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The Sino-Japanese War


            The nineteenth century proved to be a turning point in the relationships between China, Japan and Korea. Their histories had already crossed paths multiple times, and power struggles were creating pressure among the three East Asian states. The Sino-Japanese War changed the future of these countries and ultimately set a standard for how their relationships would develop. The year of 1894 marked huge changes for these three Asian powerhouses. China's refusal to incorporate Western-style ideals into their society was creating enemies, Japan was plotting their advances into Korea, and Korea was struggling to gain independence from China. .
             In the beginning of the nineteenth century, China was falling from its pedestal. Though they had succeeded the Ming Dynasty, the now-tenured Qing were losing steam. China no longer boasted a large portion of world production, a terrible drought had severely impacted the land, and rapidly growing empires surrounding the Chinese nations began to spring up. The ideals of Christianity and Western styles were pushing themselves into China's borders, to their dismay. Both Japan and Korea welcomed modern, westernized lifestyles, which altered traditional religious education and groupthink. This movement resulted in uneasiness between China and Japan. Nineteenth century Korea, however, was torn. Conservative forces felt loyal to the Qing Dynasty, while masses of rebels were beginning to brew.
             At the start of the nineteenth century, Korea was experiencing major internal conflict, which made choosing an allegiance difficult for the tributary state. The Qing Dynasty had a large influence over Korea, and yet the elite members never lost their sense of loyalty to the previous Ming Dynasty of China. All political and economical decisions had to be approved by the Chinese, who can also be blamed for attempting to ward off Western approaches by Europe. Korea was technically its own state, but in reality, they were doomed to live in the shadow of the Qing Dynasty.


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