How did Japan expand its empire leading up to WWII?
1 Answer
Pre-WW2 Japan
Explanation:
They started conquering several Asian regions. They started with the invasion of Manchuria (Northern China) in 1931. They took the land with little to no resistance. The Chinese army wasn't as advanced as Japan's was. The Japanese claimed that this was a sort of liberation for the people, and proceeded to set up their own government in the area. Japanese immigration to Manchuria increased significantly.
Japan formerly invaded China in the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937. A three-way war developed between Chiang Kai-shek's group of nationalists, Mao Zeong's group of communists, and Japan. One significant event that occurred was the Nanking Massacre. The Nanking Massacre was when a group of Japanese soldiers killed and raped civilians of the Chinese town of Nanjing. the casualties are estimated between 30,000-400,000, although the amount is disputed between governments and historians. The Nanking Massacre was a horrific event and still has led tensions between Japan and China today. Japan took control over China and propped up their own government as well.
The Japanese also got into tussles with the Soviet Union. Japan entered land claimed by the USSR and that led to little skirmishes over the following year. A treaty was soon signed.
Japan signed treaties and alliances in 1940. Called the Tripartite Pact, they signed alliances with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. This combination led to them being called the Axis Powers.
By 1939, Japan has invaded China and parts of French Indochina. During the war, they would then continue their conquest, taking over more countries and land in the Dutch East Indies, Asia and Oceania.
