Second Sino - Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War began on September 18,1931 when the Japanese invaded Manchuria. The invasion of Manchuria would end in 1932 when the Japanese established the "puppet state" of Manchukuo. After this, China looked to the League of Nations for help. The League of Nations published the Lytton Report which condemned Japanese aggression. This caused the furious Japanese delegation to leave the League of Nations. The Japanese would never return.
Japan continued its invasion of a divided China after the invasion of Manchuria. Little resistant was found. China at this time was divided between many states. Therefore the Chinese could not fight the Japanese effectively. The KMT, the Chinese National People's Party, was busy defeating their internal enemies. This included the Communist and various warlords. They planned to fight the Japanese after their internal enemies were gone. So Japan encountered virtually no resistance.
Fighting intensified in 1937 when the war became a full blown conflict. The KMT (Chinese Nationalist Party) and the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) decided to work together to beat the Japanese instead of fight each other. Joseph Stalin the Soviet leader had influenced this decision because of the increasing threat of the Japanese near his Far Eastern territories. Aid was provided to China by several countries including Great Britain, France, the United States, the Soviet Union, and Nazi Germany for a short time until the Nazi German alliance with Japan. Fighting was brutal and during this period all major ports in China were seized and the Japanese even seized the capital of China which at the time was Nanking. The Japanese were very brutal during the conflict killing and raping thousands during their conquest. In Nanking alone an estimated 300,000 were killed and 80,000 women raped.
Japan continued its invasion of a divided China after the invasion of Manchuria. Little resistant was found. China at this time was divided between many states. Therefore the Chinese could not fight the Japanese effectively. The KMT, the Chinese National People's Party, was busy defeating their internal enemies. This included the Communist and various warlords. They planned to fight the Japanese after their internal enemies were gone. So Japan encountered virtually no resistance.
Fighting intensified in 1937 when the war became a full blown conflict. The KMT (Chinese Nationalist Party) and the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) decided to work together to beat the Japanese instead of fight each other. Joseph Stalin the Soviet leader had influenced this decision because of the increasing threat of the Japanese near his Far Eastern territories. Aid was provided to China by several countries including Great Britain, France, the United States, the Soviet Union, and Nazi Germany for a short time until the Nazi German alliance with Japan. Fighting was brutal and during this period all major ports in China were seized and the Japanese even seized the capital of China which at the time was Nanking. The Japanese were very brutal during the conflict killing and raping thousands during their conquest. In Nanking alone an estimated 300,000 were killed and 80,000 women raped.
The image above shows Japanese armored vehicles advancing during the Battle of Nanking
In 1940 the war turned into a stalemate. Neither the Japanese could defeat the Chinese resistance and the Chinese could not defeat their invaders. This lasted until the end of World War 2 when the Japanese surrendered to Allied forces after the atomic bombs had been dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
In 1940 the war turned into a stalemate. Neither the Japanese could defeat the Chinese resistance and the Chinese could not defeat their invaders. This lasted until the end of World War 2 when the Japanese surrendered to Allied forces after the atomic bombs had been dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.