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The final abdication of China’s last emperor occurred on August 17, 1945, marking Puyi’s departure from the throne for the third time. In 1934, he had been installed as the Emperor of Manchukuo, a puppet state established by Japan in northern China. Despite his title, Puyi wielded minimal authority over the region.
During his reign, he enacted a law that criminalised certain thoughts, warning the populace against harbouring sentiments of Chinese nationalism or expressing dissent towards the Manchukuo regime, with strict penalties for those who did. However, following Japan’s surrender to the Allies a day earlier, Puyi chose to renounce his position and made an attempt to escape.