ABSTRACT
In retrospect the China Incident, later known as the Sino-Japanese War, has come to be seen as a midway point between the invasion of Manchuria and the attack on Pearl Harbor which opened the Pacific War. The popular perception is of a simple aggressive march forward and often the general literature on the pre-war years does little to disturb this view. It is true, moreover, that the problems which Japan faced in extricating itself from China were a major stumbling block to a negotiated agreement. The conflict which came to be known as the Sino-Japanese war began with a skirmish between the Chinese and Japanese armies at Marco Polo bridge, in the area of Lukouchiao. The Americans were of course aware in general terms of developments in the China Incident, but the Germans and British were more directly involved, and even the French and the Italians attempted to play a mediating role.
