How Did China's Stand Against Japanese Imperialism

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China’s Stand Against Japanese Imperialism During the Second Sino-Japanese War “If a country cannot defend itself, it has every chance of losing its existence.” These words—spoken by Chinese Nationalist Party leader Chiang Kai-Shek during his “Essentials to a New Life Movement” speech in 1934—were a rallying call for a united resistance to Japanese imperialism. On September 18, 1931, Japanese troops bombed a section of the South Manchuria Railway Track near Mukden, thus asserting Japan’s presence in China and initiating a decade long conflict. With the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War of 1937-1945, China took a stand against Japan. They prevented Japan from conquering China and from continuing its pursuit of dominance in Asia by never faltering in their stance against the imposing threat despite lacking advanced technology, tactic, and skill.
Pre-War China
From 1927 to 1949, China was immersed in a civil war with different powers fighting for control of the government (“Chinese Civil War (1927-1949)”). After the long-lasting Qing Dynasty was replaced by the Republic in 1912 and the government was being dominated by warlords, Sun Yat-Sen created the Chinese Nationalist Party, …show more content…

As part of the agreements at the end of the Russo-Japanese war, Japan gained control of the South Manchurian Railway which was used to transport raw materials and goods to Korean docks to be shipped to Japan (“Second Sino-Japanese War”). The protection of this trade route and investment in China was considered top priority to the Japanese (Beasley). To protect and ensure its success, Japan sent troops from the Kwangtung Army, a hotbed for young officers, to defend the railway (Gruhl). As involvement in Chinese affairs continued to increase, military leaders became more and more interested in expansion into Manchuria, especially young officers

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