Japan's expansion and the international response

Question 1

What were the territorial and economic reasons why Japan sought to occupy Manchuria? (give statistics?)

Answer 1

Japan began to view Manchuria as key to its prosperity and security.

Manchuria:

•Possessed many resources Japan lacked

•Provided access to China’s huge market

•Was sparsely populated.

The Japanese military and some members of government believed that Manchuria provided a solution to some of Japan’s problems, such as being a place where Japan’s poor, landless farmers could be settled.

Question 2

What were the military and political reasons why Japan sought to occupy Manchuria?

Answer 2

-Increasing concern about communism in Japan gave Manchuria even more importance.

-The Soviet Union and Manchuria shared a long border.

-At the same time, Chinese construction of rival railways threatened Japan’s investment in and revenue from the South Manchurian Railway.

-Japan’s military was already stationed in Manchuria to protect the South Manchurian Railway and other Japanese interests.

Question 3

Why was Manchuria’s long border with the Soviet Union a reason why Japan wanted to occupy it?

Answer 3

If the Japanese military took control in Manchuria, it could:

•Be a buffer against a rising communist threat

•Act as a deterrent to Soviet intervention in the region

•Remove any future conflict between Japan and the Soviet Union far from the home islands of Japan.

Question 4

If Japan controlled Manchuria, it would benefit Japan’s ___ and ___

Answer 4

Economy

Security

Question 5

When did the Mukden Incident occur?

Answer 5

On 18th September 1931

Question 6

Describe the events of the Mukden Incident

Answer 6

-A bomb damaged the South Manchurian Railway near the major Manchurian city of Mukden.

-More importantly, the explosion happened close to a Japanese military garrison that was stationed there to protect the South Manchurian Railway.

-Japan blamed Chinese troops, but many historians believe that Kwantung Army officers planted the bomb.

Question 7

How was the Mukden Incident useful to the Kwantung Army?

Answer 7

They now had an excuse to seize all of Manchuria.

Question 8

Describe the events that proceeded the Mukden Incident

Answer 8

-Troops seized the area around Mukden as well as areas around the South Manchurian Railway.

-They were then joined by a Japanese army based in Korea.

-By February 1932, almost all of Manchuria was occupied by the Japanese army.

-Only one province, Jehol, also known as Rehe, remained outside Japanese control.

-A Chinese army was located in Jehol. Even though the Chinese army in Jehol was much larger than the Japanese one there, the Kuomintang (KMT) government under Chiang Kai-shek ordered its troops not to resist Japan.

Question 9

How did Japan justify the Mukden Incident and its subsequent occupation of most of Manchuria (Manchurian Crisis)?

Answer 9

Japan declared that it had acted to help Manchuria gain independence from China.

Question 10

How did the Mukden Incident and the subsequent Japanese occupation (Manchurian Crisis) turn out?

Answer 10

-A new state was established called Manchukuo, ‘Land of the Manchurians’ in Japanese.

-The last Emperor of China, Puyi, a Manchu, was proclaimed the new Emperor of Manchukuo.

-Other actions were taken to portray Manchukuo’s independence, including applications for Manchukuo to participate in the Olympics and to become a member of the League of Nations.

-Both applications were rejected because Manchukuo was seen as Japan’s puppet state.

Question 11

How did most countries react to the Manchurian Crisis?

Answer 11

Negatively

Question 12

Although most countries reacted negatively to the Manchurian Crisis, they could do little about it. Why was this?

Answer 12

-The Great Depression

-Concerns about the Soviet Union

-Believing that Manchuria had been saved from the chaos of China.

Question 13

How did the League of Nations respond to the Manchurian Crisis?

Answer 13

-China appealed Japan’s occupation of Manchuria to the League of Nations.

-The League acted cautiously by forming the Lytton Committee.

-The Lytton Committee acknowledged that Japan had major investments in Manchuria and that the Chinese government there had been inefficient and corrupt.

Question 14

What were the findings of the Lytton Committee?

Answer 14

-The Lytton Committee acknowledged that Japan had major investments in Manchuria and that Chinese government there had been inefficient and corrupt.

-However, it also found that:

•Protecting Manchuria was not the reason for Japan’s invasion.

• No substantial support for the Manchukuo government existed in Manchuria.

•Most of Manchuria’s population was Chinese, not Manchu.

Question 15

When was the Lytton Report issued?

Answer 15

September 1932

Question 16

How can the Lytton Report be characterized?

Answer 16

-The report was arguably a compromise with regard to the causes of the crisis.

-It attempted to walk a fine line between not offending the Japanese too much, responding to Chinese concerns about Japanese aggression, and facilitating negotiations and dialogue between the two countries

Question 17

What did the Lytton Report state?

Answer 17

-The Lytton Report accepted that Japan had legitimate economic interests in Manchuria and that the deterioration of political stability in China threatened these interests.

-The report also denied that Japan’s actions were borne out of self-defence, but also denied outright aggression.

-The Lytton Commission even blamed China for the breakdown in Sino-Japanese relations.

Question 18

What did the Lytton Report state that was sympathetic towards Manchuria?

Answer 18

-The Lytton Report did recommend that Japan withdraw from Manchuria and recognise Chinese sovereignty there.

-It also stated that the League should not recognise Manchukuo because it had been created as a result of Japanese actions following the Mukden Incident.

-Ultimately, the report argued that negotiations between the two countries were the best way forward to secure peace.

Question 19

When did the League condemn Japan as an aggressor nation and what did this lead to?

Answer 19

-February 1933

-Japan withdrew from the League of Nations with no consequences.

Question 20

How did China respond to the Manchurian Crisis?

Answer 20

-The Manchurian Crisis caused political change in China.

-In December 1931, Chiang Kai-shek resigned as premier of China, but remained head of the military.

-Chiang would become premier once again in 1935. On 31 May 1933, China and Japan signed the Tanggu Truce.

Question 21

What did the Tanggu Truce result in?

Answer 21

-Recognition that Japan controlled all of Manchuria

-China promising not to try to remove Japan from Manchuria

-Establishment of a neutral zone between Japanese-controlled territory and China’s territory.

Question 22

How did Japan treat the Tanggu Truce?

Answer 22

Japan often violated the truce as it continued to enlarge its territory in the region.

Question 23

When was the Tanggu Truce signed?

Answer 23

31 May 1933

Question 24

What factor greatly aided Japan’s quick victory in Manchuria?

Answer 24

Chiang’s decision not to resist the Japanese

Question 25

Explain how Japan’s quick victory in Manchuria was greatly aided by Chiang’s decision not to resist the Japanese

Answer 25

Chiang:

•Realized that the Japanese army was stronger and likely to defeat the Chinese in battle

• May have been more worried about threats to his rule in China such as from the resurgent Chinese Communist Party (CCP)

•Battled a northern warlord, who called for fighting the Japanese, throughout most of 1933.

Question 26

Describe the USA’s response to the Manchurian Crisis and the reasons for it

Answer 26

-After the First World War, the USA entered a period of semi-isolation.

-However, it maintained interests in its Open Door Policy towards China.

-Japan’s aggression in Manchuria led to fear that trade in China would be threatened.

-The USA formulated the Stimson Doctrine and refused to recognize the new borders created by Japan’s victory in Manchuria.

-However, it decided against imposing trade restrictions on Japan or Manchuria.

Question 27

Describe the Soviet Union’s response to the Manchurian Crisis and the reasons for it

Answer 27

-The Soviet Union had little ability to oppose Japan’s actions in Manchuria.

-It was in the midst of economic and social upheaval from its policy of collectivization and a resulting famine in the country.

-In 1935, the Soviet Union, unable to defend the Chinese Eastern Railway (CER) it owned, sold it to Manchukuo in a deal negotiated by Japan.

Question 28

What was the Japanese government’s main concern after the Manchurian Crisis and how did they try to resolve this?

Answer 28

-The insubordination of the Kwantung Army and other army units in Manchuria.

-It attempted to regain control of the army, which resulted in a series of political conflicts.

-However, the military refused to cooperate.

Question 29

Describe the series of chain events that was set off by the Japanese government’s attempt to deal with the insubordination of the Kwantung Army after the MC

Answer 29

-This conflict set off a chain of events that included the fall of a government and the assassination of a prime minister that led to a naval officer then becoming the new prime minister.

-As a result, the military was able to influence Japanese government policies even more than previously.

Question 30

Key debate about the Manchurian Crisis- needed?

Question 31

When did the Second Sino-Japanese War take place?

Answer 31

1937–45

Question 32

How can the Second Sino-Japanese War be characterized?

Answer 32

In many ways, the Second Sino-Japanese War was an extension of Japan’s aggressions beginning with the Manchurian Crisis.

Question 33

When did Japan expand into China (events leading up to the Second Sino-Japanese War)?

Answer 33

1935–36

Question 34

Describe Japan’s formation of the Garrison Army and its actions

Answer 34

-Japan created the China Garrison Army and then used it to occupy part of Charar Province by mid-1935.

-It then violated the Tanggu Truce when it moved into the neutral zone.

-The China Garrison Army used the assassination of pro-Japanese newspaper owners to force China to agree to the Umezu–He Agreements on 10 June 1935.

-This agreement allowed Japan to establish a puppet government in Hebei Province called the East Hebei Autonomous Council.

Question 35

When was the Doihara Kenji–Qin Dechun Agreement signed?

Answer 35

June 1935

Question 36

Describe the signing of the Doihara Kenji–Qin Dechun Agreement and the subsequent events

Answer 36

-China signed this agreement, agreeing to remove all its troops from the Manchukuo border.

-The China Garrison Army created a new puppet state in Inner Mongolia, named Mengjiang or Mongolland, in 1936.

-Fighting then broke out between Chinese and Japanese forces across the region.

-However, Japan was able to control much of northern China by occupying it or using puppet states.

-By 1936, Japan could move troops anywhere in the region.

Question 37

Describe the events that led to the Second United Front and the creation of it

Answer 37

-Chiang Kai-shek’s policy of opposing the CCP instead of Japan was highly unpopular in China.

-In December 1936, the former Manchurian warlord Zhang Xueliang arrested Chiang in the Chinese city of Xian.

-Zhang pressured Chiang to negotiate with the CCP to create a united anti-Japan front.

-Negotiations resulted in a new alliance between the Kuomintang (KMT) and CCP called the Second United Front.

Question 38

How did Japan view the Second United Front?

Answer 38

As a likely opponent to its conquests in the region.

Question 39

When was the Marco Polo Bridge Incident?

Answer 39

July 1937

Question 40

Describe the events and the results of the Marco Polo Bridge Incident

Answer 40

-Chinese and Japanese troops fought a brief battle at the Marco Polo Bridge near Beijing in July 1937.

-After Chiang Kai-shek’s government refused to apologize for the incident, widespread fighting between China and Japan began throughout northern China.

-Japan quickly occupied Beijing, forcing Chiang’s troops south.

Question 41

How did Chiang retaliate against Japan for the Marco Polo Bridge Incident?

Answer 41

-Chiang retaliated by bombing a Japanese area of Shanghai on 13 August 1937.

-The two countries were at war.

Question 42

Which city did Japan give priority to capturing in the Second Sino-Japanese War and why?

Answer 42

-Shanghai

-It was China’s economic centre and largest city.

Question 43

What did Japan do to accomplish its goal of capturing Shanghai?

Answer 43

Japan formed the Shanghai Expeditionary Army on 15 August 1937.

Question 44

Give an overview of Japan’s actions in Shanghai and other Chinese cities during the Second Sino-Japanese War

Answer 44

-Japan formed the Shanghai Expeditionary Army on 15 August 1937.

-China continued to attack Japanese forces in Shanghai’s International Settlement.

-Japan decided to bomb Nanjing, China’s capital, by air, as well as other Chinese cities.

-On 23 August, the Shanghai Expeditionary Army began arriving while Japanese armies in the north began moving south. Japan was ready to take the offensive.

Question 45

Describe the battle for Shanghai (Second Sino-Japanese War)

Answer 45

-China and Japan engaged in a large battle for Shanghai.

-Japan’s better trained and equipped troops, as well as its superior air and naval forces, forced the Chinese to evacuate Shanghai, which was mostly destroyed, in October 1937.

Question 46

Describe Japan’s capture of Nanjing in the Second Sino-Japanese War

Answer 46

-Chiang Kai-shek had ordered his troops from Shanghai to protect the route to Nanjing.

-However, Japan formed the Central China Army in November and quickly overpowered Chinese forces.

-Chiang was forced to relocate China’s government from Nanjing to
Wuhan on 16 November.

-Japanese forces laid siege to Nanjing beginning on 9 December.

-On 13 December, Japan captured the city.

Question 47

When did Japan capture Nanjing?

Answer 47

13 December 1937

Question 48

What was the reason for the Nanjing Massacre?

Answer 48

The head of the Central China Army was Prince Asaka, Emperor Hirohito’s nephew, who was an ultranationalist, ordered the execution of all Chinese prisoners.

Question 49

Describe the events of the Nanjing Massacre

Answer 49

-From Shanghai to Nanjing Japanese troops killed prisoners, looted property, and raped women and children.

-With the fall of Nanjing, the rate of killing and raping increased dramatically. Captured Chinese soldiers and civilians, including women and children, were tortured, killed and mutilated.

-Tens of thousands of women were raped and then murdered.

-Japanese troops reportedly held contests of who could kill fastest.

-Some historians estimate as many as 300,000 people were killed in what came to be known as the Nanjing Massacre.

Question 50

What was the global response to the Nanjing Massacre?

Answer 50

World opinion turned against Japan as a result of the massacre.

Question 51

After the fall of Nanjing, what did Japan’s army focus on?

Answer 51

-Gaining control of China’s railways, cities and ports.

-The goal was to deny Chinese troops supplies, resulting in their defeat.

Question 52

Describe Japan’s conquests by mid-1939 (after the fall of Nanjing)

Answer 52

By mid-1939, Japan:

•Had captured the temporary capital of Wuhan and most of eastern China

•Dominated most of China’s population and industry

•Had failed to bomb the new Chinese government, far to the east in Chongqing, into submission

•Controlled a newly established Chinese government that managed Japanese-occupied China.

Question 53

What were the results of Japan’s further conquests after the fall of Nanjing?

Answer 53

-The Soviet Union provided much of China’s military supplies.

-The Chinese army changed its wartime strategy.

-Japanese efforts to cut supplies to Chiang Kai-shek’s government at Chongqing caused conflict with the USA.

Question 54

Describe the impact of the Second-Sino Japanese War on Japan

Answer 54

-Japan was not prepared for a long conflict as the military believed the war would be over in three months.

-The military disagreed about its mission priority: the Soviet Union’s threat to industrial Manchukuo or the subjugation of China.

-The needs of the millions of Japanese troops in China had a great impact on Japan’s economics and politics.

-Japan’s military influenced economic policy, controlled the government and banned all political parties.

Question 55

Most countries did not want to get involved in the Second Sino-Japanese War and instead, their concerns focused mainly on ___

Answer 55

Economic matters and the impact on regional colonies

Question 56

Describe the League of Nations’ response to the Second Sino-Japanese War

Answer 56

-China appealed to the League of Nations on 13 September 1937.

-The League of Nations and its members were more concerned with tensions in European affairs and anti-communist beliefs (except the Soviet Union).

-The League referred the matter to the signatories of the Nine-Power Treaty, whose declarations were ignored.

-The League of Nations remained uninterested and uninvolved in China.

Question 57

Describe the Soviet Union’s response to the Second Sino-Japanese War

Answer 57

-The Soviet Union was mostly pleased with affairs in Manchuria and China.

-Chiang Kai-shek ended his battle with the CCP in 1936.

-Spending military and economic resources in fighting China reduced the likelihood of Japan attacking the Soviet Union.

-The Soviets twice provoked military conflicts against Japan.

-Both times the Soviets defeated the Japanese, who ceded territory to the Soviet Union along the Soviet–Manchukuo border.

Question 58

Describe the USA’s response to the Second Sino-Japanese War

Answer 58

-Preserving the Open Door Policy was the major concern of the USA.

-However, it did not want to antagonize Japan into preventing American trade in Asia or moving against the Philippines, a US colony.

-The USA prohibited shipping war supplies to China and Japan, which Japan did not need, but China did.

-The USA continued to export oil and metals to Japan until 1940.

-In February 1938, the USA lent $25 million to China, but that was its last action in the region until 1940.

Question 59

Describe Germany’s response to the Second Sino-Japanese War

Answer 59

-Germany supported Chiang’s anti-communist government. It also was allied to Japan in the Anti-Comintern Pact, an agreement signed in 1936 to fight efforts to spread communism by the Communist International.

-In late 1938, Japanese pressure ended Germany’s support of Chiang.

Question 60

What did Germany’s signing of the Nazi-Soviet Pact lead to and how was this significant to Japan?

Answer 60

-When Germany signed the Nazi–Soviet Pact, it violated the Anti-Comintern Pact, causing the government in Japan to fall.

-The new government worked to improve relations with the Soviet Union, Germany and Italy.

-The Tripartite Pact created a formal alliance between Germany, Japan and Italy.

-In April 1941, Japan signed a neutrality agreement with the Soviet Union.

Question 61

Describe China (Chiang)’s response to the Second Sino-Japanese War

Answer 61

-Chiang developed a new strategy to fight the Japanese: force them to commit more and more resources until they were too exhausted to defeat Chinese forces instead of defeating them in battle.

-Chiang, however, prioritized consolidating his power over China instead of fighting the Japanese and remained in Chongqing.

-Corruption dominated his government.

-In June 1938, to stop a Japanese advance, Chiang ordered the destruction of dykes on the Yangtze River, causing a flood that killed almost 1 million Chinese people.

Question 62

How did the CCP use Chiang’s actions in the Second Sino-Japanese War against him?

Answer 62

The CCP used Chiang’s actions and corruption to portray him as concerned only with his own power and wealth, not the security of China and its people.

Question 63

Describe the collapse of the Second United Front

Answer 63

-Despite their alliance in the Second Unit Front, CCP and KMT forces sometimes fought one another.

-In 1941, KMT forces destroyed the CCP’s New Fourth Army, leading to the official end of the Second United Front.

Question 64

Give an overview of the route to Pearl Harbor

Answer 64

-Ultranationalists in Japan’s army and government wanted to expand Japan’s empire in the Pacific.

-Japan’s expansion provoked the USA and led to the start of the Second World War in the Pacific and Asia.

Question 65

Describe the events in French Indochina in 1940

Answer 65

-Chinese forces received most of their military supplies through a route from French Indochina.

-After France was defeated by Germany in 1940, Japan received permission from the new Vichy Government to occupy northern regions of the French colonies.

-Japanese troops landed there beginning in September 1940.

Question 66

Describe the USA’s response to the events in French Indochina in 1940 and what this led to

Answer 66

-The USA prohibited the sale of scrap iron and steel to Japan.

-This hurt Japan because the USA was a major source of metal for Japan.

-The USA also increased financial assistance to China.

Question 67

When did Japan occupy all of French Indochina?

Answer 67

July 1941

Question 68

What did Japan’s occupation of all of French Indochina lead to?

Answer 68

-It led to the USA acting swiftly again by:

• Freezing all Japanese assets in the USA and its territories

•Placing an embargo on the sale of oil to Japan

•Granting China $240 million for military purchases.

-Britain and the exiled government of the Netherlands also froze all Japanese assets.

Question 69

Why was the oil embargo of 1941 the most crucial development in increasing tensions between Japan and the USA?

Answer 69

-The USA was the largest supplier of oil to Japan, which needed the oil for its war production and machinery.

-Japan had only eighteen months of oil reserves before it would be unable to continue its war with China.

-The Netherlands’ Dutch East Indies (Indonesia) held the largest supply of oil in the region.

-Japan prepared to seize the colony.

-It was aware that such an action would provoke the USA.

Question 70

When was the oil embargo on Japan?

Answer 70

The U.S. froze Japanese assets on July 26, 1941, and on August 1 established an embargo on oil and gasoline exports to Japan.

Question 71

Who planned the attack on the US naval base at Pearl Harbor?

Answer 71

Admiral Yamamoto

Question 72

What factors was the plan to destroy the US Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor based on?

Answer 72

-The elimination of the fleet would hopefully cause the US government to decide not to fight Japan.

-If the USA did decide to fight, it would take considerable time to recover, allowing Japan to establish control of oil reserves in the Dutch East Indies, as well as in other territories with key natural resources.

-The USA supported the Soviet Union in its war against Germany. Japan wanted the Soviet Union to be defeated, ending it as a threat to Japan’s position in Asia.

Question 73

What was the Hull Note?

Answer 73

On 26 November 1941, US Secretary of State Cordell Hull, in the Hull Note, demanded that Japan:

•Remove all troops from French Indochina and China

•End participation in the Tripartite Pact

•Renounce the Republic of China, its puppet government.

Question 74

What was Japan’s response to the Hull Note?

Answer 74

Less than two weeks later, Japan attacked US and British forces throughout the Pacific Ocean region.

Question 75

Give an overview of Japan’s offensive against the US

Answer 75

-Japan initiated a large-scale offensive across the Pacific Ocean region on 7 December 1941 (8 December in Asia).

-Its main attack came against the US Pacific Fleet anchored at Pearl Harbor in the US territory of Hawaii.

Question 76

Describe Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor

Answer 76

After sailing across the Pacific Ocean, the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) launched a large aerial assault from six aircraft carriers against the base headquarters of the US Pacific Fleet in a surprise attack.

Question 77

What damage did the US navy suffer from Pearl Harbor?

Answer 77

-Four battleships were sunk; four others were damaged

-Sinking or damaging of eight other ships, including three cruisers

-188 aircraft were destroyed, including United States Army Air Force aircraft at Henderson Field

-More than 2400 were killed and another 1200 injured.

Question 78

What US infrastructure did Japan fail to destroy in their attack on Pearl Harbor?

Answer 78

-All three US aircraft carriers that were absent on that day

-Vital oil- and torpedo-storage facilities, as well as repair facilities.

Question 79

When did the USA declare war on Japan?

Answer 79

8 December 1941

Question 80

Describe the Japanese attacks on other US territories

Answer 80

-The Philippines by air on 8 December (7 December in the USA) and soon afterwards a large Japanese force invaded the colony

-The island of Guam, a key communication centre for the USA in the Pacific Ocean, also followed by an invasion

-The US airbase at Wake Island, which held out for several weeks against a Japanese invasion force.

Question 81

Describe Japan’s attacks on British territories in December 1941

Answer 81

-Japan invaded Malaya (today’s Malaysia) on 8 December, as well as attacking British air and naval forces.

-Hong Kong, Britain’s main colony and port in China, also was attacked on 8 December and defeated by the end of December.

-The British territory of Burma (today’s Myanmar) came under threat when Japan invaded Thailand, which quickly surrendered.

-Japan and Thailand, now allied, invaded Burma soon thereafter.

Question 82

Describe Japan’s presence in WW2 after its attacks on US and British territories

Answer 82

-Japan controlled a large area of the Pacific Ocean region.

-The war that began with Japan’s attacks against US and British forces and territories would last until Japan surrendered on 2 September 1945.

Question 83

Info on Tripartite/Three Power Pact

Answer 83

-Signed in September 1940

-This pact agreed that Germany and Italy would dominate Europe and leave Japan to dominate East Asia

-This pact signaled greater cooperation, especially with regard to defense, and promised assistance if one member country was attacked.

-However, it should be noted that there was no specific provision in the Pact to commit Germany, Italy or Japan to a declaration of war in the event of an attack on one of them.

-Following the Japanese attacks on Pearl Harbor, however, Germany and Italy did declare war on the USA.

Question 84

Describe Japan’s occupation of Northern Indochina

Answer 84

-In September 1940, Japan seized the opportunity caused by France’s surrender to occupy northern Indochina

-This decision was also made to prevent China from importing much-needed supplies from Vietnamese ports, along the Sino-Indochina Railway

-Following the occupation of northern Indochina, the USA did impose economic sanctions on Japan, including reduced exports of oil and iron

-In July 1941, Japan decided to advance further south into Indochina, occupying what is now southern Vietnam, in order to secure much-needed oil reserves that would protect Japan from the worst effects of US sanctions

Question 85

How long did the Lytton Commission take in its investigation and what impact did this have on Japan’s expansion

Answer 85

-The Lytton Commission took several months to arrive in Manchuria and then several months to complete its report on the situation.

-During this time, the Kwantung army was able to continue expanding throughout Manchuria.

Question 86

Explain how economic concerns were a reason for Pearl Harbor

Answer 86

-The economic embargo placed on Japan due to its expansion into Indochina would be fatal in the long term for Japan.

-The Japanese could not sustain the war in China if their key war supplies were cut off.

-Therefore, a war of conquest to gain and ensure resources from the European colonies seemed to be the only option.

Question 87

Using the sources and your own knowledge, discuss the view that Japanese aggression furthered political instability in China between 1931 and 1941.

Answer 87

-Effect of Japanese invasion of Manchuria on Chinese politics. E.g. Jiang’s policy of prioritizing the fight against the communists over the fight against Japan.

-Economic, social & political effects of Second Sino-Japanese war on China- undermined the GMD and provided opposition for the growth of the CCP.
-Jiang’s use of repression and the corruption in his party.

-Effect of the policies of other countries, e.g. USSR and US, on political instability in China

Question 88

Using the sources and your own knowledge, discuss the significance of the creation of the Second United Front in China.

Answer 88

-The Second United Front was significant as it was the first combined attempt by the GMD and the CCP to fight Japan.

-With the conclusion of the Second United Front, Mao consolidated his position as leader of the CCP. Some observers have identified the creation of the Second United Front as being the turning point in the history of the CCP in China.

-Militarily, the joining of the forces in the Second United Front slowed the Japanese advance initially although not significantly enough to prevent Japan invading China in July 1937.

-Drew Soviet aid to the Chinese cause
250 million dollars of credit + Soviet volunteer air force.

-The Second United Front was not significant and offer further detail on the continued conflict between CCP and GMD.

-The significance of other factors such as Soviet support and the role of US assistance / intervention in the war with Japan.

Question 89

When did the Chinese civil war start?

Answer 89

1927

Question 90

Chiang’s response to the Manchurian crisis

Answer 90

-He formed an alliance with the CCP (was forced to do so by generals) called the Second United Front, starting in 1936.

-This created a pause in the civil war in China

Question 91

US response to Manchurian crisis

Answer 91

-Through the 1930s, the US had a policy of isolationism from international conflicts. It used the WW1 as an excuse to discourage involvement in foreign war.

-Great Depression

-Americans didn’t see their interests impacted by the Manchurian Crisis

-In the early 1930s, the US was trading more with Japan than with China

Question 92

US response to Second Sino-Japanese war

Answer 92

-Japan’s continued aggression was seen as a threat to US interests, especially by FDR, but the US had signed neutrality acts that kept them out of war

-By 1938, FDR works around the neutrality acts by offering financial aid to the Chinese

Question 93

Panay Incident

Answer 93

-December 1937

-Japanese accidentally sunk a US ship called the Panay

-Japan immediately apologized and offered compensation but this incident still increased tension and build up anti-Japanese sentiment

Question 94

Kellog-Briand Pact

Answer 94

-Signed in 1928

-States promised not to use war to resolved disputes or conflicts and instead called for thee peaceful settlement of issues.

-Japan signed this pact