Imperialism in China

and Japan
Ch. 12 Sections 1 and 2
 China and the West

Lots of mining
Great agricultural
economy to feed huge
population
Produce silks, cotton,
tea, and porcelain.
No need for Western
goods, but Westerners
want their goods
 Tea-Opium Connection

Europe needs to find

something China wants
in exchange for tea, silks
and porcelain.
British merchants
smuggle opium in to
China.
By 1835 12 million
Chinese addicted to the
drug. Opium is a drug made from the poppy
flower. It is used in modern day
prescription pain killers such as morphine.
 War Breaks Out

Chinese emperor writes angry

letter to Englands Queen
Victoria in 1839
Wants the end of selling
opium.
He is ignored.
1839 war breaks out. Called
the Opium War.
British gunboats destroy
Chinese fleet.
 Treaty of Nanjing

Sign Treaty of Nanjing in 1842

ending war.
China gives Britain the island
of Hong Kong.
Another treaty in 1844 gives
the US and other countries
extraterritorial rights in several
Chinese ports.
Extraterritorial rights =
foreigners do not need to
follow Chinese laws.
 Growing Internal Problems

Population explodes to
over 430 million in china
in 1850.
Food supply barely
increases.
Mass starvation.
Chinese rebel against the
Qing Dynasty.
 Taiping Rebellion

Take over China in 1853.

Hong Xiuquan recruits Leaders feud among
followers to create a themselves.
kingdom where there would 1864 Taiping government
be no poverty. collapses.
1850 he has an army of 1 20 million dead and twice
million. that are rebelling.
 Foreign Influence Grows

China resists change.

Wants to keep traditional
ways.
Dowager Empress did let
China start to
industrialize.
Foreign countries take
control of more and
more of China.
 Open Door Policy

US is afraid others will divide

China into colonies and end
their profitable trade.
Declare Open Door Policy
Says China will be open to all
nations to trade.
Other Countries agree.
 Boxer Rebellion

Some Chinese resent privileges

of foreigners.
Form group called the Boxers.
Rebel against the Dowager
Empress in 1900.
Europeans send troops to help
Empress and Boxers are
destroyed.
Chinese people increase sense
of nationalism in China.
People feel the government
should pay more attention to
their needs.
Japan
 Japan Ends Isolation

Japan has almost no contact

with outside world.
1853 US sends gun ship to ask
that Japan start trade.
Message says they will return
with large fleet in 1 year for
an answer.
1854 Japan opens doors to US
with Treaty of Kanagawa.
Two ports open to foreign
trade.
Trade with other nations soon
follows.
 Meiji Reform and Modernization

Japanese angry Shogun

gave in to foreigners.
Feelings of nationalism.
Shogun resigns in 1867.
Mutsuhito takes power and
the name Meiji.
Rules 45 years. Known as
the Meiji era.
 Meiji Era
Meiji realizes the need to modernize the country to keep
control of Japan.
Sends diplomats to study the west.
Students go to study in Europe.
Starts schools like in US. Everyone must go.
By early 1900s Japan has modern economy.
Developing modern industries like shipbuilding makes
Japan competitive with the west.
 Imperial Japan

By 1890 Japan has modern

warships and 500,000 well
trained troops.
Strongest power in Asia.
Japan convinces Outsiders
they will be treated fairly in
Japan since they have
modern laws so they
eliminate extraterritorial
rights in Japan.
Japan looks to become an
imperial power.
 Japan Attacks China

1876 Japan attacks Korea.

Opens 3 ports to Japanese trade.
1885 China and Japan agree not
to send troops into Korea.
June 1894 China sends troops to
stop rebellion in Korea.
Japan sends troops to attack
China!
Chinese navy destroyed and
driven out of Korea.
Peace treaty gives Japan its first
colonies, Taiwan and the
Pescadores Islands.
 Russo-Japanese War

Russia and Japan compete for power

in the east.
Go to war over Manchuria.
1903 Japan offers to let Russia have
Manchuria if they stay out of Korea.
Russia refuses.
Feb. 1904 Japan surprise attacks
Russian ships starting Russo-Japanese
War.
Most of Russian fleet is destroyed and
they are chased out of Korea.
US President Theodore Roosevelt helps
them sign the Treaty of Portsmouth
ending the war.
Forces Russia out of Manchuria and
Korea.