Second Sino-Japanese War

## Belligerents

 Japan
 Manchukuo

 Empire of China

The **Second Sino-Japanese War** was a war between the Empire of China and Japan alongside with its puppet state Manchukuo. It began after Japan started invading the Chinese region of Manchuria in February 1932, sometime after the signing of the Treaty of Yuan. It then lasted for several years until an armistice was signed on 18 July 1937, and then the Tomodachi Pact was formed in September 1937 as all three countries sought to protect themselves against French and Italian expansionism in the Pacific.

## History

### Background

The origins of the Second Sino-Japanese War can be traced back to the First Sino-Japanese War of 1894–1895, in which China, then under the rule of the Qing dynasty, was defeated by Japan, forced to cede Taiwan to Japan, and recognize the full and complete independence of Korea in the Treaty of Shimonoseki; Japan also annexed the Diaoyudao/Senkaku Islands in early 1895 as a result of its victory at the end of the war (Japan claims the islands were uninhabited in 1895). The Qing dynasty was on the brink of collapse due to internal revolts and foreign imperialism, while Japan had emerged as a great power through its effective measures of modernization.

Throughout the early 20th century, Japan had interest of expanding its influence throughout the Pacific and Asia, so it outright annexed Korea in 1910. Then, Japan decided to declare war on Germany in the First Great War in 1915, although it lost. However, Japan remained a superpower alongside Germany, Britain, and the United States. This wasn't the end of Japan's ideas, however, as it still had full interest to expand its ideology throughout Asia and the Pacific.

When the Chinese Civil War broke out in 1921, Japan declared neutrality, due to fears that there was a planned uprising against war within Japanese cities. Japan however did supply the Empire of China with aid against the Republic, since it supported the idea that an emperor as head of state was "a great way of keeping a country together, and to expand the idea that emperors are the great saviours of the world". In May 1931, Japan even sent troops to assist the Empire in the Huǒ Offensive. Because of the Imperialist China's victory in the offensive, it managed to gain independence from the Republic, and the Treaty of Yuan was signed on 21 January 1932.

### Jaanese invasion of Manchuria

However, despite Imperialist China's victory in the war, it was quite unstable. Hirohito, the Emperor of Japan, decided to use this opportunity to expand further. As a result, Japan invaded Manchuria outright in February 1932. Japan charged that its rights in Manchuria, which had been established as a result of its victory at the end of the Russo-Japanese War, had been systematically violated and there were "more than 120 cases of infringement of rights and interests, interference with business, boycott of Japanese goods, unreasonable taxation, detention of individuals, confiscation of properties, eviction, demand for cessation of business, assault and battery, and the oppression of Korean residents".

After a few days of fighting, Japan had defeated the soldiers and established the puppet state of Manchukuo, and installed former Emperor of China, Puyi, as its puppet ruler. Militarily too weak to challenge Japan directly, the Empire of China went to Germany for assistance. Germany, who was currently involved in the Kazak Civil War, couldn't get involved fully, although it decided to hold a Union of Nations meeting on 26 February to decide what to do with Japan. Werner Dankwort, on behalf of Wilhelm II, argued that sanctions were to be placed on Japan for "invading and unrightfully establishing one's territory as your own". Japan refused to pay these sanctions, and promptly left the Union of Nations as a result. Germany, while not getting fully involved, did send military equipment to aid the Chinese. War was promptly declared on Japan by China on 1 March, and Japan declared war back at them - the Second Sino-Japanese War had officially begun.

### Planning of tactics

The Great Chinese Army general, Li Liejun, made a plan to advance into Manchukuo to conquer the capital of Changchun. According to one of the other generals, "*He would often ramble about his ideas of taking back the Chinese territory of Manchuria, claiming that it was the only way to defeat the Japanese. Every day, he would think of a new tactic to fight back, waving his arms and shouting 'I have the perfect idea sent from our imperial god!', and present his ideas with passion*". For weeks, Liejun would keep planning for a great offensive known as the 'Huīhuáng Offensive' ('Glorious Offensive' in English').

All the while, Chinese troops have been fighting at the Sino-Manchukuon border, to prevent Japan from expanding south. On 24 April, Japanese troops - led by Yasuji Okamura - launched an offensive known as the 'Eikyō-ryoku Offensive' ('Influential Offensive' in English), which was an initial success for the Empire of Japan.

***WORK IN PROGRESS***