The significance of the Second Sino-Japanese War, fought between 1937 and 1945 was that it was the biggest war that occurred on the Asian continent in the 20th century. Conflict from the First Sino-Japanese War had not been resolved, and it slowly turned into a powder keg over the span of 30 years. Prior to the second war, Japan had taken control of Korea and Taiwan, formerly under China’s control.

Japan Attacks

Japan’s aggressive, imperialistic streak was worrying to China leaders. In 1931, Japanese soldiers jumped on the Korean railway and sneak attacked the Chinese soldiers in Manchuria. Soon, Japan had added Manchuria, renamed Manchukuo, to its list of conquered cities. Fighting between the two countries continued until 1937, which was the official start date of the war.

Chinese soldiers planned and successfully executed an attack on the Japanese near the city of Peking. This momentous event was the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War. Germany and the Soviet Union provided some support to China in the beginning. Later, other Allied forces, including the U.S., joined China’s side.

The Chinese had the advantage in the beginning, but their enemy quickly rebounded to capture Chinese city after city. The Japanese used poisonous gasses, even though it had been outlawed for many years. Furthermore, troops used bubonic-infested fleas to transmit the disease to civilians in Ningbo. Chinese troops were running out of supplies and didn’t have the same type of professional military training as the Japanese.

The capture of Nanjing was a turning point in the Second Sino-Japanese War. It was a dirty fight, complete with rape, pillage, and murder. The rest of the world didn’t learn about the true events of Nanjing until many years later.

The Invasion’s Aftermath

Chinese cities suffered under Japanese rule until 1941. Violence, food shortages, and warring political leaders brought the once-thriving cities to its knees. China joined the Second World War in 1941, so the Second Sino-Japanese War was absorbed into the greater war.

The war between China and Japan officially ended on September 9, 1945 with Japan’s surrender. China once again ruled over its cities of Manchuria, Pescadores Islands, and Taiwan.

The Chinese nation was extremely weak economically after WWII. Inflation, the war toll, and political strife were halting progress. Farms were destroyed, fresh food was scarce, and much of the Japanese industrial equipment in China was systematically dismantled by Soviet Union forces. It was easy for Communism to overtake the country. By 1945, the party had grown from 100,000 to 1.2 million.