AP World HistoryPOD #19 – New Imperialism in Asia

Meiji Restoration

Class Discussion Notes

Bulliet – “Nationalism and the Rise of Italy, Germany and Japan”, pp. 726-732 (specifically, pp. 728-731)

The Shogunate

“In Japan the emperor was revered but had no power. Instead Japan was governed by the Tokugawa Shogunate – a secular government under a military leader, or shogun, that had come to power in 1600. Local lords, called daimyos, were permitted to control their lands and populations with very little interference from the shogunate.” (Bulliet, p. 728)

Weaknesses of the Shogunate

Resources could not be coordinated to resist a major invasion

Isolationist policies limited contact with foreigners (both traveling to Japan or Japanese travel to the outside world) essentially limiting cultural diffusion of modern technology

Violation of this law was punishable by death but many powerful lords in the south ran successful pirate and black-market operations

Japan was simply to weak and decentralized to resist foreign attack and invasion

Commodore Matthew Perry (USA)

1853 he arrived with his American naval fleet off of the coast of Japan demanding Japanese ports be open to trade and allow American ships to refuel and take on supplies

After an internal debate Japan relented to these demands pointing to Chinese mistreatment after the Opium and Arrow Wars as possible if they refused

1854 – Treaty of Kanagawa signed upon Perry’s return – modeled after the unequal Treaty of Nanking in China

This embarrassment to Japanese honor sparked a rebellion ultimately leading to the collapse of the Tokugawa Shogunate

Meiji Restoration (defined)

The political program that followed the destruction of the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1868, in which a collection of young leaders set Japan on the path of centralization, industrialization and imperialism

Mutsuhito (Meiji or “enlightened ruler”) became the restored emperor

Meiji’s Ultimate Goal

The Meiji Oligarchs were determined to protect Japan from further embarrassment and Western imperialism by transforming the nation into “a rich country with a strong army” combined with world-class technology and industry

Charter Oath of 1868 – “Knowledge shall be sought throughout the world and thus shall be strengthened the foundation of imperial polity.”

Create a new citizenry that was literate, competent, loyal and obedient

Meiji Reforms

Embraced all ideas foreignAt the time Japan had the highest

literacy rate in Asia and the emperor capitalized on this by introducing a new educational system, a conscript army and a new communications system

Establishment of heavy industry, thanks to decades of industrial development and financing in the provinces

Copying the West

Government structure – Germany Navy – Great Britain Army – Prussia Introduction of western style postal service,

telegraphs, railroads, harbors, banking, clocks and calendars

Students were sent to Great Britain, Germany and the United States to study and learn the ways of the west and to return to share this with their Japanese compatriots

Adopted western-style clothing and hairstyles Western garden parties and formal dances became

the rage of the era

Education System

Government was interested in Western technology and as such opened vocational, technical, and agricultural schools

Founded 4 imperial universities Recruited foreign exports in medicine, science, and

engineering Established state-owned enterprises to manufactures

manufacture consumer goods later selling them to private investors or zaibatsu (large conglomerates)

Encouraged individual technological innovation

What was Japan lacking?

Natural resources needed for modern industrialization such as iron ore and coal

What was the solution?

Japan used it’s increasingly more powerful army and navy to initiate a imperial expansionist foreign policy to acquire the essential natural resources for modern industrialization

Sino-Japanese War – take ManchuriaRusso-Japanese War – take KoreaWorld War I – take over forfeited

German colonies in Asia