Meiji Restoration and Unequal Treaties
– Meiji Restoration marked a political revolution in Japan in 1868.
– Japan embarked on a program of reforms to become a modern nation-state.
– Learning missions were sent abroad to absorb Western progress.
– The Iwakura Mission, the most important one, studied various aspects of modern nations.
– Mission members called for domestic reforms to catch up with the West.
– European powers imposed unequal treaties on Japan in the 1850s and 1860s.
– The 1858 Treaty with the United States, known as the Harris Treaty, opened Japanese ports to trade.
– The treaties granted extraterritoriality to foreigners, exempting them from Japanese jurisdiction.
– The inequality in the treaties energized anti-foreign forces in Japan.
– Japan successfully ended the unequal treaties in the 1890s.
Japanese Imperialism
– Japan defeated China in the late 19th century and acquired colonies.
– It gained recognition as a world power after defeating Russia in 1904-1905.
– Japan took control of Korea and expanded into Manchuria.
– During World War I, Japan joined the Allies and seized German possessions.
– Japan put pressure on China but faced resistance.
World War II and Occupation
– The Japanese Army seized control in the 1930s, shaping foreign policy.
– Japan withdrew from the League of Nations and joined the Axis alliance.
– Japan opened a full-scale war in China in 1937, committing atrocities.
– Japan declared war on the United States, Britain, and the Netherlands in 1941.
– Japan surrendered in 1945 and was occupied by the Allies, mainly the United States.
Post-War Era
– Japan’s economy revived as a supply base during the Korean War.
– Non-involvement became the focus of Japanese foreign policy.
– Japan became the second-largest economy in the world by the 1990s.
– Japan maintained close relations with the United States for military protection.
– Tensions with China and historical issues persisted, but efforts to improve relations were made.
Japan becomes a power
– Japan rapidly modernized along Western lines in the 1860s.
– Japan added industry, bureaucracy, institutions, and military capabilities.
– Japan expanded into Korea, China, Taiwan, and islands to the south.
– Japan took control of Okinawa and Formosa.
– Japan’s desire to control Taiwan, Korea, and Manchuria led to wars with China and Russia. Source URL:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Japanese_foreign_relations
