Japan at the Dawn of the 20 th Century
Review – Revolution in China (22.2) Sun Yat-Sen & the Revive China Society Henry Pu Yi – China’s last emperor Gen. Yuan Shigai – pres. of new Chinese republic Nationalist Party (Guomindang) revolution & civil war lasted from
I. Japan & the West Japan was isolated under the Tokugawa Shogunate the U.S. was the 1 st nation to establish a trade relationship w/ Japan – 19 th c. used military pressure to obtain the Treaty of Kanawaga opened 2 ports to Western trade established a U.S. consulate in Japan the Europeans then followed the American lead re: trade resistance! Sat-Cho alliance (Satsuma & Choshu) demanded a strong military response to the Western powers attacked the shogun’s place at Kyoto (1868), bringing the shogunate system to an end
II. The Meiji Restoration to resist Western pressures, Japan had to modernize Matsuhito = the new emperor new capital: Edo (Tokyo) Meiji = “Enlightened Rule” Political Changes prefectures – controlled by the daimyo (75 total) studied Western political systems Ito Hirobumi developed a constitution modeled after Imperial Germany emperor, prime minister & cabinet ministers 2 house legislature traditional ruling class maintained power & influence
Economic Changes distributed lands to the peasants, but also created a new land tax industrial development little foreign investment key industries: silk, tea, weapons, shipbuilding, sake a joint venture between private business & the Japanese govt.
Social Changes compulsory (required) military service used American model of elementary & secondary schools, as well as universities expanded opportunities for women influence of Western culture & styles increase in labor exploitation
III. Japan – A Rising Imperialist Power if Japan were to compete on the world stage, it needed to become a colonial power 4 justifications for imperialism? see map, p. 702 expansion into Korea, Taiwan & part of China Russo-Japanese War ( ) surprise Japanese attack on Russian base at Port Arthur the Japanese navy defeated the Russian navy off the coast of Japan MAJOR embarrassment for Russia U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt negotiated the treaty to end the war – and won the 1906 Nobel Peace Prize 1907 – “Gentleman’s Agreement” w/ Japan temporarily ended Japanese immigration to the U.S.