Japan's Invasion of Manchuria
In 1931, the Japanese Kwangtung Army attacked Chinese troops in
Manchuria in an event commonly known as the Manchurian Incident.
Essentially, this was an attempt by the Japanese Empire to gain
control over the whole province, in order to eventually encompass all
of East Asia. This proved to be one of the causes of World War IIs(1).
Japan modernized between 1868 and World War One. It emerged as a
modern industrial economy with giant companies - zaibatsus - that
assumed great importance as trading enterprises. Japan's expansion was
marked by wars of expansion - defeats China over Korea in 1894-5 and
Russia over Manchuria in 1904-5. The latter war sees the Japanese navy
sink Russia's at the Battle of Tsushima in 1905( 5). The Japanese navy
had led Japan into the ranks of modern industrialized powers. In World
War One Japan acquired German islands north of the Equator. In the
Depression Years, Japan moves to acquire an Empire - 'The East Asia
Co-Prosperity Sphere'( 2 ). This was due largely to the break-up of
the world into trade blocs with Japan frozen out of many markets. The
1929 Depression hit Japan hard. The civilian government had no
solutions to the problems presented by the worldwide depression and
the civilian government looked weak. The unemployed of Japan looked to
the strength of the army to assist their plight rather than to weak
politicians. “The voice of senior army generals were heard and they
argued campaign to win new colonies abroad so that the industries
there could be exploited for Japan. (2)” Japan invaded Manchuria in
1931, which caused many blames by the League of Nations. By 1931,
Japan had invested vast sums of money into the economy of Manchuria,
which was effectively controlled by the South Manchuria Railway
Company.
In 1937 Japan invaded China and, after the collapse of France, moved
to acquire bases in French Indo-China- this led by degrees to the war
in the Pacific, especially after the US oil embargo in July 1941(6).
Japan struck at US and UK bases in Dec.