Japanese Foreign Policy 1855-1905Notes from Barnhart and Duus

From sakoku to empire

Meiji restoration 1868-1912

Domestic reform Revision of treaties

Foreign Policy goals

Line of sovereignty

Meiji Restoration

Japan opens up Treaty of Kanagawa opens up two ports to

Western powers This was followed by a series of unequal treaties 1858 treaty of Edo was a blow to the power of

the Shogun and led to the eventual downfall of the Shogunate

1864 Confrontations between the British and Choshu clan and the Shogun is forced to intercede

1868 downfall of the Shogun, the Meiji Restoration

Meiji restoration 1868

Japan’s foreign policy goals

The Emperor is a figurehead with little or no control over foreign policy Aim of the Oligarchs: to rid Japan of the

Unequal treaties A search for security and removal of the

western restriction on Japanese sovereignty Foreign policy success hinged on success of

domestic reform

Japan’s policy in the 1860’s

Attempts to invade Korea in 1863 were cancelled This was partly responsible for the Satsuma

rebellion in 1878 1867 Japan creates a ‘situation’ in Japan , an

example of ‘gunboat diplomacy’ whereby Korea is forced to sign the Treaty of Kanghwa – an unequal treaty

Attempt to take Taiwan fails. Japan sent a mission to China in 1870 to secure an

Unequal treaty, it failed but at least secured a treat y of friendship which placed Japan and China on an equal footing, diplomatic representation…etc

Japan and Russia In the 1870’s Japan begins a more assertive

foreign policy albeit under the watchful eyes of western powers

Japan begins expansion to the North…beyond Hokkaido

To secure diplomatic recognition of the new northern border, in 1875 Japan signed a treaty with Russians. Japanese claims over Hokkaido accepted in return for abandonment of Japanese claims over Sakhalin

Conquest of Taiwan

Taiwan invaded in 1874 to punish Taiwanese fisherman for their attacks on Ryukyu Islands

Taiwan accepted suzerainty of China but also accepted to be as vassal of the Satsuma

In 1874 China recognized Japan’s claims to Taiwan and agreed to pay an indemnity

In 1879 Ryukyu islands annexed by Japan

“opening up of Korea” Wanted to do to Korea what the US had

done to Japan Pretext: Korea attacks the crew of a Japanse

survey boat Gunboat despatched to establish normal

diplomatic and trade relaitons Korea chose negotaion over war and signed

the Treaty of Kanghwa Recognised Korea as an independent sovereignty▪ Diplomats exchanges▪ 3 Korean ports opened Pusan, Ichon and Wonsan

Policy in the 1880-1890 Japanese foreign policy becomes more aggressive Japan sees Korea as its zone of expansion It tries to minimize China’s influence on Korea In 1882 it gets involved in Korea when the refoms

of Kojong affect the army 1884 Japan tries to engineer another coup but

fails In 1884 Japan signs the Convention of Tientsin or

the Li-Ito convention China maintains its troops in Korea, and the

resident is Yuan Shih Kai A foreign policy failure for Japan

What was Japan’s role in Korea in the 1890’s Japan seen as the role model for the

reform faction Japan chose to support this, Japans

minister in Korea was involved Japan deliberately chose to

antagonise China It was a way for the Japanese

government to divert attention away from domestic tenisons

Russian presence in Manchuria also worried the Japanese

What role did the Oligarchs play? Yamagata felt Japan needed to play

an assertive role He saw Russia as the threat and not

China He saw in victory a chance to

abrogate the Unequal treaties Also it would prove to be a test for

the new national army

Sino Japanese War 1894-1895

Korea the prize for Japan and China Korea is also targeted by Russia who sees it

an area to gain access to the Pacific Ocean Murder of Kim Ok Kyun also raised tensions Tonghak rebellion in Korea a factor that led

the Chinese to take action to quell the rebellion

Japan protested and used this to attack China China defeated on land and in the naval

battle

Treaty of Shimonoseki

Ito in a hurry to negotiate War had cost Japan financially So Japan in a hurry to negotiate Treaty in April 1895

Korea’s independence recognized by China Formosa Liaotung Peninsula of China 80 m Yen as war indemnity MFN status for Japan in China

What was the significance of the treaty?

Marks the beginning of Japan’s dominance in East Asia and the beginning of the end of China’s dominance

Japan had clearly come of age. Japan was not yet in control but

clearly a contender here The other contender was Russia and

Japan was not yet strong enough to deal with Russia

Great power politics by 1895 Russia was intervening in this region for political gain

and GB was suspicious of Russia GB ambiguous about Japan’s role here vis-a-vis Russia USA was involved in the region too..Hawaii and the

Philippines Germany wanted an empire and was willing to grab

lands in China and also because it wanted to weaken the newly formed Russia and French alliance against it

GB wanted to preserve the integrity of China as it had been there the longest and had investments in China

Japan wanted to be regarded as an equal of the great powers and also gain lands at the cost of a weak China

Impact of the treaty of Shimonoseki in Japan Japanese public were furious Felt cheated and let down by its

politicians The public did not recognize that the

war was a huge drain on Japan’s resources

This impact led to some instability in Japanese politics

The Triple Intervention

By 1895 GB began to see Japan as a pawn against Russia

Russia did not want to see Japan in mainland China IN this Russia had the support of other European

powers. Each was uneasy at Japan’s power Russia, France and Germany joined in the Triple

Intervention a week after Shimonoseki had been signed

Japan had to give up the Liaotung Peninsula. It wanted Port Arthur but failed to keep it

Japan not strong enough to take on three powers

Impact of Sino Japanese war Despite Triple Intervention, Japan

recognised as a rising power The balance of power in East Asia

began to shift Russia and Japan now in China Domestically TI sparked off a huge

protest They saw the TI as yet another

humiliation

Impact of the Boxer rebellion in China Japan wanted to weaken China

further, hence it encouraged the Hundred Days Reform in China and gave asylum to its leaders when the reform collapsed

Was willing to support western powers to quell the Boxer rebellion

This gave it the much needed recognition as an equal of the western powers

Alliance with GB

Japan comes of agePhase 2 of Japan’s Foreign policy

The Russo Japanese War : Long Term Causes Russian view that China would fall to the

Russians Russia would build its railway and Port

Arthur would be its Pacific terminus Russia preferred to have China and leave

Korea to Japan Japan especially Ito favoured peace with

Japan and therefore compromise Japan’s confused policy of this period a

result of its tumultous politics

Russo Japanese war: Short term Anger at Triple Intervention Confirmation of Japanese rights over

Korea Nishi Rosen agreement only

recognized Korea’s independence and non interference in Korea’s affairs

British occupation of Weihaiwei provided Japan with an ally

Increasingly Britain seen as an ally in its fight with Russia

Anglo Japanese drift

Drift towards an alliance with England

Britain recognizes Japan’s right to Taiwan in return for occupation of Weihaiwei

Also during this time US occupies Hawaii and thus stakes a claim as a Pacific power, Japan accepts this

Likewise Japan accepts American control of the Philippines

At the turn of the century…. In 1900 Russia acquire Masampo from Korea

and this angered Japan In the Boxer Rebellion, Japan deliberately

supported England, in the hope that Russia alone could not do much mischief

Thus with Japanese meddling it was an allied force that led the fight against the Boxers

Germany wants Russia to be busy, so that French Russian alliance is weakened

GB does not want China to be partitioned

Japan’s foreign policy calculations Aid to Allied efforts to prevent anti Japan

coalition Japan was clearly planning empire and power China and its plight did not figure in Japan’s

calculations Japanese felt that they must have

recognition from Western powers US and GB Open Door Policy not popular with

Japan because it did not get much indemnit payment

Manchuria 1900-1905 Russians had manoeuvred themselves into

Northern Manchuria and occupied it This annoyed the Japanese who wanted to contain

Russia However in Japan the party politics intervened Yamagata afraid that Ito would negotiate with

Russia in return for Korea Also Japan afraid that once the Railway was built

Russia too strong for Japan to fight Also Japan saw GB as an ally So Japan now protested the treaty with China,

Russia backed down

Anglo Japanese Alliance Japan capitalised on growing Russiana nd British

tensions In London negotiations were opened The treaty that followed was that each was to

remain neutral in the event of a fight, but if two or more were involved then the alliance would work

Marked the end of unequal treaties Recognition of Japan’s military and naval prowess Recogniton of Japanese imperial aims Japan now has great power status

Anglo Japanese Alliance: Marius B Jansen Became the mainstay of Japanese diplomacy

for 20 years Recognition of Japan on the international stage Gave Japan the security to engage in serious

negotiations with Russia and stand up to them Russians underestimated Japan, the genro

favoured caution while the younger generation wanted action

In 1904 Japan attacked…the horrors of the war are dwarfed by the scale of WW 1

Countdown to war In 1903 Russia refused to withdraw troops from

Manchuria Japan makes a Korea-Manchuria exchange offer Russia’s railway now complete, next plan to

connect Vladivostok with Seoul Russia then proposed a division of Korea along

39th parallel Russia meantime continued to fortify Manchuria

and placed battleships in port of Niuchuang Russia occupies Mukden Japan tries to negotiate by offering Yalu river as a

boundary between Japan and Russian interests

Why was Japan able to defeat Russia? Japan had to placate UK and US who wanted

no division of China Russia was not expecting Japan to fight back Japan attacked Port Arthur China remained neutral Mukden fell to Japan Japanese leaders aware that they could not

sustain a long drawn out war Japan sealed the war with the defeat of the

Russian Baltic fleet in the Battle of the Tsushima Straits

In

The treaty of Portsmouth Theodore Roosevelt of USA keen to negotiate

peace Japan financially exhauated but did not want to

have that revealed The treaty consolidated Japanese influence on

the Asian continent Russia recognizes Japanese influence in Korea Japan received southern Sakhalin, Liaotung

peninsula, and the raliway line between Mukden and Port Arthur

Japan came of age. This was a sigificant and decisive victory for Japan

The annexation of Korea

1905 Ito negotiated with the Korean court for a protectorate

Japanese took charge of Korea’s diplomatic efforts

Japanese advisors despatched to Korea

Japanese settlers poured into Korea too

Assessment of Japan’s Foreign Policy ( Peter Duus) Sino Japanese war marked the

position of the Emperor as the country’s paramount military leader

In 1904 too , the Emperor played a visible role as war leader

Military victory first over China and Russia fed a new surge of national pride

Feeling that ‘Japan’ had joined the ranks of the civilized

Assessment

Japanese attitudes towards its neighbours changed too…arrogance towards China and Korea

Japanese began to disavow Chinese heritage

However, failure of massive gains in the treaty of Portsmouth angered the Japanese and this led to serious rioting

Growing feeling in Japan was in a positions to help its backward neighbours

John Benson and Takao Matsumura:Japan 1868-1945From Isolation to Occupation The treaty marked Japan as a

regional power and as a major player The establishment of formal empire

had begun with the process of acquiring Taiwan,

Acquisition of Southern Sakhalin and finally a protectorate over Taiwan