Japan Is Victorious in First Sino-Japanese War(1895)

Japan is victorious in first Sino-Japanese War(1895)

The First Sino-Japanese War was fought between the Qing Empire and the Empire of Japan, primarily over the influence of Korea. At first, Korea was its own country, but China ruled over it. However, Japan wanted to ensure nobody annexed Korea. After more than six months of fighting, the Qing government sued for peace in February 1895. The war demonstrated the failure of the Qing Empire's attempts to modernize its military and fend off threats to its sovereignty, especially when compared to Japan's successful Meiji Restoration. The results of the war served as a fatal blow to the Qing dynasty. It resulted in a shift of regional dominance in Asia from China to Japan and the Chinese culture suffered heavy demise and loss of heritage. Within China, the defeat was a catalyst for a series of political upheavals led by Sun Yat-Sen and Kang Youwei, culminating in the 1911 Xinhai Revolution.

Japan Annexes Korea (1910)

The Japan–Korea Treaty of 1910, also known as

the Japan–Korea Annexation Treaty, was made by representatives of the Empire of Japan and the Korean Empire on August 22, 1910. The legality of the treaty was disputed by the exiled Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, as well as the South Korean government. While the treaty was affixed with the national seal of the Korean Empire, Emperor Sunjong of Korea refused to sign the treaty as required under Korean law. Japan took control over Korea at first. Later, Japan saw value in Korea. They could use the natural resources to feed and aid Japan’s growing population. They also tried to culturally assimilate the Koreans. Korea under Japanese rule began with the end of the short-lived Korean Empire in 1910 and ended at the conclusion of World War II in 1945. 

Japan gives 21 demands to China(1915)

  The demands would greatly extend Japanese control of Manchuria and of the Chinese economy, and were opposed by Britain and the United States. However, the USA and UK did not like it. Japan, under Prime Minister Ōkuma Shigenobu and Foreign Minister, drafted the initial list of Twenty-One Demands. This list was presented to Yuan Shikai on January 18, 1915, with warnings of dire consequences if China were to reject them. The Twenty One Demands were grouped into five groups. Knowing the negative reaction "Group 5" would cause, Japan initially tried to keep its contents secret. The Chinese government attempted to stall for as long as possible and leaked the full contents of the Twenty-One Demands to the European powers in the hope that due to a perceived threat to their own political and economic spheres of interest, they would help contain Japan.

Paris Peace Conference to end WW1(1919)

The Paris Peace Conference, also known as Versailles Peace Conference, was the meeting of the victorious Allied Powers following the end of World War I to set the peace terms for the defeated Central Powers. It was held in 1919 at Versailles Palace. The five major powers which are France, Britain, Italy, the U.S., and Japan controlled the conference. The allies made 5 major decisions. Mainly is to created the League of Nations, and limited the power of German.

League of Nations is formed(1920)

The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organisation founded on 10 January 1920 as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. Its primary goals were Prevent wars through collective security, disarmament of nations, and settle disputes through negotiation and arbitration. However, it had some shortcomings. Although the League had excellent intentions, it fell short; the Soviet Union was communist, which is bad and scary; the USA never joined the LoN, nor did Russia, which is the most important ones.

Communist Insurgency(1927)

August 1st 1927, The Communist Party (CPC) launched an uprising in Nanchang against the Nationalists (KMT). The Nanchang Uprising was the first major Kuomintang–Communist engagement of the Chinese Civil War, begun by the Communists to counter the anti-communist purges by the Nationalist Party of China. After long struggles and battles the result was three different capital of China. Beijing, Wuhan (CPC), and Nanjing (KMT). This started the Ten Year Civil War. As for the Japanese, it was the best time for them to fight against China. China was not unified under one government, and Chinese armies were fighting each other instead of the Japanese. Also, China’s armies were not as powerful as the Japanese, and Japan had influence over Manchuria due to the 21 Demands since 1915. This gives the Japanese an inestimable advantage. 

The Great Depression (1929)

The Great Depression hit Japan very hard. During the year 1929, the USA had to raise the prise of their exports, while the prise of silk that Japan export had dropped. Therefore, Japan became a poor country. On the other hand, Japan also needed to give its people more living space so it could feed its people. At the same time, because of the 21 demands, Manchuria was the perfect place to expand. They needed the raw materials in Manchuria. An other reason is that Japan wanted the power as same as an empire. The Japanese government thought that Japan can help China with their technology, and China needed a strong government to unite the people. Japan also needed the resources of China.