Top Secrets Revealed: The Political Ambitions of China's Last Emperor, 1933–1937

Abstract:Using the documentation of secret meetings recorded by Hayashide Kenjirō, "Genpi kaiken roku," this article analyzes the political ambitions of the last emperor of China, Puyi. The image of a puppet clings to Puyi, the leader of Manchukuo, as does the opinion that he planned to utilize the Japanese to revive the Qing dynasty. I challenge these notions. This article deems Puyi a more ambitious and autonomous individual who primarily identified with Japan's imperial projects in China Proper. Chronologically analyzing Puyi's conversations with the Kantō Army's four supreme commanders between 1933 and 1937, I argue that Puyi's desire for autonomous power and a lack of good information from the outside world motivated his support of Japan's expansion in China and prompted him to identify Manchukuo's interests with Japan's. Puyi frequently influenced Manchukuo's policies, confirming that his political role was more prominent than many have imagined.