|
|
Emperor Mutsuhito,
whose reign name was Meiji ('enlightened
rule' or 'governing clearly') was supported by the very able Satcho-Dohi
samurai who provided counsel. Together they became an effective government
and were resigned to the inevitable contact with the outside world.
Meiji Reforms:
A policy committed to the acquiring of new outside knowledge was now
supported to bring Japan up-to-date. The royal capital was moved from
Kyoto to the shogun's former palace at Edo, which was then renamed
Tokyo ('Eastern capital').
1871: Provinces are replaced with prefectures,
each with it's own centrally appointed governor.
1873: The wearing of swords is banned.
Dissent
As the country's advances increased the samurai became more restless.
Daimyo gave up their fiefdoms to the crown in exchange for money and
titles and were banned from wearing their swords. Many of the displaced
took up jobs with the national police, the government and industry.
Others were more vexed and disenchanted. They were strongly against
the trend to relinquish the old style of military power and replace
it with new foreign models of government. They rallied around Satsuma's,
Saigo Takamori who finally took an army
to Kyoto in an attempt to deter this new approach.
This was the last civil war, 'The Saigo Rebellion'
and it ended with the outnumbered Saigo being completely destroyed,
he committed seppuku.
War with China: 1894-95
Britain continued to assist in Japan's modernisation, in particular
the development of it's navy. Through the 1880's young samurai were
sent to England for maritime training and British shipyards helped
to establish the naval fleet. The flexing of this newly gained sea
power led to conflict when Japan tried to expand into Korea in 1894.
Korea called to China for support and this led to the Sino-Japanese
War. It ended a year later with victory to Japan who now had wide
control in Korea.
Russo-Japanese War: 1904-05
Japan was now getting close to Russia, France and Germany came to
support Russia with a determination to halt Japan's advances. Japan,
in turn, formed an alliance with England 1902, but tried to negotiate
a settlement regarding borders. Russia refused to talk and in 1904
hostilities began when Japan attacked the Russian base at Port Arthur.
The commander-in-chief of the Japanese naval fleet was Heihachiro
Togo, he had studied the strategies of Lord Nelson in Portsmouth,
England. This early victory brought accolades from Britain, from Russia
it brought an attack by their Baltic fleet. Togo, waited for them
at Tsushima Strait. They met in May of
1905. Each fleet had twelve major warships, the Russians were heavier
and had longer range weapons, but the Japanese were faster and in
a better position. Only three of the fifty ships of the Baltic fleet
escaped destruction. The Japanese lost only three ships. It was a
great naval victory. Japan was now recognised as a world power and
in 1910 Korea was annexed denoting the beginning of it's 'empire building'.Japan
was now the new country in world-wide imperialism. The leaders of
the government frequently visited western countries, learning how
to govern and expand their nation. The slogan of the new government
was 'rich nation and strong army'.
1912: Emperor Mutsuhito
dies. |
|
