1840 - 1910
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1600s, Japan was isolated (“closed door”)
1853 - US Commodore
Matthew Perry took ships/
weapons to Japan & demand
they open trade  signed
Treaty of Kanagawa &
opened 2 ports to all
Japanese angry & overthrew Tokugawa Shogun
Japan would need to adopt western ways.
 This became known as the
“Meiji Restoration” – Japans adoption
of western ways
 Knew wouldn’t be taken over now, so Japan decided to become
imperialists too
 Established colonies in China
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Now Japan & Russia major powers in Asia
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Both Russia & Japan
want Manchuria for
natural resources 
RUSSO-JAPANESE WAR
(Japan victory)
Japan went after Korea
& won  established a
protectorate &
annexation (direct rule)
Korea became its
protectorate of Japan
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Originally France
interested in Egypt for
strategic location (Red
Sea), but Napoleon
failed
The French originally
set out to build the
Suez Canal in 1859
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Egypt interested in modernizing like
Europe, so figured they need to trade
like Europe
1869 – Egypt decided to build
manmade waterway that cut through
Suez, connecting Red Sea to
Mediterranean  SUEZ CANAL
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Why would they want
to build it???
Time Saved: 2
weeks
Miles Saved: 4,000
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Egypt had to borrow $$ from France ($450
million!), but found they could not pay back the
debt
Britain jumped on the chance to oversee
financial control of the canal  by 1882
British occupied Egypt
Suez Canal was “Lifeline of the British Empire”
b/c allowed quicker access to its colonies in
Asia and Africa
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China proud of their culture
& many work opportunities 
very self-sufficient
Not interested in gadgets
West was offering;
only in agriculture  Chinese did not want to
trade w/ Europeans
But Europeans wanted access to Chinese
goods & resources (especially tea)

Britain determined to find something Chinese
wanted to trade…OPIUM!

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Habit-forming drug; Chinese doctors used it for pain
relief for centuries
By 1835, 12 million Chinese addicted & rising
Qing Emperor asked Britain to stop, but
refused  led to OPIUM WAR (1839-1842)
British victory, gained island of Hong Kong
Poppies

Results of Opium War:
1. China divided into spheres of
influence
2. Increase in Western trade &
influence in Asia
3. Britain gains island of Hong Kong
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Due to Opium addiction, China no longer
productive & people hungry
Europeans taking advantage of China’s
growing problems
Had to declare “Open Door Policy” to keep
from being divided up & colonized like Africa
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Poor peasants/workers resented foreign
influence  formed secret organization,
Society of Harmonious Fists (aka Boxers)
Wanted to get rid of Qing Dynasty, started
BOXER REBELLION
Rebellion failed, but nationalism rose;
started to travel West to examine government
structures
Boxer Rebellion