Chapter 19

Reversal of Fortune: China's Century of Crisis

• In 1853: 430 million Chinese = no Industrial Revolution, no agricultural revolution = couldn't keep up
• The huge peasant population, unemployment, impoverishment, misery, and starvation were high.
• The state was unable to effectvely perform many functions: tax collection, flood control, social welfare. = corruption
• Gave rise to bandit gangs = peasant rebellion opposed to Qing Dynasty. = Taiping Uprising
• 1830s British and Americans found enormous, growing profitable market for this addictive drug: opium
• Chinese authorities recognized the problem: illegal trade = corruption
• China found itself with many millions of addicts. – Emperor decided suppression
• British offended by the seizure of their property in opium – sent a naval expedition to China. = First Opium War

The Ottoman Empire and the West in the Nineteenth Century

• Islamic world represented a highly successful civilization that felt little need to learn from the “infidels” or “barbarians” of the West
• Ottoman Empire protected its pilgrims on their way to Mecca.
• The growing West by the end of the 19th century, the Ottoman Empire was no longer able to deal with Europe.
• Great-West saw the Ottoman Empire as the sick man of Europe
• Ottoman Empire shrank considerably at the hands of British, Austrian and French aggression.
• In 1798 Napoleon's invasion of Egypt was a stunning blow
• Led to Greece, Serbia, Bulgaria achieved independence based on their own surging for nationalism with the support of the British (army, trade).
• Ottoman state weakened, (particularly its ability to raise the necessary revenue to fight)
• the technological and military gap with the West was growing.
• Competition from cheap European manufacturer goods hits the Ottoman Empire.
• Ottoman Empire falls into a dependency on Europe.
• Sultan Selim III sought to reorganize and update the army to draw on European advisers and techniques.
• But the hostility of powerful factions among the Ulama (religious scholars) and Janissaries overthrow Selim in 1807.
• In 1839, reformist measures are known as Tanzimat, reorganization took shape on the Ottoman leaderships to provide economic, social and legal for a new decentralized state.
• Western-style new codes, modernization = factories, railroads, steamships, telegraph system. Armaments.
• Both are/were vibrant Civilizations, shifting balance of power to the West.
• Now they were “semi-colonies” within West Europe
• Chinese and Ottoman Empires couldn't create an Industrial Economy or Strong State. But gave rise to a new conception of society. 
• China's collapse of the Imperial System 1911
• led to a communist regime.
• The collapse of the Ottoman Empire led to the creation of new but smaller state of Turkey.
• Chinese retained traditional Confucian values.
• Islam retained a hold on its civilization.

The Japanese Difference: The Rise of a New East Asian Power

• Japan confronted the aggressive power of the West during the 19th century
• especially the United States “black ships” led by Mathew Perry's commodore
• demanding opening ports and a more “normal” relations with the worlds.
• Japan undertook a radical form of its society:
• A revolution from turning Japan into a powerful, modern, united, industrialized nation.
• Japan joined the club of imperialist countries by creating its own Empire.
• Building a society that was modern and distinctly Japanese.
• Japan had been governed by Shogun (military ruler) from the Togukama family.
• lived in Tokyo 300 miles away from the seat of power EDO (Tokyo).
• Based on military power Japan for 2 centuries enjoyed internal peace (1600-1850). No national army, no uniform currency, little central authority at the local level, the Tokugawa was more into a residence, the behavior of status groups and dressing.
• Centuries of peace contributed to economic growth: rice production.
• Influence of Confucianism encouraged education and remarkably 40% of its population – literate.
• Tokugawa era provided a solid foundation for Japan's remarkable industrial growth in the late 19th century.
• Until severe famine in 1830 that eroded with outbursts.
• Shogunate was losing control.
• Japan deliberately limited contact with the West to a single port and only for the Dutch to allow trade.
• The United States forced the entrance: Sending Commodore Perry in 1853 to demand humane to American vessels to refuel and buy provisions, and the opening of ports for trade (by force)
• Japan agreed to a series of unequal treaties with various Western powers.
• led to apolitical take over by a group of young samurai from southern Japan: Meiji restoration (Enlightened Rule).
• Their reforms were revolutionary – transforming Japan.
• National Unity
• required an attack on the power and privileges of both Daimyo and the Samurai
• replacing them with governors appointed by a response to the national government
• Not the local authorities
• Special privileges for the high class was dismantled, with reforms everyone was a commoner.
• The elite class had a soft landing in the army or business enterprises
• These social and political changes were a widespread and eager fascination with almost everything from the Western world: technology and science.
• By the early 20th century its economic growth, openness to trade and the embrace of “civilization and enlightenment”
• The Anglo-Japanese Treaty of 1902 acknowledges Japan as an equal player among the Great Powers of the world.
• Japan escape from its semi-colonial entanglements with the West but it also launched its own empire-building enterprise.
• Japan was now an economic, political and military competitor in Asia.
• Japan defeated Russia in 1905 (over territories in Korea)
• generated admiration among many Asians and Europeans.
• The war concluded with the Treaty of Portsmouth, mediated by US President Theodore Roosevelt. The complete victory of the Japanese military surprised world observers.
• Thousand flocked to Japan to study its achievements. Japan´s victory over Russia was an “awakening of the East”.
• Japanese manage to extend imperialism to Taiwan. Exceeding the brutality of European imperialism practices.
• Japan was a liberator of Asia from the European yoke and the reality of Japan as an oppressive imperial power in its own right derived from the country´s remarkable modern transformation.