Having fully developed her strategic industries and armed and naval forces, Japan aspired to become a Great Power in the Far East in particular and the world in general. The closing years of the 19th century witnessed the Sino-Japanes War (1894-95), in which Japan won brilliant and easy victories over China and Korea.
Japanese interests in Korea: Prior to the Sino Japanese War,
Korea was under the nominal suzerainty of China. The Chinese nominal control
over Korea accompanied with continued chaotic conditions in Korea, menaced the
security of Japan. Korea in the hands of an enemy was regarded by the Japanese
as ‘a dagger thrust at the heart of trade interests in Korea. It was,
therefore, essential for Japan to detach Korea from the Chinese connection and
bring it under Japanese control.
War with Korea and China: In 1894, Japan served the King of
Korea with an ultimatum to accept and implement the Japanese program of
reforms. The King however, avoided the issue and consequently Japan attacked
Korea and took away the King as a war prisoner. China also fought on the side
of Korea was defeated. In less than a year, the Japanese overran practically the
whole of Korea and southern Manchuria and were on the point of attacking Peking
Treaty of Shimonoseki (1895): The Sino Japanese War came to
an end by the Treaty of Shimonoseki on April 17, 1895, under which
China recognized the full and complete independence of Korea.
China ceded the Liao-Tung Peninsula and Port Arthur in
Manchuria and Island of Formosa to Japan and
China had to pay a war indemnity of twenty crore taels to Japan.
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