Two of the major fiefs, Choshu and Satsuma, wanted to drive out the western countries from Japan and overthrow Tokugawa. Although the two fiefs were opponents, they united from having common enemies, and planned to attack the western nations. After the unsuccessful attack, the leaders learned to develop their military training and technology from their enemies. With this, Choshu and Satsuma improved their military and led their forces and the small fiefs to overthrow Tokugawa.
In conclusion, the Treaty of Kanagawa influenced the western countries to negotiate with Japan. It can be said that Perry’s naval expedition exposed Tokugawa’s weakness, and also allowed the Choshu and Satsuma to unite and overthrow Tokugawa. It was the start of what led Tokugawa rule to its downfall.
-- Why did the Meiji Restoration occur?
When Tokugawa rule was defeated, it was the start of the Meiji Period named by Emperor Mutsuhito, meaning “Enlightened Government”. A small ruling group of people containing members of aristocrats and samurais, called oligarchs were given the power to dominate Japan.
As Japan had secluded itself for more than 200 years, it was clearly evident in the negotiation with the Western countries, that Japan was technologically and military behind. This was because, for two centuries, Japan mostly were only in contact with the Chinese and Dutch, and shared their culture, where western countries were further developed than the Asian countries. In order to be seen as an equal to the western countries, and be one of the powerful countries, the oligarchs knew that Japan had to be modernized with the western nations as their model.
Japan had weaknesses in its political, economic, and military system. Since the daimyo with their samurai still ruled the clans, political control over the country was incomplete. The Meiji government got most of its taxes from former Tokugawa lands only, making the economic system not very sufficient. Also, there was a large national army, since the new government depended mostly on the Choshu and Satsuma clans. Everything in Japan had to be reconstructed, or else the country wouldn’t have been able to modernize itself.
--How westernized was Japan in 1914?
By 1914, Japan was close to finishing its westernization. In 1868, an edict was issued by Emperor Mutsuhito known as the Charter Oath. This was a guideline to the modernization, containing five points which talked about the Japanese life. Since they needed the help and guidance of the western nations, the slogans “Expel the barbarians!” and “Revere the emperor!” were dropped.
Experts from the United States, and Europe were employed as advisers to the heads of governmental agencies and departments. French and German military officers were hired. American specialists helped to create a modern navy. A compulsory elementary education system was established, which allowed all people go to school (elementary). Also, in order to gain more knowledge about the western countries’ political system, representatives were sent to various nations and then brought back to Japan.
Since the feudal system prevented the oligarchs from modernizing the government, it had to be abolished. The rights of the daimyo were taken away, and the land was redistributed. Samurai was dismissed, and a system of universal military conscription was made in 1873. This required all Japanese men, including peasants and towns people to have military training and fight in wars.
After the Satsuma Rebellion in 1877, the Meiji government no longer had to worry about having to fight with anymore rebels. This was because the government was able to display its strength and show that modernization could not collapse.
Sharing ideas with Otto Von Bismark, Ito Hirobumi made the Meiji Constitution in 1889. It proclaimed as “the gift of the emperor” to the Japanese people. The constitution promised a government, not led by a shogunate, but by an emperor. The Constitution established a National Diet, a legislative body containing two house holds.
The oligarchs were careful not to borrow money from foreign banks, because they did not want foreigners to mess about the Japan’s affairs. They created their own taxation system which required the peasants to use crops to pay their taxes, which depended on the value of the land.
After the Meiji Restoration, the oligarchs devoted the country in developing the industrialization and tax system. Japan was hesitant in building factories. They built small ones to produce military supplies and light consumer goods. They also adopted the financial retrenchment when it was in the threat of inflation. This program sold some of the factories to other business investors.
Farmers had to pay most of the price for the industrialization, meaning they had to pay the most taxes. This meant that many of the farmers struggled to live if their crops were unsuccessful. Also some sold their land to wealthy landowners and became tenant farmers, who rented the land to farmed.
Universal Male Suffrage was still not granted, meaning only small number of wealthy male tax payers had the right to vote. Also, sixty percent of the industrial labor force was made of women. In addition to this, since Europe and the United States demanded the silk made in Japan, the country had greater amount of imports than it exports. Though, this was finally balanced during 1914.
Japan mostly westernized itself, and gained superior of knowledge from the western countries. Although the oligarchs gained more experience in organizing its political, social, and economic system, industrialization was still not fully adopted. Making more products such as iron and steel, and developing its transportation system had to be done.
-- Was Japan a Great Power by 1914?
Since Japan’s physical features were full of hills and mountains, it was difficult to make farm lands. This meant that Japan had to import most of its food and also raw materials for their industrialization. Since a great amount of imports meant that the government had to pay surplus of money, Japan decided to build its empire, to gain more land, crops, and raw materials – called Japanese Imperialism.
Due to the Meiji modernization, by 1890, Japan’s military was very powerful. The Japanese troops succeeded in defeating China in the Sino-Japanese War, and gained the island of Taiwan and the small neighboring islands, and Liaodong Peninsula. Japan also became the “dominant foreign power” in Korea. Soon after this war, in 1902, Great Britain signed a treaty with Japan called the Anglo-Japanese Alliance, which was the first equal treaty Japan ever had.
In 1904, Japan suddenly attacked “Russia fleet anchored at the Port Arthur on the Liaodong”, since Russia refused to give Japan the complete control over Korea and also wanted Manchuria. When Port Arthur fell in the hands of the Japanese in the Russo-Japanese War, they forced the Russians out of Manchuria. Still not wanting to give up for Manchuria, Czar Nicholas II sent Russian Baltic fleets to Japan which was eventually wiped out by the Japanese navy. It was in 1905, when Czar Nicholas II signed the treaty for Manchuria (Liaodong Peninsula), and allowed Japan to take over Sakahalin Peninsula.
Japan was recognized as one of the great powers of the world after the Russo-Japanese War, and was able to take possession over Korea without interference from other countries.
Due to the guidance from the west, and the rule of the oligarchs, Japan was successfully able to modernize itself in half a century. From a secluded country, it was magnificent in seeing how Japan changed into one the most powerful countries in the world in around 300 years.
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Bibliography
- Class Notes
- History of the World, The MODERN Era
author: Harris, Davis; Laue ,Von; Scholl, Perry
publisher: Houghton Mifflin
- Japan
author: Kublin Michael
year: 1990
- Meiji Restoration
url: http://www.thecorner.org/hists/japan/meiji1.htm
[online]Available
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