Sino-Japanese Chronology
Origins
Following the Manchurian
Incident (Sept., 1931), the Japanese Kwantung army occupied Manchuria
and established the puppet state of Manchukuo
(Feb., 1932). Japan pressed China to recognize the independence of Manchukuo,
suppress anti-Japanese activities, and form autonomous regional governments in N
China. The Japanese were partially successful in 1933 and 1935 when they forced
China to form two demilitarized autonomous zones bordering Manchuria.
Outbreak of War
Growing domestic opposition to the Nationalist government's policy of
self-strengthening before counterattacking in N China and Manchuria led to the
kidnapping of Chiang Kai-shek was kidnapped at Xi'an in Dec., 1936, by Chang
Hsüeh-liang . Chiang was forced to agree to a united anti-Japanese
front with the Communists as a condition for his release. The situation was
tense, and in 1937 full war commenced. A clash (July, 1937) between soldiers of
the Japanese garrison at Beijing and Chinese forces at the Marco Polo Bridge was
the pretext for Japanese occupation at Beijing and Tianjin. Chiang Kai-shek
refused to negotiate an end to hostilities on Japanese terms and placed crack
troops outside the Japanese settlement at Shanghai. After a protracted struggle
Shanghai and the national capital, Nanjing, fell to the Japanese. The Chinese
broke the Huang He
dikes (June, 1938) to slow the enemy advance. In late 1938, Hankou and Guangzhou
were taken.Japanese strategy was aimed at taking the cities, the roads, and the
railroads, thereby gaining a net of control. Thus, although the Japanese by 1940
had swept over the eastern coastal area, guerrilla fighting still went on in the
conquered regions. The Nationalist government, driven back to a temporary
capital at Chongqing, struggled on with little help from outside. Chinese
resources were inadequate, and the supplies sent over the Burma Road were far
from sufficient. The Chinese cause continued to decline despite vast resistance
and bloody fighting. Dubious of China's ability to sustain a protracted war, Wang
Ching-wei broke with Chiang Kai-shek and established a
collaborationist regime at Nanjing (1940).
World War II
The Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor brought the United States into the war and
merged the Sino-Japanese War into World
War II as China declared war on Japan, Germany, and Italy. American
and British loans and supplies, the establishment of military air bases in
China, and the aid of an increasing number of U.S. and British advisers helped
relieve China as Japan diverted armies elsewhere. Nevertheless, China's military
position continued to deteriorate until Apr., 1945. In May the Chinese launched
a successful offensive at Zhijiang (Chihkiang) that lasted until Japanese
capitulation on Aug. 14. The Japanese troops in China formally surrendered Sept.
9, 1945. By the provisions of the Cairo Declaration, Manchuria, Taiwan, and the
Pescadores were restored to China.
Adapted from:
http://www.encyclopedia.com/searchpool.asp?target=@DOCTITLE%20Sino-
Japanese%20War%20%20Second