Lecture 31: 1905 Tsushima—Japan Humiliates Russia

1905 Tsushima—Japan Humiliates Russia ....................................

Lecture 31

O

Q-XO\WKHIDUPHUVDQG¿VKHUPHQOLYLQJDURXQGWKHSRUWRI

Uraga, Japan, witnessed a disturbing sight: Four foreign warships

boldly steamed into the bay and anchored just offshore; they were

commanded by Commodore Matthew Perry, an American naval hero. For

the previous 250 years, Japan had pursued a strict isolationist policy, closing

its borders to almost all contact with foreigners and refusing even to meet

with representatives of other nations. This policy had resulted in Japan

missing the Industrial Revolution. At least 18 attempts by various countries

had sought to establish economic or diplomatic ties with Japan, but every

one of them had been rebuffed. Perry was determined to succeed where

others had failed.

Japan’s Military Modernization

x In July of 1853, through a combination of blunt force, bullying,

and stubbornness, Commodore Matthew Perry, a U.S. naval hero,

managed to make contact with representatives of the Japanese

government, penetrating a strict isolationist policy that had been in

place for the previous 250 years. On a follow-up visit the next year,

he negotiated the Treaty of Kanagawa, which opened Japanese

ports to American trade.

x Much of Perry’s success was due to Japan’s lack of a real navy. This

military inadequacy was intensely humiliating for the Japanese, and

it was one of the main factors that sparked the Meiji Restoration.

The new leadership adopted an astonishingly aggressive policy of

modernization and industrialization.

x The Japanese decided to mold their new army and navy on the best

IRUHLJQPRGHOVWKH\FRXOG¿QG

o Great Britain had the reputation of having the largest,

PRVW HI¿FLHQW PRVW ZHOOWUDLQHG DQG PRVW WHFKQRORJLFDOO\

advanced navy in the world. Accordingly, Japanese naval