Chapter 25

 Japan’s Isolationism  Why isolationist?  What was the Tokagawa Shogunate Period?  Why was each class discontented?

Japan  Commodore Matthew Perry forced Japan to open up to trade 1853  Treaty of Kanagawa  opened up two ports to US trade  Extraterritoriality  Most favored nation clause  What is the significance of this treaty?  What does this say about the United States?  1867 – Damiyo and Samuri unseated shogun, “restored” 15 yr old emperor to power  Moved capital from Kyoto to Edo (Tokyo)

 What is the importance of the Meji Restoration?  Why is this considered one of the major turning points in Japanese history?  Meiji reformers ruled in Emperors name.  GOAL: Strengthen Japan  “A rich country, strong military”  Leaders set out to modernize Japan  Beat westerners at their own game

Meiji Constitution 1890 Political Reforms:  Strong Central Government  Bismarckian model – authority rests within the executive branch  Upper house – Meiji oligarchy  Diet - elected  The result was a system that was democratic in form, but despotic in practice – oligarchy  Separate depts. – Navy, army, superior finance

Economic: Major Priority  Business class to adopt western methods  Banking system, railroads, improved ports, organized telegraph  Industries began to grow – weaponry, shipbuilding and sake (fermented rice wine)  Once a business or enterprise was on its feet it was turned over to private ownership  Zaibatsu – business families  Industry Boomed – all the problems that industrialization brings  Urbanization

Social:  Ended legal distinctions between classes  Reformed military – embarked on a major program to create a military force that could compete in the modern world  Schools and a university – Universal education including technical subjects – adopted American model of education  Western culture flourishes / fashion / sports  Some women were eventually allowed to receive an education  From 1894 – 1912 women represented 60 percent of the Japanese labor force  1898 – Women forbid to participate in government and legally put together with minors  Homogenous society – common culture and language – that gave it a strong sense of identity

Why will Japan become an imperial power? What areas will they hope to conquer?  Korea  Russia expanded into Korea  Japanese naval pressure forced Korea open three ports to Japanese commerce  Korea was dependent on China for trade  Japan wanted to end that dependency  Sino – Japanese War  China supported conservatives at court  Japan supported radical faction in Chinese government that wanted to end Chinese influence in Korea  Result is Sino Japanese War  Japan succeeds  Treaty of Shimonoseki  Manchus forced to recognize independent of Korea,  cede Taiwan, Liaodong Peninsula, and Port Arthur Naval base to Japan

 Russia and Japan both had eyed on Manchuria and Korea, Why?  Japanese concerned about Russian Trans-Siberian Railway across Manchuria  Japan destroyed Russian fleet off coast of Korea and won major battles on land although Russians turned the tide on land subsequently.  Westerners horrified that Japan had defeated a major Western power.

Treaty of Portsmouth  (mediated by U.S. president Theodore Roosevelt) ended war with Japan winning land in Manchuria, and made a protectorate in Korea  Long-term impact of war:  Russia turned their attention to the Balkans (World War I)  Russian Revolution (First 1905 then 1917)  Revolt of Asia in 20th century (Asians hoped to emulate Japan’s power and win their independence)  Attempted Cultural Genocide in Korea  March 1 st Movement

 British Colonies:  Burma 1820’s  Maylay Peninsula  Why such a strategic location?  North Borneo

 Indochina (modern day Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia  What effect did the French have on this region?

Thailand  Between British Burma and French Indochina lay kingdom of Siam  Did not underestimate European strength / avoided incidents that might have caused invasion  Did not become a colony / had to accept some unequal treaties  Britain and France made Thailand a buffer or neutral zone between them  Why?

 Marshall Islands and Samoa  US, Britain & Germany, Triple Protectorate

 After Spanish American War US took:  Philippines  Guam  Hawaii  Platt Amendment – Bases in Cuba

 Spain seized the Philippines in the 1500’s  Sent missionaries  Filipinos argued that church abused their position  Strong resistance to Spanish rule  1898 – War between Spain and US over Cuba’s independence  Spanish American War – Spain’s ships were destroyed in the Philippines  Rebel Filipinos helped the US  In return, the US placed the Philippines under US control through a peace settlement with Spain  1899 Emilio Aguinaldo battled American forces  Americans crushed the rebellion – hundreds of Americans, and hundreds of thousands of Filipinos died  US set out to modernize promised Filipinos some rule in the future