In the nineteenth century, Qing China, the Ottoman empire, the Russian empire, and Tokugawa Japan all faced serious problems, some of which were common to all four. All suffered from military weakness, which left them vulnerable, especially to the industrial powers of western Europe and the United States. All four faced confrontations with these powers, which resulted in incredible opportunities for the western nations. All four nations also faced population pressures and government corruption. During the second half of the century, all faced serious internal turmoil. Internal strife only exacerbated military weaknesses. Sometimes, western powers intervened to protect their own interests.
These problems were the source of the “crossroads” in this chapter’s title. Without political, social, and economic reform, these four societies faced continued decline. Vigorous reform movements emerged in all four societies, but the results were very different. Only Japan would enjoy thorough reform by the dawn of the twentieth century; the Ottoman, Romanov, and Qing dynasties faced collapse.
Military confrontations. All four societies fought wars or engaged in military confrontations with industrialized nations. In each case, those confrontations brought the realization of military weakness in the face of these rising powers.
Internal weaknesses. All four societies’ internal weaknesses included declining agricultural productivity, famine, falling government revenue, and corrupt governments. With such internal turmoil, success against industrialized nations was practically impossible.
Reform movements. All four societies experienced reform movements, but in the Ottoman empire, Russian empire, and Qing China, the ruling classes viewed reform with suspicion; they were determined to keep their privileges. The result was that all three were on the verge of collapse by the turn of the century. The fall of the Tokugawa dynasty in Japan paved the way for reform efforts, which would result in Ja pan’s emergence as an industrial power.
You and your group will be assigned one of the empires discussed in this chapter. You are to produce a newscast, similar in format to the evening news on TV, which will address all three themes. Common formats include news, weather, sports, and a human interest story.
Your newscast should include a PowerPoint slide background for the news set, and perhaps several that have pictures illustrating the different stories. Also, remember to specifically address the influences or effects of western governments on the empire.
Ottoman: capitulations, Mahmud II (Mehmet II), Tanzimat reformers, Young Turks
Russia: Crimean War, Serfs, Industrialization, repression & revolution
China: Opium trade & war, unequal treaties, Taiping rebellion, Boxer rebellion
Japan: Tokugawa Shogunate (bakufu), Meiji movement, industrialization
Thursday/ Friday: organize, research & develop pieces of the presentation.
Monday/ Tuesday: Finish presentations and use computers to complete (1/2 of the class)
Wednesday/ Thursday: Presentations and turn it ALL in

(CH. 31)