Abstract
The Reality of and Background to Japanese Weapons Exports to China during World War I: Focusing on the Japan–China Military Convention and Arms Aid Alliance (1918–1921) .The first Japanese arms exports to China increased dramatically with the opportunity offered by the conclusion of the Japan–China Military Convention in 1918. After World War I, the Japanese government and army planned a full-scale advance into China. To do this, they exported a huge quantity of arms to China’s central government and to warlord forces located in all parts of the country. In this way, Japanese influence was ensured. With the Japan–China Military Convention as the background, arms exports were carried out with the aim of building the so-called Arms Aid Alliance relationship, and arms exports to China took on a character with an extremely strong political colouration. This manuscript, while analysing arms exports to China in detail and paying attention to the roles of the military officers and diplomats responsible for those exports, has the primary goal of closing in on that reality. There are few previous studies from this point of view. Arms exports were conducted during a complex political power struggle in China, becoming a cause of political turmoil and conflict in the country. Taking advantage of this turmoil and conflict, Japan’s full-scale invasion of China began around 1930. This manuscript, while highlighting the history of Japan’s arms exports to China, pursues the special features of the Japan–China relationship during this period.
https://ror.org/02rqvrp93 
