Japan


 * __TERM LIST__

Tokugawa Family__:__ A powerful diamyo* family in Japan. The clan ruled Japan from 1600-1867, they won this power in the late Warring States period. The clan unified China and Japan's shogun* was always a Tokugawa descendant. The family collapsed from power in 1853 when Commodore Matthew Perry forced Japan to open its first port. Diamyo- territory holding, powerful family Shogun- commander of the armies and ruler of the country

****Matthew Perry****:** A commodore of the US Navy, he pushed the opening of Japan's ports and serves from 1809-1855 in the Navy. He was assigned to many different ships over the time he worked in the Navy.


 * Diet** - Japanese bicameral legislature. The diet is composed of lower and upper house, who are responsible for passing laws and selecting a prime minister. This statement is in forceful contrast to the Meiji Constitution, which described the emperor as the one who exercised legislative power with the consent of the Diet. The Diet's responsibilities include not only the making of laws but also the approval of the annual national budget that the government submits and the ratification of treaties. The Diet came to be one year after the passing of the Meiji constitution and was the first step after the Meiji restoration and the new power of Japan. The Meiji constitution holds all the rules for the Diet and is the outline of the new imperialist power. The Diet ties with Imperialism because it is the new government system of Meiji Japan, which went outside the borders of Japan for the greater good of the homeland.
 * First Sino-Japanese War** – A war between the Qing Dynasty of China and the Meiji of Japan (1 August 1894 – 17 April 1895). The prime reason for their fighting was to gain control over Korea. As a newly-emergent power Japan turned its attention toward Korea. In order to protect its own interests and security, Japan wanted to either annex Korea before it was seized by another power, or at least ensure Korea's effective independence by developing its resources and reforming its administration. After two Opium Wars against the British Empire and the Sino War, China had become weak and was unable to resist political intervention and territorial encroachment by western powers. Japan saw this as an opportunity to replace Chinese influence in Korea with its own. Japan went on to easily win this war in about a year's time. Japan did not annex Korea completely;however, The treaty of Shimonoseki was signed on April 17th 1895, which imposed that China recognize total independence of Korea. A stumble in the treaty was Japan was not allowed full control over the Port of Arthur, which both Japan and Russia wanted, causing them to fall into another Imperialist war called the Russo Japanese war.


 * Russo- Japanese War -** The Russo- Japanese war was between Tsarist Russia and the Japanese Empire, they were fighting over the Land that is known today as South Korea and Mongolia the Japanese wanted these lands to expand their empire and strengthen their economy and to stop Russia from doing this just so Japan can become more powerful (imperialism). Russia already had control of present day North Korea and they had their only warm water port that could trade all year round with the economically booming America. This port (Port Arthur) was huge for Russia because their other ports such as ones in eastern Siberia could only be opened in the summer because of the harsh weather conditions of the brutal winters in Russia would make trade in the winter almost impossible and very risky. Russia also had just completed their Trans- Siberian railway so they had the potential to really upstart their economy but with their lone warm water port their trade was limited and unlucky for them Japan wanted that port for themselves. And the war began Japan eventually won the war by winning the battle on the mainland of Mongolia and surrounding the port that was under Russian control and it had a large naval fleet occupying it. Even if the Russians surrendered in this situation which they did not they could not leave because Japan purposely sank ships filled with cement in the narrow entrance to the port to block off the passage for Naval reinforcements, and Japan ended up winning and taking control of the Port and this hurt the Russian economy severely and ended up starting a civil revolution within Russia and sparked the assassinations of the whole Romanov Royal Family. And thus ending Russia’s rule in the Middle East and also hurting it at its heart.


 * Meiji Restoration- A major revolution that drastically changed Japans social, political, and economic system. The revolution changed japan from its previous state of feudal lords ruling, to a united imperial country that was ruled by an emperor. They also changed the economy to a capitalist system connecting Japan with the western world expanding their trade and bringing in new advanced western ideas and technology causing for rapid advancement within Japan. This superior technology they gained from the west is what allowed Japan to win the Russo- Japanese war because of the brand new invention of the military submarine that was used to sink an entire fleet of Russian ships occupying and guarding the outer edges of the port allowing for the Japanese acess to fight the Russian Navy ultimately leading to victory with western technology being a huge factor in their victory.

Anglo- Japanese Alliance Treaty-** This was an alliance made between Brittan and Japan in order to stop the expansion of Russia and its influence over China and the Liaotung Peninsula, where Korea meets Manchuria (Port Arthur's Location). Brittan did not want Russia to gain any more power in these areas so they denied the triple intervention treaty between Germany, France and Russia, and accepted the alliance of Japan which was absolutely huge in Japans Imperialist expansion because Brittan (a rapidly industrializing flourishing country) helped Japan along with America to modernize Japan. This alliance was huge in the Russo Japanese war because it Brittan's Support Naval and on the ground would have easily turned the tables of the war with only the allied soldiers of Montenegro at Russias side against the support of the British Royal Navy behind Japan the Russo- Japanese war was a hard fought win for Japan with the help of the industrialization and Alliances with advanced countries such as Brittan allowed for this advanced technology and military style to win the war


 * __Primary Documents__**




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 * __Bibliography__**

Totman, Conrad D. // The collapse of the Tokugawa bakufu, 1862-1868 //. Honolulu : University Press of Hawaii, c1980.

Akamatsu, Paul. // Meiji, 1868; revolution and counter-revolution in Japan //. Translated from the French by Miriam Kochan. New York, Harper & Row [1972] Nagai, Michio; Urrutia, Miguel, eds. //Meiji Ishin: restoration and revolution//. Tokyo: United Nations University, 1985

Marius Jansen. Sakamoto Ryoma and the Meiji restoration. Stanford, Stanford UP 1971 “First Sino Japanese War Cartoon.” __CartoonStock__. 2 May 2010. < http://www.cartoonstock.com/vintage/directory/f/first_sino-japanese_war.asp.> “Diet of Japan”. __Wikipedia__. 21 April 2010. 3 May 2010. < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diet_of_Japan>. “First Sino Japanese War”.__Wikipedia__. 3 May 2010. < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Sino-Japanese_War>.

"Commodore Perry and the Opening of Japan". __U.S. Navy Museum.__ May 3, 2010. []

"Tokugawa". __Wa-Pedia.__2001-2002. May 3, 2010. []

E.F. Hiscocks. “Threat of Japanese Imperialism.” 1904. Online Image. New Zealand History Online. May 4, 2010. [] “So Obliging.” May 6, 2010. (No further detail listed) Berner, Robert L. "Perry, Matthew C. (1794-1858)." // DISCovering World History //. Online ed. Detroit:  Gale,   2003. // Student Resource Center - College Edition //. Gale. MARY INSTITUTE & ST LOUIS DAY SCHOOL. 10 May. 2010 .

“Japan.” __Flag Counter.__ May 4, 2010. [] “Japan.” __Regents Prep.__1999-2003. May 4, 2010. []

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