Политическая ситуация на КВЖД после крушения Российской империи

Abstract

The article "The Political Situation on the Chinese Eastern Railway after the Collapse of the Russian Empire" presents a historical survey of the events of political life of the Russian colony in Manchuria after the revolutions of 1917. As soon as the news about the collapse of the monarchy reached Harbin on the 4t h—17t h of March 1917, the organization of the Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies Soviets started. A Committee of public organizations acting on behalf of the Provisional Government was set up as well. So a sort it 'triumvirate' emerged in the alienation zone of the Chinese Eastern Railway (CER): it was governed simultaneously by General D. L. Khorvat, the Soviet of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies and the Committee of public organizations. On December 12, 1917 the Harbin Soviet declared itself to be the sole agent of state power. General Khorvat called upon Chinese troops, with whose help the attempt to establish Soviet power on the Chinese Eastern Railway was foiled. In April 1918 a meeting was convened in Peking to discuss the situation on the CER with the participation of Chinese officials and Russian representatives (Russian envoy N. A. Kudashev, D. L. Khorvat, A. V. Kolchak, A. I. Putilov). A decision was arrived at to form armed units to fight the Red Army. But the implementation of this decision failed: the atamans of the Cossack troops G. I. Semenov and I. P. Kalmykov did not want to subordinate to Admiral A. V. Kolchack. As fate would have it, there were at once several pretenders to the role of the Saviour of Russia in Harbin at that time — Admiral A. V. Kolchack, ataman G. M. Semyonov, General D. L. Khorvat and others, less important public figures (P. V. Vologodsky, P. Ya. Derber). On July 9, 1918 D. L. Khorvat proclaimed himself the Provisional Supreme Ruler of Russia. True, already in October he transferred his 'power' to P. V Vologodsky (the Provisional Siberian Government). After A. V. Kolchack also proclaimed himself the Supreme Ruler of Russia on November 18, 1918, Khorvat came to represent the Omsk government. As a result of mass strikes of workers and staff of the CER which lasted from the summer of 1919 to the middle of March of 1920. D. L. Khorvat lost whatever power he had at the CER as well: he had to resign as the chairman of the board. Since that time Chinese authorities started to lay their hands on CER. On October 2, 1920 the Transport Minister of China signed an agreement with the Russian-Asian Bank according to which Peking assumed the top control over the Railway, pending the future agreement with a stable Russian government. On September 23, 1920 the President of the Republic of China issued a decree according to which the subjects of the former Russian Empire resident in Manchuria were deprived of the right of exterritoriality. At the same time a Special District of Eastern Provinces was formed which included the CER alienation zone. But the attempts of Peking and Mukden to take the opportunity of the Civil War in Russia and to take the CER under their command encountered serious opposition: the interests of world powers (the USA, Japan, Britain, France etc.) came into collision with Chinese interests over the Railway.