EXPERIENCING WAR: CHINESE WORKERS IN RUSSIA DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR

Migration between China and Russia has a long and complex history. This migration was encouraged by the geographical proximity of the two countries, by the complementarity of their economies and by their intense political relations. With the outbreak of First World War, Russia was forced to resort to Chinese workers in order compensate for the shortage of labor caused by the military conscription of large numbers of Russian peasants and workers. Chinese workers were employed on major railway building and military fortification projects, mining, and in arms and other military production. This paper explores the war experiences of the Chinese in Russia during the First World War and analyses their contribution to the Russian war effort.