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The Japanese invade Manchuria, an area controlled by China. This is because they wanted the resources in Manchuria (rubber, minerals, etc). Afterwards, the League of Nations disproved of their actions and tried to make them stop attacking.
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Japan, after claiming Manchuria, continues to attack the rest of China. This is because Japan and China were practically rivals in Asia so seeing China weakened by civil war made Japan seize this chance to attack at their weakest. As a result, the Chinese government was driven off to the interior of the country.
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Another World War starts. This had happened because Geramny attacked Poland, and, sensing danger, caused the other European countries to act. The Japanese, seeing how the European countries were busy fighting, took the moment to attack Southeast Asia to create a "Greater East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere".
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The Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Why, because, Japan's expansion into Asia created tensions with the U.S. (cut off all exports to Japan, negotiations dragged on, etc) so then the Japanese government prepared for war. Because of this event, a Pacific War began between Japan and the United States.
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Japan finally became a powerful empire. This had happened because they won extensive victories in Southeast Asia and in the Pacific. This resulted in Japan's first major defeats to the United States (during this year) and over the next three years, they were gradually driven from islands that they had taken earlier.
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Hiroshima, Japan gets bombed by the U.S.. This happened because during 1944 Japan was being bombed by American planes and was obviously winning, but the Japanese still refused to surrender so the U.S. wanted to get the war over with their secret weapon: the atomic bomb. This event resulted in hundreds of thousands of Japanese killed, many more maimed, and parts of the cities were reduced to almost nothing. Not only did Japan fear this weapon and its results but the rest of the world did too.