Timeline

• Sept 1931: An explosion destroyed a section of a Japanese-owned railway in Manchuria; Japan claimed the Chinese had sabotaged the railway but most likely staged by Japan.
• 18 September 1931: Japan invaded Manchuria.
• September 22, 1931: China appealed to the League.
• Dec 1931: the League appointed a commission led by Lord Lytton from Britain to investigate.
• April 1932: Lytton goes to Manchuria.
• Oct 1932: Lytton's report published - stated that Japan was the aggressor and should leave.
• 24 Feb 1933: The Assembly voted that Japan should leave Manchuria. As a result, Japan walked out of the meeting.
• Japan stayed in Manchuria.
• The League could not agree on economic sanctions or on an arms sales ban as everyone was suffering from the Wall Street Crash and Japan was just vetoing everything as was a Security Council member.
• No military sanctions imposed as France and Britain didn’t want to sail across the world to fight a very good navy and army as would cost too much.
• In 1933 Japan left the League without any consequences.
• In 1937 Japan invaded the rest of China.