When the term “imperialism” is mentioned, we most often think of Europe and the United States with their borders in Asia, Africa, and the South Pacific. However, there was one Asian nation that joined this Western personified imperialist bombshell. Japan opened up to Western influence and began to search for modernization under Western pressure and necessity. This goal was achieved surprisingly quickly through Western learning, and Japan has an incredible ability to adapt Western models to fit its economic and political needs. A large part of the rapid modernization can also be attributed to commercial capitalism strengthened during the Tokugawa period. [1] Many historians now agree that the Tokugawa period was the true beginning of modernization. However, it was during the Meiji period, and with the influence and guidance of the West, the Japanese really achieved this.
He also did not want Japan to join the international community in its desire for territorial expansion. Even before Japan had met the demands of modernity the West cast its eyes beyond Japan to Korea and China. Ambitions only want to grow, especially after Western Japan finally recognized that it was to be considered an economic power.
Why Imperialism?
Modernization was at the top of Japan’s agenda during the Meiji era. The unequal treatment imposed on them by the West placed them in a semi-colonial ignominy and disadvantage, and Japan was intent on shaking those bonds as much as possible. In order to do this, Japan had to establish itself as an equal with the Western powers. Simply not content to be subordinate to the Western powers, he wanted to join them; and joining the banqueting table to the West signified an expansion, at least that was what the Western powers of sculpture were. During the late 1800s and into the 1900s, territory meant power in the world. The more fields, the more powerful they were. Britain had a huge empire and seemed to be expanding; America had also joined in seeking frontiers in the East and the Pacific.
However, the choice was based only on the idea of imperialism. Japan had various other motives in attacking foreign policies, protecting their borders and strategic positions, building economic control. who could support and strengthen the Japanese wealth, and secure commercial affairs.
The first of these goals was to secure Japanese territory and secure strategic positions to preserve what was left of Japan’s national independence. As Japan saw it, the international community was volatile; and Japan, a small, non-industrial nation, was at the top of the list of power-hungry Western giants. As such, Japan decided that the best way to repel threats to the country was to have a security group to defend its borders. Later, these same ideals of security and policy would drive Japan into war with China and Russia.
Building an economic empire was also a theme that occupied the minds of the oligarchs of Meiji Japan. To expand both overseas and at home, Japan needed money, resources, and supplies. This means establishing trade relations and commercial ports from which to sell Japanese goods and import foreign resources, weapons, materials, and the like. In addition, establishing overseas territories would provide cheap resources that the island nation of Japan did not have available. Most of Japan’s wealth came from overseas. This was expensive, so it only made sense to establish access to valuables outside Japan’s borders without the damage and difficulty he had previously experienced. Korea offered a great opportunity to Japan in terms of resources and commercial business, which is why Japan rose to the top of the agenda. However, it was not the first time that Japan had ventured to begin its journey into imperialism.
The Beginnings of Imperialism
One of the major Meiji party agendas was to bring back their borders. This reason alone first moves the Japanese toward imperialism. In fact, he also made Japan’s first moves to protect its borders against the threats that the Russians were running throughout Japanese history. It also meant defensive strategy as a strategy of imperialistic expansion.
This redefinition of the boundaries of Hokkaido and the islands of the Kuril chain (up to Etorofu) was claimed, and the treaty with Russia secured these Japanese boundaries. [2] However, the victory over Hokkaido came at the cost of acquiring the population. Ainu‘s contribution to Japanese society, ideology, and culture. The assimilation of the Ainu people took place through industry and agrarian development in the Hokkaido region. The purpose was to promote Japanese citizens to the mainland in order to move farmers and farmers to the area who would teach the Japanese way of life to the Ainu. The government denied Ainu ethnicity and outlawed traditional Ainu clothing, hair, tattoos, and ornaments. In addition, the Japanese officials were calling on the American advisers, the most clever in the victory of the American West, to prevail with the help of the barbarians.
Another early venture that came up around Meiji was the need to draw definite boundaries for the Japanese in the dispute over Sakhalin and the Kuril islands north of Hokkaido. As before, Japan already had in her possession the Kuril chain as far as Etorofu, but this huge chain was abandoned. Additionally, the island of Sakhalin, large but wildly untamed, was inhabited by both Japanese and Russian citizens, as well as native islanders. It left the Japanese with this question: “Whose island was it?”
Although the Japanese cared little for the island of Sakhalin, it lay close to Hokkaido, which left open the possibility of posing a strategic threat to the newly established Japanese border of Hokkaido. But mostly the Sakhalin debate became a matter of pride. If the Japanese had come down from Sakhalin, time and trouble would have been seen with the Russians; something the new government did not want at all. They wanted to be seen as faithful and powerful, even among the initiates. As such, the Japanese decided to deal with the Ruthenians through the borders of Sakhalin and the rest of the Kuril Islands. On May 7th 1875, the Meiji envoys reached a settlement known as the Treaty of St. Petersburg was registered. The treaty under which the Japanese granted the rest of the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin, an area of least interest to the Japanese, to the Russians.
Other claims about Japan included the addition of Tsushima to the prefecture of Nagasaki, and a claim to sovereignty over the Ryukyu Islands which were once dominated by the Satsuma daimyo. however, it is possible that Taiwan officially landed on Japanese territory. As it was said, there were many talks and campaigns about the island. The proposed addition of Tsushima to the prefecture of Nagasaki also placed Japanese borders and interests closer to Chinese tributary Korea. Indeed, Japanese overseas interests were beginning to flourish, and the flourishing was ambitious. An ambitious flower that sparks will see a huge number of Japanese and Chinese clashes in the coming years.
A Move International Front
Not long after the achievement of Japan’s modernization, its internal imperialist ambitions began. 1894 was marked by the signing of revised treaties with Japan by the Western powers; It also marked the beginning of the Sino-Japanese War that would last until 1895. Although the war was relatively short, it was also significant because it revolved around Korea. As McClain said, “…the government hoped to seize economic privileges and encourage trade in Korea in order to defend Japan’s political and economic interests.” Even before Emperor Meiji came to power in 1868, Korea had been the rivalry between Japan and China, as well as the struggle for political influence and special trade. Unfortunately for Japan, China mostly gained its influence, and in 1894 Japan and China went to war over “proposed administrative and economic reforms in Korea.” Some decided to preserve their Confucian-based society and protect the foreign countries, while others sought reform. China took part with the former number of idealists, while Japan played the role of the latter group. However, Japan’s true motivation was that Korea wanted to build a tough line against outside powers that could attack Japan. These two sides clashed, but with matters from the hands of the Japanese oligarch Ito Hirobumi called to confer with Li Hongzhang, the man of relations between Korea- Responsible for China. Although an agreement was reached that neither Japan nor China would move troops into Korea or the peninsula, they were written without prior notification.
The first agreement reached at the Tianjin Convention was a shaky one that established almost nothing for Korea. The political environment was volatile and chaotic. Even outsiders could see the imminent danger that Korea posed towards Japan. One German Major, named Klemens Meckel, noted that Korea had been pointed as “a dagger in the heart of Japan.”
This dagger was finally sunk into the heart of Japan when the leading Korean reformer Kim Ok-kyun was assassinated in Shanghai, his body sent back to Korea where it was dismembered. Naturally, the Japanese government and public were horrified as Kim played a leading role in the Korean conflict on the Japanese side. In addition, the Korean peasants, finding faith in the new religion spread throughout the country, began to rebel against the traditional Korean government. This came to a head when the Korean King Kojong called on the Chinese for help in putting down the rebellion. Unfortunately for China, this meant breaking the Tianjin Treaty, and thus igniting the Japanese. War was officially declared between the Chinese and the Japanese, and Korea was once again caught awkwardly between them.
To the surprise of many, Japan’s first venture into imperialism went in their favor. After a bitter battle, with a decisive naval victory between the Japanese, Japan decided to offer a treaty to end the war. These negotiations took place at Shimonoseki, in which Ito, who had previously acted with Li years before at the signing of the Treaty of Tianjin, exercised his authority over China by inviting Li to meet him for a trip to China when he wished. previously Additionally, Li demands that even the powers in the West are surprised. The first of these demands was “the full and complete independence and autonomy of Korea”; the cession of “the Manchurian province of Liaoning as well as Taiwan and the neighboring islands of the Pescados; the payment of war indemnity to nearly five hundred million Japanese; the opening of four new treaty ports, and the granting of commercial privileges.”
The list of demands was really Ito’s way of asserting power, which Japan had approved. Previously an almost invisible island nation on the international front, the Meiji government prided itself on its performance in the Sino-Japanese War. He had such a great sense of pride in the arms of the war that he had perhaps even lasted, the fanciful hitman Li shot. Although Li was wounded below the left eye and not killed, Ito was nevertheless forced to concede on more equitable terms. In the end, Japan only claimed two-thirds of Manchuria, the Liaodong Peninsula in Liaodong territory, in financial reparations. The other demands went unaltered, and the Treaty of Shimonoseki was signed in 1895. Despite the rescission of land gains and monetary compensation, Japan’s victory was still within reach, not to mention the West got a wake-up call for what had been done in Japan. he could make it in the future.
Korea was a good example of Japan’s reasons for imperialism. While initially the goals were said to be in the interest of Korean independence, it became clear as time progressed that Japan’s true interests were Korean reform to benefit both Japanese and Korean economic interests, as well as to create a state that could defend itself. Korea needed to be a strong nation that would provide a buffer between Japan and its neighbors. As Peter Duus said, “Without political reform, Korea would remain an easy prey, leaving Japan’s flanks dangerously exposed,” and “the Japanese made no secret of this rational reform, and indeed presented such arguments to the Koreans themselves.” ] Again one can see the influence of war and border security on Japanese foreign policy decisions.
Victory was in the air in Japan. National morality and unity rose. Japan was filled with a feeling of patriotism, which was cast in love for the country, when France, Germany, and Russia joined forces to assert the Triple Intervention. The Triple Intervention was a “suggestion” from each member country to Japan to return the Liaodong Peninsula to China. While Japan gave in, with hesitation and advice from both Britain and America. The “suggestion” was humiliating and infuriating, but in the end Japan had few options, and they could no longer enjoy any territorial spoils from their victory over China. Russia was simply too powerful to fight with…or were they?
Russian Ambition
While Russia had humiliated the Japanese after the signing of the Treaty of Shimonoseki, the imperialist ambitions were not even halted. But Russia would again find herself in the way of Japanese interests abroad. After the incident in Korea, in which pro-Japanese reformers killed the queen, Korean King Kojong asked for protection from Russia, which meant inviting Russian troops into Korea. Now not only is Japan at odds with Russia, but Russia has trampled upon the whole Japanese interest. This became especially true when Russia gained commercial rights in North Korea in the form of mining and timber. Moreover, Russia was creeping further into China and Manchuria was enjoying the territory that Japan was forced to give up in the Triple Intervention.
Russia was a strong nation, even with America and Britain they refused to deal. Thus the demands of Russia were promptly met in China; and with expediency Russia was granted the right to construct a railway from Manchuria to Vladivostok. The baths were transported to the port areas faster and thus transported to Japan more quickly. To make matters worse, the Russians also demanded that China give them an invasion of the Liaodong Peninsula. The territory of the peninsula, connected with the railway in Manchuria, and the second bath in Harbin, will connect Port Arthur with Russia, thus increasing the opportunity of the place of Russia.
Needless to say, the Japanese are hot. Not only had the territory been returned to China, but it was strategically located in the territory of Russia. Japan immediately concentrated on building up its military strength and winning foreign aid. While the assassination of Queen Min of Korea had damaged Japan’s international reputation, Japan participated in the Boxer Rebellion in China and the Anglo-Japanese Treaty of 1902, which both recognized Japan’s and Britain’s interests in China and strengthened Japan’s interests in Korea. . In addition, Japan needs military support to attack Russia and its ally. This agreement went both ways, forcing Japan to support Britain in order to present itself as an ally against a Russian attack. These actions served to secure Japan’s international position. He increased the benevolence of the nation, and won favor for himself. In China, Japan was able to obtain the right to station troops in the Beijing-Tianjin area as per the Boxer Protocol of 1901. [11]
All this was seen ready for Japan’s desire for war with Russia; However, Japan sought business instead of the Western giant. If Japan only regained Korea, they would concede Manchuria as Russia’s main interest. Despite Japan’s attractive offer, the Russians refused to budge, and after much consideration and discussion, Japan decided to stand up for its interests. 1904 marked the war between Russia and Japan. In Japan, the popular feeling was that the Russians had once again been left with few options. Adding insult to injury, Russia’s significant influence in Manchuria left Japan severely vulnerable with its interests in Korea. In addition, the czar of the Russians was stubborn and unwilling to negotiate. While Japan was uncertain what chance they would take against Russia, they decided to go to war anyway, and on February 8, 1904, the Japanese fleet attacked the Russian fleet at Port Arthur, and after two days of war, the giants in western Sarmatia.
On the side of the Russians they also stood with their hands tied. The Anglo-Japanese Alliance mediated France and Germany from assisting as an ally of Russia. [12] Russia also found itself without the military support it needed on the Liaodong Peninsula and had to call on forces from Russia’s European side. . But Russia in the Russo-Japanese war favored a strong power with a strong military.
The Japanese attack on Port Arthur marked the first period of the war. From May 1904 to January of the following year, the Japanese fought persistently on the upper Liaodong Peninsula, which suffered when they surrounded the Russian forces. who were still waiting for help. While the Russians held strategic positions, the Japanese had a sharp fight and suffered more casualties than the Russians; but still, lacking food, provision, and hope, the Russians were forced to surrender. Other Japanese victories took strategic points around the Liaodong peninsula as well, but the fighting was brutal and caused huge casualties on both sides. Indeed, the Japanese lost a significant number of officers and enlisted men. The Russians did not fare much better, nor did they pretend to have any reinforcements on the way. The Japanese won part of the battle, but it was really a strong enough force to finish off the Russians. But other strategies will be used to keep the Russians at bay.
In the war against China, the Japanese navy played an important role, and in the Russo-Japanese war, the navy was to take center stage to defeat the adversary again. With Britain allied with Japan, the Russians were forced out of both British seas and neutral ports making the long and arduous journey up the Tsushima Strait. This allowed a long way for the hefty Japanese fleet to stand there and wait for the Russian fleet to kill and kill them with their newly built ships. Thirty-four ships were sunk in that battle, leaving eight with a great slaughter. The Russians could not continue, nor could they give supplies and help. But the Japanese, too, with few men and too few supplies, were destitute of land. Thus the Russians and the Japanese clashed in a stalemate for which they sought mediation.
American President Theodore Roosevelt mediated negotiations between Russia and Japan, leaving Japan with Russia’s recognition of Japanese interests in Korea and a treaty sworn in do not interfere with those things. Additionally, the Japanese received the Liaodong Peninsula, which the Russians surrendered in the Triple Intervention; the Russians ceased railroad and mining rights in southern Manchuria; and they obtained the southern part of Sakhalin. [13] The ambassadors were obviously more serious on the Japanese side, which seemed to them to be a sign of victory. Astonishment was also the prospect in the eyes of the West, that the little “backward” island, which Commodore Perry had sailed for years, had become a world power. Not only that, but that small island had drawn a major world power and turned the tables of international influence. Until then, it was the price of a great life. However, Korea, the borders of Liaodong and Manchuria, were once again Japanese. Despite the great economic loss and the tragic loss of life, the Japanese government went well. Japan once again had a safety net in Korea, and that treaty was needed to keep others out of the country while Korea’s reforms made a certain buffer.
Go to control
Although Japan suffered significant losses, it was not ready to give up its nationalist and imperialist ideologies. On the other hand, there were still great ideas in store. It was time for Japan to rebuild itself internally, and the death of Meiji and the rise of a new era also occupied the nation for a while. It was already the Taisho era, and Japan was part of the imperialist movement, a member of the “leader of the nations”. Among these imperialist nations was Britain, yet an ally of Japan, in 1914 they called for Japanese aid. when World War burst onto the global scene. For Japan there was no problem, and they engaged in a fierce battle on August 23, 1914. [15] However, what was fought was not the ability to help an ally, but the ability to accept the Germans as a part. in the Triple Intervention, as well as the milk of imperialist impulses. McClain notes, “Japan’s foreign minister…sent an ultimatum to Berlin announcing his country’s intentions, and a subtle purge of lingering bitterness, inserting some precise phrases and political affairs and international affairs. After all, the last thing was that the Japanese were willing to strike another Triple Intervention. Japan entered into the League of Nations, in order to keep to her newly adopted principles; it was, however, a rough road for them, so that the League did not appear to be in the least ignorant of the Japanese matter.
Manchurian Event
Japan kept its place in the League despite much criticism of the extent to which the League looked after Japanese interests. It seemed that no matter what Japan did or did, they were not part of the European club, and so their safety was the last place on the agenda of the Achaeans. The Japanese find this fact hard to bear. Except for all of these, there are discussions to be made within Japan in planning. The arguments between them sounded pan-Asian and anti-imperialist. After all, Japan was figuring out how to manage industrial and social business demands. But before these things could be settled, the stock market crashed and left the Japanese economy devastated. Overseas, they began to change ideas about the plan and without the government’s permission, the Japanese army managed to bring about a new era of empire.
On March 1, 1932, he established a puppet state of Japan in Manchuria, which he named Manchukuo. Emperor Puyi was in charge of ruling the Chinese, but the real power lay with the Japanese. But before 1931 the Japanese government was too busy with troubles at home and international depression to even think about expanding their power abroad. But one Ishiwara Kanji, an ambitious officer in the Kwantung Army instigated and incited a force that would lead to Japan entering into conflict with China again.
In an untimely night, violence broke out in Machuria, which awakened both Japan and China to the Ishiwaras’ crude plans. Naturally, the Chinese sent back to protect their land and people, but political leaders in Japan hastily convened in meetings to decide the fate of Manchuria. Since there was no certainty about the matter, it was suspected that the prime minister did not blame the Chinese for the violence. He responded by ordering the Japanese military to stand still and remain in place until the situation was settled and settled. But Ishiwara had other plans, as he sought to enrich his nation with radical beliefs about an apocalyptic war that would bring the East into conflict with the West. Thus, standing in Ishiwara’s place, with the help and support of other officers, he incited another wave of violence. After a night of harassment, the commander of the Kwantung army decided to follow the advice of the commanders, ignore the orders of Minami’s army ministry, and send troops to withdraw the force that Ishiwara had begun. From which also another province was taken under the name of Japan. What was worse, the Japanese government took pleasure in it. They have only heard of the bravery of the Japanese soldiers defending themselves against the Chinese fighters who want to blow up the South Manchuria Railway. In fact, the Japanese soldiers went on an explosion, all violence was provoked on the part of the victors.
Although the aggressors were the Japanese, the prime minister found it difficult to condemn the actions of Ishiwara and the Kwantung army because of the great public support for the battles in Manchuria. Not to mention, the Japanese had blown up a portion of the railways that would disable Russia in going to war. Ishiwara’s plan was successful at first, but not all. Colonel Doihara shared a powerful military force in military vision for a puppet state in Japan. Again he could not come to a decision and being dissatisfied with the state of affairs the Prime Minister resigned and gave way to a senior Prime Minister who simply could not keep everyone with him. In the middle of everything, the Kwantung army acted on the permission of the new army officer. After Harbin was liberated in early March, Manchukuo was created. The Kwantung Army finally had its dream, a state run by Chinese officials but completely controlled by the Japanese. They had their puppet republic.
Needless to say, the League of Nations was none too happy about China’s interference with independence. In fact, they have made critical research about Japan and its activities. The treaty settled on the obstinate opinion that Japan was wrong on all counts, and Japan fought in frustration to understand its treaty in part. They said that they were looking for the best interests of China and that Japan’s sole purpose and duty was to help China. However, the League still held its own and in the end Japan ended up leaving the League of Nations.
Manchukuo… The beginning of the war
The establishment of Manchukuo did not fulfill the Japanese ambition of expansion. In fact, it made further expansion almost necessary as Japan sought to protect its interests and borders from Russia and the angry Chinese. This latter group became a question of rising Chinese nationalism as rock players. Additionally, Mao Zedong and the Communist Party were coming on the scene with an army formed not far from the Manchu border. Each of these new threats seemed to cry out for additional Kwantung armies and for new buffer zones. In May 1933, after a low-level deception in the Heibei province conflict with the Japanese, the Chinese were made to sign the Tanggu Truce which extended a new demilitarized zone from the “Axis of the Great Wall” to Beijing Tianjin, the Japanese Army surrendered control of strategic mountain passes to the east of Beijing to guard the approach, and The Chinese have decided to exercise severity in anti-Japanese activities, which are the main cause of the Sino-Japanese conflict.
Unfortunately, this new demilitarized zone did not end Japanese suspicions, nor check Japanese imperialistic ambitions. North China saw the Japanese expansion under the challenge of Colonel Doihara. First, the Guomindang Party and the Chinese Nationalist Army from the Heibei province were forced out of two alliances; the second did the same for the Chahar Province of Mongolia.
The actions of the Kwantung Army and the Japanese government in China eventually erupted into full-scale war between China and Japan. Years later, after a large expansion, the Japanese would invade the Western world and attack Pearl Harbour, Hawaii. Bringing the Americans into the Pacific War (WWII), where they would expand into South Asia. The end of WWII would signal the end of Japanese imperialism, however, before the Japanese defeat saw a great victory in South Asian imperialistic ventures.
Conclusion
While Japanese imperialism began modestly it took on the fashion of the Japanese on the opposite side of the Western nations. Japanese motives were often questioned, and critics saw the Japanese as allies except in words. Of course, the Japanese overstepped and overstetretched their ambitions and military repulsion by a foreign imperialist policy, and in the end they will suffer a disastrous defeat for their indiscretions. While the debate is still raging over the ethics of dropping the a-bomb as an end to WWII, the end of WWII also marked the end of Japanese imperialistic foreign policy. The end of Japanese imperialism finally gave China the freedom they had fought for for years. In addition, Southern Asian nations have returned to their former states. But this is not the cause of all Japan’s imperialistic acts. And the early domestic changes remain, and the Ainu are now in small numbers and their heritage is barely remembered outside of museums and small Ainu communities. In addition, the relations between Korea and Japan and China and Japan will remain temporary. All that being said, Japan and its foreign policy and government should be reviewed
