<Articles>The Manchurian Incident and Japanese-British relations.

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  • <論説>満州事変と日英関係
  • 満州事変と日英関係
  • マンシュウ ジヘン ト ニチエイ カンケイ

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Abstract

This study traces the foreign policies of Japan, Britain and the League of Nations concerning the Manchurian Incident, relates them to their respective China policies, and reconsiders the process of the Japanese withdrawal from the League of Nations from September 1931 to February 1933. Japan and the League of Nations were opposed to each other mainly over the recognition of Manchukuo, while Japan and Britain, in consideration of the confused and complicated situation in China, were rather sceptic about the discussed League of Nations' intervention in Chinese affairs. In October 1932, the Lytton Commission officially denied sovereignty to Manchukuo, and suggested at the same time a plan for an autonomous government in Manchuria under the aegis of several states, which was supposed to lead to a reorganization of Manchukuo to satisfy the conflicting interests. The commission came also up with a plan for granting international support to the Kuomintang government, a plan which involved Japanese cooperation. In February 1933 negotiations between Japan and the League of Nations broke down over the matter of granting recognition to Manchukuo and the League of Nations decided to blame Japan during the final stages of the negotiations. This development led to the official international isolation of Japan, thereby frustrating initial Japanese and British efforts to avert the Japanese withdrawal from the League of Nations. Moreover, it also meant that the proposal of the Lytton Report that the League of Nations should be more actively engaged in Chinese affairs, had also failed. Ultimately, Britain supported the League of Nations' non- recognition of Manchukuo against its own initial intentions. Britain did so in anticipation of the Japanese withdrawal from the League of Nations which in effect meant that the proposals of the Lytton Report concering the political and economic support of the Koumintang government, would come to nothing. At the same time, Britain was prepared to have unofficial relations with Manchukuo anyway.

Journal

  • 史林

    史林 82 (3), 390-423, 1999-05-01

    THE SHIGAKU KENKYUKAI (The Society of Historical Research), Kyoto University

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