What was invasion of manchuria

On September 18th, , in violation of all its treaty obligations, Japan occupied Manchuria, in northeast China. It was the first step on the path to World War II.

American's reacted with the "Stimson Doctrine," which stated that the United States would not recognize any treaty that impinged on the sovereignty of China. As part of earlier treaty agreements, the Japanese had troops protecting the railroad in Southern Manchuria. Secretary of State Henry Stimson issued what would become known as the Stimson Doctrine, stating that the United States would not recognize any agreements between the Japanese and Chinese that limited free commercial intercourse in the region.

In the s and s, the United States had a number of interests in the Far East. The United States engaged in trade and investment in China. American missionaries representing many denominations worked within the region. The United States defended its interests in the region through a three-pronged Far Eastern policy: it included the principle of the Open Door for guaranteeing equal access to commercial opportunities in China, a belief in the importance of maintaining the territorial integrity of China, and a commitment to cooperation with other powers with interests in the region.

In the s, events transpired that challenged all of these policies. On September 18, , an explosion destroyed a section of railway track near the city of Mukden. The Japanese, who owned the railway, blamed Chinese nationalists for the incident and used the opportunity to retaliate and invade Manchuria.

However, others speculated that the bomb may have been planted by mid-level officers in the Japanese Army to provide a pretext for the subsequent military action. Within a few short months, the Japanese Army had overrun the region, having encountered next to no resistance from an untrained Chinese Army, and it went about consolidating its control on the resource-rich area.

The Japanese declared the area to be the new autonomous state of Manchukuo, though the new nation was in fact under the control of the local Japanese Army. The United States and other western powers were at a loss on how to respond to the rapidly developing crisis.

The war was finally over. Today, historians continue to debate the decision to use atomic weapons. To what extent did the Soviet intervention into the Pacific Theater cause Truman to use atomic weapons to end the war? Invasion of Manchuria. How was the Soviet invasion of Manchuria an influence for the use of atomic weapons? Manchuria Lesson Procedures and Goals opens in a new window.

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