Japanese invasion of Manchuria

Quick Facts: Who was Japanese invasion of Manchuria?

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Japanese invasion of Manchuria

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Japanese military action leading to the establishment of Manchukuo puppet state.

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2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The Empire of Japan's Kwantung Army invaded the Manchuria region of China on 18 September 1931, immediately following the Mukden incident, a false flag event staged by Japanese military personnel as a pretext to invade. At the war's end in February 1932, the Japanese established the puppet state of Manchukuo. The occupation lasted until mid-August 1945, towards the end of the Second World War, in the face of an onslaught by the Soviet Union and Mongolia during the Manchurian Strategic Offensive Operation. With the invasion having attracted great international attention, the League of Nations produced the Lytton Commission (headed by British politician Victor Bulwer-Lytton) to evaluate the situation, with the organization delivering its findings in October 1932. Its findings and recommendations, namely that the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo was not to be recognized, and Manchuria had to be returned to Chinese sovereignty, prompted the Japanese government to withdraw from the League entirely.

Career & Major Achievements

Since the end of the Russo-Japanese War in 1905, the Liaodong peninsula was a leased territory of Japan. Thus, Tokyo exercised informal rule over Manchuria. Under Japanese control, economic gains increased; by the end of the 1920s, 39.4 percent of all colonial financial investments went into Manchuria. Japan was confronted in the early 1930s with two crucial problems. Due to the world financial crisis, its economy had been in a state of chronic malaise for three years.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

In Manchuria, nationalists under the former Japanese ally Zhang Xueliang had aroused intense anti-Japanese sentiment. In 1928 Zhang reunited with the Kuomintang under Chiang Kai-shek, forming the Nationalist government. As a result, Japan found itself increasingly deprived of its influence in Manchuria. Radical groups within the government and the Army schemed for the opportunity to act on the “Manchurian question.” The Hamaguchi government, and especially the non-interventionist policy in China of Foreign Minister Kijūrō Shidehara, was considered negative for future Japanese interests. In order to get rid of Shidehara's conciliatory policy, radical military officers including Daisaku Komoto and Suzuki Teiichi planned a coup d’état to take control of the civil government in Tokyo.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1905: 1905 Milestone — Since the end of the Russo-Japanese War in 1905, the Liaodong peninsula was a leased territory of Japan.
2. 1928: 1928 Milestone — In 1928 Zhang reunited with the Kuomintang under Chiang Kai-shek, forming the Nationalist government.
3. 1931: 1931 Milestone — The Empire of Japan's Kwantung Army invaded the Manchuria region of China on 18 September 1931, immediately following the Mukden incident, a false flag event staged by Japanese military personnel as a pretext to invade.
4. 1932: 1932 Milestone — At the war's end in February 1932, the Japanese established the puppet state of Manchukuo.
5. 1945: 1945 Milestone — The occupation lasted until mid-August 1945, towards the end of the Second World War, in the face of an onslaught by the Soviet Union and Mongolia during the Manchurian Strategic Offensive Operation.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Japanese invasion of Manchuria

True or False: “The League of Nations immediately recognized the Japanese annexation of Manchuria after its findings were presented in 1932.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): The Lytton Commission's findings prompted the Japanese government to withdraw from the League entirely because it recommended that Manchukuo not be recognized.

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