In the long course of history, the September 18 Incident is a landmark moment. This incident not only changed the fate of Northeast China, but also profoundly affected the historical course of the whole of China and even Asia. However, all this did not happen suddenly, but gradually brewed against the backdrop of multiple crises in Japan. So, what drove Japan to make such a risky move? To unravel this mystery, we need to have a deep understanding of Japan's situation before and after the September 18 Incident and their plundering of wealth.
Before the outbreak of the 918 Incident, Japan was facing both economic and political challenges. The Treaty of Shimonoseki had left little wealth, and the effects of the Great Depression in the West had further exacerbated Japan's predicament. The domestic economy continues to be sluggish, people's livelihood is withering, and social unrest is unstable. Under these circumstances, the Japanese government urgently needs to fill the financial gap, and the only way out seems to be through war to obtain the resources it needs. However, even at the time of the incident, there was hesitation and uncertainty within Japan, and there was a lack of confidence among the military and political leaders. But in the end, they chose a risky path and decided to take a risk.
During the Anti-Japanese War, how much wealth and resources Japan acquired in China is beyond your imagination:
First of all, let's talk about how much gold Japan has robbed.
According to statistics, during the entire Sino-Japanese War, Japan stole up to 21,000 tons of gold from China, and the city of Nanjing alone was robbed of 6,000 tons. After the Japanese occupied Nanjing, their gendarmerie troop searched everywhere, not only blowing up bank vaults, but also robbing many rich and middle-class merchants of gold and jewelry, even the gold teeth of dead people. As far as gold in the Nanjing area is concerned, the Japanese gendarmerie has obtained at least 6,000 tons. Some of these treasures were shipped back to Japan by sea, while others were transported by rail and car to Northeast China for processing, where the precious metals were graded and other jewelry melted down into standard-size gold bars and shipped back to Japan.
Secondly, let's talk about how Japan made money in the occupied areas.
Ever since the September 18 Incident, Japan has set up a so-called pseudo "Manchuria Central Bank" in northeastern China, and then frantically issued fake "Manchu Yuan." It has also set up a fake "Mengjiang Bank" in Zhangjiakou to issue fake "Mengjiang Bills." In March 1938, they set up a "China United Reserve Bank" in Beiping to issue fake "Union Bank Bills"; in Shanghai, they also set up a fake "Central Reserve Bank" to issue fake "Huaxing Bills"; and in January 1941, they opened a fake "Central Reserve Bank" in Nanjing to issue fake "Central Reserve Bills." Not only did they issue fake money, but these fake financial institutions also robbed China of money in various ways, and the fake "Mengjiang Bank" alone earned more than 400 million yen from opium.
Let's talk about how much food Japan has robbed.
During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, almost all of China's major grain-producing areas were occupied by Japan, so they grabbed a huge amount of grain. There are about two parts, one is about 300 million tons of grain that Japan has taken back from Japan and the Pacific theater, and the other part is about 500 million tons of grain directly eaten by Japanese immigrants, troops, administrative agencies, and puppet armies in China.
Then, let's talk about how much mineral resources Japan has robbed.
They plundered about 640 million tons of coal, about 700 million cubic meters of timber, about 200 million tons of rare earths, about 150 million tons of kaolin, about 490 million tons of copper ore from China.
Next, let's talk about how much machinery and equipment and factory materials Japan has looted.
Take Wuxi as an example, after the Japanese occupation, they robbed everything, almost all the shops and public institutions were looted by them, and the equipment and finished products of the textile and steel factories were all removed and shipped back to Japan.
Finally, talk about how many artifacts and artworks they robbed.
It is said that they took with them a large number of priceless cultural artworks such as paintings, calligraphy, treasures, and inscriptions from China. According to statistics, during the war, they robbed as many as 1,879 boxes of Chinese cultural relics, totaling 3.6 million pieces. Most of these things are still lying in Japanese museums. I heard that there are more than 1,000 museums in Japan, and there are 2 million Chinese cultural relics from the past dynasties.
However, the consequences of wealth plunder are heavy. Japan reaped short-term benefits from the September 18 Incident, filling the gap in its domestic finances and supporting its aggressive actions and war economy. However, for the northeast region and the Chinese people, this history is an indelible wound. The plundering of vast resources has led to economic collapse and social unrest in the northeast, and the people have suffered great suffering and losses.
To sum up, we should clearly understand the lessons of history, never forget our national shame, cherish peace, and work together to build a harmonious and stable world.