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Eynulla Madatli
The Second Republic in Eastern Turkestan and its relations
with the USSR
Summary
During the Second World War, in the
new international conditions, the movement started by a
group of freedom-loving rebels in Eastern Turkestan (Sinkiang/Xinjiang) in 1944 grew and became
massive, and the Han garrisons were withdrawn from the region. On November 12, rebels in Ghulja
(Yining in Chinese) announced the establishment of a Republic in Eastern Turkestan. It was the
11th anniversary of the establishment of the first Republic in Kashgar.
Well-known religious
figures, merchants, landowners, leading intellectuals were represented in this government. The
government was headed by the influential religious figure Alikhan Tora Shakirjanov. But, he was
more a nationalist Islamist who carried the idea of Turkishness
than an Islamic scholar, and he
played an active role during the First Republic.
The USSR did not accept the First Republic, but it supported the Second one in full. The First
Republic lived for only 3 months, and the Second one was able to function for 5 years. This
government
carried out land reform, was able to establish its own governance system, currency,
armed forces and sovereignty in the regions it controlled. Naturally, this was due to the geopolitical
situation created in the region by World War II. The victory of the Communists in China changed
Stalin‘s intentions regarding Eastern Turkestan. Before, in order to influence and negotiate with the
Guomindang
government, it needed to have influence in Sinkiang, but now the communist
government had already been established in China. The Soviets even provided logistical assistance
to the People‘s Liberation Army of China to capture Eastern Turkestan. Thus, in September 1949,
the Eastern Turkestan Republic was forced
to accept the rule of China
The term Eastern Turkestan Republic is not accepted in Chinese historiography and official
researches. But, the Uighurs did not forget the history of these two republics.
Keywords: Eastern Turkestan, Uyghurs,
Soviet Union, World War II, Republic,
Guomindang (Kuomintang) Government of China, the People‟s Republic of China
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