Japanese Invasion of ManchuriaIn 1931, the Japanese Kwangtung Army attacked Chinese troops in Manchuria in an event commonly known as the Manchurian Incident. This was essentially an attempt by the Japanese Empire to take control of all of Manchuria. province, in order to eventually encompass all of East Asia. This turned out to be one of the causes of the Second World Wars(1). Japan modernized between 1868 and the First World War. It emerged as a modern industrial economy with giant companies – the zaibatsus – which assumed great importance as commercial enterprises. Japan's expansion was marked by wars of expansion: it defeated China against Korea in 1894-5 and Russia against Manchuria in 1904-5. This last war saw the Japanese navy sink that of Russia during the Battle of Tsushima in 1905 (5). The Japanese navy had propelled Japan into the ranks of modern industrialized powers. During World War I, Japan acquired the German islands north of the equator. During the years of depression, Japan moved towards acquiring an empire – “the East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere” (2). This was largely due to the fragmentation of the world into trading blocs, with Japan excluded from many markets. The depression of 1929 hit Japan hard. Civil government had no solutions to the problems posed by the global depression and appeared weak. Japan's unemployed looked to the strength of the military to help them in their plight rather than to the weakness of politicians. “The voices of the military's senior generals were heard, and they led a campaign to conquer new overseas colonies so that the industries there could be exploited for Japan. (2) » Japan invaded Manchuria in 1931, which provoked numerous reproaches from the League of Nations. By 1931, Japan had invested huge sums of money in the economy of Manchuria, which was effectively controlled by the South Manchurian Railway Company. In 1937, Japan invaded China and, after the collapse of France, set about acquiring bases in French Indochina. gradually to the war in the Pacific, particularly after the American oil embargo in July 1941(6). Japan struck US and British bases in December..