Transcript File - Mr. Coleman History

Imperialism in
East Asia
Western nations wanted
“spheres of influence” in
China = Where European
nations could have
economic control
•China = too big to
conquer & rule (strong
traditional rulers, huge
population)
The Qing
Dynasty
(1644—1912)
•China thought
they were superior
to other
civilizations
BUT…
•19th c. = way behind West in tech, weak gov’t &
military, many people were very poor
•Not interested in trade w/ Europe (were not impressed w/
European technology) = Europeans had to pay $ (silver)
for Chinese goods
Opium “Issue”
•European people wanted Chinese products (silk, porcelain,
tea)
•GB found “product” that Chinese would buy in—opium
(highly addictive drug)
•1830s = Chinese importing TONS of drug because many
people were addicted (Especially in GB “sphere” of southeast
China)
•Opium = illegal in GB
•between 12—20 million
opium addicts in China
•Major problems in China
because of opium
•1836—Chinese made
opium illegal
•GB kept selling it
anyway (because it
meant that they were
making a profit)
The Opium Wars
•Ch official—Lin Tse-Hu tried to end opium trade (1838)
•Destroyed 20,000 chests of GB’s opium (Like Boston Tea
Party)
•Tried to stop GB’s ships—GB sent warships = WAR
•1839—42 GB won (China = no match for British power)
•Treaty of Nanking = GB gets everything they want
--Brit citizens didn’t follow Ch laws (extraterritorality)
--GB got “S of I” & took Hong Kong
Rebellions in China
•China = too weak to oppose Europeans (unequal treaties
w/ European nations)
•Chinese people protested against Chinese gov’t (Taiping
Rebellion)
•Boxer Rebellion (1890) = attack on foreigners in China
Europe & US sent troops
Results of Imperialism in China
•Boxer Rebellion was
defeated
•Weak gov’t in power
still (good for Imperialist
powers..bad for Chinese)
•Open Door Policy =
Imperial powers (inc.
US) had trade agreements
that did not benefit China
•Most people were very
poor & hopeless still
LED TO…
•Major rebellion 1911 =
30+ yrs of civil war =
Eventual Communist
Revolution
Imperial Japan
•Same story as China BUT…
•Japan saw need to modernize & sign treaties w/
West (not unequal—much more fair treaties)
•“Meiji” Era = enlightened emperor Mutshito =
industrialization in 1870s
•1880s = rapid economic growth
with new tech
•1890= Japan = leading industrial
nation in Asia = more aggressive
•Fought war w/ Chinese and won
Korea (Sino-Japanese War)
Russo-Japanese War =
•Japan kicked Russia out of
Korea & Manchuria
•1st time “non-whites”
had beat whites in Imperial
game
Japan became the majore Military Power in Region
Imperial powers focused on China… they leave
Japan alone (mostly) = Japan grows in strength