The Manchurian Crisis 1931–1933

The Manchurian Crisis was the first major test of the League of Nations' ability to deal with aggression by a major power. Japan's invasion of Manchuria (a region in northern China) in 1931 exposed the League's fundamental weaknesses and set a dangerous precedent for future aggressors. This lesson covers the background, the crisis itself, the League's response, and the consequences.

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Background: Japan in the 1920s and 1930s

Japan was a powerful, industrialised nation with a large empire, but it faced serious problems.