러일전쟁 전후 러시아 극동총독부와 극동특별위원회의 설치와 해체

Abstract

The Government-General of the Far East and the Special Committee for the Far East were established in 1903 led by the imperial powers within the Russian government. State Advisor Bezobrazov (А.М. Безобразов) diagnosed the weakening of power in the Far East and suggested the need for the establishment of the Government-General of the Far East. The reason was that first, conflicts between government departments and the inefficiency of the consultation system brought irresponsibility, and second, the lack of accurate information on the Far East and erroneous evaluation of the situation occurred. Imperial powers, including Bezobrazov (А.М. Безобразов), opposed bureaucratic forces, arguing that in order to avoid the Russo-Japanese War, war preparations should be strengthened in the Far East and a single independent organization should be established. As a result, Nicholas II accepted the imperial powers’ insistence and, on July 30, 1903, ordered the establishment of the Government-General of the Far East in the Senate, the highest authority for judicial and legislative powers. The Governor-General of the Far East was composed of the Governor-General of Priamour and the Governor-General of Lusun. Naval Admiral Alexeyev (Е.И. Алексеев) was appointed as the governor of the Far East. The Government-General of the Far East was an organization centered on the Governor-General of the Far East that encompassed the order and safety of the Far East. The Governor-General of the Far East could present his or her opinion directly to Nicholas II or through the Secretary General. Here, the Governor-General of the Far East had the powerful authority to command the Pacific Fleet and the Far East Army. The Governor-General of the Far East was in charge of not only the military commander of Priam, but also the military administration of the Manchurian Railway. On August 23, 1903, by order of Nicholas II, the Governor-General of the Far East was able to negotiate directly with the Ministry of the Army. In the end, the Government-General of the Far East was the body that oversaw the administrative system reorganization and economic development of the Russian Far East. The Special Committee for the Far East was an organization that provided administrative and legal support for the Government-General of the Far East and devised a plan for the development of the Far East. Above all, the Government-General of the Far East was established under the pretext of establishing a single independent organization to prepare for war in the Far East. In fact, the staff department under the Government-General of the Far East has established a “strategic action plan” in preparation for the Russo-Japanese War. The Special Committee for the Far East planned colonial management for the entire Far East, including Manchuria, by examining cases of colonization abroad. This fact meant that the Government-General of the Far East and the Special Committee for the Far East were established with the intention of carrying out Russia's military response to Japan's threat of war and promoting colonial management throughout the Far East in the future. Nevertheless, when Russia was defeated in the Russo-Japanese War, the Special Committee for the Far East was dissolved, and the Government-General of the Far East had no choice but to cease its activities.