Notes + Facts - the Move to Global War - Japan

IB History SL paper 1, Move to Global War, Case Study Japan - summary/bullet point organization of notes to help memorize

Treaty of Shimonoseki

• by around March 1895, and after defeat after defeat, China sued for peace

• On 17th April 1895, both countries signed the treaty of Shimonoseki, detailing the following:

  1) China recognized Korea as a completely independent sovereign state

  2) China would give the Liaodong Peninsula, Taiwan, and the Pescadores Islands to Japan

  3) China would pay a huge indemnity to Japan

  4) China would let Japan operate ships on the Yangtze river and open up 4 ports to Japanese Imports (Shashi, Chongqing, Suzhou, and Hangzhou)

Triple Intervention

• conducted by Germany, France, and Russia

• The three western ‘old powers’ had a growing influence in East Asia, and throughout the Sino-Japanese war, they alongside other countries tried to exert influences on both parties

• On April 23, 1895, envoys of Germany, Russia, and France provided the Japanese with “advice” regarding the treaty of shimonoseki, most importantly the return of the Liaodong Peninsula to China in exchange for more indemnities

• given the risk of further military intervention and failure to gain the backing of the UK/US, Japan agreed to the additional terms of the triple intervention on 18 November 1895

Convention of Retrocession of the Liaodong Peninsula

• Japan would return the Liaodong Peninsula to China, in exchange for a large indemnity

• Germany received territories in Jiaozhou, Russia Port Arthur and Dalian, France Guangzhou Bay, and Britain Weihaiwei.

• Most of the territories Japan had fought on and won during the war, including extremely strategic locations, were forced to be spread out among the western countries

Reaction to the Tripartite Intervention

• The enraged Japanese considered the Tripartite Treaty as a “great national humiliation”, and the main national energy during the Meiji era was to wipe out this humiliation and supersede the superior civilizations in the West.

• The ease that western states took control of Japan’s hard earned territories revealed that Japan needed more development to protect itself and its interests from European states

• Japan’s industrialization continued at a rapid rate, leading to increasing exports, increasing revenues to support further military costs, and a larger, better armed military.

Anglo-Japanese Alliance 1902

• Britain was also concerned with Russian expansion in Asia (as shown with its role in the triple intervention)

• Britain did not want to lose its influence in China to Russia, but was unable to afford the expense of a large naval fleet or standing army in China

• It formed the Anglo-Japanese Alliance 1902, Japan’s first modern military alliance

• Essentially:

• Japan and Britain would aid each other militarily if either was at war with two or more countries

• If either country was at war with only one other state, then the other would remain neutral

• During the Russo-Japanese war, this was helpful, as Russia’s only ally, France, was discouraged from joining the war as to not also engage war with Britain.

Russia Expansion in Asia 1902

• following the triple intervention, Russia was rapidly industrializing, clearly expanding towards China

• they gained possession of the major port of Port Arthur and additionally leased parts of the Liaodong Peninsula from China

• started building a railway to link the Russian empire to China (through Manchuria)

• This raised the attention of the British, who responded negatively to increased Russian presence in China

• As they started to pressure Korea to grant them mining and forestry rights, they also provoked Japan, which felt that Korea was in its sphere of influence

British Presence in China pre 1902

• historically dominated China economically through wars and lopsided treaties, such as the opium war

Boxer Rebellion

• an anti-foreign, anti-Christian revolt in China from 1899 - 1900

• it was eventually put down by foreign troops from the 8 country alliance

• Russia stationed 200,000 troops in Manchuria to protect its railway from Chinese rebels and soldiers, but also to prevent Japan from stationing troops there

• Once the Boxer Rebellion ended, Russia did not withdraw its troops despite its pormise

End of Boxer Rebellion and build up to Russo-Japanese War

• Once the Boxer Rebellion ended, Russia did not withdraw its troops despite its promise

• Britain and Japan felt that their interests in China and Korea were respectively threatened

• Japan initiated a series of diplomatic meetings with Russia to clarify their spheres of influence

• Japan proposed that Manchuria would be in the Russian sphere of influence, and Korea would be in Japan’s

• Russia did not respond, and so in February 1904, Japan expelled Russia’s ambassador, severed all relations with Russia, and attacked the Russian navy at Port Arthur on 8 February, 1904

Why didn’t Russia respond to Japan’s negotiations in 1904?

Many believe the government purposely behaved this way in order to incite war with Japan. Russia suffered a crippling political crisis under Tsar Nicholas II

• an advisor told Nicholas “to hold back a revolution, we need a small, victorious war”

• could rally Russians and win land and resources to alleviate the economy

• it would also curb Japan’s expansions, which were conflicting with Russia’s interests