The Manchurian crisis

Who invaded Manchuria ?

Japan

What were their motives ?

Japan was not a self sufficient island with low exports and little income. Manchuria ticked every box for fixing this issue

Why did the leagues response fail ?

Lord Lytton was appointed to report on it. His report took 18 months and the conclusion was useless. Effectively their response was too slow

Why was Manchuria perfect ?

Provided a food source and living space for japan’s surplus population, was rich in minerals, forestry and agricultural land for exporting.

Where is manchuria located ?

North eastern china, bordering russia and north korea

What was the Mukden railway incident ?

A staged accident by Japanese soldiers using the excuse of chines banditry in attempt to launch an invasion.

When did the Mukden railway incident happen ?

September 1931

What happened after China’s appeal to the league?

Japan promised to withdraw however China’s civillian government was not in control so Japan managed to invade anyway.

Why did the league fail to call for sanctions ?

Nobody wanted to reduce far eastern trade and the alternative of military sanctions wasn’t appealing as Britain and France feared these sanctions might lead to an attack on their far eastern colonies

What did Lord lytton conclude ?

Even though China had provoked Japan the invasion wasn’t justified

How did Japan respond to this ?

They terminated their league membership