The Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895) : Causes and Consequences

In conclusion, the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895 represented a pivotal moment that led to a restructuring of the political and legal frameworks in East Asia. This war marked a decisive turning point in the regional balance of power. The final treaty directly contributed to the shift of influence from Japan, a state subject to foreign jurisdiction, to the state granting it jurisdiction in China, thus bestowing upon it new legitimacy in the international system. This war resulted from the escalating Sino-Japanese conflict over the Korean Peninsula, which held significant strategic, economic, and military importance for both countries amidst the international changes and imperial expansion in East Asia that characterized the 19th century. This study aims to clarify the political, economic, and military reasons that ignited the war, analyze the course of land and sea military operations that took place on Korean and Chinese soil, and examine the role of military leadership and governmental policies pursued by both countries during the war. The study also addresses the impact of reforms implemented by Japan and their role in achieving military superiority over China, which suffered from the decline of its political institutions and the weakness of its administrative and military apparatus. Furthermore, the study explores the nature of military plans and developments during the conflict and sheds light on a military struggle that marked the beginning of a radical transformation in the history of East Asia. This resulted in the decline of China’s traditional influence in Korea and the rise of a new Japan as a newly established regional power with colonial ambitions. The effects of this were reflected in the overall political situation in Korea and China. The rise of Japan prompted a European reaction manifested in the tripartite intervention, which in turn opened a stage of competition for regional and financial privileges at the expense of Chinese sovereignty. The defeat revealed the structural failure of the Chinese reform project and deepened the financial crisis of the empire, while the results of the war strengthened Tokyo’s position as an active regional power capable of shaping the geopolitical environment. The thesis consists of an introduction and three chapters. The first chapter addresses the political situation in the Far East after the mid-19th century, the conflict between Japan and China over Korea, and the main indirect and direct causes of the war. The second chapter examines the course of military operations, the most important battles that took place between the two sides on Korean and Chinese soil, and the end of the war. The third chapter discusses the peace negotiations, the signing of the Treaty of Shimonoseki, and its provisions that contributed to the weakening of China and the rise of Japan. It also covers the results of the war, the intervention of Western powers seeking to gain concessions, and the war's impact on the balance of power in East Asia. The course of operations on the Korean Peninsula had a profound effect on this shift, as Japan worked to dismantle its traditional dependency on Beijing and redefine Korea's international status to its own growing sphere of influence. This contributed to the emergence of major transformations within China urging comprehensive reform in all state institutions, the most prominent of which was the Hundred Days Reform, and the expansion of Japanese influence in Korea, as well as Western competition in the region. The study concluded that the Sino-Japanese War was not a limited military conflict between two Asian countries, but rather a new stage in the history of international relations in East Asia, as Japan’s status as an imperial power with its own standing in front of the Western powers rose, and it contributed to weakening the Chinese Empire politically and militarily, and extending its influence over Korea and formally annexing it in the early twentieth century.