one where all of China, Japan, the USSR, and the Manchukuo kept each other in check while at the same time collaborating with one another to achieve their own diplomatic goals.