Situation in Manchuria 1902–1904 according to the reports of the diplomat G.A. Planson (1859–?)

Abstract. This article examines the content of the reports of the Russian diplomat G.A. Planson devoted to the description and analysis of the situation in Manchuria in 1902-1904. Those fragments of the reports have been selected that most clearly illustrate the situation in this region of China on the eve of the Russo-Japanese War, which helps to form a more complete picture of previous and subsequent historical events. The sources on this article were the diplomat’s reports and documents related to this topic, which are stored in the funds of the Russian State Archives of the Navy (RGA VMF, St. Petersburg), the State Archives of the Russian Federation (GARF, Moscow), the Russian State Military Historical Archive (RGVIA, Moscow).

The author comes to the conclusion that at the beginning of the 20th century, Russian consulates experienced difficulties in the form of an endless stream of paperwork and judicial red tape, incommensurable with the capabilities of diplomats. In the reports of G.A. Planson reveals the process of settlement by the Chinese of the border Mongolian territories with the aim of conducting agriculture there, encouraged by the Qing government. The diplomat writes about the difficulties of interaction with the Mongol princes. An important place in the reports is given to the description of the fate of the Yingkou port city: from positive changes in the city after it was occupied by the Russians and to its inglorious surrender to the Japanese.

Keywords: G.A. Planson, Russian-Chinese relations, Manchuria, Legal proceedings in Manchuria, Yingkou, Mongolia, Russo-Japanese War

Acknowledgements: This research was supported by Russian Science Foundation, project no.22-28-00858 («Russian diplomats in China (2nd half of the 19th - early 20th centuries): political and socio-cultural dimensions»), https://rscf.ru/project/22-28-00858/.

For citation: Kharitonova A.M. Situation in Manchuria 1902–1904 according to the reports of the diplomat G.A. Planson (1859–?). Modern Orien-tal Studies 2022; 4 (4). P. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.24412/2686-9675-4-2022-36-47