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Japanese Expansion in China – Invasion of Manchuria


Japan had deep-rooted interest in Manchuria due to economic, political and strategic reasons. Japan population was increasing leaps and bounds and she was looking for addition territory for her population. Japan wanted to occupy fertile Manchuria in a bid to tide over crisis created by economic depression of 1929-31. The aggressive nationalism of Japan was interpreted to mean strong international policy. The pressure of army for expansion in China was increasing over civil administration.

Japan had already got control over the south Manchurian railway. She was entitled to keep 15,000 soldiers in Manchuria for the protection of the railways. These soldiers were stationed at Mukden. In 1931, in the out skirts of Mukden, bomb exploded causing a slight damage to a small portion of Japanese hold Chinese responsible for the explosion and at once attacked Chinese army. The Chinese army which offered feeble resistance was easily dispersed and the whole of Manchuria was overran by Japanese army.

Then Japanese established an independent government in Manchuria.

The Chinese government lodged a protest with League of Nations. The league council appointed a commission handed by Lord Lytton to investigate the situation and to make recommendation for possible solution. The Lytton commission included representation from Britain, France, Italy, Germany and USA. The commission suggested that Manchuria be made an autonomous province under Chinese control. Opposing this proposal, Japan withdrew her membership from league and continued her control over Manchuria. The failure of the league was a great blow to the principle of collective security.

The success of Manchuria expedition encouraged Japan’s imperialistic aspiration. In 1933 Japanese began to advance from Manchuria in to the rest of north eastern China, to which they had no claim. After signing the Anti-Comintern pact with Germany in 1936, the Japanese army seized the excuse provided by an incident between Chinese and Japanese troops in Peking and started a full scale invasion of China. By 1938 the Japanese had captured the cities of Shanghai, Nanking and Hankow. Later they captured Canton, but Chaing still refused to surrender. Thus on the eve of Second World War, the Japanese controlled most of eastern China.

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