Japanese Invasion of China, 1937

What was the Japanese invasion of China?

In 1937, an incident between Japanese and Chinese soldiers took place which quickly escalated into a full-scale war.

When did the Japan invasion of China begin?

The incident took place on the night of July 8th, 1937.

Where did the invasion of China by Japan begin?

The spark that prompted the Japanese invasion of China began as an incident on the Marco Polo Bridge, located in Wanping, 15 kilometres from Beijing.

Who fought in Japan's invasion of China?

The incident occured between Chinese troops guarding the Marco Polo Bridge, and Japanese troops who were in the area searching for a missing soldier.

Why did the Japanese invasion of China happen?

The Marco Polo Bridge Incident was an accident which soon led to war for 4 reasons:

• ❖ The Chinese controlled the bridge but the Japanese controlled the territory around it. Tensions between the two sides were high.
• ❖ It was night, and it is believed a nervous Chinese sentry fired a shot at nearby Japanese soldiers, believing an attack was under way.
• ❖ The Japanese launched a series of full-scale attacks against Chinese garrisons in Beijing and Tianjin.
• ❖ The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) already had plans to invade China and used the incident as an excuse to put them into action.

What were the key events of Japan's invasion of China?

There were 3 key events that resulted from the Marco Polo Bridge Incident:

• ❖ It quickly became a good reason for the Japanese military to put its invasion plan into effect, and seize more territory and resources from China.
• ❖ In the weeks following the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, the Japanese surrounded and occupied Beijing.
• ❖ The Japanese headed south until they could surround and besiege Shanghai, China's most important port city.

Why was the invasion of China by Japan significant?

The Marco Polo Bridge Incident and invasion of China was significant for 6 key reasons:

• ❖ The Marco Polo Bridge Incident began the Second Sino-Japanese War, which would last until 1945.
• ❖ The Second Sino-Japanese War would last eight years and become part of the Second World War in Asia.
• ❖ The invasion united the Chinese people in defence of their country.
• ❖ More Japanese troops would fight in China throughout the conflict than fought against either the Americans in the Pacific, or the British Empire in Southeast Asia.
• ❖ The conflict would provide an opportunity for the CCP and the Red Army to increase their territory, experience and support.
• ❖ The GMD would be weakened as it would do most of the fighting throughout the conflict.