List of World War II puppet states
This is a list of puppet states sponsored, created, or controlled by an occupying member of the Axis or Allied powers in World War II.
These puppet states or régimes claimed to enjoy full, complete, and independent sovereignty, but took at least some direction from their countries' occupiers.
Encompassing the Hanko Peninsula, Suursaari, Seiskari, Lavansaari, Tytärsaari, and "Great and Little Koivisto", the Finnish Democratic Republic (sometimes also called the "Terijoki Government," after the first town captured by the Soviets) was created during the Winter War, and later merged with the Karelian ASSR into the Karelo-Finnish SSR.
On 5 October 1939, Latvia signed the Soviet–Latvian Mutual Assistance Treaty, allowing the Soviet Union to build military bases on Latvian soil.
[6][7] It remained under Soviet control until 10 March 1990, when the Latvian Declaration of Sovereignty was adopted by the Supreme Council of the Republic of Latvia.
Using troops that had been assembled by the Germans after invasion and subsequent occupation by Germany, Johan Laidoner led the Estonian War of Independence.
The Soviet Union invaded Estonia a second time twenty years later on 17 June 1940 and set up a puppet state four days later.
[10] In 1949, several of the East Turkestan Republic's leaders died in a plane crash while on their way to the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.
[11] Although their forces did occupy its territory during the war, the British-Soviet control of Iran is not traditionally seen as creating a new puppet state due to the explicit involvement of Britain and the Soviet Union in the restructuring of the country's government and the relative freedom of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who could still control what remained of the Iranian army.
(Chinese: 東北最高行政委員會)On February 16, 1932, the Imperial Army hosted the "Founding Conference" or the "Big Four Conference" with governor of Liaoning, Zang Shiyi, commander of the Kirin Provincial Army, Xi Qia, Heilongjiang governor, Zhang Jinghui, and general Ma Zhanshan to establish the Northeast Administrative Committee.
[18] East Hebei protected Japan's economic interests by prohibiting the export of silver and the circulation of the notes of the Central Bank of China.
Under Japan's control of East Hebei, the region broke into reported "lawlessness", with the puppet state purportedly selling drugs to raise money.
He also claimed that "the Indian people will co-operate wholeheartedly with our Ally, the Nippon Army, who are giving us unstinted and unconditional assistance in defeating our enemies."
[35] Japan occupied Vietnam for much of World War II, and this set up a climate favorable to more radical ideas and revolutionary nationalism.
In an effort to save downed American pilots lost in Vietnam, the US agreed to aid the Viet Minh army, and train their technicians.
After the first revolution, on 9 March 1945, the French governor of Indochina Jean Decoux was arrested, and replaced (by the Japanese government) with Bảo Đại.
On 13 March, Norodom Sihanouk agreed with Japanese wishes, and declared that Cambodia was now the independent Kingdom of Kampuchea, and nullified all Franco-Cambodian agreements.
The staunchly pro-French King Sisavang Vong was also imprisoned and forced by the Japanese, and at much urging from Prince Phetsarath, into declaring the French protectorate over his kingdom ended, while entering the nation into the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere on 8 April 1945.
[41] Albania was freed from German control on 29 November 1944, when Albanian Communist Partisans liberated the last German-controlled city, Shkodër.
The Vichy regime was not however replaced with a military government; the German authorities supervised and enforced laws with the aid of the Gestapo.
Slavko Kvaternik, one of the founders of the Fascist Ustaše movement, announced the creation of the Independent State of Croatia (often abbreviated NDH) on 10 April 1941.
Upon reaching Orel, Kursk, and Bryansk, the Nazis were greeted by the ardent anti-communist Bronislav Kaminski and his forces, who were actively fighting the Soviets.
[54] RONA's forces were allowed to control the area in November 1941 by Rudolf Schmidt, though it is unclear whether he acted of his own accord or on another officer's orders.
By 1943 however, RONA began to suffer many desertions, due to Russia's improved position against Germany, and the Lokot Autonomy was evacuated by August 1943.
Frustration of Italian citizens with Mussolini and his views peaked in 1943, when Allied bombings destroyed large amounts of food and fuel.
Italian politicians at the time, including Victor Emmanuel III, King of Italy, had decided that the Axis was losing the war, and that negotiations would be impossible with Mussolini in power.
All of central and northern Italy were occupied in a matter of hours, and the puppet state of the Italian Social Republic set up.
[57] The German occupation of Belarus began the same day as Operation Barbarossa (22 June 1941) due to its proximity to the German-Soviet border.
[61] On 18 March 1944, Hungary's Regent Miklós Horthy met with Hitler as German troops silently crossed the Hungarian border.
[62] During his meeting with Hitler, Horthy was informed of invasion and forced to accept changes to replace Prime Minister Miklós Kállay, known to have been talking with the West, with Döme Sztójay.
