Manchukuo and the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere for AP World History

Sep 5

2 min read

Manchukuo and the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere I is an illustrative example of the Unresolved Tensions after World War I topic in Unit 7 of AP World History. You could reference this example on your AP World History test.

map of Japanese Empire — 2141634461/Shutterstock

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Japan rapidly modernized and expanded its influence in East Asia, driven by a need for natural resources and a desire to become a dominant power in the region.

Japan’s imperial ambitions became evident during the First Sino-Japanese War (1894–1895), in which it defeated China and gained control of Taiwan and influence over Korea. Japan’s military strength grew further after its victory in the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905), gaining control of southern Manchuria, including the South Manchurian Railway, a critical asset in the region. These victories solidified Japan’s position as a rising military power in East Asia.

By the 1930s, Japan saw Manchuria as essential to its economic growth, as the region was rich in natural resources like coal and iron. Although Japan had substantial economic investments in Manchuria, it sought direct control to protect its interests. At the same time, China, under the nationalist Kuomintang government, was growing more assertive in trying to regain control of Manchuria.

In 1931, Japan staged the Mukden Incident, a carefully orchestrated event where Japanese military personnel planted explosives on the South Manchurian Railway near Mukden (now Shenyang) and blamed the attack on Chinese forces. This provided Japan with a pretext to launch a full-scale invasion of Manchuria. Within months, Japan had taken control of the region and, in 1932, declared the establishment of Manchukuo, a puppet state with the last emperor of China’s Qing Dynasty, Puyi, as its nominal ruler. However, the Japanese military exercised real control over the new state.

Manchukuo was part of a broader Japanese strategy to dominate East Asia, an ambition that expanded through the creation of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere in the late 1930s. Japan promoted this concept as a coalition of Asian nations working together to eliminate Western colonial influence and create a self-sufficient, cooperative economic zone. In reality, the Co-Prosperity Sphere was a means for Japan to justify its expansionist policies and to exploit the resources of other Asian countries for its own benefit.

The countries that were either directly occupied by Japan or drawn into the Co-Prosperity Sphere included:

China (occupied parts like Manchuria)
Korea (already annexed by Japan in 1910)
Taiwan (under Japanese control since 1895)
Southeast Asian nations such as Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos (under French control but occupied by Japan)
The Philippines (under U.S. control until Japan’s occupation)
Burma (Myanmar)
Thailand (which allied with Japan)
Indonesia (then the Dutch East Indies)

The Co-Prosperity Sphere was portrayed as a way to unite and strengthen Asia, but in practice, it resulted in harsh military occupation, economic exploitation, and resistance across much of the region. The idea ultimately collapsed with Japan’s defeat in 1945, ending its imperial ambitions in Asia.