Manchurian

By pilibarletta_

  • 1920s

    Japan was a major power but the depression hit badly and China and the USA put up tariffs (trade barriers) against Japanese goods. Japan not face these problems, if it expanded its empire to provide resources and markets for Japanese goods.

  • 1931

    Japanese army controlled the south manchurian railway. When chinase troops allegedly attacked the rainwail the japanese armed forces used this as an excuse to invade.

  • china appeals to the league

    The Japanese argued that China was in such a state of anarchy that they had to invade in self-defence to keep peace in the area. For the League of Nations this was a serious test because Japan was a leading member of the League.

  • The Lytton Report

    Britain and France both had colonies in South-East Asia. They did not want to provoke a war with Japan. Some members even believed that Japanese rule would bring order to the region. Investigation of the Mukden Incident was finally entrusted to Lord Lytton and the Lytton Commission.
    It took them over a year to present the Lytton Report in September 1932.
    It was detailed and balanced, but the judgement was very clear. Japan had acted unlawfully. Manchuria should be returned to the Chinese.

  • Inavasion 2, 1933

    in February 1933, instead of withdrawing from Manchuria the Japanese announced that they intended to invade more of China. They still argued that this was necessary in self-defence. On 24 February 1933 the report from the League's officials was approved by 42 votes to 1 in the Assembly. Only Japan voted against. Smarting at the insult, Japan resigned from the League on 27 March 1933.

  • The league responds

    The League was powerless. It discussed economic sanctions, but without the USA, Japan's main trading partner, they would be meaningless.The League also discussed banning arms sales to Japan, but the member countries could not even agree about that. They were worried that Japan would retaliate and the war would escalate.
    Only the USA and the USSR would have had the resources to remove the Japanese from Manchuria by force and they were not even members of the League.

  • Consequences

    the League was powerless if a strong nation decided to pursue an aggressive policy and invade its neighbours. Japan had committed blatant aggression and got away with it.