WWII Second Sino-Japanese War

1936 Chiang Kai-shek was kidnapped Kidnapped by the communists In order to be freed, had to agree to fight the Japanese with the communists July 7, Marco Polo Bridge Incident took place

Marco Polo Bridge Incident Loss would isolate Beijing Japan tried to purchase this land, with no success Chinese soldiers stationed in the area 1937 Japanese soldiers carried out training near the bridge Did not warn the Chinese Japan thought Chinese had captured a guard

Incident Continued July 8th the Japanese entered China and opened fire Cease fire was negotiated Japanese continued to fight By late July, full scale fighting took off

Japan Moved to Soviet Union Japan pushed through Manchuria toward the Soviet Union Soviet Union defeated the Japanese badly Uneasy peace would last between the Japanese and Soviets until 1945 Japan would again focus to the south

Japan Continued 1940 Japan signed a military alliance with Italy and Germany Japan cut links between China and other nations China had no major military, communist used guerilla warfare By 1941 they were in a stalemate Japan held the north and central China, while the Chinese held the south

Western Response U.S., Australia, the Dutch, and Britain stopped selling resources to the Japanese Petroleum Iron Ore Steel Imported oil made up 80% of domestic consumption Japanese could not continue much longer in China

Western Continued Japan’s economy could grind to a halt Japan started planning to attack Western interests Eastern Plan Southern Plan

Eastern Plan U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor Seizure of the Philippines Cut U.S. lines of communication by seizing Guam and Wake

U.S. Pacific Fleet

Philippines

Guam

Wake Island

Southern Plan Attack Malaya (British) and Hong Kong Then attack Bismarck Archipelago Java Sumatra Isolating Australia and New Zealand

Malaya

Hong Kong

Bismarck Archipelago

Java

Sumatra

Australia and New Zealand