Second Sino-Japanese War
Large-scale war between China and Japan that merged into the wider Pacific theater of World War II.
Historical overview
Overview adapted from a Wikipedia summary and stored locally on May 11, 2026.
The Second Sino-Japanese War, known in China as the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, was fought between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan and its puppet states between 1937 and 1945, following a period of war localized to Manchuria that started in 1931. It is often regarded as the beginning of World War II in Asia, as the wars became heavily intertwined after Japan's entry into World War II. It was the largest Asian war in the 20th century.
Theater countries
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Border context
Interwar settlement
New states and mandates appear after World War I while revisionist border claims grow across Europe and Asia.
Poland, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia and Baltic states become central to Europe's new map. Mandate borders reshape the Middle East.World War II borders in motion
Occupation zones, annexations and fronts change rapidly across Europe, North Africa and Asia-Pacific.
The map changes year by year through invasion, occupation and liberation. Postwar borders begin to harden after 1945.