The Manchukuo War 1931-1933

On September 18, 1931, conspirators from the Japanese Kwantung (Guandong) army blew up a few meters of South Manchurian Railway Company track near Mukden (now Shenyang) and blamed it on Chinese saboteurs. The following day, using the Mukden Incident as a pretext, Japanese troops seized the arsenal at Mukden and fanned out to occupy the surrounding area. Chinese troops were forced to withdraw. Unable to offer an effective military response to the invasion, the Chinese organized a boycott of Japanese goods, damaging Japanese business and trade in the following months as Japan consolidated its gains in an undeclared truce.

In an effort to end the Chinese boycott, Japan then landed a 70,000 strong army at Shanghai on January 28, 1932 on the pretext of continued resistance in Manchuria. The defending Chinese army bottled up the Japanese invasion force, near the waterfront, for about a month before being driven out of their positions in the vicinity of the International Settlement. On February 18th, a puppet government, installed by Japan, announced the formation of the independent state of Manchukuo in what was in fact Japanese occupied Manchuria and Japan then declared it to be a Japanese protectorate. The Japanese army continued to advance and to occupy the rest of Manchuria (now Manchukuo). Having suffered substantial losses in the military campaign, China agreed to end the boycott of Japanese goods bringing about another undeclared truce on March 4, 1932.

The Japanese military was intent on further gains, however, and with the permission of the Emperor the army prepared to invade the Chinese province of Jehol (part of Inner Mongolia), with the military support of their Chinese allies in Manchukuo, claiming it was a legitimate part of Manchukuo. This new offensive was launched on February 23, 1933. Fighting continued until March 1st by which time Jehol was occupied and annexed to Manchukuo. The defeated Chinese army continued resisting along the Great Wall. Further Japanese advances now threatened Beijing (Peking) but Japan agreed to a ceasefire beginning on May 22, 1933.

Negotiations to end the war took place at Tientsin and the Armistice of Tangku (alternatively Tanggu) was signed on May 31st. China recognized the Japanese conquests in Manchuria and Jehol, giving de facto recognition to Manchukuo, and they agreed to evacuate Tientsin and the establishment of a demilitarized zone between the Great Wall and Beijing.

Japanese aggression in Manchuria and Jehol was initiated by the Kwantung Army without the approval of the civilian government in Tokyo but the actions enjoyed popular support in Japan. Faced with a fait accompli, instead of being condemned, the civilian government then provided its support for the war effort, fearing a military withdrawal from the cabinet (since the constitutional regime required military participation in the cabinet). This series of campaigns set the stage for the eventual military takeover of the Japanese government. Internationally, reactions to events in China were extremely negative but the League of Nations proved to be incapable of effective intervention; Japan withdrew its membership on March 27, 1933. Although founded as a republic, in 1934 Japanese forces installed the former emperor of China, Pu Yi, as the constitutional monarch of Manchukuo.

Notes

[1] Correlates of War does not list Manchukuo.

[2] Manchukou battle deaths are assumed to be included with Japan.

References

Brownstone and Franck, 419; Clodfelter, 639; COW121; Dupuy and Dupuy, 1145; Japan - A Country Study.

Category

Inter-State War

Region

East Asia

Belligerents

China, Japan, Manchukuo^[1]

Dispute

Territory

Initiation Date

September 19, 1931

Termination Date

May 22, 1933

Duration

1 year, 8 months, 5 days
(613 days)

Outcome

Imposed Settlement
(Japanese victory)

Fatalities

Total: 60,000
China: 50,000
Japan: 10,000^[2]

Magnitude

4.8