Sino-Japanese Wars, 1894-1945 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Coal and iron

Japan was moving ahead and had great influence over Korea. It was encouraging Korea to modernise and meet growing world trade pressures (much toward their own interests). Many Korean officials and Japanese sympathisers wanted to break away from the conservative rule of the Chinese government.

Answer: The assasination of pro-Japanese leader Kim Ok-kyun

Korean leader Kim Ok-kyun was lured to Shanghai and executed. His body was brought back to Korea on a Chinese warship, was quartered and displayed William Wallace style as a deterrent to the growing population of rebels.

Answer: North China

The Japanese held large areas of China in the north and also held fortified posts which accounted for important sea approaches that supplied Peking and other vital areas. China was bought to the negotiating table very swiftly. Korea was now independent and China ceded Taiwan and the Liaotung Peninsula in Manchuria. Liaotung was returned to China due to pressure from a European coalition who were in fear of a growing Japanese empire having mainland access.

Answer: Russia

The Russo-Japanese war proved that Japan was a major force in the Pacific region. They smashed the Russians, destroying both their Pacific and Baltic fleets in the Battle of Tsushima. Along with the victory at sea, the Japanese caused some 50% damage to Russian land forces.

Answer: The military were commited to defeating the communist uprising

Faced with the added burden of entering full scale war against Japan, Chiang Kai Shek decided to focus his military strength on the communists uprisings and political rivals (Mao Zedong). As in 1904 the Japanese were interested in securing the resource rich province of Manchuria. They were concerned their own limited supply would not be enough for long term war.

Answer: Marco Polo Bridge

Resource hungry Japan required the expansion of occupied Manchuria for its natural assets. They set up military run mining and construction companies and used carefully guarded railroads to move goods through the province into Korean ports to be shipped to Japan. This action was to bring a united China into WWII.

Answer: No

Hirohito was very much against the continuing war in China and constantly sought after peaceful solutions. He was constantly mis-informed by his warring generals. The war was costly in commitment of resources and men. Originally the Chinese would have been happy with a treaty but the Japanese terms were to specify total obedience and unswerving loyalty, such was Japanese righteousness at the time.

Answer: Nanjing (Nanking)

As a reward for their victories, the Japanese generals gave soldiers free rein over the city. Firstly they rounded up suspected militants. Tens of thousands of civilians and soldiers were lined up along the banks of the Yangtze and were shot or beheaded. 57,000 died in one execution alone.

As many as 80,000 woman were raped though the numbers vary greatly. Many were disembowelled and left to die on the street. The Japanese soldiers, driven by power and righteousness often posed for photographs next to their victims, thus creating a permanent record of the massacre.

Historians place the death toll between 260,000 and 300,000. The Chinese say the number isn't important but the memory is.

Answer: False

The CCP army remained independent and mainly conducted guerrilla warfare behind the Japanese lines. The Japanese never lost their stronghold in southeast China.

Answer: With captured Japanese weapons

The Russians had moved through Manchuria accepting the surrender of the Japanese garrisons against the orders the USA (The Japanese were meant to surrender only to the ROC). The Russians stock pile of Japanese weapons from over 600,000 soldiers was handed to the communist forces.