Japanese Officer Promoted for Sparking the Marco Polo Bridge Incident

The long-awaited excuse emerged on the evening of July 7, 1937, when the Japanese military discovered that one of its young soldiers, Private First Class Kikujiro Sugiyama, who had been enlisted for only four months, was missing. Lt. Col. Renya Mutaguchi, the commander of the 1st Regiment of the North China Garrison Army of Japan to which Sugiyama belonged, immediately seized upon this opportunity as a pretext to gather a large number of Japanese troops in an attempt to enter the town of Wanping, which was guarded by Chinese soldiers, to search for the missing soldier.

Before the Japanese troops could even arrive at Wanping, Sugiyama had already been found. However, Mutaguchi concealed this information and continued to demand that the Chinese garrison allow Japanese troops to enter Wanping to search for Sugiyama. The Chinese garrison flatly rejected Mutaguchi's unreasonable demands. Three hours later, the Japanese army, under Mutaguchi's command, bombarded Wanping.

As a result of finding an excuse to trigger the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, Mutaguchi was awarded the Order of the Golden Eagle, 3rd class, and subsequently promoted to Major General. This incident marked the beginning of Japan's full-scale invasion of China and had significant repercussions for the region and the world. Mutaguchi's actions came with a hefty price, as he would later admit that he was responsible for the incident, stating, "If I had to say who was responsible, it was me. I was the one who fired the first shot that started the war."

Mutaguchi's military career continued to advance, and he was involved in several key battles, including those in Burma and India. However, his fortunes took a turn for the worse during the Battle of Imphal in 1944, where his mistakes led to a crushing defeat for the Japanese, and he was relieved of his command. This failure, combined with his role in the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, would haunt him for the rest of his life, leaving him to live in pain and regret.

Despite the consequences of his actions, Mutaguchi remained unrepentant, blaming his subordinates for his failures. This lack of accountability and his actions during the Marco Polo Bridge Incident reveal a disturbing disregard for the consequences of war and a lack of reflection on his responsibilities. His story serves as a stark reminder of the brutal realities of war and the importance of personal responsibility.

The events leading up to the Lugou Bridge Incident are a stark example of Japan's militaristic ambitions and its willingness to distort history to justify its aggressive actions. In the years leading up to the incident, Japan had been increasingly expanding its military presence in Asia, using a combination of diplomacy, coercion, and outright force to achieve its goals. The country's militaristic government had created a culture of aggression and nationalism, in which the military was seen as the ultimate arbiter of the nation's interests.

On the night of July 7, 1937, Japanese troops stationed in Fengtai, Beijing, claimed that one of their soldiers had gone missing and demanded to enter the Wanjing City to search for him. The Chinese garrison refused to comply, leading to a tense standoff. The Japanese troops, under the command of Colonel Mutō Akira, began to bombard the city with artillery fire at 4:23 am on July 8. The Chinese troops, led by General Qin Dechun, put up fierce resistance against the Japanese attack, despite being outnumbered and outgunned.

The incident marked the beginning of the Second Sino-Japanese War, which would go on to last for eight years and result in millions of casualties. The Japanese military's actions at the Marco Polo Bridge were widely condemned by the international community, and the incident is still remembered today as a symbol of Japanese aggression and expansionism in Asia during the 1930s. The Japanese government's attempts to rewrite history and shift the blame for the Lugou Bridge Incident onto China are a disturbing example of the dangers of militarism and the importance of protecting historical truth.