Transcript Meiji Restoration

Meiji Restoration
What’s been
going on with
Japan?
Tokugawa Shogunate
Expelled Christian
Missionaries, virtually closed
nation’s borders to
foreigners
From mid 17th C. until 1853,
Japan remained isolated
Only allowed in 1 Dutch
ship/ year and very
restricted Chinese and
Korean trade
Japanese culture flourished
Kabuki theatre, Bunraku
(puppet theatre), Haiku
Decline of Tokugawa
Class tensions:
Samurai: elite warrior class, dishonorable to open
business
Merchant class grew more and more wealthy
Daimyo to Edo to pay respects
Opening of Japan
1853-54 Commodore
Matthew Perry
convinced Japan to
open to American trade
The Shogun, afraid of
what happened to
China in the Opium War,
allowed the US in
Soon, Europeans also
demanded trade
Soon Japan had signed
treaties with all
European nations
Westernization of Japan
Western military strength made Japan fearful
of domination
Moved to take country from feudalism to
modern nationhood
Samurai Uprising
1858 Tokugawa shogun died with
no heir
1860 Group of disgruntled samurai
assassinated Shogun Il Naosuke
Wrote a document expressing wish
to “revere the emperor” and “expel
the barbarians”
Committed seppuku
Battle between Samurai and
national government
Eventually the Samurai seized the
Imperial Palace and proclaimed the
restoration of the Japanese
Emperor
Overthrow of the Shogun
Nobles took power from Shogun
(highest lord) and transferred power to
Emperor Mutsuhito (1868)
Mutsuhito changed his name to Meiji,
“Enlightened” he was 16
Actual power was in hands of a group
of young former samurai and allies
Moved Capital to Edo and renamed it
Tokyo “eastern capital”
Modeled government on Bismarck’s
Germany:
Autocratic, cabinet of military leaders
who answer only to Meiji
Restructuring of Japan
Military
British-type navy, Prussian-type army
Education
Compulsory public education, became
highly literate
Agriculture
Nobles gave up feudal privileges
Peasants no longer bound to soil, many
owned land
Industry
Textiles, steel, machinery, ships
Fukoku Kyohei “Enrich the country,
Strengthen the army” popular phrase
of the time
(replacing the old slogan sonnō jōi:
"Revere the Emperor, Expel the
Barbarians"
Japan Turns to Imperialism
Reasons
Needed raw
materials
Honor and glory for
Japan
Outlet for “surplus”
population
Near Asian
underdeveloped
nations
(does this sound familiar or what?)
Japan Takes Over
Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895)
Overwhelms China, acquires Taiwan, sphere of influence in Korea
(annexes Korea in 1910)
Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905)
Defeated Russia, acquires Russia’s sphere of influence in Manchuria
(This is going to impact WWII)
World War I (1914-1918)
Did little for Allies, but acquires Germany’s concessions on
Shangtung Peninsula and mandates over German’s pacific Islands