China and Japan: Isolation to WWII
China: 1840-1940
1855
1840
1870 1885
2nd Opium
War
(1856-60)
1900
Taiping Rebellion
(1850-64)
1940
Boxer
Rebellion
(1899-1901)
1st War with Japan
(1894-95)
1st Opium
War
(1839-40)
1925
Fall of Qing Dynasty
(1911)
Civil War: CCP vs. KMT
(1927-1949)
2nd War
with Japan
(1937-1945)
Japan and China Stand Alone
- Japan and China were never colonized by European
countries…they were too big and powerful.
- China = history of isolation…“The Middle Kingdom”
- During colonial age, China felt they did not need anything
from foreigners…“self-sufficient.”
- For 100s of years, Canton (Guangzhou) was the only place
where foreigners could trade
The Opium Wars
- By the 1800s, Great Britain imported millions of pounds of tea from China,
and had to pay for it in silver. This depleted British silver.
- Eventually, Britain illegally sold opium, an illegal drug, for silver, and used
this silver to buy the tea. After a few decades, by 1835, 12 million Chinese
were addicts and more were becoming hooked.
- The Opium Wars (1839-42 and 1856-60), were between China and Great
Britain. It was fought mostly at sea, and the British won easily.
- As a result, Britain won rights to Hong Kong, and extra-territorial rights
extended places to trade as well. The opium trade continued, and China was
embarrassed and angry.
- 1850 China population = 430 million,
China after the highest in the world. It grew 30% in
60 years, yet food production barely
the Opium War
increased. Hunger was common, and
flooding, etc. made things worse at times.
- By now, the Qing Dynasty, who were
Manchurians (NE China) and foreigners in
the eyes of many, were tottering on
collapse. Lots of corruption, overall
dismay.
Taiping Rebellion
- Hong Xiuquan failed China’s civil examinations
multiple times and had a nervous breakdown.
- In the late 1840s, Hong had visions. He claimed
that he was the brother of Jesus Christ. Eventually,
his leadership started The Taiping Rebellion (185064), a huge civil war (“The Heavenly Kingdom”).
Between 20-100 million people died, many through
starvation. This conflict was one of the most deadly
in world history.
- Xiuquan wanted: no opium, tobacco, gambling, or
alcohol, men and women to be equal but not be
allowed to mingle, Christianity (their version of it),
and the Qing Dynasty out of power.
- Foreigners helped the Qing Dynasty win. The
British, duped by the Qings, also had a huge interest
to maintain China trade. They stayed out of the US
Civil War, which hurt business badly.
- At the end of the conflict, thousands of Taipings
committed suicide by burning themselves instead of
pledging their loyalty to the Qing Emperor.
- Empress Dowager Cixi (originally a concubine) ruled China
from 1891-1908. She was one of only 3 women to ever rule
China. She was not the emperor, but controlled everything
through powerless (i.e. too young) emperors, and was a
ruthless politician.
- Her government made small reforms, but it was overall very
conservative and continued to fall behind the West.
- The West increased control over China’s economy. Spheres
of influence developed; foreigners controlled areas of trade
and investment, and had special privileges.
- Japan fought China in the First Sino-Japanese War (18941895) over rights to Korea. Japan won easily, and as a result
they gained Taiwan and the Pescadores Islands.
- In 1899, the US successfully proposed an Open Door
Policy, which completely opened China’s ports to all
countries. It protected US trading rights, and it at least
guaranteed that China would not be colonized outright
- In 1898, 27 year-old Guangxu emperor had 104 days of
reform after Cixi’s rumored “retirement.” This Hundred Days’
Reform, to modernize China, was crushed by Cixi and her
allies. Cixi ruled until her death in 1908.
Cixi Rules China
Boxer Rebellion
- In 1899, the “Society of Harmonious
Fists,” or “Righteous Harmony Society,” or
“Boxers,” rebelled, and were opposed to
foreigners’ special privileges, Christianity,
poverty, and opium.
- By 1900, thousands surrounded the
European section of Beijing chanting,
“Death to the foreign devils!” This lasted
for months. This became known as “The
Boxer Rebellion.”
- Eventually, the Qings supported the
rebellion. The UK, France, Germany,
Austria-Hungary, Japan, Italy, Russia, and
USA all sent in 20,000 troops, squashed
the rebellion, and fined the Chinese 450
million tales of silver, which was bigger
than the government’s annual revenue!
The money was to be paid over 39 years.
- In 1911, the Qing Dynasty was finally
overthrown. Not only were the Qing
overthown, this was the first time in Chinese
history of a new form of government.
- The Kuomintang (KMT), or Nationalist Party,
pushed for reforms and new government.
-Sun Yixian (Sun Yat-Sen) = leader, he lived in
the US for many years. A.k.a. “The Father of
Modern China.”
- Yixian was the first President. He encouraged
Nationalism (anti-foreigner), People’s rights
(democratic government), and Livelihood
(economic security).
A New China
Emerges
The Warlord Era
- Yixian was President for only 6 weeks.
Yuan Shikai, a powerful general, took
power, and by 1913 he ran China like a
corrupt dictator.
- Mutiny caused Shikai’s fall in 1916,
and chaos reigned. The Warlord Era
(1916-1928), was where various
warlords controlled parts of China.
China’s infrastructure and economy fell
into ruins, and famine was widespread.
- In 1917, China entered World War I
on the side of the Allies, hoping to
achieve more autonomy after the war.
.
Despite winning, many of the
same problems remained, and
the Chinese were not happy
with the war’s treaty.
- In 1919, the May Fourth Movement was an
Chinese Communism overall protest against imperialism, current
Chinese problems, and the Treaty of Versailles
(post WWI treaty).
- The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began
in 1921, with Mao Zedong, their future
leader, among its founders. This group looked
to the USSR and Communism as a solution.
The KMT allied with the Communists
temporarily to battle the warlords; Yixian
became disenchanted with the West.
- In 1923, the USSR sent military advisers and
equipment to China. Many Chinese went to
Moscow for training too.
China Civil War
- Yixian died in 1925, and Jiang Jieshi (Chiang
Kai-Shek) became the KMT’s new leader. He was
an enemy of Communism.
- In 1927, after the KMT fought warlords together
with the CCP, the KMT killed many Communist
leaders and union members. Civil War had
begun, and it would last until 1949.
- In 1928, Jiang declared himself the President of
the National Republic of China. The USSR did not
recognize it.
Japan vs. China
- Many peasants joined the CCP…Mao’s
version of Communism emphasized that
peasants were the key, not urban workers
(like Lenin thought).
- In 1933, the KMT had 700,000 troops
surround the CCP (6-7x the CCP). In 1934,
the CCP began The Long March: 100,000
CCP soldiers fled 6,000 miles to NW China,
barely escaping the KMT the entire trip. 1030 thousand survived and hid.
- In 1937, Japan invaded Manchuria. The
Second Sino-Japanese War began.
- The CCP and KMT pledged to temporarily
stop and fight Japan, but the CCP did not
really participate; instead they and gathered
their strength back.
- In the early 1600s, feudal Japan kicked out all foreigners.
Only the small port of Nagasaki was open to the Dutch for
trade.
- During this time, Japan was ruled by the Shogun, or general,
who was head of the samurai class. The Emperor of Japan
was the official leader, but not in practicality.
- By the mid-1800s, pressure from abroad to trade with Japan
mounted…in 1853 Commodore Matthew Perry of the US
sailed 4 ships into Tokyo, and Japanese people were amazed.
The US helped force Japan to open up for trade.
- By 1860, Japan had “treaty ports” open to foreign trade
- By 1867, the Tokugawa Shogun stepped down, and the
Meiji Period began (1897-1912) after a cultural war with the
samurai.
- During the Meiji period, Japan became a country like other
European powers. Japan built a huge military, railroads,
industrialization, etc. In 1894, Japan ended territorial rights
with Western countries, unlike China.
The Meiji
Period
The Russo-Japanese War
- Japan defeated China in the First Sino-Japanese War (over Korea), in 1895.
- Russia and Japan, two growing nations, went to war in the Russo-Japanese
War (1904-05). The war was over Manchuria (in 1903, Japan offered Russia
rights to Manchuria if Russia would stay out of Korea, and Russia refused).
- Japan quickly drove Russia out of Korea, and beat Russia badly at sea
(including the Black Fleet, which had sailed around Africa to fight).
- US President Theodore Roosevelt mediated the peace terms, and Japan won
the war. This marked the first time an Asian country defeated a European one
in modern times.
Korean
Occupation
- Japan won a “protectorate” over
Korea as a result of the war, but by
1907 Japan controlled Korea
completely, and in 1910 annexed it.
- Japan was a cruel imperial leader to
Korea: public protests were illegal,
Korean schools were taken over and
Japanese was to be spoken only, etc.
- Japan’s nationalism and imperialist
tendencies grew.
Japan Becomes Fascist
- During the 1920s, the Japanese government became more democratic.
However, only the Emperor still controlled the military.
- During the Great Depression in the 1930s, the government was blamed, and
military leaders took power. Japan became Fascist.
- The new Fascist Japanese government emphasized nationalism and a desire to
conquer all of Asia.
- In 1931, Japan invaded Manchuria, setting up a puppet government that was
ruled by Japan in everything but name.
- The League of Nations protested the Manchurian invasion, but did nothing.
Japan quit the League in 1933.
The Second SinoJapanese War
- Finally, Japan invaded China in 1937,
and the Second Sino-Japanese War had
begun. This eventually helped lead to
World War II. Beijing and Nanjing
(Nanking) fell.
- The Nanking Massacre (“Rape of
Nanking”) saw 250,000-300,000
people killed, also looting and rape
were everywhere. There was even a
race set up with two officers,
challenging each other to be the first to
kill 100 people!
- The Rape of Nanking turned world
opinion (including US) against the
Japanese and for the Chinese.