The Sino-Japanese War of 1894–1895
Perceptions, Power, and Primacy

This book examines the Sino-Japanese War of 1894–5, a seminal event in world history.

S. C. M. Paine (Author)

9780521817141, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 18 November 2002

428 pages, 4 maps
22.9 x 15.2 x 2.7 cm, 0.8 kg

'The methodological approach … allows for a fresh, authentic, and generally correct rendering of historical events … all in all, Paine has written a readable and, seen in light of its long-term perspective, a remarkably instructive book.' Monumenta Nipponica

The Sino-Japanese War of 1894–1895 is a seminal event in world history, yet it has been virtually ignored in Western literature. In the East, the focus of Chinese foreign policy has been to undo its results whereas the focus of Japanese foreign policy has been to confirm them. Japan supplanted China as the dominant regional power, disrupting the traditional power balance and fracturing the previous international harmony within the Confucian world, leaving enduring territorial and political fault lines that have embroiled China, Japan, Korea, Russia, and Taiwan ever since. The book examines the war through the eyes of the journalists who filed reports from China, Japan, Russia, Europe, and the United States showing how the war changed outside perceptions of the relative power of China and Japan and the consequences of these changed perceptions, namely, the scramble for concessions in China and Japan's emergence as a great power.

Part I. The Clash of Two Orders: The Far East on the Eve of War: 1. The reversal of the Far Eastern balance of power
2. The decline of the old order in China and Korea
3. The rise of a new order in Russia and Japan
Part II. The War: The Dividing Line between Two Eras: 4. The beginning of the end: the outbreak of hostilities
5. Japan triumphant: the battles of P'yongyang and the Yalu
6. China in disgrace: the battles of Port Arthur and the Weihaiwei
Part III. The Settlement: The Modern Era in Far Eastern Diplomacy: 7. The treaty of Shimonoseki and the Triple Intervention
8. The era of global politics
9. The cultural dimensions of the Sino-Japanese War
Epilogue: perceptions, power, and war
Bibliographic essay.

Subject Areas: Military history [HBW], Modern history to 20th century: c 1700 to c 1900 [HBLL], Australasian & Pacific history [HBJM], Asian history [HBJF], General & world history [HBG]