Master Yuan, start!

"Is it a Sino-US joint concession?"

Yuan Xiangcheng frowned and explained, "The situation in Vladivostok is different from that in Manila, so it's not suitable to be directly applied.

Seeing Yuan Xiangcheng's direct refusal, old Hoover's face changed slightly.

"Yuan, forgive me for being blunt, do you really think you have the final say on the leadership of Vladivostok?"

Thinking of the Russians' potential strength, Hoover said according to his own understanding: "Occupying Vladivostok does not mean you can dispose of it."

"Why not?"

Hearing Old Hoover's question, Yuan Xiangcheng asked back with a serious expression:

"Vladivostok has been Chinese territory since ancient times. It was only because of the Qing dynasty's excessive cowardice that the Russians seized this land without firing a single shot.

Can you believe it, Brad?

Under Russian intimidation, the Manchurian Tatars actually gave up a territory equal in size to the thirteen original states of the United States and a river as long as the Mississippi River.

The original words of the above sentence were Engels's sigh after he learned that Tsarist Russia had seized large tracts of territory in the Far East.

The original words were: "The Russians seized territory equal to the area of ​​France and Germany, and a river as long as the Danube."

In order to make it easier for Brad to understand, Yuan Xiangcheng was replaced with the geographical conditions of the United States.

In fact, whenever he thought of this period of history, he felt that the Qing Dynasty was so foolish and hopeless.

How could the Russians seize an area of ​​more than one million square kilometers so easily?

You should know that the area of ​​the thirteen states that founded the United States is only more than 80 square kilometers.

The Qing Dynasty was so rich and powerful that it actually gave away the United States.

“Brad, you’re American, so let me give you another example so you can understand.

You know, even a place like Alaska, which is rarely visited and is frozen for 12 months out of the 10 months, the United States spent 750 million US dollars to buy it.

And for a land rich in fish, rare birds, mink furs, and grain, the price the Russians paid for acquiring it was zero!"

"But according to international law, Vladivostok is still Russian territory."

Old Hoover looked at Yuan Xiangcheng, whose face flushed red, and persuaded him:

"Yuan, at least in international treaties, the place is still called Vladivostok, not Vladivostok.

If you want to annex Russian territory, it is aggression.

By then, they would probably be facing not just 10 Far Eastern Russian troops, but nearly one million Tsarist troops.

And, morally, you will lose the support of civilized nations.”

“Brad, look at what you said, I’m not that reckless person.

China has always emphasized the importance of having a legitimate reason for its actions since ancient times. I did not invade Russian territory without any reason."

Faced with his good friend's concern, Yuan Xiangcheng smiled indifferently. He clapped his hands, and immediately someone came forward from behind the screen holding a tray in both hands.

"This is"

Old Hoover pointed at the thick parchment on the tray, somewhat puzzled.

“This is the Beijing Treaty”

Yuan Xiangcheng clutched a few pages of parchment in his palm, looking a little dazed for a moment.

Historically, this document, which witnessed the humiliating history of the Chinese people, was taken to a small island by Chiang Kai-shek and kept in a fake Palace Museum on the island. It could not witness the rise and revival of New China.

However, in this time and space, after Yuan Shikai entered Beijing, it lay quietly in the library of the Ministry of Revenue, waiting for the arrival of the right person.

Yuan Shikai crossed his right index finger and thumb, holding the Chinese original of the Treaty of Beijing in front of him.

"Or perhaps it would be more appropriate to call it a treaty."

In the second half of the sentence, Yuan Xiangcheng spoke in the poor Russian he had just learned, but this did not affect old Hoover's understanding of his meaning.

The Treaty of Beijing sounds like one treaty, but it is actually three treaties.

It was an unequal treaty signed by the Qing Dynasty with Britain, France and Russia in 1860.

In Hoover's opinion, since Yuan used Russian, the Beijing Treaty he brought out must be the one signed with the Russians.

"In fact, this treaty has a big loophole."

Looking at old Hoover's somewhat puzzled expression, Yuan Xiangcheng smiled and spoke slowly.

Chapter 345 Let the Americans take the bait (with Figure 9

Loopholes?

Yuan Xiangcheng's words made old Hoover a little puzzled.

What loopholes? The Outer Northeast region is not like those fragmented regions in Europe that involve territorial succession disputes. How could there be loopholes?

Could it be that this place is actually the fiefdom of a European royal family?

Old Hoover couldn't help but let his mind wander.

"Brad, perhaps you don't know that the Russians forced the Qing Dynasty to sign the Sino-Russian Beijing Treaty for two purposes."

Before old Hoover could speak, Yuan Xiangcheng took the original copy of the Sino-Russian Beijing Treaty and explained:

8269851.?

“First, it is to confirm the legality of the Aihui Treaty.

The second is to cede the territory south of the Heilongjiang River and east of the Ussuri River."

Yuan Xiangcheng slowly recounted the whole story of the Russian invasion of Outer Manchuria, word by word.

Historically, the Russians' occupation of Outer Manchuria seemed straightforward, swallowing it all in one go.

In fact, it is divided into two major steps.

In the first step, the Russians forced Heilongjiang General Yishan to sign the Treaty of Aihui in 1858, which seemed to have gained the land north of the Heilongjiang River, about 60 square kilometers.

img src="

However, as a local chief executive, Yishan did not have the power to sign a territorial change treaty on behalf of the central government.

This is indeed the case. After Yishan reported the treaty to the court, the Qing Dynasty did not approve the treaty, but instead demoted Yishan to the lowest position and recalled him to Beijing for punishment.

The Treaty of Aihui was never followed up.

The second step was that in 1860, Russia took advantage of the British and French forces' attack on Beijing to force the Qing Dynasty to sign the Treaty of Beijing, otherwise it would send troops south to attack Mongolia and encircle the capital together with the British and French forces.

In fact, the Russians were just intimidating. They did not have the strength to send a large army across the Outer Mongolian Plateau and the Inner Mongolian Gobi Desert.

But at that time, Xianfeng still believed it, was scared, admitted it, and signed it.

The subsequent Sino-Russian Beijing Treaty not only recognized the territorial cession clauses in the Treaty of Aihui, but also ceded the territory east of the Ussuri River.

In other words, the legitimacy of the unequal treaty, the Treaty of Aihui, was actually ensured by another unequal treaty, the Sino-Russian Treaty of Beijing.

Even though it was later recognized by the Manchu Qing court, the treaty was flawed in terms of procedure.

However, this is not the point.

What is even more fatal is that a loophole in the Sino-Russian Beijing Treaty is enough to turn this unequal treaty into waste paper.

Clearly stated in the treaty

"The land east of the Ussuri River belongs to Russia, and the land west of it belongs to China."

But after this sentence, the Russians added another sentence

"The areas mentioned above are all open areas. Russia may not occupy any areas where Chinese people live or where they fish or hunt."

In other words, although it was agreed to cede land, if there were Chinese people living or fishing and hunting on the land occupied by the Russians, then this area could not be ceded to Russia.

Who would have thought that a territory that had been occupied by the Russians for 30 years did not actually belong entirely to Russia?

This small loophole was naturally ignored when the Qing Dynasty was weak and Russia was strong.

Just like when the benevolent father was in power, the Soviet Constitution clearly stated that the republics were allowed to withdraw from the Soviet Union.

In fact, if any first secretary dared to do this, he would probably appear in the Lubyanka the next day.

On the third day they would be on the Trans-Siberian train, and within a week they would be picking up hoes and digging potatoes.

However, when the Soviet Union was in turmoil, this clause, which was initially ignored by everyone, became an invisible bomb that led to the disintegration of the Soviet Union.

The same is true of the loopholes in the Sino-Russian Beijing Treaty. At this moment, it became a weapon in Yuan Shikai's hands to break through the legal basis of the Russians.

"The Qing Dynasty did not fully understand this treaty and simply allowed the Chinese to gather in places like Blagoveshchensk and the Sixty-Four Villages of Jiangdong.

In fact, I think the entire area east of the Ussuri River is covered by this treaty."

The Far East was in great chaos. There were French and Germans in the south, Russians in the north, and the British entrenched in both the north and the south.

If the United States wants to get involved, it needs a legitimate reason.

Southern East Asia has been almost completely occupied by Britain and France, and is also the center of the colonial economy of the two countries.

If they force their way in, it will easily provoke countermeasures from both countries.

But it’s different in the north, there are only Russians.

If the United States can gain a foothold here, then the waters from Alaska to Vladivostok can be said to be the world of the US Navy!

If we add Hawaii, which has just been incorporated into the territory, wouldn’t the North Pacific become the inland lake of America?

"Yuan, you are such a genius!"

Old Hoover stood up quickly and hugged Yuan Xiangcheng tightly.

"Don't be impatient, Brad. I told you, the Chinese won't treat their friends unfairly."

Yuan Xiangcheng put down the parchment, helped Old Hoover to a chair, and whispered:

“Kamchatka is so far away from Beijing, but it’s so close to Alaska.

If your country is interested, I would be happy to help America, which also has a republican government, purchase this land."

Yuan Xiangcheng specifically emphasized the pronunciation of the word "purchase".

"What do you think, old friend?"

Old Hoover widened his eyes and looked at Yuan Xiangcheng in disbelief, who was full of confidence in front of him.