Why did Japan attack China in 1937, launching the Second Sino-Japanese War?
to spread Communism to other parts of Asia
to secure a buffer area against a potential Soviet attack on Japan
to secure natural resources for its growing economy and military
to retaliate after China’s attack on Japanese port cities
d?
just a heads up the answer is indeed NOT d ^-^
The reason Japan attacked China in 1937, launching the Second Sino-Japanese War, was to secure natural resources for its growing economy and military.
To arrive at this answer, you can eliminate the other options by analyzing historical events and motivations.
First, spreading communism to other parts of Asia is unlikely to be the reason for Japan's invasion. Japan itself was a staunch opponent of communism and actively fought against it during and after World War II.
Second, while securing a buffer area against a potential Soviet attack might have been a concern for Japan, it was not the primary reason for their aggression towards China. The Soviet Union and Japan signed a non-aggression pact in 1935, which eased the immediate threat of a Soviet attack on Japan.
Third, retaliating after China's attack on Japanese port cities is not a valid reason either. Prior to the war, there were conflicts and skirmishes between Japanese and Chinese troops in certain regions, but these were on a smaller scale and did not precipitate a full-scale invasion of China.
Therefore, the most significant reason for Japan's invasion of China in 1937 was to secure natural resources such as oil, coal, iron ore, and other raw materials, which were necessary for Japan's rapidly growing economy and military expansion.