Russian Empire It is often said that, prior to the
Partitions of Poland, during the reigns of
Augustus II and
Augustus III,
Poland-Lithuania was essentially a client state of Russia, since both kings were elected with strong Russian (and to a lesser extent Habsburg Austrian) backing against French- and Swedish-influenced
Stanislaw I, later staying in power with extensive Russian support.
Austria-Hungary tried to make
Serbia a client state in order to form a
Christian opposition to the
Ottoman Empire, but after the 1903
May Coup, Serbia came under the influence of
Russia, which was forming a pan-
Eastern Orthodox opposition to the Latin Christianity represented by the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In 1914, Russia repeatedly warned Austria-Hungary against attacking Serbia. When it did attack, Russia mobilised its army. Russia also wanted
Bulgaria and
Montenegro as client states, although Bulgaria joined the war on the side of Austria-Hungary. At the time,
Great Britain and Austria-Hungary both considered Serbia as a client state controlled by Russia.
First French Empire and its satellite states in 1812 During the
Revolutionary and
Napoleonic eras (1789–1815), France conquered most of
western Europe and established several client states. At first, during the
French Revolutionary Wars, these states were erected as "
Républiques sœurs" ("
sister republics"). They were established in Italy (the
Cisalpine Republic in
Northern Italy and the
Parthenopean Republic in
Southern Italy), Greece (
Îles Ioniennes), Switzerland (the
Helvetic Republic and the
Rhodanic Republic), and Belgium and the Netherlands (
Batavian Republic). During the
First French Empire, while
Napoleon I and the
French Army occupied much of
Europe, such states changed, and several new states were formed. The Italian republics were transformed into the
Kingdom of Italy under Napoleon's direct rule in the north, and the
Kingdom of Naples in the south, first under
Joseph Bonaparte and later under
Marshal Joachim Murat. A third state was created in the Italian Peninsula, the
Kingdom of Etruria. The Batavian Republic was replaced by the
Kingdom of Holland, ruled by Napoleon's third brother,
Louis Bonaparte. A total of 35 German states, all of them allies of France, seceded from the
Holy Roman Empire to create the
Confederation of the Rhine, a client state created to provide a buffer between France and its two largest enemies to the east,
Prussia and
Austria. Two of those states were Napoleonic creations: the
Kingdom of Westphalia, which was controlled by
Jérôme Bonaparte, the Emperor's youngest brother; and the
Grand Duchy of Würzburg as was Poland, then the
Duchy of Warsaw. During the
French invasion of the Iberian Peninsula, Napoleon attempted to subjugate Portugal and Spain into a client
Kingdom of Spain, but the French were eventually driven out of Iberia in a costly war.
France after decolonisation In the 20th century, France exercised a sphere of influence, or
Françafrique over its
former African colonies, and to some degree former Belgian colonies in Africa (which were also French-speaking). The term is sometimes used pejoratively, to characterise the relationship with France as neocolonial. The former colonies provide oil and minerals important to the
French economy, and in some, French companies have commercial interests.
British Empire s in yellow The
Indian princely states were nominally sovereign entities in the
British Empire and in 1947, were given a choice to either accede to independent
India or
Pakistan or get independence (the
Nizam of Hyderabad did opt for independence but his kingdom was
annexed by Indian forces in 1948).
Egyptian independence in 1922 ended its brief status as a British protectorate and
Iraq was made a kingdom in 1932. But in both cases, the economic and military reality did not amount to full independence, but a status where the local rulers were British clients. Other instances include Africa (e.g. Northern Nigeria under
Lord Lugard), and the
Unfederated Malay States; the policy of
indirect rule.
Germany World War I •
Kingdom of Poland (1917–1918) •
Kingdom of Lithuania (1918) • (1918) •
Duchy of Courland and Semigallia (1918) •
United Baltic Duchy (1918) • (1918)
World War II •
Slovak Republic (1939–1945) • (1940–1944) •
Albanian Kingdom (1943–1944)
United States The term has also been applied to states which are extremely economically dependent on a more powerful nation. The three Pacific Ocean countries associated with the United States under the
Compact of Free Association (the
Federated States of Micronesia, the
Marshall Islands, and
Palau) have been called client states. The
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (2004–2021) has been described as a client state of the United States. It existed during the
War in Afghanistan (2001–2021). It was established following the
US-led overthrow of the Taliban regime in 2001 and lasted until the Taliban's return to power in 2021.
Imperial Japan (red) within
Imperial Japan's sphere of influence in 1939 In the late 19th century, the
Empire of Japan gradually reduced
Joseon Korea's status to that of a client state. In the early 20th century, this was converted to
direct rule.
Manchukuo, in contrast, remained a
puppet state throughout World War II. • (1943–1945) • (1943–1945) •
Kingdom of Kampuchea (1945) • China (
East Hebei Autonomous Government and
North Shanxi Autonomous Government) •
Great Way Government (1937–1938) •
Provisional Government of the Republic of China (1937–1940) •
Reorganised National Government of the Republic of China (1940–1945) • (After the
First Sino-Japanese War) • (1905–1910) •
Kingdom of Luang Phrabang (1945) • (1932–1945) • (1939–1945) • (1943–1945) •
Empire of Vietnam (1945) In 1915, the Japanese government published the
Twenty-One Demands, whose last seven demands of Section 5 would've transformed the Chinese economy and government so much that China would've essentially become a client state of Japan. During World War II,
Macau was left unoccupied by the Japanese military, unlike neighboring
Hong Kong or fellow Portuguese colony
Timor, yet Japanese civilian advisors were forcefully installed to patrol the city instead, thus turning it into a
de facto Japanese protectorate.
Soviet Union Soviet proxy,
"satellite", or client states included much of the
Warsaw Pact member states whose policies were heavily influenced by Soviet military power and economic aid. Other nations with
Marxist–Leninist governments were routinely criticised as being Soviet proxies as well, among them
Cuba following the
Cuban Revolution, the
Chinese Soviet Republic,
North Korea,
North Vietnam, the
Socialist Republic of Vietnam,
South Yemen, the
People's Republic of Angola, the
People's Republic of Mozambique, and the
Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. Within the
Soviet Union itself, the
Ukrainian SSR and the
Byelorussian SSR, had seats at the
United Nations, but were actually proper Soviet territory. == See also ==