CHRONOLOGY OF THE JAPANESE INVASION OF ASIA, 1894-1945

 

1894-1895

First Sino-Japanese war -- fledging Japanese navy defeats
Chinese fleet off Yalu River. Fortress of Port Arthur
(Lushun) stormed. After the war, Japan seizes Taiwai and
S. Manchuria.

   1910        
Annexation of Korea.
         
          1926        
Hirohito becomes Emperor.

1931
"The Mukden Incident" -- Bomb explodes under Japanese-
owned express train in Manchuria (planted by Japanese
secret agents); Japanese troops proceed to occupy all
Manchuria.

1932

Chinese boycott of Japanese goods leads to the "Battle of
Shanghai"; Japanese aircraft carriers in action for the
first time. League of Nations condemns Japanese
aggression in Manchuria.

1933

Japan withdraws from League of Nations.

1934

Pu Yi -- former emperor of China -- becomes puppet emperor of
Manchukuo (Manchuria).

1937
"The China Incident" -- a skirmish between Japan and
Chinese troops at the Marco Polo Bridge (Luguoqiao), near
Peking, sparks off a full scale invasion of China.

Japanese bombers make the first trans-oceanic raids in
history -- from Taiwan and Kyushu to Nanking and Shanghai.

Imperial General Headquarters established in Tokyo (the
Emperor, the Chiefs of the Army, and Naval General
Staffs).

The Nanking Massacre (Rape of Nanking) -- the Chinese
capital sacked by Japanese troops. The American gunboat
USS Panay bombed and sunk near Nanking.

1938
Japan proclaims a "New Order in East Asia".

1940
Chungking -- war capital of China -- bombed day and night
by Japanese.

Japanese troops occupy northern Indo-China.
Japan signs Tripartite Pact with Germany and Italy.

1941
Japanese troops occupy southern French Indo-China.

President Roosevelt addresses a personal appeal for peace
to Emperor Hirohito.

Japan raids Pearl Harbor, invades Siam, Hong Kong, Burma,
North Borneo, the Dutch West Indies, the Philippines and
Pacific Islands. Britain and United States declare war on
Japan.

1942
Japanese midget submarines attack shipping in Diego
Suarez harbor (Madagascar) and Sydney Harbor (Australia).

Battle of Midway -- Japanese Carrier Force defeated off
Midway Island and the invasion abandoned.

1943
Issue of Cairo Declaration.

1944
U.S. forces land on Okinawa.

Issue of Postdam Declaration to Japan.

1945
Atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Russia declares war on Japan. Japan surrenders.

Surrender ceremony aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay.

 

Source: Dept. of Defense, Republic of China. Official Report.