Having lived its own historical process for centuries away from the influence of the outside world, Japan opened up to the West in the 1850s, albeit with the force of the USA. Colonial states such as England, Russia, the Netherlands and Portugal followed the USA, which made Japan an open market through its port cities. The Japanese, who were increasingly exposed to the exploitation of Western states in all respects, reacted quickly to this situation.Russo-Japanese War
In order not to be prey to Europeans, they adopted their methods and took steps to develop rapidly. With the innovation process that started with Emperor Meiji and progressed at an unexpected pace in a quarter of a century, Japan became one of the rare industrialized countries of Asia. Japan, which made progress not only in the economic sense but also in the military lane, gradually managed to loosen the capitulations imposed on it.
In the end, Japan, which the Europeans had turned to themselves in order to exploit, suddenly became a strong competitor in the Far East. Learning to play the game according to the tricks of the quarterbacks, Japan entered the imperialist race and tried what was done to it on Korea for the first time. The race to exploit Korea, which is under the hegemony of China, which has a population of 10 million and cannot develop as fast as itself; Tension was created between the China-Russia-Japan and England quartet.
None of the aforementioned countries wanted to lose Korea to another. Taking action quickly, the Japanese government landed troops on the peninsula, citing China's intervention in the rebellion of the Korean opposition, which it had been supporting for a long time. This military intervention evolved into a war between Japan and China.
The war was short-lived, and Japan, the newly shining star of the east, showed how powerful it was by defeating the Chinese forces in many places. Upon the worsening of the situation, the USA, which took on the task of mediation upon the call of China, ensured the signing of the Shimonoseki Agreement between the two states in 1895. With this agreement, Japan made huge gains. It prepared a suitable ground for intervention in China and Korea. Russia was the country that showed the strongest reaction to Japan's victory.
Because the Russians, who wanted to go to the warm seas through the Yellow Sea in the Far East, wanted to strengthen their hands reaching Manchuria and China, and they were making heavy investments in order to gain economic gain from this region. For this purpose, they made Germany and France partners in their cause and asked Japan to leave the Liao-tung peninsula. Although the British sympathized with the idea of a strong Japan against Russia, Japan, which was afraid of the 3 great powers, had to withdraw from Liao-tung. While Russia was busy increasing its influence over China and Korea after its diplomatic victory, Emperor Meiji, who was angry that his gains were taken away, started to prepare with the support of England for an imperial war. The European states, who saved China from the danger of Japan, did not do this in vain, of course.
What they did was to push another imperialist who wanted to share the cake from the region and to reserve a bigger piece for themselves. Russia signed a secret alliance with China in 1896. This alliance agreement included the initiative on the China Eastern Railway line. The Russians were considering extending the Trans-Siberian railway, with which they had long connected their existence in the East, to the coast of Vladivostok via Manchuria without a shortcut. Together with the alliance, they achieved their wish. At that time, the railway was seen by the westerners as the basic tool to penetrate a country. Russia was not satisfied with this, the following year, it sent troops to Port Artur and Dalian at the tip of the Liao-tung peninsula, rented these places from China and had the privilege of extending the railway in Manchuria to here.
In 1899, he made the Chinese government accept his wish to extend these railways as far as Beijing. All of these steps caused the balance in the Far East to turn upside down in favor of Russia. Of course, Russia was followed by China's other saviors(!) Germany and France. The Germans rushed to the eastern peninsula of Shandong, and the French to the vast southern provinces.
This trio has almost torn China apart; They acquired many ports, railway construction and mineral exploration concessions, raw material deposits and market areas by leasing. The strongest reaction to this parcellization came from the British, who have large capitulations in the region and are seen as the superpower of the world. When the London government intervened and put pressure on Beijing, the Chinese emperor cut off a large piece of his body and gave it to the British as a balance against Russia.
With this development, “Break up of China” took place and the country was divided into 4 population areas. This split caused a reaction from Chinese society sooner or later, and in May 1900 the "Boxer Uprising" broke out, spearheaded by Empress Tz'u Hsi. A coalition of forces from Britain, France, Russia, Germany, the USA and Japan entered the capital and suppressed the rebellion. After the environment calmed down, the great powers made China pay a heavy price for this uprising.
They sentenced China to a hefty compensation and confiscated many sources of income… Although the coalition forces withdrew after the intervention in China, Russia did not withdraw its troops from Manchuria, causing a new diplomatic crisis. The invasion of Manchuria was not particularly welcomed by Britain and Japan. The two states, who needed to meet on the ground of common interest against Russia, signed an agreement in January 1902 and decided to act together against Russia.
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