The rise of japan as a world power (war in asia)

Question 1

Class system Japan: Tokugawa society

Answer 1

1.) Warriors/scholars
2.) Farmers
3.) Artists/craftsman
4.) Merchants
- 3 and 4 collectively called townspeople’s

Question 2

America opening up Japan

Answer 2

o Took months for them to get to asia
o Mexicans lose war – cali etc are part of USA
o US no longer has to go all around south America to get to china
o Steamships start to replace sales – needed coal
o Japan had lots of coals
o Stop in Japan to get coal – way to get more trade w china

July 8 1853- The American Matthew Perry arrives in edo (Tokyo)
- The sent clear message if Japan didn’t open country perry would open by force
- Most Japanese had no seen westerner
- Gave hosts gift
- Opium Wars (1839-42) – Japan knew what they did to china
- 1844 the king of holland advised they open
- Japan was secluded so they had old weapons and tech
- Civil war: between those who want to keep west out and those who want to open

Question 3

Tokagawa period

Answer 3

250 years of isolation and peace
Forced open by Americans - Civil war

Question 4

Meji period

Answer 4

Japan modernizes and westernizes

Question 5

Japan creation of nation state

Answer 5

o Imagined communities
o Idea created so people would go to war for people not directly in your community
o How did they do this
 Got rid of class divisions
 Established Symbols – cherry blossoms
 Established state national holidays (creates something in common w everyone)
 Monuments (Yasukuni Shrine)
 All to create sense of community
- Sought out experts from world – needed tech from world
- Tried to find the best – e.g chose French as they thought they had the best education
- Transportation and navy – adopted British model
- Adopted French military then switched to Prussian after the French Prussian war where French lost
- Didn’t use samarai for military as they had old fashioned ideas so they adopted a conscription system – this was also part of unifying process
- Industrialization – Japanese gov started industries than sold them off
o Within 30 years go from futal society to industrial
o Futal army  state of art military
o Western nations amazed  even tho Japan just copied them
- Constitution
o Adopted Prussian model
o Feb 1889

Question 6

Objectives of the Meji restoration

Answer 6

o Modernize
o Secure boarders
o Prevent colonization
japan realized to achive these they had to become an imperalist power to
o Gain respect of great powers
o Ensure security

Question 7

Sino Japanse war

Answer 7

• War with China
• Japan modernized – national consciousness
• China had no consciousness of being a nation state
• China just been defeated – and were weak
• Fight over Korea
• Japan defeated China
• Humilation for china
• Japan received Taiwan, and some islands and a pensuila trading rights in China, Japan gets money, Korea recognized as an independent country…
• Treaty of Shimonoseki – humiliation
• Russians, French and Germans advise Japan to give back peninsula – Russians want it- their port freezes over they would like a nice free port, they could get Chinese to rent it
• Franco Russian alience + Germany wants port in china
• Japan realizes they cant fight all of them so they give it back
• “The Yellow Peril”
• Western powers not used to having an Asian power on the international scene

Question 8

Meiji Restoration (1868)

Answer 8

This was a period of rapid modernization and industrialization in Japan, which enabled it to become a major world power and compete with Western colonial powers in Asia.

Question 9

Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905)

Answer 9

This was a conflict between Japan and Russia over territorial disputes in Manchuria and Korea, which resulted in Japan emerging as a major regional power and Russia’s reputation as a military power being severely damaged.