Manchuria is a historical region of China that contains the modern provinces of Liaoning (south), Jilin (central) and Heilongjiang (north) as well as the northeastern part, the Inner Mongolia, which was attacked by the Japanese. in the 1930s. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The Japanese wanted to expand their empire because their population was growing rapidly. An overpopulated country would be easily fixed if they had another 200,000 square kilometers to add, which is why they took Manchuria. Manchuria was also full of rich minerals, agricultural land and forests, which Japan needed. In 1929, the Great Depression hit Japan hard. The civilian government seemed powerless against the military as it failed to find solutions to the global depression. Instead of seeking strength from politicians, Japan sought strength in the military to help in its troubled situation. Senior army generals advocated a campaign to captivate certain overseas colonies so that industries could be exploited for Japan. Manchuria was the most obvious subject to invade. The South Manchurian Railway was sabotaged by the Japanese army. They used the explosion on a section of the railway as an excuse to blame local citizens. They then occupied the city of Shenyang. China turns to the League of Nations. The League declared that the Japanese were completely wrong and that they should return Manchuria to China. The Japanese government accepted this request. However, Japan did not listen and continued to invade more of Manchuria. By the end of 1931, all of Manchuria had been conquered by Japan. At this point, the civilian government had lost all control over Japan and the military. The League was trying to find ways to make Japan stop. Using verbal warnings didn't work, and stopping trade with Japan wouldn't work either. Stopping trade with Japan would be crucial due to the Great Depression, and that country desperately needed supplies. Furthermore, another country would take their place and obtain supplies from the most powerful nation in the Far East. Lord Lytton of Great Britain headed a commission of inquiry. In this commission, reported in October 1932, Lord Lytton concluded that Japan should withdraw from Manchuria. But Manchuria should become a semi-independent country, instead of returning to China. The League accepted and approved the report. Japan left the League after accepting the report and later claimed a region called Jehol, which surrounds Manchuria. They claimed that this region gave the Japanese the ability to protect Manchuria. There was nothing the League could do at this point. Britain and France, the main European powers within the League, do not fully support a major power that could get away with using force on an issue so far removed from Europe. Other powers see this as a sign to escape using force. Japan, the most powerful Far Eastern member of the League, left the League. Then Japan united with Germany and Italy, who also broke League rules. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay In 1937, Japan and China had finally gone to war. The path to World War II was thought to have begun in Manchuria in 1931, where it became clear to the..