The History Guy: Sino-Japanese Wars (China vs. Japan)

The series of wars and conflicts between China and Japan are known as the Sino-Japanese Wars. These wars weakened China, while helping Japan gain more power; that is, until the final war, in which China finally gained allies, most notably the United States and Great Britain. The Second Sino-Japanese War is also considered a part of World War Two.

First Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895)--The first conflict between China and Japan took place over who would control Korea, a small nation located between them. Japan defeated the technologically inferior Chinese forces, and gained control of Korea. Japan would rule Korea until the end of World War Two in 1945.
The Boxer Rebellion (1899-1901)--A Chinese secret society called the Righteous Harmony Society, and called "The Boxers" by Western observers, began an uprising to drive Western influence from China. While the rebels also at first opposed the ruling government, called the Manchu Dynasty, the government soon managed to direct most of the violence against European, American, and Japanese cultural, political, military, and diplomatic interests in China. After the rebels and the government's military began a siege of the Foreign Legations (foreign embassies) in the capital of Beijing (known as Peking at the time), an unlikely alliance of eight nations gathered military forces to invade China and save their embassies, as well as to preserve the power and influence they had long held in China. These allies included: Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Austria-Hungary, Russia, the United States, and Japan. This China Relief Expedition totaled nearly 45,000 men, and quickly invaded China, seizing Beijing. China was forced to pay war reparations, (in other words, they had to repay their enemies for the financial cost of the war), accept more foreign troops on Chinese soil.

Jinan Incident (May 3rd Incident) (1928-1929)--During the period of Chinese civil wars between the Nationalist government and various warlords, one of the warlords allied himself with Japan, who already occupied the Shantung Peninsula during World War One. In 1927, the advancing Nationalist army clashed with Japanese and warlord forces. A cease-fire was agreed upon in March, 1928.

Japanese Occupation of Manchuria (1931-1932)--The Japanese Army invaded the Chinese province of Manchuria in 1931, setting up a puppet government. Japan wanted Manchuria due to the great natural resources in this northern portion of China. Japan's excuse for invading was the so-called Mukden Incident (known as the "9.18 Incident" in China). Some historians date the beginning of World War Two to the beginning of the Mukden Incident and the Japanese takeover of Manchuria.

First Battle of Shanghai (January 28 to March 4, 1932)--In an attempt to break the Chinese boycott of Japanese goods and businesses begun after the Mukden Incident, the Japanese Army lands at the Chinese port city of Shanghai in January of 1932. The Chinese 19th Route Army held 70,000 Japanese troops to the area around the waterfront for nearly a month until being driven from the city by the invaders. As a result of the Japanese seizure of the city, China abandoned the boycott. Japan's effective use of aircraft carrier-based planes was the first use of this tactic in the Pacific/East Asia region. This is also known as the Shanghai War of 1932.

Japanese Invasion of Jehol Province (January to March 1933)--The Japanese advanced from their positions in occupied Manchuria (which they renamed Manchukou), to occupy Jehol, near the Mongolian border. Chinese resistance ended as the Japanese advanced closer to Peking. An armistice was signed on March 31.

Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945)--Japan launched an all-out invasion of China after the Marco Polo Bridge Incident on July 7, 1937. Japan used this battle as an excuse to invade China, beginning a war which would kill millions, draw in the United States, Great Britain and other nations, and end with the defeat of Japan in 1945. Some historians date the beginning of World War Two to the beginning of this war.

Sources:

R. Ernest, Dupuy, and Dupuy Trevor N. The Encyclopedia of Military History: From 3500 B.C. To The Present. New York: Harper & Row, 1970.

Please cite this source when appropriate:

Lee, Roger A. "The History Guy: Sino-Japanese Wars (China vs. Japan) "

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