Manzhouguo - public support?

(Split off from another thread)

Can anyone enlighten me how much Manzhouguo was supported by more than just the interests of the JIA? Were there any elites who would seek an independent Manchu state (even if just for opportunistic reasons like employment opportunities)? What was public opinion like - did people see it as a joke, an outrage, something they didn' want to be bothered with, or maybe as something they could in some way identify with? Would people with, say, Manchu background have different opinions than people with ,say, Han background?

I'm just wondering how 'artificial' that state really was, that's all. Hints to websites and literature on that topic are also most welcome.

Thanks,

yan

Just to be sure: Are we both talking about that japanese puppet state, nominally headed by Pu Yi?

I could imagine that, if they wanted to claim any legitimacy at all, they would at least try to appeal to Manchu traditionalists, or try to raise some Manchuguo nationalism. No easy task if you nominally build your state on five nationalities, the nominally most important (judging by the name of that state) of which is indeed very han-ized already. Anyone know better ?

Yes, nationalists believe anything, I mean there are even southern Chinese today who think they are different. I wouldn't be surprised at all if there were Manchu nationalists, but ironically, most of PuYi's surpporters were Hans and not Manchus.

"Diffferences or no, nationalists are idiots and Im sure there had to be at least some Manchus that were into supposedly "having their own country" "

That's just another form of nationalism, for a country that don't exist.