In 1931, Japan took over Manchuria, a region of China rich in natural resources. The League of Natons criticized Japan but the attack on Manchuria was a challenge to it. The Japanese ignored their protests and withdrew from the League of Nations in 1933. The Japanese started occupying British and American colonies in China. Britain and France saw this as an opportunity and followed the policy of Appeasement using Japan to weaken China. The same policy was adopted against Germany which led to the outbreak of the second World War.