Japanese Foreign Policy 1855-1905 Notes from Barnhart and Duus

1. From sakoku to empire Japanese Foreign Policy 1855-1905Notes from Barnhart and Duus

2. Meiji restoration 1868-1912

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. “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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. Japan comes of age Phase 2 of Japan’s Foreign policy

22. 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

23. 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

24. 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

25. 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

26. 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

27. 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

28. Anglo Japanese Alliance • Japan capitalised on growing Russianand 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

29. 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 genrofavoured caution while the younger generation wanted action • In 1904 Japan attacked…the horrors of the war are dwarfed by the scale of WW 1

30. 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

31. 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

32. 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

33. 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

34. 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

35. 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

36. 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