Japanese Invasion of Manchuria and Northern China (1931) Notes

The Japanese Invasion of Manchuria and Northern China (1931) - Events

The Mukden Incident (September 1931)

1. In September 1931, the Kwantung Army occupied Manchuria.
   1. The trigger was the Mukden Incident, the blowing up of part of the South Manchurian Railway.
   2. In reality, the sabotage had been staged by the Kwantung Army, but they blamed it on the Chinese.
2. The takeover of Manchuria was a decision taken by Kwantung army officers stationed in Manchuria but the Japanese government had not authorized it and sought to limit the Kwantung army’s intervention.
   1. The official reason for the invasion was one of “self defense”, as it was claimed that the Chinese had blown up the railway.
   2. In February 1932, the Japanese proclaimed the new state of Manchukuo.
3. Nominally, it was an independent state, but in practice it wasn´t.
   1. It was managed by the Kwantung Army and operated as a puppet state controlled by Japan.
   2. To make it look legitimate, the Japanese appointed Pu Yi, the deposed last emperor of the Qing dynasty, as the head of state.

The Japanese Invasion of Manchuria and Northern China (1931) - Responses

1. The League of Nations' Response

1. With the proclamation of Manchukuo, Chiang Kai-Shek, the leader of China, appealed to the League of Nations arguing that Japan had violated China's sovereignty.
   1. But because Japan was a permanent member of the security council of the League, they vetoed a resolution from the League urging Japan to withdraw their forces from the area of the South Manchuria Railway.
2. In exchange, Japan proposed a commission of inquiry for the Mukden incident.
   1. The League voted for the conformation of the international Lytton Commission to investigate the case, but its response was slow and ineffective
3. The Lytton commission took almost a year to issue its report in October 1932 and its resolutions were very soft on Japan.
   1. No military or economic sanctions were imposed, partly because Europe was worried of losing trade with Japan, and partly due to the strength of the Kwantung Army.
4. Nevertheless, the Lytton report passed recommendations to the League.
   1. Japan was labeled as the aggressor country, disregarding the “self defense” argument.
   2. Manchukuo was not recognized as an independent country, but as a puppet state controlled by Japan.
   3. Japan should negotiate with China through diplomacy to leave Manchuria and reinstate the Chinese government over the region.
5. In March 1933, Japan withdrew from the League of Nations, a major blow to the League’s authority.

2. The US’ response

1. There was some debate over Japan's invasion of Manchuria.
2. Henry Stimson, the Secretary of State (Minister of Foreign Affairs), was in favor of implementing economic sanctions on Japan, but this stance was overruled by President Herbert Hoover.
3. The US applied the so-called “Stimson Non Recognition Doctrine” in 1932, which meant that the US did not recognize Manchukuo as an independent state.
4. In 1935 and 1937 the US passed Neutrality Acts that declared that the US government would stay neutral if neutral countries had military conflicts.