九一八事變的爆發實乃日本自明治維新以來以攫取中國滿蒙爲目標的一貫「大陸政策」之延續。日本學術界爲配合此項政策,遂有爲數不少的相關研究與論述。京都帝國大學東洋史教授矢野仁一自1920年代起,發表一系列「滿蒙論」著作,強調所謂的「滿蒙」地域之「特殊性」主張。中國史學界以傅斯年爲首的一批學者在國難當前,民族危亡之際,亦提出「書生何以報國?」的問題。遂有以駁斥矢野仁一「滿蒙非中國本土論」爲撰作主旨之《東北史綱》第一卷出現。 1932年,《東北史綱》第一卷在條件極爲克難的情形下出版,使得國聯李頓調查團做出「滿洲是中國完整的一部分,滿洲與中國的關係是恆久的,本質的」的決議;並勸告日本應將滿洲歸還中國,以解決滿洲問題,爲中國打了一場漂亮的外交戰。然而著作在匆忙間完成,難免有所疏漏。但也因爲傅斯年等人的帶動,東北史研究遂在1930年代成爲蓬勃發展的史學研究重點。
The occurrence of the Mukden incident was actually the continuation of Japan's consistent mainland policy toward China which aimed to deprive Manchuria and Mongolia from China since the Meiji Restoration. To cooperate with this national policy of Japan, Japanese scholars published numerous related researches, articles and books. Since 1920s, the eastern Asia history professor of the Kyoto Imperial University, Yano Ziniti published a series of articles and books about the Manchuria-Mongolia policy. In his publication, he emphasizes the regional uniqueness of Manchuria and Mongolia. However, in Chinese history field, Fu Ssu-nien was the first scholar who raised the question to the society, ”What can the intellectuals do for their own country?” when their country is in big crises and their ethnicity is in danger. Therefore, the First Volume of Manchuria in History emerged in order to confute Yano Ziniti's theory that Manchuria and Mongolia were not part of China's territory. In 1932, The First Volume of Manchuria in History was published under extremely difficult conditions. Nevertheless, due to the publication of the book, the Lytton Commission of the League of Nations reached the conclusion that ”Manchuria is part of integral Chinese territory, and the relations between Manchuria and China are permanent and inherent”; the Commission also advised Japan to return Manchuria to China so that the problems in Manchuria could be solved, and this was also a great achievement in foreign affairs. Because the book was written in very limited time, it contains a few flaws. Nevertheless, due to the leading role the Fu Ssu-nien played, the research on the history of northeastern China became very flourishing in 1930s.