Over 100 years ago in China, the country was emerging onto the world stage. It wasn't easy. There were lots of foreign players on the scene, each with its own agenda that sought profit from involvement with the vast geography that had now begun to take its place on the world stage. France, Great Britain, the United States were among those key players. Other countries did not get overly involved as they, too, were stepping up their respective international position(s), albeit, smaller.
The industrial revolution was rolling along, expanding globally as new technology surged as the big machines began to make the world over. Electricity, steam, and iron and steel became a necessary component of industrial might. Across the Sea of Japan, a powerhouse of industry was making significant industrial progress. Japan had defeated the Russians in the Battle of Tsushima Straits in 1905, humbling the Czar and crushing the former naval might of the country, sinking capital ships with entire crews onboard.
During this time period, railroads marked progress for any country that invested in interconnected rail lines. However, China was late to the game with barely 500 miles of track on the ground. In 1923, a new line was opened, linking Shanghai on the east coast with Peiping in the north plain of China. This 200+ stretch of track would provide rapid service between the capitol city and the dynamic business center on the coast. Simultaneously, foreign business had become entrenched in Shanghai and after much negotiations, certain portions of the city were enclaves of foreign countries where the Chinese government had ceded control to said foreign countries. Here we had Germany, France, Great Britain, the United States operating independent territories under their home governments. What could go wrong? Hmmm.
Concurrently, the central government of China was in upheaval: the dynastic model had been overthrown, the result of revolution(s). Outside of the cities, warlords and their followers held sway and ruthlessly maintained a loose order based on their aggressive military activities. While not threatening major cities, the rebels/pirates used various methods to survive, to include the capture of hostages for ransom. Thus the table was set in 1923 for one of the most notorious train holdups in history. The Peking Express Affair.
more later
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