The SerpentandtheDove 123The emergence ofnon-Europeanpower centers also changed the
dynamic oftheglobalpowersystem.Thepowerlessnessofthenon-
Europeanpeopleshadbeena criticalelementcontributingtotheBritish
supremacy oftheeighteenthandnineteenthcenturies.Itreducedthe
strategicproblemofBritishforeignpolicytothemaintenanceofthebal-
anceofpowerinEurope. Withthisinhand,Britishpowerwouldbe
undisputedaroundtheworld.
ThefirstpowertochallengethatideawastheUnitedStatesitself,
andthefirsttaskofBritishdiplomacyafterthedefeatofNapoleonwas
theestablishmentofa solidrelationshipwiththenewnation.Butthe
riseofJapanwasmorechallenging.ThePacificRimwassodistantfrom
Europethatevena relativelyweakJapanbyEuropeanstandardswould
bea significantfactorinthelocalpowerequation.Furthermoreitwas
notassimpleforBritaintoreachanaccommodationwithJapanaswith
theUnitedStates.NotonlywereBritishandJapanesesocietiesmoredif-
ferentthanwasthecaseforBritainandtheUnitedStates;conciliating
JapancreatedproblemsfortheBritishrelationshipwiththeAmericans.
JapaneseambitionsinAsiawereconventionalbythestandardsofthe
era:TheJapanesewanteda colonialempirelikethoseoftheothergreat
powers,andChinawastheplacewheretheycouldgetit.Anylasting
BritisharrangementwithJapanwouldhavetoconcedeJapana freehand
insignificantpartsofChina.Japanwanteda relationshipwithBritain
thatwouldparallelBritain'srelationshipwiththeUnitedStates.Just
astheBritishgavetheAmericansa relativelyfreehandintheAmericas,
theJapanesewanted a freehand inAsia-agoalJapanesestatesmen
describedbysayingthattheywantedanAsianversionoftheMonroe
Doctrine.ButanyattempttoreachsuchanarrangementbroughtBritish
policyintodirectcollisionwiththeAmericaninsistenceontheopen
door.TheBritishconceptforAsiainvolvedanold-fashionedunderstand-
ingwithJapan;theAmericanconceptinvolveda newkindofarrange-
mentwithChina,where theUnitedStateshadbothcommercialand
sentimentalinterests.
TheBritishneversolvedthisproblem.Withthecostsofmaintaining
the European powerbalance escalating drastically, Britaincould no
longerachievemilitarydominationoftheFarEastatanacceptablecost.
Britaincouldnotcontaina hostileJapanindefinitely,butnootherpow-
ersintheFarEastwerecapableofbalancingJapan.Chinawastooweak
anddivided;Russiaundertheczarswasunabletoplayamajorroleafter
itshumiliatingdefeat;theUnitedStates,unwillingtoseeBritainreach