1. Manchuria: Japan invaded and occupied Manchuria (Northeastern China) in 1931, creating the puppet state of Manchukuo. The primary motive was to secure resources, such as coal, iron, and other minerals, essential to Japan's rapidly growing industrial economy.
2. China: Japan's aggression against China began with the Manchurian Incident and escalated into the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937. Japan aimed to expand its control over China's vast resources and territory. By 1941, Japanese forces occupied large parts of China, including coastal cities, ports, and inland areas.
3. Southeast Asia: Japan sought to expand its influence in Southeast Asia, primarily to gain access to vital resources like oil, rubber, and other raw materials. They occupied French Indochina (present-day Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia) in 1940 and began encroaching on British Malaya, the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia), and other Southeast Asian territories.
By concentrating its aggressions in these regions, Japan aimed to secure economic resources, gain strategic military bases, and establish regional hegemony in the Asia-Pacific. Their aggressive actions eventually led to the outbreak of the Pacific Theater of World War II.
