IB HISTORY
THE MOVE TO GLOBAL WAR
CHAPTER 2: JAPAN’S EXPANSION & THE INTERN. RESPONSE
1. The Manchurian Crisis
Manchuria: big territory, land to settle (poor rural farmers), resources (that Japan lacked; coal, iron,
cotton…) → Military and some parts of the government saw Manchuria as a solution to many problems.
= Soviet communist threat (control over Manchuria would prevent any communist unrest in the region
near the border with the Soviet Union
= Undermining of Japanese South Manchurian Railway, which justified their military presence (China began
the construction of rival railways)
Events leading to the Manchurian Crisis
Mukden Incident: 18/09/31, a bomb went off on the South Manchurian Railway (many historians believe
that the bomb was placed by the Kwantung army)
→ Chinese troops were blamed = occupation of Manchuria (Chinese government ordered not to resist
the invasion)
Japan wanted to create the illusion that they had only helped Manchuria to achieve its independence.
(Manchukuo) → other Powers made it clear that they neither supported the independence nor Japan’s
move.
Responses to the Manchurian Crisis
Japan’s aggression was taken really negatively, nothing could be done against it because:
1. Great Depression (countries focussed on their internal problems, no military intervention)
2. Japan had created another border against the communism of the Soviet Union (= sympathy)
Response: League of Nations
China appealed to the League of Nations, which ordered to investigate the invasion = Lytton Commission
→ took a very long time, report was finished one full year after the invasion
Result: Japan’s aim was not as they had claimed to protect Manchurians form China’s government, it
recommended the withdrawal of Japan
→ Japan left the LoN w/o suffering consequences
Response: China
Lack of resistance by Chiang Kai-shek’s (head of military) armies contributed to Japan’s quick victory.
Chiang saw communism as a greater threat than Japan & more beatable. 1933: China’s government
recognized the loss of the areas to Japan and promised to stop the resistance.
Response: USA
Primarily concerned with the economic impacts of the invasion: Fear that Open Door Policy (= equal
access for all countries to China’s markets) might be disrupted.
Response: Soviet Union
In no condition to oppose any actions by Japan in Manchuria, due to their heavy internal crisis and threat
of revolts (people starving). Also sold their Chinese Easter Railway in Manchuria.
Japan’s government after the crisis
Japanese government at that time was unaware of the Kwantung Army’s plains. Both had agreed on the
Japanese domination over Manchuria, but the government wanted to prevent the provocation of the
Great Powers at all terms! Any resistance by the government failed, though, and it soon collapsed.
→ effect of invasion: government and military policy were now aligned
2. Key Debate
→ What was the significance of the Manchurian Crisis for the League of Nations?
Stephen Goode → road to WWII began with the Mukden Incident and the inability of the LoN to
solve the crisis, which had led to the Abyssinian crisis.
THE MOVE TO GLOBAL WAR
CHAPTER 2: JAPAN’S EXPANSION & THE INTERN. RESPONSE
1. The Manchurian Crisis
Manchuria: big territory, land to settle (poor rural farmers), resources (that Japan lacked; coal, iron,
cotton…) → Military and some parts of the government saw Manchuria as a solution to many problems.
= Soviet communist threat (control over Manchuria would prevent any communist unrest in the region
near the border with the Soviet Union
= Undermining of Japanese South Manchurian Railway, which justified their military presence (China began
the construction of rival railways)
Events leading to the Manchurian Crisis
Mukden Incident: 18/09/31, a bomb went off on the South Manchurian Railway (many historians believe
that the bomb was placed by the Kwantung army)
→ Chinese troops were blamed = occupation of Manchuria (Chinese government ordered not to resist
the invasion)
Japan wanted to create the illusion that they had only helped Manchuria to achieve its independence.
(Manchukuo) → other Powers made it clear that they neither supported the independence nor Japan’s
move.
Responses to the Manchurian Crisis
Japan’s aggression was taken really negatively, nothing could be done against it because:
1. Great Depression (countries focussed on their internal problems, no military intervention)
2. Japan had created another border against the communism of the Soviet Union (= sympathy)
Response: League of Nations
China appealed to the League of Nations, which ordered to investigate the invasion = Lytton Commission
→ took a very long time, report was finished one full year after the invasion
Result: Japan’s aim was not as they had claimed to protect Manchurians form China’s government, it
recommended the withdrawal of Japan
→ Japan left the LoN w/o suffering consequences
Response: China
Lack of resistance by Chiang Kai-shek’s (head of military) armies contributed to Japan’s quick victory.
Chiang saw communism as a greater threat than Japan & more beatable. 1933: China’s government
recognized the loss of the areas to Japan and promised to stop the resistance.
Response: USA
Primarily concerned with the economic impacts of the invasion: Fear that Open Door Policy (= equal
access for all countries to China’s markets) might be disrupted.
Response: Soviet Union
In no condition to oppose any actions by Japan in Manchuria, due to their heavy internal crisis and threat
of revolts (people starving). Also sold their Chinese Easter Railway in Manchuria.
Japan’s government after the crisis
Japanese government at that time was unaware of the Kwantung Army’s plains. Both had agreed on the
Japanese domination over Manchuria, but the government wanted to prevent the provocation of the
Great Powers at all terms! Any resistance by the government failed, though, and it soon collapsed.
→ effect of invasion: government and military policy were now aligned
2. Key Debate
→ What was the significance of the Manchurian Crisis for the League of Nations?
Stephen Goode → road to WWII began with the Mukden Incident and the inability of the LoN to
solve the crisis, which had led to the Abyssinian crisis.
