China and Japan 1914

China: Land and peasants

peasants worked incessantly on farms for survival

constant fear of floods

Japan: Land and farmers

½ population farmers (30 million people) but little arable lands

earthquakes and typhoons

China and Japan 1914 China: Society

above the peasantry, divided into many strata:

landowners lived off the rent of tenants, officials (examination system) lived off taxes and government monopolies, wealthy merchants in port cities lived off sales

Japan: Society

“new rich” called narikin—created social tension by challenging old ways with Western styles

beneficiaries of prosperity were conglomerates--Mitsubishi

China and Japan 1914 China: the West

extraterritoriality for foreigners taught people living in cities that they were losing

young men in cities learned foreign ideas and created political tension

Japan: the West

Meiji oligarchs had begun industrialization in 1868 and accelerated during WWI with textiles, munitions, consumer goods

prosperity depended on foreign trade and imperialism in Asia, more vulnerable to swings in world economy

China and Japan 1914 China: Revolution

1900 Boxer Rebellion (foreigners win on Chinese soil) Japan was part of the foreign force and made China pay ransom for city

Sun Yat-sen of the Revolutionary Alliance prepared to take over after Empress Cixi. He was full of nationalism, socialism, and Confucianism.

The military, led by Yuan Shikai, overthrew the government, thwarting Sun’s plans. However, his politics weren’t good and Sun organized the Guomindang (National People’s Party) and tried to win it back. Yuan killed every attempt.

China and Japan 1914 China: Revolution

The Japanese saw the opportunity in WWI to capture China. The war had created an economic boom for them, and their products were in great demand.

Japan conquered several German colonies and some along the coast of China, then turning to the rest of the country.

Presented China the 21 Demands in 1915, turning China into a protectorate of Japan. Britain & U.S. talked Japan down.

many anti-Japanese riots and boycotts in China

China and Japan 1914 China: Revolution

After the Versailles Treaty, students who were insulted by the acceptance of Japan protested in the May Fourth Movement.\

Warlords still supported their armies on the taxes of the land, using the money in port cities and battles against each other.

During the warlord era the countryside become poorer.

Sun Yat-sen tried to make a comeback, but failed and died. Leadership of the party went to Chiang Kai-shek.

Chiang established a dictatorship that was mostly incompetent.