How Powerful was the Japanese Empire?

After nearly a century of political instability and warfare, Japan was on the verge of unification under Oda Nobunaga, but he was assassinated before his plans could be implemented. Power would eventually be consolidated by Tokugawa Ieyatsu, who became the Shogun, who established the Tokugawa Shogunate. The Shogunate still allowed the Emperor to rule, but more as a puppet or figurehead. The Shogun held the true power. The Shogunate was very strict relating to foreigners and trade, and banned the practice of Christianity. These procedures were very different compared to previous Shogunates. The only exception to these rules was the Dutch, who were granted special permission to trade. All this changed in 1853, with the arrival of the American, Commodore Matthew Perry, whose arrival was accompanied by large gunboats. He offered the Shogunate an ultimatum to either open up the country for trade or prepare for war. Japan at this point was facing economic problems, social tensions, famine in the countryside, and tumultuous politics. In the end, Japan was forced to end its isolationist foreign policy and agreed to a series of unequal treaties, and was denied the ability to regulate import duties. In 1865, there was a coup that overthrew the Shogunate. They restored practical imperial rule to the Empire of Japan under Emperor Meiji, hence the name Meiji Restoration. The restoration led to enormous changes in Japan's political and social structure. The Meiji leaders didn't want Japan to become a semi-colony to Europeans, similar to China. To combat this, they created a highly centralised political system, similar to western ideology, and implemented a modern, western-style military force. Feudal domains were abolished to foster a national identity. Japan rapidly industrialised and adopted western ideas into its education system and production methods. Japan's military transitioned into the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy, these forces being controlled by the Emperor. The Meiji leaders encapsulated these reforms into two slogans, a rich country, strong army, Japanese spirit, western technology. The Shogunate and the Age of Samurai was over. The Age of Japan's Empire was about to begin. The Japanese Empire was founded from the concerns about their Korean neighbours. For thousands of years, Korea had been the gateway for the spread of Chinese culture into Japan. However, in the 19th century, Japanese leaders came to see Korea as a dagger, pointing at the heart of Japan. Japan sought to protect Korea from being infiltrated by China, or the western powers. This rivalry with China grew, and resulted in pro-Chinese and pro-Japanese factions in the Korean court, ultimately resulting in war. At the start of the war, China was expected to win, as they commanded both a significantly large army and navy. However, the Meiji government had invested in small, fast modern warships. Their navy and army became well-organised, trained and equipped. Japan was able to win battle after battle, on land and sea. A treaty ended the war after nine months, giving Japan war reparations and territorial acquisitions. From the war, they gained Taiwan and the Liaodong Peninsula, and China was forced to recognise the independence of Korea. Japan's victory, however, was cut short when Russia, Germany and France forced them to surrender the Liaodong Peninsula, which was then leased to Russia, along with the strategic port of Arthur. Russia's intention was to harness the warm waters of the port, and to construct a railroad to another, which was still under construction. Japan resented this intervention, as imperialist powers continued to carve out spheres of influence in China. At the turn of the century, the Boxer Rebellion broke out in China. Japan, and many other western powers, sent troops to protect their interests, in an eight-nation alliance. When the rebellion ended, Russia's troops remained, and more troops were sent to the region around Manchuria, without any explanation. In 1902, Japan signed an alliance with Britain, who regularly clashed with Russia. In 1904, when Russia still refused to withdraw its troops, Japan declared war. Russia had a much larger population, a stronger military, and virtually unlimited resources. Many westerners and Europeans saw Japan's victory over China as an achievement, but many speculated that they would lose this war. Why? Because Russia was European, and a very large empire. Victory over a lesser nation was expected, and Europeans didn't lose to nations they saw as lesser. Well, unless you're Italy. Surprisingly, the Japanese won control of the seas around the Laodong Peninsula, and the army moved into Manchuria. Japan's army overwhelmed the Russian army on land, and they began to siege the port of Arthur. Japanese soldiers were much more motivated, robust, were trained by Europeans, and determined to prove they were equals. There was also a vast area between European Russia and Asian Russia, and their unfinished railroad caused a few logistical issues. While their troops moved across Siberia, their Baltic fleet departed. However, the fleet accidentally fired on British fishing boats that they mistook for enemy torpedo boats, and nearly sparked a war with Britain. The Russian fleet had to sail halfway around the world, from the Baltic Sea to the Pacific, and around the Cape of Good Hope. The fleet navigated the seas for seven months. The crews weren't well trained, the fleet was not equipped to deal with the hot weather. Some crew even brought exotic pets from the ports of the African coast. Russia's army eventually arrived to meet the Japanese, who by now had taken Port Arthur. The two sides met at the Battle of Mukden. After two weeks of harsh fighting, pressure from the flanks forced both lines of the Russian defence to retreat, and ultimately withdraw. Russia's Baltic fleet eventually arrived to contest the Japanese forces, but the fleet was virtually annihilated, losing eight battleships, numerous small vessels, and more than 5,000 men, whilst the Japanese lost three torpedo boats and 116 men. Russia was not ready for a continued war, and both sides agreed to evacuate Manchuria and return it to China, while the Liaodong Peninsula was transferred to Japan. Victory in the Russo-Japanese war made Japan an international power. During World War I, the Japanese joined the side of the Entente Powers. Japan secured the seas in the West Pacific and Indian Oceans against the Imperial German Navy, and successfully captured Germany's Marconesian territories. Following the end of the war, Japan was invited to the Treaty of Versailles and joined the League of Nations, a post-war mega-alliance, to maintain peace. Soon after, the Japanese economy experienced difficulties, including major earthquakes and a military that was gaining power and influence in politics. The Japanese Empire controlled the South Manchurian Railway. In September 1931, the Japanese claimed that the Chinese had sabotaged a part of their railway, and used it as a pretext for invasion. The Japanese army conquered Manchuria and installed a puppet government. China appealed directly to the League of Nations for support. The League sent officials to Manchuria, but the journey was long, and it was an entire year before the League was able to publish a report for the situation. They declared that Japan was in the wrong, and in response, Japan withdrew. However, in 1937, the Marco Polo Bridge incident occurred, where Japanese and Chinese troops exchanged fire, and the Japanese Prime Minister declared an invasion. Japan's argument was still one of self-defence, and argued that it was necessary to protect itself from China. During the invasion, the Imperial Japanese troops committed multiple atrocities and violations against the residents of Nanjing over a period of six weeks. When Japan left the League of Nations, they became a partner of the Tripartite Pact. In 1941, the US began an oil embargo against Japan. Japan, being an archipelago, had limited resources. They could not compete with the US in a productive war, but the Japanese felt their superior warrior spirit would overcome anyone who stood in their way. So in December 1941, they launched an attack on Pearl Harbour, which saw 4,000 American casualties and capitulated the United States into the war. Japanese forces continued their onslaught into Southeast Asia and the European colonies. They successfully seized Malaya, Hong Kong, and Singapore from the British, and by 1942, laid claim to much of Southeast Asia. They enlisted natives to rule these territories with puppet governments. However, with the rapid expansion, it was clear the empire was getting too big. The US implemented a strategy of island hopping to capture back territory and won major naval battles, one of the most important being Midway. By 1944, US forces steadily advanced towards Japan, whose planes and naval vessels outclassed and soon outnumbered Japan's navy. In response to the US advances, the Japanese instructed Kamikaze pilots to deliberately crash into enemy targets. They were designed to destroy warships as effectively as possible. The Japanese surrendered after atom bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but they also feared the consequences as the Soviet Union also declared war on them. Thus, they surrendered to the US, being the lesser of two evils. The Americans allowed the Emperor to remain as a figurehead upon the signing of a new constitution. The United States also funded a period of restoration to boost the Japanese economy. The Japanese empire was short-lived, spanning only 50 years from its first territorial acquisitions in 1895 to its unconditional surrender in 1945. At its height, the empire spread across North and Southeast Asia. After the atomic bombs were released, a sense of pacifism was created. The legacy of Japan's past imperial ambitions runs deep in Japan, China, Korea, and other parts of the world, and should not be forgotten. The Japanese government and many of its people relinquished the idea of a strong military and pursued the goals of a rich country. Thank you for watching and I hope you enjoyed this episode.