manchurian crisis

• great depression

  america: banks failed, 25% unemployment

  britain: exports + employment suffered. emergency budget cut welfare + public sector costs

  france: 1935 industrial prdocut did not come to 1928 levels causing socialist-communist coalition in may 1936

  italy: banks crashed, mass nationalism by mussolini + unemployment

  japan: silk price halved, impoverished rural areas by 1931

  economic depression of 1920s laid foundation for an era of dictators
• japan pre-manchuria crisis


  economic downturn in 1930s made people turn to nationalists + military

  right wing movements became popular

  sino-soviet tension in region

  soviet win showed china's weakness

  japanese army was getting stronger than gov, attempted coup in march 1931

  chinas regional gov in manchuria grew weak
• manchurian crisis

  league failure

  mukden incident: sept 1931, explosion at south manchurian railway in mukden, japan

  japan accused chinese involvement

  japanese army used this as excuse to invade manchuria

  puppet leader put in charge in 1932

  by spring 1934, all of chinese territory north of great wall annexed

  full scale war in 1937
• league reaction to manchurian crisis

  a month after chinas appeal to LoN they ordered japanese troops to leave, was ignored

  jan 1932 - lord lytton commision sent on investigation

  oct 1932 - proved japan in the wrong

  assembly demanded they leave, japanese delegation walked out

  countries too economically frail to sanction japan (no army, western countries could not care)

  invasion carried on
• impact of manchurian crisis on league

  league is slow to act

  emboldened dictators

  even the league's core was willing to break rules