Soviet-Japanese Basic Convention
Encyclopedia
The was a treaty normalizing relations between the Empire of Japan
and the Soviet Union
, signed on 20 January 1925. Ratifications were exchanged in Beijing on February 26, 1925. The agreement was registered in League of Nations Treaty Series on May 20, 1925.
in the Russo-Japanese War
of 1904–1905, cooperative relations between Russia and Japan were gradually restored via four sets of treaties signed between 1907 and 1916. However, the collapse of the Romanov dynasty, followed by the Bolshevik Revolution
, followed by the Japanese Siberian Intervention
created a strong distrust between Japan and the newly founded Soviet Union.
Following a series of negotiations held in Beijing
in 1924–1924, Japan agreed to extend diplomatic recognition
to the Soviet Union, and to withdraw its troops from the northern half of Sakhalin
island. In return, the Soviet Union agreed to honor the provisions of the Treaty of Portsmouth
and to re-examine all other treaties between the former Russian Empire and Japan, including the Fishery Convention of 1907.
The treaty was signed by Lev Mikhailovich Karakhan of the Soviet Union and Kenkichi Yoshizawa
of Japan on 20 January 1925.
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...
and the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, signed on 20 January 1925. Ratifications were exchanged in Beijing on February 26, 1925. The agreement was registered in League of Nations Treaty Series on May 20, 1925.
Background
Following the defeat of the Russian EmpireRussian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
in the Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
of 1904–1905, cooperative relations between Russia and Japan were gradually restored via four sets of treaties signed between 1907 and 1916. However, the collapse of the Romanov dynasty, followed by the Bolshevik Revolution
October Revolution
The October Revolution , also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution , Red October, the October Uprising or the Bolshevik Revolution, was a political revolution and a part of the Russian Revolution of 1917...
, followed by the Japanese Siberian Intervention
Siberian Intervention
The ', or the Siberian Expedition, of 1918–1922 was the dispatch of troops of the Entente powers to the Russian Maritime Provinces as part of a larger effort by the western powers and Japan to support White Russian forces against the Bolshevik Red Army during the Russian Civil War...
created a strong distrust between Japan and the newly founded Soviet Union.
Following a series of negotiations held in 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...
in 1924–1924, Japan agreed to extend diplomatic recognition
Diplomatic recognition
Diplomatic recognition in international law is a unilateral political act with domestic and international legal consequences, whereby a state acknowledges an act or status of another state or government in control of a state...
to the Soviet Union, and to withdraw its troops from the northern half of Sakhalin
Sakhalin
Sakhalin or Saghalien, is a large island in the North Pacific, lying between 45°50' and 54°24' N.It is part of Russia, and is Russia's largest island, and is administered as part of Sakhalin Oblast...
island. In return, the Soviet Union agreed to honor the provisions of the Treaty of Portsmouth
Treaty of Portsmouth
The Treaty of Portsmouth formally ended the 1904-05 Russo-Japanese War. It was signed on September 5, 1905 after negotiations at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine in the USA.-Negotiations:...
and to re-examine all other treaties between the former Russian Empire and Japan, including the Fishery Convention of 1907.
The treaty was signed by Lev Mikhailovich Karakhan of the Soviet Union and Kenkichi Yoshizawa
Kenkichi Yoshizawa
was a diplomat in the Empire of Japan, serving as 46th Foreign Minister of Japan in 1932.-Biography:Yoshizawa was a native of what is now part of Joetsu city, Niigata prefecture. He was a graduate of the English literature department of Tokyo University and entered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs...
of Japan on 20 January 1925.