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