Acquisition of Empire. Japans wins due to its victory over China - Essay Example

Rachna Jalan Academia-Research English 6 December 2007 Acquisition of Empire Japan’s wins due to its victory over China Japan’s victory over China strengthened national cohesion in Japan resulting in the renegotiation and eventual supersession of the unequal treaties with Western powers and Japan’s appearance as the supreme economic power and chief imperialist authority in East Asia (Arrighi, 1996). From economic aspect, its win over China encouraged resources that Japan could activate in the growth of its military-industrial apparatus (Arrighi, 1996). “The acquisition of Chinese territory, most notably, Taiwan, as well as China’s recognition of Japanese suzerainty over Korea, endowed Japan with valuable outposts from which to launch future attacks on China, as well as with more secure overseas supplies of cheap food” (Arrighi, 1996). Moreover, Chinese indemnities which amounted to over one-third of Japan’s GNP aided Japan to fund the further growth of heavy industries and to put the currency on the gold standard (Arrighi, 1996). In this way there was improvement in Japan’s credit rating in London along with its ability to tap additional finance for industrial expansion at home and imperialist growth overseas (Arrighi, 1996). Politically speaking, its victory over China placed Japan in a respectable position in the imperialist game (Arrighi, 1996). Japan’s changing attitudes toward China during 1890s For long, Korea remained the principal client state for China. However, its strategic location opposite the Japanese islands and its natural resources always tempted Japan. Hence, Korea became a common target for both China and Japan. By 1893 a religious issue turned into a political movement involving innumerable peasants under a common umbrella of anti-foreignism and anticorruption (“China”). In order to solve the matter, expeditions to Korea were sent by both China and Japan but by the rebels had already dispersed by the time both the interventionists reached there (“China”). At that time Japan offered China to build a policy of joint support of Korean reform for justifying its military presence (“China”). China refused to accept the proposal declaring it to be an action against Korean independence (“China”). The seeds of war were sown. On July 25 the Japanese navy attacked a Chinese fleet in Kanghwa Bay and it took only 5 more days for China and Japan to declare war on each other (“China”). Japan’s wins due to its victory over Russia Japan’s victory over Russia brought it international recognition revealing it to be the dominant power in East Asia and north-east Asia was its sphere of influence (“Japan’s Territorial Expansion”). The triumph of Admiral Togo at Tsushima laid foundation to Japan’s position as the chief naval power in the Pacific (“Japan’s Territorial Expansion”). The victory over Russia provided Japan a continental base (Arrighi, 1996). Japan’s win boosted its objectives of acquiring Korea and under the cover of the open door doctrine, of achieving identification of its treaty rights in Manchuria (Arrighi, 1996). With its triumph, Japan even thought of demanding a large indemnity, the cession of Sakhalin Island, and other new demands as conditions for peace with Russia (Arrighi, 1996). Motives of the Meiji government in going to war with China and Russia The objective of the Meiji leaders was imperial expansion (“Japan”). Their success in convincing the Western powers to renegotiate unequal treaties and returning complete diplomatic equality tempted them to build a colonial empire by buttressing their new international position (“Japan”). They had mixed motives. They realized that it was a competitive climate of global imperialism (“Japan”). Hence, improvement of Japan’s national security was important to them which could be achieved by building a defensive buffer of colonial territories (“Japan”). They were tempted by the thought of receiving international prestige through acquisition of colonies (“Japan”). Moreover, after accumulating their own national wealth and strength, their target was to spread modernization among their Asian neighbors (“Japan”). The main concern of the Meiji government was Korea (“Japan”). Japan knew that Korea had been a tributary of China for centuries (“Japan”). Japan was aware of the fact that any voracious Western power would be easily tempted to conquer a weak and backward Korea under the influence of a weak and backward China (“Japan”). Among the Western powers, the probability of Russia appeared more which would Japan at risk (“Japan”). Hence, the Japanese leaders took up war with China with the view of resolving the ongoing tension (“Japan”). Soon with the victory over China, Japan realized that Russia was trying to expand its own influence in Korea as well as in Manchuria (“Japan”). Russia securing lease of the very territory it had prevented Japan from acquiring and constructing a railroad line in southern Manchuria straightaway challenged the national security of Japan (“Japan”). All this forced the Meiji government to enter into war with Russia (“Japan”). Eventual annexation of Korea According to a Prussian advisor to the Meiji army, Korea was “a dagger pointed at the heart of Japan” (“First Sino-Japanese War”). In order to safeguard its own interest and security Japan had plans to annex Korea (“First Sino-Japanese War”). Japan was also aware of Korea’s coal and iron ore deposits which would be of immense use for Japan’s increasingly-expanding industrial base (“First Sino-Japanese War”). The consecutive wins of Japan over China and Russia provided it more courage to tighten its control over Korea with annexation in mind (“Japan’s Territorial Expansion”). By 1909, the imperial government already had the extreme militarists under its control (“Japan’s Territorial Expansion”). What was required was only an alleged reason which soon came up on 26 October 1909 (“Japan’s Territorial Expansion”). It was the assassination of Prince Hirobumi Ito in the Manchurian city of Harbin by a Korean citizen which offered complete opportunity to Japan (“Japan’s Territorial Expansion”). The incidence yielded huge public demand in Japan for annexation of Korea which was happily accepted by the imperial government (“Japan’s Territorial Expansion”). With no international support for his nation’s freedom, the king of Korea was compelled to surrender to the document of annexation presented to him by Japan’s Minister of War (“Japan’s Territorial Expansion”). Works Cited Arrighi, Giovanni. “Beyond Western Hagemonies”. 1996. 6 Dec. 2007. . “China”. Encyclopedia Britannica. 2007. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. 6 Dec. 2007. . “First Sino-Japanese War”. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 25 Nov. 2007. 6 Dec. 2007. . “Japan”. msn encarta. 6 Dec. 2007. . “Japan’s Territorial Expansion in East Asia 1875-1930”. 6 Dec. 2006. . Read More