Names and Beginning of the War
– In China, the war is commonly known as the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression.
– It is also referred to as the Eight Years War of Resistance or the Fourteen Years War of Resistance.
– Historians in China are unhappy with the revision of the war’s name.
– The Republic of China did not consider itself to be in an ongoing war with Japan over these six years.
– It is also referred to as part of the Global Anti-Fascist War.
– The conventionally used date for the beginning of the war is July 7, 1937.
– Some historians consider the Mukden Incident on September 18, 1931, as the start of the war.
– The Marco Polo Bridge Incident in Beijing escalated the conflict into a full-scale Japanese invasion of China.
– China was aided by the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Nazi Germany before Germany allied with Japan.
– Around 20 million people, mostly civilians, were killed during the war.
Major Events
– Japan achieved major victories, capturing Beijing and Shanghai by 1937.
– The Japanese captured Nanjing in 1937, leading to the infamous Nanjing Massacre.
– The Chinese central government relocated to Chongqing after failing to stop the Japanese in the Battle of Wuhan.
– Chinese victories in Changsha and Guangxi led to a stalemate by 1939.
– Japan launched Operation Ichi-Go in 1944, but failed to bring about the surrender of Chinese forces.
International Support
– The Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Nazi Germany provided material support to China.
– The Sino-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact bolstered the Republic of China Army and Air Force.
– The US increased its flow of aid to China through the Lend-Lease act.
– The US Army Air Forces airlifted material over the Himalayas after Burma was cut off.
– The Chinese Expeditionary Force advanced in Burma and completed the Ledo Road linking India to China.
Aftermath
– Japan formally surrendered on September 2, 1945, following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
– China regained all territories lost to Japan during the war.
– China was recognized as one of the Big Four Allies during the war and became one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.
– The Chinese Civil War resumed in 1946, with the Chinese Communist Party ultimately gaining the upper hand and establishing the People’s Republic of China.
– The war had a significant impact on China and its relationship with Japan and other global powers.
Background and Japanese Invasion of Manchuria
– The Second Sino-Japanese War was preceded by the First Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895.
– Japan defeated China in the First Sino-Japanese War and gained Taiwan and Korea’s independence.
– Japan also annexed the Senkaku Islands and attempted to annex the Liaodong Peninsula.
– The Qing dynasty in China was weakened, while Japan emerged as a great power.
– Japan’s victory against Russia in the Russo-Japanese War of 1905 further strengthened its position.
– Japan saw Manchuria as a source of raw materials and a market for its goods.
– Japan invaded Manchuria after the Mukden Incident in September 1931.
– Japan established the puppet state of Manchukuo in 1932.
– China appealed to the League of Nations for help, but no action was taken against Japan.
– Incessant fighting followed the Mukden Incident, including the January 28 Incident battle and attacks on the Great Wall region.
– Japan exploited China’s internal conflicts to weaken its opponents.
– Japan sought Chinese collaborators and helped establish pro-Japanese governments.
– The policy of North China Specialization affected provinces like Chahar, Suiyuan, Hebei, Shanxi, and Shandong.
– China signed agreements under Japanese pressure, abandoning northern China.
– Chinese volunteer forces continued to resist Japanese aggression in Manchuria and other regions. Source URL:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Sino-Japanese_War
