2.3.2 The Manchurian Crisis 1931

Question 1

What were the causes of the Manchurian Crisis? (3)

Answer 1

• In 1929, the Wall Street Crash started the Great Depression. Japan suffered greatly; its main export was silk, a luxury item that most people could not afford during the Depression
• Japan became more militaristic - the government looked for land to invade, thinking it would give them more natural resources. Manchuria, in north China, was rich in natural resources
• Japan already had business in Manchuria in the form of a railway which made them think it would be easy to invade (this was on the China/Japan border)

Question 2

Why did Japan think invading Manchuria would be relatively easy? (2)

Answer 2

• Japan already had business in Manchuria in the form of a railway on the China/Japan border which made them think it would be easy to invade
• The Japanese thought this would be easy as China’s government was weak and divided

Question 3

What was the Mukden incident?

Answer 3

An explosion occurred on the Japanese-owned South Manchurian Railway. Japan blamed China but the Chinese denied that they were involved

Question 4

What happened in February 1932, shortly after the Mukden incident?

Answer 4

The Japanese government had wanted friendship with Manchuria but the army ignored this and invaded it. When the people reacted positively the government decided not to stop the army’s invasion. Soon a ‘puppet leader’ (one Japan could control) was put in charge of Manchuria

Question 5

What happened in March 1932, after the army invaded Manchuria?

Answer 5

China appealed to the League, which was reluctant to act: Japan was one of its leading members and Manchuria was far from Europe, where the League was based. Also, they felt that because Japan already had industry in Manchuria, it was pretty much their land to take. However, the League did issue a moral condemnation

Question 6

Why was the League reluctant to react to the Manchurian Crisis? (4)

Answer 6

• They felt that because Japan already had industry in Manchuria, it was pretty much their land
• The Japanese were also one of the most powerful countries in the League so the other countries did little to stop them
• Manchuria was far from Europe, where the League was based
• They were also more concerned with their own issues at home

Question 7

What happened after the League issued a moral condemnation to Japan?

Answer 7

Japan ignored the League. There was very little the League could do without its own army, and its members didn’t want to send their own armies so far away.

Question 8

Why would an economic sanction be useless towards Japan?

Answer 8

Japan’s main trade partner, the USA, was not part of the League

Question 9

What happened in April 1932?

Answer 9

The League sent British politician Lord Lytton to investigate; he took nearly a year to write his report (published in October 1932), by which time Japan had invaded Manchuria. Lytton concluded that Japan was in the wrong, but Japan ignored the report, left the League and went on to occupy more Chinese territory from 1933 to 1937

Question 10

Why was the report that Lord Lytton wrote, essentially useless?

Answer 10

By the time the report was published Japan had already taken over more land in China - it took nearly a year

Question 11

Impact of the Manchuria Crisis on the League (3)

Answer 11

• Without an army of its own the League was powerless
• However, most people continued to have faith in the League - they thought that if a similar event happened in Europe then the League would be able to deal with with it
• Other militaristic countries like Italy and Germany saw how powerless the League of Nations really was. The incident gave Mussolini and Hitler the confidence that if they acted in a similar way, they were likely to get away with it

Question 12

Japan already had industry in Manchuria in the form of a ______ which made them think it would be easy to invade

Answer 12

railway

Question 13

When was the Manchurian Crisis?

Answer 13

1931

Question 14

Who was sent to Asia by the League to make a judgement on which country was at fault?

Answer 14

Lord Lytton

Question 15

Why did the League fail? (4)

Answer 15

• The Lytton Report took far too long; by the time it was finished, Japan was in control of Manchuria
• The Depression was already damaging world trade and League members were unwilling to impose economic sanctions
• Asia was far away and not viewed as vital to the countries in Europe; as a result, they did not want to commit resources to deal with the issues there
• Countries were unwilling to take military action because it would be expensive and unpopular with the public