From February 18, 1933, the Kwantung Army launched Operation Hot River as a new Manchukuo military operation to sweep the National Revolutionary Army from Hot River Province in western Manchuria. The Japanese troops invaded with tanks at the Old North Gate of Hot River Province. In the battle of Gubukou from April 21 to April 30, the Kwantung Army suffered about 74 dead and 232 wounded in battle. On January 13, 1933, the Japanese government allowed the Kwantung Army to operate under the condition that it did not cross the border north of the Great Wall of China; on May 31, the Kwantung Army signed the Tanggu Agreement, which gave the Chinese Revolutionary Army's tacit consent to the occupation of northeastern China by the Manchurian Incident.
On March 1, 1932, they declared the establishment of the Manchukuo State, with Puyi as the regent of the Manchukuo State, which was puppeted by the Kwantung Army. The Kanto Army recognized that the province of Hot River was part of Manchukuo. However, in early February 1933, when Operation Hot River broke out, the League of Nations prepared a resolution condemning the new military action in Hot River Province by the Kwantung Army. The League of Nations' draft recommendation of condemnation denied the occupation of Manchukuo, leading to Japan being subjected to international economic sanctions according to the League Covenant. the draft recommendation that was voted on at the League of Nations General Assembly on February 24, 1933 did not recognize the establishment of Manchukuo, and denounced Japan's war responsibility after the Manchurian Incident. The result of the vote was that 42 countries voted in favor, only one country (Japan) voted against, and one country (Siam, later Thailand) abstained. The Japanese delegation to the UN immediately rejected the recommendation of condemnation and withdrew from the venue, and the Japanese government officially decided to withdraw from the League of Nations on March 27, 1933. By withdrawing from the League of Nations, Japan avoided economic sanctions based on the League Covenant, but became isolated internationally.
At the time of the Manchurian Incident, the Japanese government exalted its national prestige while praising the Kwantung Army; it greeted the UN delegation that returned to Japan on April 27th as heroes and honored its isolation in the international community. The Japanese government of the Meiji era adhered to international norms, but since the early Showa era, it has prioritized Japan's wealth and military power over international cooperation. The invasion of Hot River Province by the Kanto Army was a dangerous starting point that led to a major crisis that connected the withdrawal from the League of Nations to the Pacific War.
