Industrialization of Russia & Japan

Chapter 27

Russia

• 1800s Russia consolidated power – w/absolute power in the Romanov’s hands

• Most citizens were serfs with no rights– living slave-like existence

• Used secret police to squash rebellions • Some (western-influenced) elites wanted

reforms

Russian Reforms• 1860s Alexander II started reforms inspired by

the Enlightenment– Emancipation Edict—abolished serfdom, but

didn’t help b/c serfs had small amounts of land and owed the government $$ so difficult to make improvements (doc)

– Some went to the cities to work in the factories– Built the trans-Siberia RR & major steel industry

Russia• Late 1800s small middle class grew• Arts flourished (mid-1800s-)

– Anna Karenina, War & Peace– Swan Lake, Nutcracker

• Alexander II assassinated by a political group called The People’s Will– One bomber struck bulletproof carriage, second bomber threw explosive

under Alexander II (died later that day) 1881– Lead to pogroms

Russia• Nicholas II (1894-1917)– Russo-Japanese War (1904)– Russian Revolution (1905)

• Moderates marched on the czar’s palace in protest in order to reform- “Bloody Sunday” – Troops fired on protestors– Resentment of the working class

– Stolypin Reforms– Creation of the Duma (1906)

• Hollow instrument because he couldn’t relinquish power– Continued police aggression– Japanese advancement- refocus on the Balkans…maintain

diplomatic standing • WWI

Japan

• 1600-1700s successful at keeping Europe out– Highly ethnocentric and isolationist– Citizens were not allowed to travel abroad

• 1800s Industrial Revolution– Europe & US more powerful and demanding

access to markets

Japan• 1853 Commodore Matthew Perry (US) arrived

on a steamboat– Realized their isolation not to be able to

compete economically and militarily

• Treaty of Kanagawa (1854)—US favored – Caused the Nationalist to get mad– BUT organized (not like China) and the samurai

revolted against the shogun and restored the Emperor Meiji

Japan – Meiji Restoration• Shogun Out, Emperor In, Westerners Out• Japanese Westernization– Metric system, clocks, calendar, fashions NOT religion

• Emerged as a world power• Building RRs and steamships• 1876 samurai class abolished and universal military

service was established• 1890s able to reduce European & US influence

Japan

• Meiji Imperial Victories– 1895 defeat China for control of Korea and Taiwan– 1904-1905 Russo-Japanese War • Removed Russia from Manchuria and established its

own sphere of influence • Fought over rival imperial ambitions• Japan was victorious (more powerful navy)

– Imperial power

Compare & Contrast Industrial Revolution in Europe and Japan

• Japan’s was faster (a few decades to Europe’s century)

• Japan didn’t have to invent, but implement• Private corporations formed (i.e. Mitsubishi)– Built factories– Urbanized– Encouraged reforms