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What was the Second Sino-Japanese War?

The Second Sino-Japanese War was a conflict between China and Japan that began in 1937. The two countries had previously clashed in the First Sino-Japanese War (1894–95) over control of Korea. The new conflict had its roots in the Manchurian Incident of September 1931, when the Japanese army occupied the Chinese province of Manchuria. In February 1932 Japan established the puppet state of Manchukuo. (A puppet state is controlled by the government of another country.) The Japanese then pressured China to recognize the independence of Manchukuo, suppress anti-Japanese activities, and form autonomous (self-governing) regions in northern China. The Japanese were partially successful in 1933 and 1935 when they forced China to establish two autonomous demilitarized zones (areas that cannot be used for military purposes) along the border of Manchuria. By 1937 China was in the midst of...

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