Wulin government

Template:Infobox Former Country The State of Xiaodong (Xiaodongese: 晓东国; Xiǎodōngguó) was a short-lived provisional government that was created in 1933 following the March 8 coup d'état that saw the overthrow of the Heavenly Xiaodongese Empire. It was dissolved following the victory of the Army of National Salvation in the Xiaodongese Civil War and creation of the Auspicious Republic of Xiaodong in 1940.

The State of Xiaodong was created following the March 8 coup d'état after senior military officers attempted to end the Senrian-Xiaodongese War by removing the Shanrong Emperor from power and appointing his brother the Taiyi Emperor as head of state instead. The State of Xiaodong was intended to serve as a provisional government until peace with Senria was achieved and the country could choose a new political system as imperial autocracy was discredited. However the subsequent peace with Senria - the Treaty of Keishi - was widely criticised by various groups as being a betrayal of the Xiaodongese nation. A series of unstable cabinets fell over this period as the government was unable to deal with mounting economic recession and wars with Min and Tinza resulting in 1936 the Army of National Salvation was formed which declared the socialist Auspicious Republic of Xiaodong during the Corrective Revolution starting the Xiaodongese Civil War.

Between 1936-7 the government in Baiqiao lost large amounts of land to communist forces alongside seeing a deterioration in the economic situation. The political sphere became increasingly compromised as military officers led by Qian Shaozheng and Shao Yuzhang launched a coup d'état, ruling the country as a military dictatorship sapping their support. An offensive known as the Northern Reconquest spearheaded by Qian was unsuccessful in 1938, with the army never recovering from its defeat at the siege of Lukeng.

The failure of the State of Xiaodong to overcome political, economic and military problems alongside lingering resentment against the Treaty of Keishi led to the complete military defeat of the state in 1940 and the surrender of Baiqiao to Lu Keqian's forces.

History

March 8^th coup d'état

The creation of the State of Xiaodong arouse due to the political conditions that were a result of the Senrian-Xiaodongese War. The Heavenly Xiaodongese Empire had in 1918 replaced it's fledgling liberal democracy with a military dictatorship during the Jiayun Uprising with the backing of the Shanrong Emperor who promoted ultranationalism, expansionism and scientific racism. This culminated in 1927 in an invasion of Senria as part of an attempt to create a "Greater Xiaodongese Order" in East Borea.

The Taiyi Emperor, the dominant figure of the State of Xiaodong

By early 1933, Xiaodong was reeling from military failures was being subject to bombing campaigns by Senrian planes and having its international trade completely blockaded by Senria and Tuthina, with Senrian Prime Minister Imahara Katurou planning an invasion of Xiaodong (Operation Grey Viper) to be launched by July 1933. Despite the dire state of the Xiaodongese Army (which had been reduced by a third since the start of the war) and the implosion of the economy the Shanrong Emperor called for citizens to "mobilise for the possibility of Senria destroying our civilisation and enforcing their own barbarity to our auspicious lands".

Despite the Shanrong Emperor and his Prime Minister, Chief of Staff Ren Xilian, supporting the continued fighting of the war senior military officers (such as generals Qian Shaozheng, Shao Yuzhang and Admiral Jiang Yunkuan), business leaders and reform-minded aristocrats were concerned that Xiaodong would be unable to withstand a Senrian invasion, fearing the occupation of the country and reprisals for the Senrian Genocide. Their fears were shared by Yao Xishan, the younger brother to the Emperor who believed Xiaodong's territorial integrity would only be secure if Xiaodong formulated a peace treaty with Senria. Yao saw the militarisation that had been purused by his brother as having resulted in military defeat, political chaos and economic collapse and reasoned alongside other reform-minded military figures that only the removal of militarism from public life (such as Ren, Qiu Hanjie, Zhou Hongkui and Lu Keqian) would result in peace in Borea.

On the 8^th the plotters made their move, with General Qian ordering his troops to march through Tiandufeng whilst arresting senior figures such as Zhou and foreign minister Yao Xiangxi whilst Ren was shot attempting to resist arrest. Yao Xishan went to his bother attempting to convince him to enter peace talks, but a fight in the Palace of Heaven resulted in the Shanrong Emperor to be shot (whether he committed suicide or was shot is still a matter of debate). The death of the Emperor and arrest of his closest advisers led to Yao Xishan to declare himself the Taiyi (Exalted Righteousness) Emperor appointing General Shao Yuzhang as Prime Minister and creating a "government of national unity".

Treaty of Keishi

The signing of the Treaty of Keishi

Following the March 8^th coup d'état the Taiyi Emperor sent newly appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs Zhang Mingshu to negotiate a peace with Senria via Tuthina as a intermediary. Meanwhile in Xiaodong he signed a decree officially dissolving the Heavenly Xiaodongese Empire creating the State of Xiaodong (晓东国; Xiǎodōngguó) in its place. The Taiyi Emperor announced the permanent dissolution of the Imperial Deliberative Assembly and that its functions would be transferred to the General Affairs State Council until a constituent assembly could create a new political system.

The Treaty of Keishi was negotiated during a month long period between March-April 1933. The fast pace of peace talks was motivated by a desire by Xiaodongese policymakers to end the war at the earliest opportunity, meaning Senria was able to extract lucrative concessions from Xiaodong. The final treaty, signed by Foreign Minister Zhang on April 23^rd stipulated that Xiaodong "recognise and take full and total responsibility" for starting a war of aggression and conducting the war crimes on a massive scale. The treaty also saw Xiaodong drop all claims to Senria including its former colony of Sakata and promise to pay ¥1,450 billion in reparations to Senria with interest.

Students in Rongzhuo protesting the Treaty of Keishi

The announcement of the terms of the Treaty of Keishi within Xiaodong promoted massive protests and opposition in Xiaodong, known as the Days of Lead as rioting in Tiandufeng, Rongzhuo and Shenkong. Deputy foreign minister Chen Guobao was murdered upon his return to Taindufeng and a further 76 people were killed in the riots, with countless incidents of property damage, arson and assualts being recorded with the homes of foreign minister Zhang Mingshu and Prime Minister Shao being burnt down.

The Treaty of Keishi radically changed the political landscape of Xiaodong as well. Prior and during the war, politics was divided between those who favoured national expansion and imperial autocracy and those who promoted a more dovish foreign policy and democratic institutions. However following the signing of the Treaty politics split between "pro-treaty" groups (such as the Liberal Party which supported classical liberalism, Constitutional Union which wished for a return to the pre-war political system and the Democratic Party which supported social liberalism) and "anti-treaty" groups (such as the Xiaodong Regeneration Society which supported authoritarian neosocialism, the Workers' Party of Xiaodong which wanted a communist revolution in Xiaodong and the Great Harmony Party which supported the militarism of the Shanrong era). The Anti-treaty groups called for the immediate annulment of the Treaty of Keishi whilst pro-treaty groups by and large coalesced around Taiyi Emperor.

1933 Constituent Assembly election

On the 7^th May 1933 the Taiyi Emperor announced elections for a constituent assembly would take place over June-July, with the Emperor hoping the Assembly would decide on a political system for Xiaodong to replace the imperial autocracy of the Heavenly Empire. The move to call an election was encouraged by liberal reformists close to the Emperor but more conservative forces in the army such as Prime Minister Shao opposed its calling. Shao in particular feared General Lu Keqian, who had alongside Xi Shaoqi, Yu Changshao and Peng Chaozhu‎ created the Xiaodong Regeneration Society, would be able to capitalise on his popularity and anger towards the government to win an election, annul the treaty and create a socialist state.

Under the direction of leading liberal Zhang the Taiyi Emperor in 1933 passed a decree enabling all men over the age of 25 the ability to vote in a two-round system, effectively enabling universal male suffrage. The move led to the mass expansion of the Workers' Party (which was strong amongst factory workers') and the Regeneration Society (which courted many members, especially poor ones from a rural background, of the armed forces) at the expense of aristocratic parties that had support rooted in the pre-war elite of aristocrats and capitalists.

The election resulted in a "negative majority" of anti-treaty forces to triumph, capturing 300 of the 525 seats. The Regeneration Society, which did well in rural areas and swept Rongzhuo got 196 seats, whilst the Workers' Party with its strongholds in Kuoqing, Yinbaolei and east Thianchin got 69 seats. The Liberal Party emerged as the largest pro-treaty party with 98 seats mainly getting votes from capitalists and businessmen in urban areas, whilst the pro-treaty Constitutional Union and anti-Treaty Great Harmony parties (both of which supported a form of the pre-war government) did reasonably well getting support from aristocrats, with 41 and 35 seats respectively.

The success of the negative majority of anti-treaty parties led to the resignation of Prime Minister Shao. Shao recommended however that the Taiyi Emperor refuse to appoint a cabinet supported by anti-Treaty forces and instead support a minority government of pro-treaty forces until new elections could be held. The Taiyi Emperor agreed to this proposal, appointing liberal Zhang Mingshu as Prime Minister.

Politics

The State of Xiaodong was never intended to be a permanent government - rather it was created on an ad hoc basis until peace could be achieved with Senria and the political system could be decided by a constituent assembly. The 1933 constituent assembly election however produced a "negative majority" of parties opposed to the Treaty of Keishi leading to legislative deadlock and a reliance on the Emperor's ability to pass decrees.

The head of state of the State of Xiaodong was the Emperor of Xiaodong, with the Taiyi Emperor being the sole emperor during the states existence. The Taiyi Emperor had been persuaded to take the title following the death of his brother and predecessor the Shanrong Emperor. Nevertheless the Taiyi Emperor was content in the retention of the monarchy being dependent on the decision of the constituent assembly as to which political system to choose, despite being confirmed as Emperor. However the success of the negative majority led the Taiyi Emperor to rule by decree for much of the existence of the State of Xiaodong.

In practice the State of Xiaodong functioned as a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system, albeit the government was in a permanent minority and dependent on the Emperor to pass legalisation. This led the government to be called a "liberal autocracy".