Harbin Soviet

The Harbin Soviet or Harbin Soviet of Workers and Soldiers Deputies (Russian: Харбинский Совет рабочих и солдатских депутатов, romanized: Kharbinsky Sovet rabochikh i soldatskikh deputatov) was a soviet (council) of Russian workers and soldiers in Harbin at the time of the 1917 Russian Revolution. The Harbin Soviet was founded immediately after Czar Nicholas II's abdication.^[1] The Harbin Soviet sought to seize control over the Chinese Eastern Railway and to defend Russian citizens in Manchuria.^[2] The Bolshevik Martemyan Ryutin was the chairman of the Harbin Soviet.^[3]

On November 21, 1917, the new Soviet government in Russia recognized the Harbin Soviet as its representation in Manchuria and placed Russian citizens in Manchuria under its protection.^[2] Subsequently the Harbin Soviet requested recognition of the local taotai.^[2] On December 12, 1917, Bolsheviks seized control over the Harbin Soviet, pressuring Mensheviks and Socialist-Revolutionaries to leave the body.^[3] Through Golos Truda the Harbin Soviet declared itself as the government of the area.^[1][3] On December 18, 1917, the Harbin Soviet declared the Chinese Eastern Railway administrator Dmitry Horvat dismissed and directed its militia to seize control of the railway installations.^[1][3] The Bolshevik militia was soon confronted by Chinese troops and Horvat loyalists, who disarmed and deported some 1,560 Bolshevik fighters.^[1][3] Ryutin went underground.^[3]

References

1. Chong-Sik Lee (1983). Revolutionary Struggle in Manchuria: Chinese Communism and Soviet Interest, 1922-1945. University of California Press. p. 27. ISBN 978-0-520-04375-6.
2. Mikhail Iosifovich Sladkovski (1 January 1966). History of Economic Relations Between Russia and China [by] M.I. Sladkovskii. Transaction Publishers. p. 145. ISBN 978-1-4128-2519-1.
3. Jamie Bisher (16 January 2006). White Terror: Cossack Warlords of the Trans-Siberian. Routledge. p. 42. ISBN 1-135-76595-2.