Pacific Theater World War 2 timeline
-
Mukden Incident
On the evening of September 18, 1931, an explosion occurred on the tracks of the South Manchurian Railroad north of the Chinese city of Mukden... Read more
-
Kwantung Army Issues Proclamation Installing Colonel Kenji Doihara as Mayor of Mukden (Modern-Day Shenyang)
The provincial government of Liaoning Province had fled west to Chinchow. Governor Zang Shiyi remained in Mukden, but refused to cooperate with the... Read more
-
Lieutenant General Xi Qia Delcares Independence of Kirin Province from the Republic of China Under Protection of the Japanese Army
On 23 September 1931, Lieutenant General Xi Qia of the Kirin Army, was invited by the Japanese to form a provisional government for Kirin Province.... Read more
-
Resistance at Nenjiang Bridge
The Resistance at Nenjiang Bridge was a small battle fought between forces of the Chinese National Revolutionary Army against the Imperial Japanese... Read more
-
Battle of Tsitsihar
On November 15, 1931, despite having lost more than 400 killed and 300 wounded since November 5, General Ma declined a Japanese ultimatum to... Read more
-
Chinchow Operation
While the other Japanese forces and collaborationist Manchurian troops spread out from their bases along the South Manchurian Railway rail lines to... Read more
-
'January 28 Incident' Sparks Short War Over City of Shanghai Between Japan and China
After the Mukden Incident, Japan had acquired the vast northeastern region of China and would eventually establish the puppet government of... Read more
-
Proclamation of the Manchu State
On 18 February 1932 the Manchu State (Manchukuo, Pinyin: Mǎnzhōuguó)[3] was proclaimed and recognized by Japan on 16 September 1932. The city of... Read more
-
Japanese Army Withdraws from Shanghai, Officially Ending Conflict, Despite Continued Sporadic Fighting
On 29 February, the Japanese 11th Infantry Division landed near Liuhe behind Chinese lines. The defenders launched a desperate counterattack from 1... Read more
-
Ma Zhanshan Announces Reestablishment of the “Heilungkiang Provincial Government” Independent of Manchukuo (Manchu State)
At Heihe on April 7, Ma announced the reestablishment of the “Heilungkiang Provincial Government” independent of Manchukuo, and reorganized his... Read more
-
Defense of the Great Wall
Falling back from Rehe, Wan Fulin's 32nd Corps retreated to Lengkou Pass, while the 29th Corps of General Song Zheyuan also fell back, Zhang... Read more
-
Japanese Forces Take Over Mishan
On December 24, 1932, the Japanese 10th Division attacked guerrilla forces to the north of Mudanjiang River. January 5, 1933, General Kuan... Read more
-
Battle of Rehe
The Battle of Rehe (sometimes called the Battle of Jehol) was the second part of Operation Nekka, a campaign by which the Empire of Japan... Read more
-
Signing of the Tanggu Truce Formally Ends the Japanese Invasion of Manchuria
The Tanggu Truce resulted in the de facto recognition of the existence of Manchukuo by the Kuomingtang government, and acknowledgement of the loss... Read more
-
Inner Mongolian Army Faction Attacks Chinese Garrison at Hongort
On November 14, 1936 a coalition of the Inner Mongolian Army's 7th and 8th Cavalry Divisions, Wang Ying's Grand Han Righteous Army, and Mongol... Read more
-
Marco Polo Bridge Incident (Battle of Lugou Bridge)
From June 1937, Japanese troops carried out intensive military training maneuvers in the vicinity of the western end of the Marco Polo Bridge.... Read more
-
Fighting Erupts at Langfang Between Chinese and Japanese Troops Despite Recent Truce
By 25 July, Japanese reinforcements in the form of the IJA 20th Division arrived and fighting re-erupted first at Langfang, a city on the railroad... Read more
-
Tungchow Mutiny
The Tungchow Mutiny (通州事件 Tsushu jiken, Chinese: 通州事件; pinyin: Tōngzhōu Shìjiàn), sometimes referred to as the Tōngzhōu Incident, was an assault on... Read more
-
Tianjin Falls to Japanese Forces
Meanwhile on the coast at dawn of 29 July, the IJA 5th Division and Japanese naval forces separately attacked Tianjin and the port at Tanggu, which... Read more
-
Beijing Falls to Japanese Forces
On 28 July, Chiang Kai-shek ordered Song Zheyuan to retreat to Paoting in southern Hebei province. Over the next two days, intense fighting took... Read more
-
Japanese Forces Begin Attack on Chinese at Nankou
On August 8th the Japanese 11th Independent Mixed Brigade, commanded by Gen. Shigiyasu Suzuki began their attack on the left flank of the 13th... Read more
-
First Phase in the Battle of Shanghai
Around 9am on August 13, the Chinese Peace Preservation Corps exchanged small arms fire with Japanese troops in Zhabei, Wusong, and Jiangwan... Read more
-
Phase Two in the Battle of Shanghai
On August 23, the Japanese Shanghai Expeditionary Army, led by Iwane Matsui, landed in Liuhe, Wusong (吳淞), and Chuanshakou. Chiang Kai-shek had... Read more
-
Japanese Army Air Service Commences Aerial Bombing of Nanking
On September 21, the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service, commanded by Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni, began aerial bombardment of Nanking. The aerial... Read more
-
Xie Jinyuan Leads Chinese Defense of Sihang Warehouse Against Japanese Aggression as Generalissimo Chiang Withdraws Forces West of Shanghai
The Defense of Sihang Warehouse (simplified Chinese: 四行仓库; traditional Chinese: 四行倉庫; pinyin: Sìháng Cāngkù) took place from October 26 to November... Read more