Korea and Japan During the Russo-Japanese War-With a Special Focus on the Japanese Occupation Forces in Korea

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Korea and Japan During the Russo-Japanese War-With a Special Focus on the Japanese Occupation Forces in Korea

Journal Title: International Journal of Korean History - Year 2005, Vol 7, Issue 1

Abstract

The Sino-Japanese and Russo-Japanese Wars were colonial conflicts whose outcomes resulted in Japan emerging as the dominant power on the Korean peninsula. While a modernized Japan was granted control over Taiwan as the bounty for its victory in the Sino-Japanese War, it soon found itself involved in a long-drawn out conflict to establish its actual control over the island. Conversely, one of the biggest objectives which the Japanese attempted to secure through the Russo-Japanese War was to bring Korea under its effective control. Thus, if the seizing of Taiwan can be identified as the overarching Japanese motivation to stage the SinoJapanese War, then the colonization of Korea can be seen as the main goal which Tokyo sought to achieve through the Russo-Japanese War. The Chinese defeat at the hands of the Japanese in 1894-95 made evident to the western powers the backwards state of the Chinese military, and subsequently resulted in the breakdown of the balance of power in East Asia. Moreover, the Sino-Japanese War also had the unexpected effect of clearing the way for Russian expansion into East Asia. The appearance of Russia on the East Asian stage, which emerged as a great concern not only for Japan but England as well, in turn, resulted in putting Japan andRussia on a collision course with one another.

Authors and Affiliations

Min-kyo Seo

Keywords

EP ID EP26297
DOI -
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