International response to jap aggression 1931-41

LoN response to events in manchuria + (mukden incident)

sent commission to investigate

• took a year to generate lytton report blaming japan

Result: japan ignored and dropped out of league in 1933

Why didnt league take further action against japan?

• major powers didnt want to risk own interests after depression

Impact of league’s failure to respond to manchuria

• influenced mussolini’s invasion of abyssinia 1935- undermined league’s powers

Result of chinese appeal to league over marco polo bridge incident

league condemned japan- no actual action to stop jap aggression

Response of china after marco polo incident

Jiang wanted to prioritise commies

• lost support

• zhang manchurian warlord wanted to focus on japan

• second united front formed between nationalist and communist party in china- civil war suspended

Us response to manchuria

isolationism- minimal action

Why did us change policy towards japan after 1938?

• growing concern that chinese (jiang) may be forced to unite w japan- invincible

• public opinion went against isolationism

• us began freezing assets in japan, issuing trade embargos and supporting china- japan thought western powers trying to destroy its rightful place in world

jap response to us oil embargos

Would mean jap unable to continue war in china

• negotiations- jap unable to agree to remove all forces from china- unacceptable to military + people after years of fighting

US reaction to pearl harbour

united americans for war against japan