IMPERIALISM IN EAST ASIA

Interest Before Imperialism• China offered trade by Europe, they refused• China was largely self-sufficient, not needing anything Europe was offering• China also had a large supply of natural resources• Due to the self-sufficiency, China wanted little to do with Europe. • Europe, at this point, dependent on China trade (they want monopoly)

Introducing Opium!•What is Opium?• Opium poppy seeds come the Poppy Flower• Smoking the seeds has proven to be addictive• Grown mostly in India• English come up with a plan:• Sell Opium to Chinese and get them hooked• Chinese, dependent on drug, will do what British want

• Leads to the Opium War (1839 & 1859)• China tries to seize Opium assets and trade from British• British navy fires on China as a result• British wins, Treaty of Nanking (essentially Britain could do

what it wanted)

Boxer Rebellion (1900)• Poor peasants and workers angry about special privileges given to foreigners• They form the Boxers and capture a Chinese-European city before being pushed out by foreign troops•While they lost, the Boxer Rebellion lead to a growth of Chinese nationalism

Nationalism• After the Boxer Rebellion, Chinese people knew that they needed to resist foreign interventions• Chinese citizens were calling for their government to make more changes against the Imperialistic invaders

MEANWHILE, IN ANOTHER PART OF ASIA

Japanese Isolation Ends• Japan remains isolated for

centuries• Only people they do business

with is the Dutch, Chinese, and Koreans

• US Commodore Matthew Perry opens trade with Japan• Japan relents and agrees to

trade with US (Treat of Kanagawa)

• Other European countries begin to push into the untapped land

Meiji Reforms• Japan realizes pretty quickly

it needs to modernize• Sends scouts to study Europe

and USA (pays off immensely)• Also begins to Industrialize

Japan

• Japan soon rose to be an imperial power• Took away foreign rights of

Europeans

• Made Europeans obey Japanese laws

• Japan and China eventually duke it out over Korea (Sino-Japanese War)-Japan wins and gains Taiwan and Pescadores Islands

Japanese Empire Emerges• Russia vs. Japan• Japan and Russia want

Manchuria. Japan offers “Stay out of Korea and you can keep Manchuria”• Russia refuses

• Russo-Japanese War• Japan holds a surprise attack

against Russia, destroys most of their navy

• Theodore Roosevelt helps draft treaty between the two nations, Treaty of Portsmouth

• Korea vs. Japan• Japan now a powerhouse of

East Asia, goes after Korea• Japan pushes more and more

and eventually annexes Korea• Everyone outside of Asia

recognized Japan was a fierce opponent, but ultimately decided to ignore their actions• (Hey, if they’re bothering me,

why should I care?)