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