Practices of Japanese Expansion

Question 1

The Mukden Incident

Answer 1

• Sept 1931, government warned emperor who ordered minister of war to restrain kwantung, this is intentionally delayed
• they blow up part of S. Manchurian Rail, blamed China, prompted full invasion and occupation

Question 2

Evidence of Army Aggression

Answer 2

• 3 PMs in 6 years pushed out of office
• 2 PMs and several ministers assassinated
• “Japan is a spoiled child who may go astray at any moment” Saito (ambassador whos father was killed in a coup)

Question 3

Results of the Mukden incident

Answer 3

• Declared Manchukuo under Pu Yi
• Tanggu in 1933 between Kwantung and GMD, recognized status quo and a deneutralized zone between Beijing and the Great Wall
• Kwantung grew from 10k in 1931 to 164k in 1935

Question 4

Second Sino-Japanese War

Answer 4

• Maro-Polo bridge in 1937, historians believe the Japanese gov’t did not orchestrate this
• Konoye attempted to control, unpatriotic to speak of peace
• Hoped china would surrender but they didn’t, Rape of Nanjing fueled war
• Overstretched supply lines destroyed by CCP
• 1938, declared ‘bridge’ between Jp, Manchkuo and China, New order

Question 5

Battle of Shanghai

Answer 5

• Aug 1937
• After Beijing fell, after 3 months of fighting China retreats

Question 6

Rape of Nanjing

Answer 6

• Dec 1937
• Between Dec and Jan, 300k civilians died
• 30k women, 30k soldiers, 12k civilians according to Spence

Question 7

Fall of Wuhan

Answer 7

• Oct 1938
• Tokyo hopes to limit scope of war
• Jiang opens dikes on Yellow river, flooding thousands of km of farms, failed to halt advances on Wuhan

Question 8

Chongqing

Answer 8

• Most bombed city in WW2
• Massive air campaign

Question 9

Events in China after 1940

Answer 9

• Troops struggling to administer supplies
• set up ‘friendly’ puppet governments (Wang Jiewei), but atrocities made them unpopular
• By 1941, Japan had most of the East coast of China and Vietnam

Question 10

Quotes from the Japanese response to the Lytton Commission

Answer 10

” China is an abnormal country in a condition bordering on anarchy”
“The Lytton plan, which requires that each of the parties will have a … strong and stable government would make confusion worse”