Concessions in Tianjin

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The Concessions in Tianjin were concession territories ceded by the Qing Dynasty to the imperial powers in Tianjin (then romanized in Postal map spelling as Tientsin), China.

1 General context
2 American concession
3 Austro-Hungarian concession (1901-1917)
- 3.1 List of consuls
4 Belgian concession (1902-1931)
5 British concession (1860-1943)
6 French concession (1860-1946)
7 German concession (1899-1917)
8 Italian concession (1901-1947)
9 Japanese concession (1895-1945)
10 Russian concession (1903-1924)
11 Sources and references

[edit] General context

By the mid nineteenth century Tianjin (known then as Tientsin) was opened up to foreign trade, and the importance of Tianjin was enhanced by the railways connecting it with Beijing on the one hand since 1897, and with Shanhai-kwan and Manchuria on the other.

The British and French concessions were the earliest to be created in Tientsin; between 1895 and 1900 they were joined by Japan, Germany, Imperial Russia, and even by countries that did not yet hold concessions elsewhere in China: Austria-Hungary, Italy and Belgium in establishing self-contained concessions each with their own prisons, schools, barracks and hospitals. The European settlements covered five miles (8 km) in all, the river front being governed by foreign powers.

Concessions in Tianjin dismantled in the early to mid-20th century, first with successful diplomacy under the Kuomintang and later when the new government under the Communist Party of China seized all foreign property in Mainland China - it could ideologically never allow any 'imperialist' intrusion on its sovereign and indivisible territory, so it denounced the unequal treaties as invalid extortions. The exception was Hong Kong, which was allowed to reach the expiration of the lease on part of its territory.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] American concession

[edit] Austro-Hungarian concession (1901-1917)

During the Boxer rebellion and its aftermath 1899-1901, Austria-Hungary participated in the Eight-Nation Alliance and helped in suppressing the rising. However Austria sent by far the smallest force of any of the combatant nation. Only one warship and a force of only 75 marines were despatched.

Even so on 7th September 1901, Austria gained a concession zone in Tianjin as part of the reward for its contribution to the allies. The Austrian concession zone was 150 acres (0.61 km²) in area, slightly larger then the Italian, but smaller then the Belgian zone. The self-contained concession had its own prison, school, barracks and hospital. It also contained the Austro-Hungarian consulate and its citizens were under Austrian, not Chinese rule. If they committed a crime on Chinese soil they could be tried in their own courts.

Though it was provided with a small garrison, Austria proved unable, due to World war one to maintain control of its concession. The concession zone was swiftly occupied by China at the Chinese declaration of war on the Central powers and on 14th August 1917 the lease was terminated, along with that of the larger German concession in the same city. Austria finally abandoned all claim to it on September 10, 1919 (Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye), Hungary made a similar recognition in 1920 (Treaty of Trianon).

However despite its relatively short life-span (only 16 years in all), the Austrians have left their mark on that area of the city, as can be seen in the wealth of Austrian architecture, that stands in the city to this day.

[edit] List of consuls

Carl Bernauer (1901-1908)
Erwin Ritter von Zach (1908)
Miloslav Kobr (1908-1912)
Hugo Schumpeter (1913-1917)

[edit] Belgian concession (1902-1931)

[edit] British concession (1860-1943)

The British concession, in which the trade centres, was situated on the right bank of the river Peiho below the native city, occupying some 200 acres (0.81 km²). It was held on a lease in perpetuity granted by the Chinese government to the British Crown, which sublet plots to private owners in the same way as was done at Hankow. The local management was entrusted to a municipal council organized on lines similar to those which obtain at Shanghai.

[edit] French concession (1860-1946)

[edit] German concession (1899-1917)

[edit] Italian concession (1901-1947)

On 7 September 1901, a concession in Tientsin was ceded to the Kingdom of Italy by the Qing Dynasty of China. On 7 June 1902, the concession was taken into Italian possession and administered by an Italian consul. In 1935, the Italian concession had a population of about 6,261, including about 536 foreigners. The Italian Royal Navy (Regia Marina) stationed some vessels at Tientsin.

During World War II, the Italian concession in Tientsin had a garrison of approximately 600 Italian troops on the side of the Axis. On 10 September 1943, when Italy signed an armistice with the Allies, the concession was occupied by the Imperial Japanese Army. Later in 1943, Benito Mussolini's Fascist Italian Social Republic (Repubblica Sociale Italiana, or RSI) formally relinquished the concession to the Wang Jingwei Chinese Government. Like the RSI in Axis-held northern Italy, Wang Jingwei's Japanese-sponsored Chinese government was a puppet state and was not recognized by the Kingdom of Italy, by the Republic of China, or by most nations. The Wang Jingwei Government ended when the Empire of Japan was defeated.

On June 2, 1946, the Kingdom of Italy became the Italian Republic (Repubblica Italiana).

On 10 February 1947, by virtue of the peace treaty with Italy, the Italian concession was formally ceded by Italy to Chiang Kai-shek's Republic of China.