 Complete the following phrase:  By 1940, Japan had conquered much of the Chinese coast and major river valleys but had been unable to defeat either the Nationalist government of Chiang Kai-shek or the Communist forces under Mao Zedong. Though Japans government was nominally led by the civilian government of Prime Minister Fumimaro Konoye, Minister of War Hideki Tojo and other military leaders held immense power in the Japanese governmental system. At Tojos insistence, Japan moved to take control of lightly-defended European colonies in Southeast Asia, which provided important resources as well as a conduit of supply to Chinese forces. When Japan 