Why did Japan invade Manchuria?
China was invaded in 1931, without declaration of war, when Japan unilaterally annexed Manchuria, i.e. northern China. They then continued with the annexation of the large province of Jehol in 1934. In 1937, Japan launched a full scale invasion into the remaining China. This aggression was part of Japan’s policy of liberating Japan from her dependence on foreign states. Japan had a highly developed industry, but hardly any natural resources at all, not even enough to feed themselves in fact. This was not an economic problem, because Japans industry could easily fund all necessary imports, and still generate impressive profits. Just like Japan does today (she still has no significant natural resources). But it was a political problem, or at least the Japanese militarist/nationalist government thought so, because almost all of Asia was in European or US hands. The latter could thus stop deliveries of needed goods and raw materials in order to force Japan to act according to their wishes.
