AP European History Seminar

1. AP European History Seminar By: Cheyenne Pratt Period 4- Quinn January 24, 2012

2. Seminar Question The Western penetration of China and Japan evoked a different response in each country. Discuss the reasons why Japan enthusiastically adopted Western science and technology in order to modernize itself, whereas China resisted falling under Western influence.

3. Background • Due to the United States not intending on granting independence after taking over the Philippines, patriots revolted, and Western power joined imperialist ranks with Asia. • Social Darwinism and harsh radical doctrines fostered imperialist expansions well as: • Industrial World’s technological and military superiority: • Rapid firing machine gun • Newly discovered quinine (however this was no less effective when coming to catching malaria). • Combination of steamship and international telegraph; this helped permit Western powers to quickly concentrate firepower where needed). Charles Darwin: Father of Evolution, and most influential official naturalist of the 19th Century.

4. Something to Think About. . Ideas about Western Expansion: • Africans and Asians felt it was a profound disruptive assault: • Threatened traditional rulings. • Threatened traditional economies. • Threatened traditional ways of life. • At first Sudan, China, and Japan wanted to drive foreigners away. • However after a series of battles and defeats, all non Western countries reconsidered Western transformation for they realized Western’s superior military and technology. • Being beaten in battles, the Africans and Asians focused on preserving all cultural traditions at all costs. New Beginning: • With the help/ force of traditionalists (religious leaders, local chiefs, landowners) and methodizers (Western educated professional classes and civil servants), Africans and Asians accepted imperial rule. • Political participation from non Westerners was slim, however Europeans governed smoothly and frequently. • African and Asians weren’t all for supporting European rule, but with groups and conforming masses, rulers arose, and the Western/ non Western countries worked together.

5. Japan’s Rocky Start • Commodore Matthew Perry arrived in Japan in 1853 with crude yet effective gunboat diplomacy. . . In other words, he created Japan to be a complex and feudal society. • As the Japanese Emperor sat at the top, the Shogun was the hereditary military leader that really held and maintained the power. The warrior nobility Samurai, he helped govern the country of hardworking, productive peasants and city dwellers. • Although most Samurai were poor and restless, they were humiliated with the American intrusion and treaties with Western countries. • Foreign diplomats began to settle in Yokohama, Samurai reacts with anti-foreign terrorism and anti- government assassinations from 1850- 1863, and imperialists respond gathering American, Dutch, French, and British fleet warships demolishing key forts, weakening power prestige of Shogun’s government. • In 1867, coalition led by patriotic Samurai seized governmental control with little bloodshed and restored Emperor’s political empire (restoration known as Meiji Restoration). • As the new government’s goal was to meet foreign threat, an idealistic young yet trained leader soon decided to drop anti-foreign attacks for he believed Western civilizations were superior in military and industrial aspects.

6. Japan’s Western Transformation • Series of measures to reform Japan fell along modern lines: • In 1871, new leaders abolish old feudal structures of aristocratic, decentralized government, and formed a strong unified state. • Following ideas from French Revolution, Japan dismantled the four class legal system and declared social equality. • Japan declared freedom of movement- this used to be the most serious crime. • Japan created a free, competitive, government stimulated economy. • Japan began to build railroads and modern factories. • Japan’s political leadership was to always maintain a controlled powerful state; in order to do so, Japan took more than the Westerner’s liberal ideas. • A powerful navy was created, and completely created upon European lines; a three year military service was mandatory for all males and professional officer corps. • Japan borrowed science and modern technology ideas such as industry, medicine, and education. • The Japanese began to study abroad and government began paying large salaries to attract foreign experts. • From here, the new state began to reflect more of foreign ideas and not so much its original culture and tradition. • Copying the German Empire, Japan established an authoritarian constitution, and rejected democracy; the power of the emperor became vast, and the legislature was limited.

7. Japan’s Final Outcome • Japan successfully copied Western imperialism proving Japan’s strength as well as cementing the nation together in a great mission. • Korea was opened with gunboat diplomacy in 1876. • Japan defeated China (Sino-Japanese War) in a war over Korea in 1884- 1885 and took Formosa (nowadays Taiwan). • As Japan was in an aggressive competition with European powers for influence and territory in China, Japanese and Russia collide. • In 1904 Japan sneak attacks on Russia, and takes a mini hold on China. • Japan became the first non Western country to use ancient love for their country to transform itself • Japan demonstrated an Asian nation that could defeat and humble a great Western power. • As a group of patriots in French-ruled Vietnam, Vietnamese students went to Japan to learn the secrets. • Japan provided an inspiring example of national recovery and liberation.

8. China’s Route • In 1860, the 200 year old Qing Dynasty was on the verge of collapse. • China’s efforts to reject foreigners failed, and rebellion as well as chaos wrecked the country. • Drawing from traditional strengths, China made a surprising 30 year comeback; the comeback was based on two crucial factors: • Traditional ruling groups that temporarily produced new and effective leadership. • Loyal scholar-statesmen and generals stopped disturbances like the Tai Ping Rebellion. • Tzu His, Chinese empress, governed in her son’s name giving specific insight and vigorous actions to bring back bureaucracy. • Destructive foreigner aggression lessoned because Europeans obtained their primary goal of commercial/ diplomatic relations. • A talented Irishman effectively reorganized China’s customs office in foreign lands, and helped strengthen their central government. • Due to Japanese imperialism, domestic reform with limited western cooperation collapsed. • The Sino-Japanese war from 1894-1895 ended with a harsh peace treaty for China revealing their helplessness in face of aggression. • In 1898 it seemed Europe was going to divide China just like It did in Africa. • However, it also seemed that jealous nations toward imperialistic ideas saved China; the US Open Door policy opposed formal attachments of Chinese territories.

9. China’s Not So Favored Ending • In 1894, foreign advancements greatly accelerated as well as the intensity and radicalism of Chinese reactions. • Some modernizers found salvation in Western institutions. • 1898, the government launched 100 Days of Reform in desperation to attempt meeting foreign challenges. • The revolutionary young reformer Sun Yat-sen who came from peasantry though was educated by Christians in Hawaii sought to overthrow the dynasty and create a republic. • However, some traditionalists were fed up with Western ideas and went back to foreign practices, political conservatism, and practical hatred of “Foreign Devils”. • “Protect the country, destroy the foreign” soon became the Chinese motto • Anti-foreign patriots clashed with foreign missionaries charging them with threatening the Chinese families and society. • With the patriots defeated and given unwanted reforms, secret societies like the “Boxers” rebelled; this ended in Northeastern China with 200 foreign missionaries and several thousand Chinese Christians dead. • After the “Boxer Rebellion” from 1900-1903, anarchy and foreign influence spread as Qing Dynasty’s power declined. • Anti-foreign/ antigovernment groups were formed; 1912 uprising toppled the Qing Dynasty. • After 1000+ years of emperors and empires , revolutionaries proclaimed a Western style republic and elected parliament. • China was forced through a Western society transformation and it was only the beginning.

10. All in All • Japan chose to transform to a Western society for it benefited their country. When following the Western imperialism, they had a stronger more brought together government, cemented country, strong navy, and well rounded industrial/ technological system. • On the other hand, China chose to not transform to a Western society- for now. China believed they could carry on with their traditional ways maintaining only their values and beliefs. • Sad but true, China was unstable without the Western imperialism, and slowly crumbled under their Qing Dynasty. Although China felt they would be carry on without a Western transformation; they soon realized they weren’t as steady as they thought they were. • China was soon take over by Western Revolutionaries after a 100+ years of various empires and emperors, and were forced to start creating a Western style republic as well as elected parliament.