RESPONSES to imperialism

1
RESPONSES to imperialism

• Egypt, China, Japan

2
Two main responses to imperialism

• Traditionalist Stick with our traditional ways
• Westernizing Adapt to industrialization,
  liberalism, constitutionalism
• Egypt tries to Westernize, fails
• China sticks to tradition, fails
• Japan tries to Westernize, succeeds

3
Tokugawa Japan 1600-1858

• Power in hands of shogun (military ruler)
• Absolute monarchy
• Closed country policy
• Era of peace and stability
• Strains on Tokugawa rule showing by 1853

4
Bushido

• Warrior mentality of the samurai
• Based on notion of service
• Most important value honor

Samurai warrior photographed 1860s
Kanji for samurai
5
Seppuku

• Ritual suicide
• Means of atonement for crime or failure
• Restores honor

General Akashi Gidayu preparing to commit seppuku
after losing a battle for his master in 1582 (by
Yoshitoshi, c. 1876)
Seppuku ceremony (staged), c. 1897
6
Death Poems

• Kuni wo omoi shinu ni shi narenu masurao ga,
  tomodomo yobitsu shi shite yukuran
• Thinking of my country, I die though I am not
  used to death, a successful hero, who does not go
  into death calling for his friends
• Kuroki Hiroshi, 7 Sept 1944

7
The Forty-Seven Ronin
8
Challenge the black ships

• Matthew Perrys fleet arrives 1853
• US threatens violence if Japan does not open to
  trade
• Japan had seen what had happened to China

9
Perry and the black ships
Japanese prints depicting Perrys fleet and
Commodore Perry himself, c. 1854
10
Treaty of Kanagawa (1854)

• First of series of unequal treaties
• Result Japan opened to trade, Western influence
• Extraterritoriality
• Tokugawa government lost face discontent grows

11
MEIJI Restoration

• Japans civil war
• Revolution overthrows Tokugawa family
• Emperor Meiji (enlightened rule) takes direct
  power
• Moves capital to Tokyo
• Series of reforms

12
Meiji Reforms

• Sent Japanese to Europe and America for education
• Brought European and American experts to Japan to
  teach there
• Goal Create strong modern state
• Industrial economy

• Somewhat liberal government
• Diet legislature
• One house elected
• One house appointed by emperor
• Based on German model emperor retained most
  power
• Modern army and navy

13
Japanese ImPerialism

• Needed natural resources
• Wanted to prove itself strong
• 1876 Forces Korea to open to Japanese trade
• 1894 Defeats China in Sino-Japanese War
• 1904 Russo-Japanese War
• 1910 Annexes Korea

14
Sino-Japanese War