As Russia and Japan reached negotiations on a peace treaty in Singapore, the four northern islands that Japan has always claimed are about to enter the countdown stage of returning to Japan. But in addition to the four northern islands, the Sakhalin Island in the hands of the Russians, which China calls Sakhalin Island, was the most important land that the Japanese lost and cherished the most during World War II.
Sakhalin Island is located in the east of Heilongjiang Estuary. It used to be the largest island in China with an area of 76,400 square miles. It originally belonged to the actual controlled territory of the Qing Dynasty, but in modern times it fell into the hands of Russia and Japan. In order to fight for control of the island, the two countries fought vigorously, but China, the original owner of Sakhalin, became a permanent spectator.
Sakhalin Island is called Sakhalin Island in Russia and Huatai Island in Japan. After the Qing army entered the customs, out of the need to protect the "dragon vein", the Han people were not allowed to enter the northeast to develop Manchuria in the early days. In 1689, the Qing-Russian "Nerchinsk Treaty Provisions" south of the Outer Hinggan Mountains belonged to Chinese territory, but the treaty did not specify that Sakhalin was written into the treaty, and Sakhalin was also just south of Outer Hinggan. In fact, when China and Russia signed the contract, both sides were not very clear about Sakhalin. In 1709, Emperor Kangxi sent three Jesus priests to survey the national territory, only to learn that there was such a big island. In the second year, a survey team of Manchus landed on the island. After 20 years, Russian talents finally learned of the existence of Sakhalin. In 1742, Tsarist Russia began to realize the importance of Sakhalin in the Far East.
Sakhalin Island was first surveyed by China, and the island was under the jurisdiction of General Jilin. At that time, the island was sparsely populated and the climate was cold. Although the islanders paid tribute to the Qing Dynasty, the Qing government did not have a garrison on the island or even an administrative agency. The Qing government's ignorance of Sakhalin gave Russia and Japan an opportunity. The "Treaty of Nerchinsk" temporarily prevented the Russians from going south to the Heilongjiang Basin. The Russians could only advance to the northeast of Siberia and detour south from the Kamchatka Peninsula and the Southern Kuril Islands to explore new land. The Russians' desire for land Far beyond the recognition of the Chinese at that time.
According to the saying from ancient times, Japan discovered Sakhalin earlier. Just look at the map and you will understand that Sakhalin Island and Hokkaido, Japan are across the sea, and many Japanese have crossed the sea north and came to the southern part of Sakhalin Island for "development". The Edo shogunate also sent troops to the southern part of Sakhalin. However, in 1809, Japanese talents finally figured out that Sakhalin was not a piece of land but an island surrounded by the sea, so it was named "Huatai Island".
The Qing Dynasty fully liberalized the entry of Han Chinese into the Northeast in the second half of the 19th century. At this time, on Sakhalin Island in the 18th century, there were only Russians from the north and Japanese from the south. Immediately after the two people met on the island, conflict broke out. The Russians attacked the Japanese tax authorities in the southern part of Sakhalin Island, and Japan expelled the Russians’ immigration and merchant ships. Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty believed that Sakhalin was a waste of money and food, and left it alone. Although Sakhalin was named on the Chinese territory, it was actually ruled by Japan and Russia. Due to the long-term discord between Japan and Russia on Sakhalin Island, the two sides finally reached the "Shimoda Treaty" in 1855 after rational negotiations, recognizing each other's scope of control. However, in the history of the Russians, there is rarely a habit of observing treaties. Therefore, the treaty is only a temporary peace between the two parties. As the strength of both parties grows, Sakhalin will usher in a race to completely expel the other party.
In 1858, only three years after the signing of the Shimoda Treaty, Russia took advantage of the fire and robbed the Qing government to force the Qing government to sign the Aihui Treaty, seizing a large area north of Heilongjiang and east of the Ussuri River. The treaty trampled on nothing. In the "Aihui Treaty", Russia legally inherited China's Sakhalin Island, after which the Russian army was able to justify increasing troops to Sakhalin Island. In response to this, the Japanese also refused to give in. They also responded to the Russians by increasing troops, and the situation on the island became tense.
In the 1860s, Japan embarked on the path of the Meiji Restoration, and quickly strengthened its strength. It also continued to counterattack the Russians north of Sakhalin, Russia and Japan. The dispute between the two countries escalated again, and in 1875 the two countries finally reached the "Sakhalin Kuril Islands Exchange Treaty" again. According to this treaty, Japan gave up the southern part of Sakhalin and Russia gave upNorthern Thousand Islands. Although Japan renounced its sovereignty over Sakhalin, it has always been concerned. Obviously, Japan at this stage is still weaker than Tsarist Russia. Japan failed to occupy Sakhalin Island in the north, and even seized China’s Liaodong Peninsula during the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895. It was also strongly interfered by Tsarist Russia. This kind of grievance has been hated by Japan, and Tsarist Russia has been listed as its number one enemy.
After the Boxer Movement subsided, Tsarist Russia sent a large army to annex Northeast China in one fell swoop, dismissing criticism from the international community. Regarding the occupation of Northeast China, the indignation of the Japanese is no less than that of the Chinese. In this way, with the acquiescence of the Qing government, Japan invited troops to fight, and helped China regain the northeast from the Russian population at a huge cost of 276,000 casualties and military expenditures of 1.7 to 1.8 billion yen. After the Russo-Japanese War, Japan did not receive Russian war indemnities. Compared with sending troops, Japan seemed to have lost more than the gains. On the contrary, China gained the most profit and recovered 99% of its sovereignty in the Northeast. The biggest spoils that Japan won in the war was that taking advantage of the defeat of Tsarist Russia, it sent troops across the sea to occupy the southern part of Sakhalin and restored the area of its rule 30 years ago. That is, from this year (1905), Japan was officially listed for business on the island, and "Huatai Island" also established its capital in Fengyuan, which is now Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.
During World War I, Tsarist Russia was defeated and the Far East was in a vacuum. Japan once again took the opportunity to occupy the northern part of Sakhalin. After that, the Soviet Union stabilized and its national strength increased significantly, and Japan had to return the northern part of Sakhalin to the Soviet Union. Since Japan re-landed on Sakhalin Island, in the following decades, 500,000 Japanese immigrants built their homes at this time, and there were tens of thousands of Chinese and Koreans living on the island in the south controlled by the Japanese. Since the land of Sakhalin Island is completely different from Taiwan and North Korea, it is no different from Japan. In 1942, the Japanese envoy moved the management of "Karatai Island" out of the scope of the Colonial Department, and it became a real Japanese territory.
In 1945, Japan was defeated and Sakhalin was finally returned to the Russians. Only then did the Japanese living on the island realize that they would bid farewell to the 40-year-old "Karatai Island". The defeated Japan not only lost the southern part of Sakhalin but also the four northern islands were completely occupied by the Russians. At the beginning of the occupation, the Soviet Union intended to turn the Japanese ruled area in the southern part of Sakhalin into an ethnic autonomous region, where an unprecedented free economic policy was implemented: farmers were allowed to retain half of their harvest and could trade freely, and special agricultural trades were also established in towns. market. The Soviet Union also implemented an 8-hour work system and equal pay for equal work for men and women in the southern part of Sakhalin Island, enabling Japanese women to obtain equal economic status with men. All these practices have won the support of many Japanese on the island. Although the Japanese showed their allegiance to the emperor during the war, once the war ended, the Japanese immediately gave up the enthusiasm they showed during the war and quickly stepped into the track of life. As long as you live a good life, it doesn't matter which country you become. Under the generous policy, the Japanese in southern Sakhalin even replaced the emperor with a portrait of Stalin and bowed down.
But the Japanese on South Sakhalin hadn’t been happy for long, and the situation suddenly changed. As Japan fell to the United States in the Cold War. The Soviet Union decided to repatriate the hundreds of thousands of Japanese residents on the island, and the United States did not want to see the Soviet Union’s success in the southern part of Kurdish Island, so it quickly agreed with the Soviet Union on the repatriation. Of Japanese residents returned to Japan. The repatriation started in the spring of 1947. By August 1, 124,124 Japanese on Sakhalin Island were repatriated. These Japanese before leaving were only allowed to carry 100 kilograms of personal belongings and 1,000 rubles of money by the Soviet Union. , The Japanese assets on the island belonged almost to the Soviet Union. By 1949, when the repatriation ended, a total of 272,335 Japanese were forced to leave Sakhalin, where they had lived for decades, while only 2,682 were allowed to stay and became Soviet citizenship.
Because many Japanese spent their childhood on Sakhalin Island, the "Huatai Island" in the hearts of Japanese people has sent many Japanese people's deep affection. Among the former residents of "Kata" is the "Kata People's Association" with more than 6,000 people. It has established 36 branches all over Japan. They often organize activities to awaken the younger generation of Japanese people not to forget that the Northern Territory is especially beautiful." Huatai" island. August 23 was the day when the Soviet Army completely occupied the southern part of Sakhalin, so the Japanese civiliansThis day is also designated as "Karatai Island Day", and commemorations are held every year to shout "Japanese can not forget Katai Island." Of course, it is not only Japanese, but also Koreans who lived on the island that year. The island is also imaginative, even though they have never occupied a day in name or in reality.
Today’s Russia’s GDP is only equivalent to the scale of Guangdong Province, and its economy, technology, education, and people’s quality of life cannot be compared with Japan. Under the shadow of the former Soviet Union, Russia has basically entered Second-rate countries. Since 2014, after Putin accidentally annexed Crimea, the United States and Europe initiated joint sanctions. Russia opened the Pandora's box and the economy fell into a plummeting position. Although some people once said that not an inch of Russia’s land is redundant, in the face of the cruel reality, Putin needs to consider most if he can return the islands that Japan is asking for, so as to obtain Japanese assistance to prevent Russia from disintegrating. Priority issues. What was the four small islands in the Far East that were able to sell Alaska back then. Once Japan regains the four northern islands, will it be far from regaining the "Kata"?
