World history help (Depression and Fascism)?

Question: World history help (Depression and Fascism)!?

Identify the following (from Infoplease) in terms of their relationship to the road to war in the Asian theatre of World War II in the 1930s and 1940s:

Tojo Hideki

Chiang Kai-Shek

Mao Zedong

Sino-Japanese WarWww@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

Tojo -- Japan's military leader (equivalent of Secretary of War), believed in the religion of Shinto in which Japanese are superior to all other beings!.

Chaing Kai-Shek -- leader of China prior to communist overthrow!. In fighting the Japanese invasion of Manchuria, he hosted a U!.S!. covert military force known as The American Volunteer Group (AKA "The Flying Tigers")!.

Chairman Mao -- Chinese Communist leader, fought the Japanese in WW II but did not support Chaing Kai-Shek!.

Sino-Japanese War -- war between Russia and Japan prior to WW I!. Helped to establish a "peaceful co-existance" between the two during WW II!. That existance was severely tried when Japan joined forces with Hitler (who had double crossed Stalin by attacking Russia)!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

slight correction to Doc's answer (which is otherwise excellent)

Chairman Mao -- Chinese Communist leader, agent of the Soviet Union!. Did not fight (unless attacked) the Japanese in WW II
did all he could to sabotage Chaing Kai-Shek!.
(and thanks to soviet weapons and "volunteers" and soviet agents in Britain and the US- overthrew him in the end)

Sino-Japanese War - is really a series of wars from 1894 onwards, culminating with the 1937-45 campaign!. Essentially the Japanese trying to capture as much of China as they could- to gain living space and resources!.

The war between Russia and Japan prior to WW I was in 1905 - in Port Arthur (securing access from Japanese Korea into Chinese Manchuria)!.
They had a few clashes in 1937 but not to a "war" scale!.Www@QuestionHome@Com