How did China get into World War 2?
613247
Japan became increasingly militaristic in the 1930's and wanted an empire free from western colonialists known as the "asian co-propersity sphere". China overthrew the last dynasty and was then embroiled in a civil war between the Chinese nationalists led bt Mao Zedong who were more right wing and the Chinese communists led by Chiang Kai Shek.\n\nIn 1931 under false pretexts the Japanese bombed the Manchurian railway lines and accused the chinese of doing it (much like Hitler and the Nazi's setting the reichstag on fire and blaming it on the Communists.), this gave them the excuse to invade Manchuria(North west China)under the pretext of "protecting Japanese property".\n\nJapan subsequently invaded and Blitzed Manchuria without warning. They would setup a pupper goverment and the former Chinese emperor puyi who was overthrown by the nationalist revolution would become its "head of state" and it was renamed to Manchukuo which was in theory independant but in reality under the control of the Japanese.\n\nThis shocked the nationalists as they were fighting a war with the communists and didn't expect this so Chiang Kai Shek tried to negotiate a peace treaty which was extremely unpopular and he would be heavily critisized for selling out under Japanese pressure. Several conflicts would arise between 1931 and 1937 but there was not yet an all out war just a bunch of skirmishes.\n\nPeople were very aware of the threat and that the civil war could threaten China's response to Japanese invasion of greater China. The civil war would brew on that was until 1936.\n\nBy 1936 Chiang Kai Shek's own generals grew discontent and in a plot that would shock China and the world he would be kidnapped by his own generals and be forced to cease the civil war in favour of a united front between nationalists and communists, At first he stubbornly refused but then later would agree. After he had agree he was set free and would adhere to a ceasefire.\n\nBy 1937 the Japanese grew increasingly aware that their plans for expansionism were in jeopordy if they didn't take action so near the Marco polo bridge they started an incident which would cause the Sino-Japanese war and later merged into world war 2.\n\nRead the sources.
805326
Australia entered World War II shortly after the Invasion of Poland, declaring war on Germany on September 3rd, 1939. By the end of the war almost a million Australians had served in the Australian armed forces and Australian military units had seen combat in Europe, North Africa, and the South-West Pacific. In addition, Australia came under direct attack for the first time in its history. 39,366 Australians were killed and 23,477 were wounded by enemy action during the war.\n\nFollowing the Japanese attacks on South East Asia in late 1941, Australia was attacked itself during the Air raids on Darwin, February 19, 1942, resulting in at least 243 civilian and military deaths. Australian troops were sent home from the Middle East to defend the country from a feared Japanese invasion of Australia. This invasion did not occur, however, and the Japanese did not ever intend to invade the Australian mainland.\n\nThe Statute of Westminster 1931 formally ended most of the constitutional links between Australia and the United Kingdom when Australia adopted it in 1942. The shock of the United Kingdom's defeat in Asia in 1942 and the threat of Japanese invasion caused Australia to turn to the United States as a new ally and protector. Since 1951, Australia has been a formal military ally of the US under the auspices of the ANZUS treaty. After World War II, Australia encouraged mass immigration from Europe
407282
World War II, also, The Second World War, or WWII, was the global military conflict that took place between 1939 and 1945. World War II was the largest and deadliest war in history.\n\nThe war began between Germany and the Allies. Germany was later joined by Italy, Japan, and others, jointly known as the Axis. The Allies at first were made up of Poland, the British Commonwealth, France, and others. In June 1941, Germany invaded the Soviet Union, and in December, Japan attacked the United States. China, which had been at war with Japan since the mid-1930s, also joined the Allies, as eventually did a number of other countries.\n\nItaly surrendered in September 1943, Germany in May 1945. The surrender of Japan marked the end of the war, on September 2, 1945.\n\nIt is possible that up to 62 million people died in the war; estimates vary greatly. Most were civilians who died as a result of disease, starvation, genocide, and the aerial bombing of cities. Estimates place deaths in the Soviet Union at around 23 million, while China suffered about 10 million. Poland suffered the most deaths in proportion to its population of any country, losing approximately 5.6 million out of a pre-war population of 34.8 million (16%).\n\nThe war was responsible for the re-drawing of national boundaries and the creation of new nations, the end of western colonialism, and the beginning of the Cold War. [1]\n\nAfter World War II, Europe was informally split into western and Soviet spheres of influence. Western Europe largely aligned as NATO, and Eastern Europe largely as the Warsaw pact. There was a fundamental shift in power from Western Europe and the British Empire to the new superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union.\n\nIn Asia, the United States' military occupation of Japan led to Japan's democratization. China's civil war continued through and after the war, resulting eventually in the establishment of the People's Republic of China. The former colonies of the European powers began their road to independence.\n\nKey alliances are formed\nOn September 1, the German invasion of Poland began World War II. Britain, France, Australia and New Zealand all declared war on Germany on September 3. Nepal, Newfoundland, Tonga, South Africa and Canada followed suit within days. On September 17, the Soviets invaded Poland from the East. The following year, the USSR annexed the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) together with parts of Romania, and attacked Finland. The German-Soviet agreement was brought to an end by the German invasion of the USSR on June 22, 1941.\n\nThe United States of America joined the Allies following the attack on Pearl Harbor, on December 7, 1941. The Declaration by United Nations, on January 1, 1942, officially united 26 nations as Allies. (The Declaration also formed the basis for the United Nations.) The informal Big 3 alliance of the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, and the United States emerged in the latter half of the war, and their decisions determined Allied strategy around the world.\n\n\nDates of joining Allies\n Poland: 1939, 1 September \n United Kingdom: 1939, 3 September \n Australia: 1939, 3 September \n New Zealand: 1939, 3 September \n France: 1939, 3 September \n Nepal: 1939, 4 September \n Newfoundland: 1939, 4 September \n Tonga: 1939, 4 September \n South Africa: 1939, 6 September \n Canada: 1939, 10 September \n Denmark: 1940, 9 April \n Norway: 1940, 9 April \n Belgium: 1940, 10 May \n Luxembourg: 1940, 10 May \n Netherlands: 1940, 10 May \n Free France: 1940, 18 June \n Greece: 1940, 28 October \n Kingdom of Yugoslavia: 1941, 6 April \n Soviet Union: 1941, 22 June \n Tannu Tuva: 1941, 25 June until 1944, 11 October \n Panama: 1941, 7 December \n Philippines: 1941, 7 December \n Costa Rica: 1941, 8 December \n Dominican Republic: 1941, 8 December \n El Salvador: 1941, 8 December \n Haiti: 1941, 8 December \n Honduras: 1941, 8 December \n Nicaragua: 1941, 8 December \n United
275391
Basically World World II was like a continuation of World World I. Essentially this is what happened. World War I starts (aka - The Great War pre WWII) and afterwards its like everyone took a break. I'm not joking either. It was like a pause for 20 years. In the early 1930's, Japan invaded China. China actually had the most amount of casualties, not Russia or Eastern Europe. \n\nMost countries blamed Germany and so Germany had many sanction and restrictions put on the country. Hitler played off of these emotions and blamed the Jewish population for all of Germany's problems. At this time, Hitler was also quickly moving up in the ranks and finally became Dictator. \n\nHitler then started annexing countries in the mid to left 1930's and every country began to appease him. After he took over Poland and much of France, it was too late. The non-aggression pact between Germany and Russia made Hitler essentially invulnerable because from Eastern Europe was essentially all his to take over minus Russia. (Hitler would later reneg on the non-agreesion pact)\n\nThe United States needed an excuse to get into WWII and they finally got one on June 6, 1941 - Pearl Harbor. \n\nAbout 6 million jews were killed and 6 million gypsies, homosexuals, etc were killed. \n\nIn China, about 20-25 million were killed.
461538
I think the bigger question is will China go to war with Taiwan; Will China Invade Taiwan. In this modern age, it is highly unlikely that the situation will arise given the vast information that can spread in a heartbeat around the world about an action. The US and USSR were in a cold war for decades without committing a first strike, and the result ended peacably. The Republic of China and the Peoples Republic have been at a similar standoff for a similar number of years, and no action will happen that would mar China's building honor in the world spotlight. At most, the mainland will keep rattling its saber to keep the island on its toes, but nothing damaging will happen.\n\nAnd lets try and keep the slanderous remarks down to a minimal ok?
593316
1937 is the year to remember because this is when China and Japan go to war. Prince Konyoye, Japan's Foreign Minister and Hidikei Tojo, Japan's military dictator want a Pacific Rim Empire. They believed Japanese people were ethnically superior to the people in the surrounding countries. As Japan grew industrially it needed raw materials and therefore, it had to invade territories to get them like the Dutch East Indies and China. \n\nThe U.S. placed an embargo on Japan after the China invasion. The one good of importance was oil. Since the U.S. could control oil imports to Japan and the US was cutting Japan off Japan felt threatened by the US fleet at Pearl harbor. Around this time Konyoye flew to Berlin to sign the axis pact with Italy and Germany. \n\nDuring this time Admiral Yammato was testing new torpedoes and bombing techniques to prepare his strategy for attacking Pearl Harbor. At the same time Japan decided to negotiate with the US, but it was a stall for time. On Dec 6,1941 the war department intercepted a message to the Japanese embassy in Washington, which contained everything but a declaration of war. The Japanese government wanted the US to know of an upcoming attack, but waited until the seventh to deliver the ultimatum. However the embassy in Washington delivered the declaration of war after Pearl had been attacked. Yammato was shocked and uttered "I'm afraid we've woken a sleeping giant."
199132
Attacked and invaded China to get the resources they needed for world domination.  \n\nThen attacked the US at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.\n\nThen they lost the war they started.
189521
WWII's victors agreed that both Russia and China should become members of the U.N. Security Council. In terms of overall casualties in the war on the allies side, both Russia and China suffered the most.
358749
the first post is all there.\nthe only thing i'll add is in the east japan invaded china and korea, and progessed up to india, part of the british empire. this forced britain into a war with japan. america was going to attack japan, which led japan to a pre-emptive attack; Pearl harbour.\nalthough it was all WWII the war in europe and the war in the east were independant of eachother and both had their own starting points
519697
Yes, there was a Soviet Union in WWII. Stalin had purged (murdered) most of the officer corps just prior to the German invasion. The Red Army fell back at first, but then kicked the Nazi's a$$es from Stalingrad on. A couple of indications of the Red Army's might: the Japanese were afraid to fight them even though the USSR was fighting their ally Germany (The Red Army conquered the Japanese in Manchuria and China at the end of the war in a matter of days). The Red Army kept 300 German, Italian and other Axis DIVISIONS tied down, compared to a mere 30 fighting the US, Britain and all the other Allies on the western front.
220027
Japan Invaded Shanghai, which was formerly held by the int'l concession (USA and UK) and the french concession. Japan used Chinese citizens as tests for biochemical activities, and at one time planned to bild a zepplin with gas to poison target californian cities. Oh, and Japan had a mutual war pact with the nazis. Other than pearl harbor and the previous reasons stated..., I see no reason to be alarmed.
389276
The attack on Pearl Harbor and the resulting war between Japan and the Allied powers appears to be the culmination of a series of events and decisions that began in the 19th century. By the mid-19th century, western imperialism had come to east Asia. Various European powers had taken control of India, Southeast Asia, Indonesia, and various islands in the Pacific. After defeating the Qin Dynasty of China in the Opium Wars, several western imperial governments forcibly exploited China's resources. The Japanese were shocked by the European defeat of the Qin dynasty and the resulting conquest of Chinese territory and resources. It was also around this time, in 1853, that Commodore Perry appeared in Tokyo Bay with the "Black Ships" and ordered the isolationist, Tokugawa shogunate government of Japan to open trade with the west. The U.S. appeared to support the other western powers in their exploitation of China, even sending troops to help put-down the Boxer Rebellion. The U.S. also gained control, through victories in the Spanish American War, of several significant territories in the east Asia/Pacific area by the end of the 19th century, most notably the Phillipines and Guam.\n\nIn 1868, Japan's Tokugawa shogunate was forcibly replaced with a new government model during the Meiji restoration. Japan's new government's decided to try to achieve parity with the western powers, believing that the only other alternative was helpless victimization, as had happened to the Qin Dynasty.\n\nThus, Japan embarked on a period of significant economic, political, and military expansion (citation pending). In order to fund this expansion, resource-poor Japan embarked on a series of their own imperialistic moves that brought it into conflict with neighboring powers. In 1894, Japan defeated the then current Chinese government and took control of Taiwan. In 1904, Japan defeated Russian forces and took control of Russian territories in and around China and the Korean peninsula. In 1910, Japan took all of the Korean peninsula. Japan supported the UK and U.S. side in World War I and, as a reward, was awarded control of former German possessions in the central Pacific. In 1931, Japan forcibly established a "puppet" state in Manchuria. In 1937, having made further progress in constructing a large and modern navy and army, Japan initiated a large-scale of invasion of mainland China, attacking from Manchuria and at several points along China's Pacific coast.\n\nJapan's invasion of China now appeared to directly threaten the assets and territories of several of the western powers, including Great Britain (UK) and the U.S., who were strong allies. The move also threatened the U.S.' "Open Door Policy" concerning China. The U.S. and UK responded at first with diplomatic pressure, condemning Japan's aggression in China. Japan didn't back down, but instead continued it's military campaign in China and formally aligned itself with the Axis Powers in 1940. The U.S. responded with economic sanctions, including partial or full embargoes of scrap metal and gasoline, renouncing previously-signed trade agreements between the two countries, and closing the Panama Canal to Japanese shipping. Again, the Japanese didn't back down and, in 1941, invaded northern Indo-China. The U.S. response was to freeze Japanese assets and initiated a complete oil embargo.\n\nOil was the most valuable and crucial resource that Japan required. In addition to fueling Japanese military operations, oil was vital for core economic activities. 80% of Japan's oil imports came from the U.S. Diplomatic negotiations climaxed with the Hull note of November 26, 1941, which Prime Minister Hideki Tojo described to his cabinet as an ultimatum. Therefore, Japan now had an important decision to make- either to comply with the U.S. and UK demands and back down from its aggression in China and the surrounding areas, or go to war w
1164889
lol  what??????  china has the BIGGEST army with over a million soldiers
887096
China's leaders read history I suspect. The reason the US beat Japan in WWII and why China was laid open to Japan in WW II is the same. The Japanese had a huge technological and manufacturing edge on China. So despite Chinese troops heavily outnumbering Japanese troops the Japanese rolled over the devided Chinese. \n\nThe US beat the Japanese primarily on our manufacturing edge. Wasn't until late in the war that we gained a technological edge, mostly because Japanese industry was too bombed out to bring new inovations into the battlefield. \n\nNow we fast forward to today. \n\nUS - Industry is almost non-existant. \nChina - Makes half the world's products including military gear for many Western nations. China makes crucial chips for US military vehicles and weaponary. \n\nUS - Until recently the technology leader of the world. US companies have shut down or outsourced technological research. \nChina - This is where some US and other Western companies have outsourced thier R&D departments. China would be able to quickly and easily occupy the two nations the US also relies on for technological parts and research (Japan and Taiwan). So should a war break out the US would suddenly be unable to inovate. The facilities would just not be there any more. The US would not be able to repair weapons and gear. The factories just do not exist in this hemisphere any more. Few technological companies actually manufacture anything in the US. They might assemble them. A good example was when a Taiwanese resin factory burned down in the early 90s. Buying memory chips was like playing the lottery. I literally bought some and sold them for twice what I paid for them a week later. Without Taiwan our computer industry grinds to a sudden halt. \n\nWhat has happened is that through bribery and other means China has effectively disarmed the US and many other Western nations. \n\nNow lets look at current military. This assumes that the US could actually build necessary factories to keep these units going. \n\nChina has the latest technology and is quickly becoming an inovator in military technology. China is actively preparing for war with the US and the West. China will find ready allies whom they have already discussed a war with the US with. This includes Arab Terrorists and leftist South American and African governments. \n\nThe US has made no effort to gear up for war with China. The US refuses to even admit it's a possibility. \n\nIn terms of Air force. \n\nChina - Makes and flies the latest Russian migs. \nUS - Still has an edge in quality but a slim one. Our aircraft are considerably more expensive and difficult to repair and replace. As such a war of attrition would go in China's favor. Even if the US could actually make a single airplane without overseas exports, it would find it difficult to keep up with the numbers the Chinese could put up. \n\nNavy\nChina - Up until recently did not posses a navy of importance. They are fast correcting this. Some of the new Chinese subs are on par with Western subs. Worse the Chinese literally bought US top secrect technology over the last 15 years. So they have the best both we and the Russians have plus thier own inovations. \nUS - The US still has a major edge in both quality and quanity of surface vessels. \n\nGround forces. \nChina - China has switched from human waves to a very modern military organization with good capabilities. Chinese solders are capable troops and well trained. Chinese armor is behind the US in quanity and quality but far cheaper and more reliable. China has a huge reserve of manpower which could be employed. Enough to give them a major numerical superiority. \nUS - The US is over reliant on gizmos and gadgets. While US troops are highly trained and have probably the most advanced gear in the world, they are vulnerable in many ways. US armor lacks the reliability to fight an extended war against a foe that is on par with us. The US military is designed to fig
742073
No one right on its mind will use first Nukes.   You will be the paria of the whole world and loose all allies.   Nukes will be used when one party is completly lost.\nA ground war with China would look as the war in Russia.   Very long distance to conquer (even worse since you must bring everything by sea).\nAll Chinese have a minimum military training.   When fully mobilising they have more soldiers than the entire population of the US.\nIn Korea, Us had a lot of trouble with the Chinese which were badly underarmed.  The modern Chinese army has very good material and even more troops than in 1950.\nCarpet bombing has someone suggested : China is even larger than the US.   Do you think the Chinese army and factories will stay in the towns ?  Think again.\n\nSo how would look a war with China really ?\nSimply : a lot of naval raids on the Chinese coast, Taiwan taken by the Chinese after a heavy sea battle (with a lot of combats between Chinese airforce versus US navy carriers).\nAn invasion of China is very unlikely because no way you can stop the millions of Chinese (well trained and motivated).\nAt the other hand China can not do much to arm the US and will be cut off from the world for trade so no more export (and so no more currency coming in).\nChina will fall back on it own (like in 1960), the US will be seriously crippled after the first months of battle and can not affort to have a second front somewhere.\n\nAll depends what other countries will do especially Russia, India.\n\nConclusion : both countries have no interest to start a war with each other.   Military it would make the US vulnerable, China would loose a lot economical.
481552
Most likely what you are referring to was the exile of Chaing Kai-Shek's Nationalist forces to Formosa after fighting the communists under Mao, around 1947-1949.  You'd have to say that Chaing Kai-shek was the man who lost China.
295440
The most recent Chinese civil war began in the late 1920s and ended, sort of, in 1949.  The war was between the Nationalists and the Communists.\n\nIn the 1920s national government in China had almost no power, and China had dissolved into a bunch of fractured fiefdoms, each controlled by a local warlord.  In 1927, Chiang Kai Shek recruited a large "National" army from the graduates of the Whampoa Military Academy in southern China near Hong Kong.  Because these soldiers actually had some training, they were able to kick the neighboring warlords' asses and absorb those troops into their own army, which began to snowball. Pretty soon they could could take territiry without a fight, allowng the corrupt local warlord to stay in power, as long as he paid lip service to the Nationalist Army and Party.  Chiang and his army eventually took over the whole country, but very little of the corruption and local oppression had changed from the warlord time.\n\nAt the same time, people who were sick of this ineffective government looked for an alternative and founded the Communist Party. They set up a little mini communist government in one part of some province to try it out.  Eventually they started winning converts all over the place, because not only was the Nationalist government corrupt and oppressive, it also sold out to foreign interests all the time.  Soon the Communists and the Nationalists were having military confrontations and the civil war had begun. In 1934, the Nationalists chased the Communists and the Communists kept retreating, for more than 3500 miles.  This long westward retreat eventualy wore the Nationalists down, while on the Communist side it became known as the heroic Long March.  Mao Zedong became the leader of the Communist Party at this time. \n\nThe Japanese saw how divided the Chinese were, and they thought this made a great opportunity to invade China, which they did in 1937.  The Japanese took over a huge chunk of northeast China and pressed south, into the Chinese heartland.  World War II began in Europe in 1939, and the US joined in early 1942.  The allies actually had to convince the Chinese to stop their civil war so that they could focus on defeating Japan.  \n\nThe Nationalists' strategy was to run away from the conflict, retreating all the way to Chongqing, which is kind of like retreating from New York City to LA in the face of an invasion from Europe.  They were hoping the Communists would all get killed by the Japanese.  But this strategy blew up in their faces, since it made Communists look like heroic patriots and Nationalists look like cowards.\n\nThe Chinese civil war started up again as soon as WW II and the Sino-Japanese war ended in 1945.  What's more, the USSR was now firmly on the side of the Communists; when the Soviets kicked the Japanese out of northeast China, they gave all the Japanese war materiel that got left behind to the Chinese Communists.\n\nThe Communists gained the upper hand and chased the Nationalists completely off the mainland and onto the island of Taiwan in 1949.  They were all set to invade Taiwan and finish the civil war, once and for all when the US 7th fleet of aircraft carriers etc. parked itself between Taiwan and the mainland.  So technically the war didn't finish, and it still hasn't finished.\n\nToday, both sides still insist that there is only one China, that their government is the "real" governnment of China and that the other one is a pretender.  They are on much better terms now than they were from say 1949-2000, when each feared and expected a military confrontation with the other.