Why did the Japanese occupy Manchuria in 1931?

China – The Second Sino-Japanese War, 1937-45

In this course, Dr Tehyun Ma (University of Sheffield) explores the causes, course and consequences of the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-45). In the first module, we think about why the Japanese occupied Manchuria in 1931. After that, in the second module, we consider why the Japanese launched a full invasion in China in 1937, before turning in the third module to think about why the Japanese lost the war. In the fourth, fifth, and sixth modules, we think about the impact of the Second Sino-Japanese War on Chinese society, the Chinese economy, and Chinese politics, respectively.

Why did the Japanese occupy Manchuria in 1931?

In this module, we think about why the Japanese occupied Manchuria in 1931, focusing in particular on: (i) the interference of western powers in East Asia from the mid-19th century onwards; (ii) the priorities of the new Meiji Emperor, who came to power in 1868; (iii) the theory of “zones of sovereignty” and “zones of advantage”, and Korea’s place in this schema; (iv) the centrality of Korea to the First Sino-Japanese War (1894-5) and the Russo-Japanese War (1904-5); (v) the increased importance of Manchuria after Japan had secured control of Korea; (vi) the establishment of a Nationalist government in China in 1927; (vii) the economic and political issues faced by Japan in the 1920s, and their impact on the nature of Japanese politics – particularly the increasing disquietude of the Japanese military; and (viii) the Mukden Incident and the Japanese occupation of Manchuria.