what was one reason Japan invaded Manchuria in 1931?
Western imperial powers in China were threatening to invade Japan.
Japanese militarists hope to build an empire to rival western colony on empires.
Japan wanted to avenge its defeat by China in the first Sino Japanese war.
The axis powers had agreed to divide up most of Europe and Asia.
Japanese militarists hope to build an empire to rival western colony on empires.
One reason Japan invaded Manchuria in 1931 was that Japanese militarists hoped to build an empire to rival Western colonial empires.
The correct answer is: Japanese militarists hope to build an empire to rival western colonial empires.
To arrive at this answer, we can use the process of elimination to eliminate the other options:
1. Western imperial powers in China were threatening to invade Japan: This option is not correct. In reality, it was Japan that invaded Manchuria, not China threatening to invade Japan.
2. Japan wanted to avenge its defeat by China in the first Sino-Japanese war: This option is also not correct. Although the first Sino-Japanese war did play a role in Japan's expansionist ambitions, it was not a direct cause for the invasion of Manchuria in 1931.
4. The axis powers had agreed to divide up most of Europe and Asia: This option is not correct either. The Axis Powers, which included Germany, Italy, and Japan, did have plans for territorial expansion, but these plans did not include dividing up most of Europe and Asia before the start of World War II.
Thus, the remaining option, "Japanese militarists hope to build an empire to rival western colonial empires," is the most accurate reason for Japan's invasion of Manchuria in 1931. Japanese militarists saw territorial expansion as a way to secure resources and establish Japan as a global power on par with Western colonial empires.