First Battle of Tibet (Eastern Manifest Destiny)

The First Battle of Tibet occured on 6 May 1919. It was the first of two military campaigns against a de facto independent Tibetan state and the Kuomingtang-controlled Republic of China government. The battle was directly caused by the lack of adequate protection the KMT forces had against the Japanese and Chinese Republicans forces for there supplies as this was in the midst of the Chinese Civil War. However, official records and personal accounts of this battle and the latter more succesful battle indicated decades of built up tension between the Han Chinese and ethnic Tibetans also indirectly contributed to the conflict, especially the brutality of it.