Military Power of Japan Empire

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Japan towards the year 1905 became a very powerful military power capable of carving out its own empire for itself. This power is still in act and very strong to present date. This is due to the Meiji Restoration and Japans military development, the war with China and the Anglo-Japanese alliance and Russo-Japanese War.
The Meiji restoration was a revolution within Japans political and social system in 1866 to 1869. This over through the power of the Tokugawa shogun returning political power back to the emperor rather than having the shogun control Japan. Before this period of the Meiji restoration, most or all of the political power laid in the Tokugawa clan and in particular the leader of the clan the Shogun. During the Meiji restoration period the emperor moved from the old capital of Kyoto to what is now known as modern day Tokyo, which soon became the new capitol. Although the imperial power returned to the emperor political power was transferred to a group of nobles and some former samurai. Around this period of time Japan (like nearly all Asian countries) was forced to sign treaties with powerful western countries like America. Theses treaties were very unfair to the Japanese giving the western world certain political and economical advantages. It was in Japans interest at the time to get on an equal playing field with westernised countries so it took drastic reforms in its military and economic status in order to get on an equal playing field. Japan decided it would become a democratic state giving equality to all people. By 1870 the Daimyo (feudal lords) had to return all of their land to the emperor and a new education system was introduced as well as compulsory education. The improvement of Japans military was a major ...

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...nd Asian power to come against a western rival, which was signed in 1902. This treaty simply stated that if either of the countries (Japan or Britain) was to come into war with another power the ally would stay as a neutral party unless the rival was to receive aid from an ally. For example if Japan went to war with Russia Britain would have to be neutral and not contribute to either side, but if Russia received aid from an ally like France or Germany Britain would then have to come to Japans aid.

Works Cited

http://www.historytoday.com/richard-cavendish/anglo-japanese-treaty-alliancehttp://www.firstworldwar.com/source/anglojapanesealliance1902.htmhttp://asianhistory.about.com/od/japan/f/What-Was-the-Meiji-Restoration.htm http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2130.html http://sinojapanesewar.com/
http://asianhistory.about.com/od/warsinasia/a/First-Sino-Japanese-War.htm

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