Japan invades Manchuria
September 18, 1931 · 20th Century
September 18, 1931 The Japanese invasion of Manchuria began on 18 September 1931, when the Kwantung Army of the Empire of Japan invaded Manchuria immediately following the Mukden Incident. At war’s end in February of 1932, the Japanese established the puppet state of Manchukuo. Their occupation lasted until the success of the Soviet Union and Mongolia on Manchurian Strategic Offensive Operation in mid-August of 1945.
Key Figures
Lieutenant Suemori KawamotoColonel Seishirō ItagakiLieutenant Colonel Kanji IshiwaraGeneral Shigeru HonjōZhang Xueliang
Locations
Mukden (Shenyang)Manchuria
Topics
Chinaww2war
Connected Events — 4 Connections
Japanese aggression in Manchuria established the template of unilateral expansion defying League of Nations, inspiring both Hitler and Mussolini that territorial conquest could succeed without meaningful international punishment Formation of the Rome-Berlin Axis
Japan's ongoing conflict in Manchuria created the strategic need for an anti-Soviet alliance, as Japanese military leaders feared Soviet support for Chinese resistance and sought German diplomatic backing Anti-Comintern Pact Signed
The Manchurian Incident established Japan's aggressive expansion pattern and military presence in northern China, creating the tense conditions and forward positioning that made the Marco Polo Bridge confrontation inevitable Marco Polo Bridge Incident
Japan's successful defiance of League of Nations condemnation over Manchuria demonstrated that aggressive powers could ignore international law with impunity, directly encouraging Mussolini's Ethiopian adventure Italy invades and conquers Ethiopia
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