Stimson Doctrine

The Stimson Doctrine is a policy of the United States government, enunciated in a note of January 7, 1932 to Japan and China, of non-recognition of international territorial changes effected by force.

Named after Henry L. Stimson, United States Secretary of State in the Hoover Administration (1929-1933), the policy followed Japan's unilateral seizure of Manchuria in north-eastern China following action by Japanese soldiers at Mukden (now Shenyang, on September 18, 1931.

The policy was subsequently incorporated in several international declarations, including a League of Nations Assembly resolution of March 11 1932, the Inter-American Pact of Rio de Janeiro (October 10, 1933) and the Budapest Articles of Interpretation (September 10, 1934) of the August 1928 Pact of Paris (Kellogg-Briand Pact).