The Manchurian Crisis (1931) Flashcards
Why did Japan want to expand its territory?
Japanese industries decreased in size during WWI and after the Depression in 1929, Japanese leaders called for military expansion to strengthen the country.
Context
Japan had a large army and navy. Since 1905, it had controlled the territory of the south Manchurian railway
What happened in September 1931?
Japan used a disturbance as an excuse to capture the town of Mukden. They then sent troops to occupy the rest of Manchuria. They made a weak politician leader of Manchuria deliberately so that they could control him.
How did the League respond?
Lord Lytton was sent to write a report on what the situation was. He claimed that the Japanese had been wrong but the country refused to accept his report and left the League in 1933. They then invaded China’s Jehol province and made a treaty with Germany in 1937, undermining the authority of the League on purpose.
How did the League’s response make them appear?
Weak as they had not made a big effort to stop Japan, who had gotten away with breaking the covenant without any repercussions.
How was the League weakened by this?
1) Japan was an important trade partner for many countries in the League
2) This made the League reluctant to impose economic or military sanctions upon them
3) Countries wouldn’t support the League if they contradicted their own interests
4) France and Britain did not send reinforcements because they were pre-occupied with dictators like Hitler closer to home
5) This failure showed that the League was weak. In their first major challenge, everyone saw it fail
