Second Sino-Japanese War

[gjs238]

Any thought about this long-running conflict?
July 7, 1937 – September 9, 1945 (8 years, 1 month, 3 weeks and 5 days.)
The Japanese never defeated the Chinese.

Was Operation Ichi-Go, 19 April–31 December 1944, a waste of resources that could have/should have been better spend on the US UK?

 

[davebender]

1882 to 1895. China and Japan skirmish over control of Korea.

1899 to 1901. Boxer War.
Japan was one of several nations fighting China.

18 Jan 1915. Japan sends "21 Demands" to the nominal Chinese government.

Dec 1927. Japanese Army begin a series of operations against Manchurian RR bridges.

April 1928. Japanese troops clash with KMT Chinese troops in Tsinan.

May 8, 1928. IJA reinforcements arrive in Tsinan. They launch an attack which kills about 1,000 Chinese soldiers and civilians.

1 June 1928. IJA assassinate Manchurian warlord Chang Tso-lin in an effort to gain control of the region.

18 Sep 1931. IJA invade the remainder of Chinese Manchuria.

28 Jan to 4 Mar 1932. IJA fight KMT China for control of Shanghai.

1932 to 1937. Japan continues to encroach on Northern China. By 1937 large portions of Northern China are effectively under Japanese control.

7 July 1937. Clash between IJA and Chinese troops outside Beijing exculpates into full scale war.


Personally I'm surprised Japan opted for full scale invasion during 1937. Makes more sense to me to continue their successful policy of absorbing China in small bites.

 

[tyrodtom]

Dave, like I said a year or so ago, sometimes it seems you have your own dictionary.

Everybody but you calls the conflict in China from 1937-45 the 2nd Sino-Japanese War.

 

[michaelmaltby]

"....Makes more sense to me to continue their successful policy of absorbing China in small bites."

That policy was not working fast enough for Japan's changing situation. Ichi-Go was effective in sowing dis-order and dis-crediting the Nationalist gov't ... the Reds were the real beneficiaries.

MM