South Manchuria Railway Zone
Encyclopedia
The , or SMR Zone, was the area of Japanese extraterritorial rights in northeast China
, in connection with the operation of the South Manchurian Railway.
, the South Manchuria branch (from Changchun
to Lüshun) of the China Far East Railway
was transferred to Japanese control. Japan claimed that this control included all the rights and privileges granted to Russia by China in the Li-Lobanov Treaty
of 1896, as enlarged by the Kwantung Lease Agreement of 1898; which included absolute and exclusive administration within the railway zone.
The SMZ Zone was geographically a 62 meter wide strip of land on either side of the South Manchurian Railway tracks, extending along the 700 kilometer main truck route from Dalian
to Changchun, the 260 kilometer Mukden to Antung route, and four other spur routes, for a total length of 1100 kilometers, and a total land area of 250 square kilometers. These rail lines connected 25 cities and towns, and within each town the SMZ included warehouses, repair shops, coal mines and electrical facilities deemed necessary to maintain the trains.
Japan stationed railway guards to provide security for the trains and tracks throughout the SMZ; however, these were regular Japanese soldiers
, and they frequently carried on maneuvers outside the railway areas. In addition, Japan also maintained Consular Police attached to the Japanese consulates and branch consulates in major cities as Harbin
, Tsitsihar, and Manchouli, as well as in the Chientao District
, in which lived large numbers of ethnic Koreans
.
In 1915, Japan presented to China the Twenty-One Demands
resulting in the Sino-Japanese Treaty of 1915. The treaty provided that Japanese subjects would be free to reside and travel in South Manchuria and engage in business and manufacture of any kind, and could lease land necessary for erecting suitable buildings for trade, manufacturing and agricultural enterprises. Japan loosely interpreted this include most of Manchuria in the term "South Manchuria".
After the foundation of Manchukuo
, with full Japanese control over all of Manchuria, the SMZ ceased to have a function, and was abolished in 1937.
Northeast China
Northeast China, historically known in English as Manchuria, is a geographical region of China, consisting of the three provinces of Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang. The region is sometimes called the Three Northeast Provinces...
, in connection with the operation of the South Manchurian Railway.
History
Following the Japanese victory over Imperial Russia and the signing of the Treaty of PortsmouthTreaty 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:...
, the South Manchuria branch (from Changchun
Changchun
Changchun is the capital and largest city of Jilin province, located in the northeast of the People's Republic of China, in the center of the Songliao Plain. It is administered as a sub-provincial city with a population of 7,677,089 at the 2010 census under its jurisdiction, including counties and...
to Lüshun) of the China Far East Railway
China Far East Railway
The Chinese Eastern Railway or was a railway in northeastern China . It connected Chita and the Russian Far East. English-speakers have sometimes referred to this line as the Manchurian Railway...
was transferred to Japanese control. Japan claimed that this control included all the rights and privileges granted to Russia by China in the Li-Lobanov Treaty
Li-Lobanov Treaty
The Li–Lobanov Treaty or the Sino-Russian Secret Treaty was a treaty signed on June 3, 1896 in Moscow by foreign minister Alexey Lobanov-Rostovsky and finance minister Sergey Witte on behalf of the Russian Empire and viceroy Li Hongzhang on behalf of China...
of 1896, as enlarged by the Kwantung Lease Agreement of 1898; which included absolute and exclusive administration within the railway zone.
The SMZ Zone was geographically a 62 meter wide strip of land on either side of the South Manchurian Railway tracks, extending along the 700 kilometer main truck route from Dalian
Dalian
Dalian is a major city and seaport in the south of Liaoning province, Northeast China. It faces Shandong to the south, the Yellow Sea to the east and the Bohai Sea to the west and south. Holding sub-provincial administrative status, Dalian is the southernmost city of Northeast China and China's...
to Changchun, the 260 kilometer Mukden to Antung route, and four other spur routes, for a total length of 1100 kilometers, and a total land area of 250 square kilometers. These rail lines connected 25 cities and towns, and within each town the SMZ included warehouses, repair shops, coal mines and electrical facilities deemed necessary to maintain the trains.
Japan stationed railway guards to provide security for the trains and tracks throughout the SMZ; however, these were regular Japanese soldiers
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
, and they frequently carried on maneuvers outside the railway areas. In addition, Japan also maintained Consular Police attached to the Japanese consulates and branch consulates in major cities as Harbin
Harbin
Harbin ; Manchu language: , Harbin; Russian: Харби́н Kharbin ), is the capital and largest city of Heilongjiang Province in Northeast China, lying on the southern bank of the Songhua River...
, Tsitsihar, and Manchouli, as well as in the Chientao District
Chientao District
Chientao District was an area in the southeast of Fengtien and Kirin province in Manchuria along the Choseon border, in which lived large numbers of Koreans...
, in which lived large numbers of ethnic Koreans
Korean people
The Korean people are an ethnic group originating in the Korean peninsula and Manchuria. Koreans are one of the most ethnically and linguistically homogeneous groups in the world.-Names:...
.
In 1915, Japan presented to China the Twenty-One Demands
Twenty-One Demands
The ' were a set of demands made by the Empire of Japan under Prime Minister Ōkuma Shigenobu sent to the nominal government of the Republic of China on January 18, 1915, resulting in two treaties with Japan on May 25, 1915.- Background :...
resulting in the Sino-Japanese Treaty of 1915. The treaty provided that Japanese subjects would be free to reside and travel in South Manchuria and engage in business and manufacture of any kind, and could lease land necessary for erecting suitable buildings for trade, manufacturing and agricultural enterprises. Japan loosely interpreted this include most of Manchuria in the term "South Manchuria".
After the foundation of 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...
, with full Japanese control over all of Manchuria, the SMZ ceased to have a function, and was abolished in 1937.