Provisional Government of the Republic of China
Encyclopedia
The Provisional Government of the Republic of China was a Chinese
provisional government
protected
by the Empire of Japan
that existed from 1937 to 1940 during the Second Sino-Japanese War
.
, Japanese Imperial General Headquarters
authorized the creation of a collaborationist regime as part of its overall strategy to establish an autonomous buffer zone between China and Japanese-controlled Manchukuo
. It nominally controlled the provinces of Hopei, Shantung, Shansi, Honan and Kiangsu.
The Provisional Government of the Republic of China was officially inaugurated by Wáng Kèmǐn
, former Kuomintang
Minister of Finance, on 14 December 1937, with its capital at Beijing
.
Its activities were carefully prescribed and overseen by advisors provided by the Japanese Northern China Area Army
. The failure of the Japanese to give any real authority to the Provisional Government discredited it in the eyes of the local inhabitants, and made its existence of only limited propaganda utility to the Japanese authorities.
The Provisional Government was, along with the Reformed Government of the Republic of China, merged into Wang Jingwei
's Nanjing-based new government
on 30 March 1940, but in practical terms actually remained virtually independent under the name of the "North China Political Affairs Commission" until the end of the war.
. Non-commissioned officer
s (NCOs) began six months of training in February 1939 and the army officially formed in September 1939. At first the Army had to fill most of the officer and NCO slots with former Nationalist officers until the newly trained officers could take charge.
The army consisted of 13,200 men in eight infantry
regiment
s of 1,650 men each. Six of the regiments were organized in three brigade
s of two regiments each and put under the command of a Chinese Major General
with a Japanese advisor. In addition, a 400 man strong bodyguard formed to protect government officials after all of Wang Ke-min's Japanese bodyguards were killed on duty.
Republic of China (1912–1949)
In 1911, after over two thousand years of imperial rule, a republic was established in China and the monarchy overthrown by a group of revolutionaries. The Qing Dynasty, having just experienced a century of instability, suffered from both internal rebellion and foreign imperialism...
provisional government
Provisional government
A provisional government is an emergency or interim government set up when a political void has been created by the collapse of a very large government. The early provisional governments were created to prepare for the return of royal rule...
protected
Puppet state
A puppet state is a nominal sovereign of a state who is de facto controlled by a foreign power. The term refers to a government controlled by the government of another country like a puppeteer controls the strings of a marionette...
by the Empire of Japan
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
that existed from 1937 to 1940 during the Second Sino-Japanese War
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
.
History
After the conquest of Northern ChinaNorth China
thumb|250px|Northern [[People's Republic of China]] region.Northern China or North China is a geographical region of China. The heartland of North China is the North China Plain....
, Japanese Imperial General Headquarters
Imperial General Headquarters
The as part of the Supreme War Council was established in 1893 to coordinate efforts between the Imperial Japanese Army and Imperial Japanese Navy during wartime...
authorized the creation of a collaborationist regime as part of its overall strategy to establish an autonomous buffer zone between China and Japanese-controlled Manchukuo
Manchukuo
Manchukuo or Manshū-koku was a puppet state in Manchuria and eastern Inner Mongolia, governed under a form of constitutional monarchy. The region was the historical homeland of the Manchus, who founded the Qing Empire in China...
. It nominally controlled the provinces of Hopei, Shantung, Shansi, Honan and Kiangsu.
The Provisional Government of the Republic of China was officially inaugurated by Wáng Kèmǐn
Wang Kemin
Wang Kemin was a leading official in the Chinese republican movement and early Beiyang government, later noted for his role as in the collaborationist Provisional Government of the Republic of China and Nanjing Nationalist Government during World War II....
, former Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
Minister of Finance, on 14 December 1937, with its capital at Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
.
Its activities were carefully prescribed and overseen by advisors provided by the Japanese Northern China Area Army
Japanese Northern China Area Army
The was a field army of the Imperial Japanese Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War.-History:The Japanese North China Area Army was formed on August 21, 1937 under the control of the Imperial General Headquarters. It was transferred to the newly formed China Expeditionary Army on September 23,...
. The failure of the Japanese to give any real authority to the Provisional Government discredited it in the eyes of the local inhabitants, and made its existence of only limited propaganda utility to the Japanese authorities.
The Provisional Government was, along with the Reformed Government of the Republic of China, merged into Wang Jingwei
Wang Jingwei
Wang Jingwei , alternate name Wang Zhaoming, was a Chinese politician. He was initially known as a member of the left wing of the Kuomintang , but later became increasingly anti-Communist after his efforts to collaborate with the CCP ended in political failure...
's Nanjing-based new government
Wang Jingwei Government
In March 1940 a puppet government led by Wang Jingwei was established in the Republic of China under the protection of the Empire of Japan. The regime officially called itself the Republic of China and its government the Reorganized National Government of China...
on 30 March 1940, but in practical terms actually remained virtually independent under the name of the "North China Political Affairs Commission" until the end of the war.
Provisional Government Army
The security of the first Provisional Government was at first based around a 5,000 man police force. The Provisional Government Army began to be organized in May 1938 with the organization of a Japanese-run military academy in TongzhouTongzhou District
Tongzhou District is a district of Beijing, the capital of People's Republic of China. It is located in southeast Beijing and considered the eastern gateway to the Chinese capital...
. Non-commissioned officer
Non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer , called a sub-officer in some countries, is a military officer who has not been given a commission...
s (NCOs) began six months of training in February 1939 and the army officially formed in September 1939. At first the Army had to fill most of the officer and NCO slots with former Nationalist officers until the newly trained officers could take charge.
The army consisted of 13,200 men in eight infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
s of 1,650 men each. Six of the regiments were organized in three brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
s of two regiments each and put under the command of a Chinese Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
with a Japanese advisor. In addition, a 400 man strong bodyguard formed to protect government officials after all of Wang Ke-min's Japanese bodyguards were killed on duty.