Marco Polo Bridge Incident - The First Battle of WWII
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In 1937, tensions between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan came to a boiling point. The massively destructive Second Sino-Japanese War (which would quickly grow into World War II) began with just a small clash over a bridge and miscommunication during a military exercise.
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When you ask someone when World War Two began, the most common answer would be September 1st, 1939, with the Nazi invasion of Poland. However, some historians would say the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War began World War Two, so you would get a very different answer. Two years earlier, on July 7th, 1937, Chinese and Japanese troops first clashed at the Marco Polo Bridge.
The Marco Polo Bridge is only it's Western name, as Marco Polo famously described the bridge. Locally, it was known as the Lugou Bridge. After Japan’s 1931 invasion of Manchuria, tensions were high between Japan and China. China’s nationalist government headed by Chiang Kai-Shek refused to recognise the puppet state of Manchukuo as a legitimate government. Japan also stretched the agreements on foreign military in China set in the Boxer Protocols by stationing 7 to 15 thousand troops in Chinese territory.
On July 7th, Japanese troops were participating in a standard military exercise near the Marco Polo Bridge. When a Japanese private failed to report back to his post, Japanese command demanded the Chinese let them search for him. The Chinese denied the request. Although the private returned, it was too late and both sides had begun mobilisation. At 2 in the morning on the 8th, the mayor of Wanping was sent to negotiate with the Japanese troops. At 4:45 he returned, noticing massive amounts of Japanese troops prepared for battle.
At 4:50 A.M. on July 8th, 1937, Chinese troops fired the opening shots against the amassing Japanese, thus starting the Second Sino-Japanese War, and the Second World War by extension. The battle was short, and the much larger Japanese quickly overwhelmed the Chinese. An agreement was made to end the battle in which the Chinese were to apologise to the Japanese, leave the city in civilian control rather than military, and deal with the communists who were causing trouble. Although the Chinese technically won by repulsing the Japanese away from the bridge, the battle was a strategic victory for the Japanese. They now knew their enemy's strength and were in place to strike again. Within a matter of days, the Imperial Japanese Army marched towards Beiping (which was soon renamed “Peking” or “Beijing” after the Japanese took control).
This small and little-known conflict may be one of the most influential battles of the 20th century. It officially began the Second Sino-Japanese War, leading directly to both the entire Pacific Front of World War Two and the eventual rise of the People's Republic of China as a communist superpower in the far east.
If you enjoyed this video, please like and subscribe!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latemodernh...
Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/LMH_yt
Script:
When you ask someone when World War Two began, the most common answer would be September 1st, 1939, with the Nazi invasion of Poland. However, some historians would say the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War began World War Two, so you would get a very different answer. Two years earlier, on July 7th, 1937, Chinese and Japanese troops first clashed at the Marco Polo Bridge.
The Marco Polo Bridge is only it's Western name, as Marco Polo famously described the bridge. Locally, it was known as the Lugou Bridge. After Japan’s 1931 invasion of Manchuria, tensions were high between Japan and China. China’s nationalist government headed by Chiang Kai-Shek refused to recognise the puppet state of Manchukuo as a legitimate government. Japan also stretched the agreements on foreign military in China set in the Boxer Protocols by stationing 7 to 15 thousand troops in Chinese territory.
On July 7th, Japanese troops were participating in a standard military exercise near the Marco Polo Bridge. When a Japanese private failed to report back to his post, Japanese command demanded the Chinese let them search for him. The Chinese denied the request. Although the private returned, it was too late and both sides had begun mobilisation. At 2 in the morning on the 8th, the mayor of Wanping was sent to negotiate with the Japanese troops. At 4:45 he returned, noticing massive amounts of Japanese troops prepared for battle.
At 4:50 A.M. on July 8th, 1937, Chinese troops fired the opening shots against the amassing Japanese, thus starting the Second Sino-Japanese War, and the Second World War by extension. The battle was short, and the much larger Japanese quickly overwhelmed the Chinese. An agreement was made to end the battle in which the Chinese were to apologise to the Japanese, leave the city in civilian control rather than military, and deal with the communists who were causing trouble. Although the Chinese technically won by repulsing the Japanese away from the bridge, the battle was a strategic victory for the Japanese. They now knew their enemy's strength and were in place to strike again. Within a matter of days, the Imperial Japanese Army marched towards Beiping (which was soon renamed “Peking” or “Beijing” after the Japanese took control).
This small and little-known conflict may be one of the most influential battles of the 20th century. It officially began the Second Sino-Japanese War, leading directly to both the entire Pacific Front of World War Two and the eventual rise of the People's Republic of China as a communist superpower in the far east.
