LibGuides: G11: Move to Global War: Japan: Key Events

Primary Sources

Japanese Post-Cards of the R-J War
The first war to be widely illustrated in postcards, the Japanese view of the conflict is presented in images, with accompanying essay.
Japanese Ambassador Responds to Invasion of China
The task of justifying what, to much of the world, appeared as naked aggression fell to Japanese politicians and diplomats. Hiroshi Saito, Japanese ambassador to the United States, delivered the following explanation.

Russo-Japanese War

Russo-Japanese War
Collection of sources from World History in Context. You'll need the password from home. See the library resources page.
Russo-Japanese War
Overview from History.com
Imperial Edict Declaring War on Russia
Minutes of the Peace Treaty

Sino-Japanese War

Sino-Japanese War
In the 1930s, China was a divided country. In 1928 Chiang Kai-Shek had formed a Nationalist Government – the Kuomintang (the KMT), but his dictatorial regime was opposed by Mao Tse Tung's Communists (CCP).
Second S-J War
In July 1937, the Japanese invaded China proper, launching the Second Sino-Japanese War.
Alpha History: Second S-J War
Japan’s invasion of China in the early 1930s and the Sino-Japanese War that followed capped off decades of antagonism between the two nations.

China-Japanese Relations, 1936
Report from the Congressional Quarterly

Mukden Incident / Invasion of Manchuria

The Manchurian Incident, the League of Nations and the Origins of the Pacific War.
The Manchurian Incident was the starting point of Japan's invasion of northeastern China (Manchuria) and Inner Mongolia.

China, Japan and Russia in Manchuria, 1931
Congressional Quarterly Report

Tripartite Pact

Tripartite Pact
Originally signed by Germany, Italy, and Japan, the Tripartite Pact was a typical European-style mutual defense treaty between the signatory nations.
A Shared Enmity: Germany, Japan, and the Creation of the Tripartite Pact
The quagmire the Japanese Army found itself in in China worsened. Consequently the Japanese Army and the Wehrmacht decided, to exchange military intelligence with one another
Into the Tiger's Den: Japan and the Tripartite Pact, 1940
JSTOR

Japan and the Tripartite Pact

Pearl Harbor

The Path to Pearl Harbor
While Japan’s deadly assault on Pearl Harbor stunned Americans, its roots stretched back more than four decades
Japanese Perspective
The Japanese goal was to clear the way to Indonesia to gain full access to its oil and other natural resources. To accomplish this, the Japanese had to remove all Western obstacles, including bases in Hong Kong and SE Asia, as well as the possibility of an American counterattack
The Road to Pearl Harbor: US and East Asia (1915-'41)
In this four-lesson curriculum unit, students begin by exploring through contemporary documents the rise of animosity between the United States and Japan beginning in World War I and continuing over the next two decades
Attack at Pearl Harbor
The Japanese View
Pearl harbor: Rude Awakening
How did American intelligence fail to give warning of the devastating Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, nearly three years into World War Two? According to Bruce Robinson, the conspiracy theorists have got it all wrong.
Naval Reports to FDR on the Bombings
from the Franklin Archives
Initial Memo to FDR and Cabinet Minutes
Franklin Archives

Visual History

Japanese Troops Enter Manchuria, 1931

During a 1931 invasion of Manchuria, the Japanese troops seen here entered the Chinese province on horseback. Following a minor bombing of the South Manchuria Railway, the invasion began on the evening of September 18. It was engineered by two Kwantung officers. The explosion was cited as an excuse to occupy Manchuria and the Kwantung army invaded Kirin--a city 70 miles east the the railway station--on Septmber 21 without any exchange of gunfire.

Invasion of Manchuria, 1931

: "USS West Virginia and USS Tennessee after attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941."

Archivist note: USS West Virginia, BB-48, sinking after being hit with seven torpedoes and two armor-piercing bombs. Along side is USS Tennesse, BB-43, after being hit with two bombs and being damaged by the explosion of the USS Arizona. In the foreground are yard patrol craft which appear to be assisting in damage control and rescue operations.