The Chinese Eastern Railway in the Context of Czarist RussiaThe Chinese Eastern Railway in the Context of Czarist Russia

By: Katya Mueller

The Chinese Eastern Railway was built to continue the Russian Trans-Siberian Railway through Manchuria to reach Vladivostok. Created at the end of the First Sino-Japanese War, it has been involved in the Boxer Uprising, the Russo-Japanese War and the Sino-Soviet Conflict. Though small and unassuming, the railway was a part of Russia’s imperial designs to move into Manchuria to establish dominance. Her control over Port Arthur and Dalian proved especially important for trade and increasing Russia’s military presence within Manchuria. Russia’s loss during the Russo-Japanese War led to the decline of Russian influence, the loss of the Southern Manchurian Railway to Japan, and dashed Russia’s hopes of extending her influence into the Korean Peninsula. This project maps the Chinese Eastern Railway from 1903 to 1917.