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East Asia
Early Modernisation and imperial decline in East Asia – mid 19th to the early 20th century
- International School History: The Tongzhi RestorationEarly Modernisation and imperial decline in East Asia – mid 19th to the early 20th century
China
- Introduction to China's Modern History This section focuses on four key topics in China's modern history. The first is that of China's conflict with an aggressively expanding West in the 1800s, beginning with the demands made by England at the end of the eighteenth century; England, as was true with the other imperial powers, was intent on "opening up" trade with China. Chinese denials for trade on England's terms eventually led to several wars which concluded by imposing "unequal" treaties that by the end of the century threatened to carve up China "like a melon."
- Grandeur of the Qing State The Chinese system of bureaucratic rule was unprecedented in human history, and it contributed greatly to the ability of the Qing dynasty to rule over a vast territory and to do so in a way that was fair and that also brought the benefits of imperial rule to a large number of people.
- Self-Strengthening Movement of Late Qing China: an Intermediate Reform Doomed to Failure The last Chinese Imperial Dynasty of the Qing ruled from the mid-17th century to the early 20th century. Issues traditionally central around Chinese society, such as overpopulation, famine, bureaucratic corruption and inefficiency, took a greater toll on the Qing State and the Chinese nation than ever before.
- First Sino-Japanese War The Sino-Japanese War symbolised the degeneration and enfeeblement of the Qing Dynasty and demonstrated how successful modernisation had been in Japan since the Meiji Restoration as compared with the Self-Strengthening Movement in China.
- Sun Yat-sen. Dr. Sun Yat-sen (Traditional Chinese: 孫中山 or 孫逸仙; Pinyin: Sūn Zhōngshān; or "Sun Yixian") (November 12, 1866 – March 12, 1925) was a Chinese revolutionary and political leader often referred to as the "father of modern China." He played an instrumental role in the eventual collapse of the Qing Dynasty in 1911.
- The Russo-Japanese War and World History ...the Russo-Japanese War could be considered “World War Zero” for a host of reasons, beginning with the newly developed capacity of industrialised powers to wage war on an unprecedented scale on Far Eastern battlefields and oceans.
China History
Japan
- Japan's Modern History: An Outline of the Period By the middle of the nineteenth century, Japan's ruling Shogunate was a weak, feudal order, unable to control all its own domains, much less defend the nation against a threat from the Western powers.
- Imperial Japan: 1894-1945 Between the Meiji Restoration of 1868 and the mid-20th century, Japan created an enormous empire stretching from Alaska to Singapore, controlling as much territory and as many people as any of the great powers of Europe.
- The Meiji Restoration: The End of the Shogunate and the Building of a Modern Japanese State In the nineteenth century, after the world’s great powers successfully industrialised, they began expanding their influence to Asia in search of new markets. Foreign ships appeared in the seas around Japan, occasionally coming to shore with the aim of establishing trade ties. The Tokugawa shogunate, in power since the beginning of the seventeenth century, refused all these requests.
- The Meiji Restoration and Modernization In 1868 the Tokugawa shôgun ("great general"), who ruled Japan in the feudal period, lost his power and the emperor was restored to the supreme position. The emperor took the name Meiji ("enlightened rule") as his reign name; this event was known as the Meiji Restoration.
Samurai, Daimyo, Matthew Perry, and Nationalism: Crash Course World History
Republic of China
The Republic of China 1912-49 and the rise of Communism
- Republic of China 中华民国 1912 - 1949 The name ‘Republic of China’ has been in use for a hundred years and in the last 65 years has been used as a name associated with the island of Taiwan rather than mainland China, how this came about is a long and complex tale.
- China, Japan, and the Twenty-One Demands The Japanese requests included five groups of secret demands that became known as the Twenty-One Demands. Groups One and Two were designed to confirm Japan’s dominant position in Shandong, southern Manchuria, and eastern Inner Mongolia.
- Before and After the May Fourth Movement The so-called "May 4th Movement" or "new culture" movement began in China around 1916, following the failure of the 1911 Revolution to establish a republican government, and continued through the 1920s. Its importance equals if not surpasses the more commonly known political revolutions of the century.
- The Long March (1934-1936) All movements — political, religious, social — have their foundation myths and stories about their beginnings that reach heroic proportions over time and that are used to inspire and unify followers. For the Chinese Communist Party, it is the story of the Long March.
- Chinese Civil War. The Chinese Civil War, 1945-1950, fought between the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the Nationalist Party (GMD), was a defining conflict for China, East Asia, and the world.
- Guomindang (1912-1949) Studies on the Chinese Nationalist Party, the Zhongguo Guomindang (GMD), have focused on some fundamental questions. The first has concerned its political and ideological roots.
- The Chinese Communist Party The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is the founding and ruling political party of modern China, officially known as the People’s Republic of China. The CCP has maintained a political monopoly since its founding a century ago, overseeing the country’s rapid economic growth and rise as a global power.
- The Communist Party of China The Communist Party of China (CPC) is the vanguard of the Chinese working class, the faithful representative of the interests of the Chinese people of all ethnic groups, and the core of leadership of the Chinese socialist cause.
- Second Sino-Japanese War The Second Sino-Japanese War (July 7, 1937-September 9, 1945) was a major war fought between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan before and during World War II. It was the largest Asian war in the twentieth century.
Republic of China
Overview of Chinese history 1911 - 1949
- China History Podcasts Laszlo Montgomery presents Podcasts on China
Imperial Japan
Imperial Japan: empire and aftermath 1912-52
- Japanese History PodcastsPhD students record podcasts on wide range of topics relating to Japanese history
- Japan's Modern History: An Outline of the Period Outline of key periods
- Japanese History: A Chronological Outline Timeline of Japan's history
- Japan's Quest for Empire 1931 - 1945 When the Japanese Kwantung Army (also known as the Guandong Army) contrived to invade Manchuria on 18 September 1931, it unleashed military and political forces which led ultimately to the attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941.
- History of Japan Early in Japan's history, society was controlled by a ruling elite of powerful clans. The most powerful emerged as a kingly line and later as the imperial family in Yamato (modern Nara Prefecture or possibly in northern Kyushu) in the third century A.D., claiming descent from the gods who created Japan.
- Scarred by history: The Rape of Nanjing Based on estimates made by historians and charity organisations in the city at the time, between 250,000 and 300,000 people were killed, many of them women and children.
- The Nanjing Massacre: Scenes from a Hideous Slaughter 75 Years Ago21 images relating to the massacre.
Some photos may be difficult to view. - Occupation and Reconstruction of Japan, 1945–52 The groundwork for the Allied occupation of a defeated Japan was laid during the war. In a series of wartime conferences, the leaders of the Allied powers of Great Britain, the Soviet Union, the Republic of China, and the United States discussed how to disarm Japan, deal with its colonies (especially Korea and Taiwan), stabilize the Japanese economy, and prevent the remilitarization of the state in the future. In the Potsdam Declaration, they called for Japan’s unconditional surrender; by August of 1945, that objective had been achieved.
- Reconstruction of Japan Japan accepted the terms of the Potsdam Declaration on 15 August 1945 (Showa 20), that ended Pacific War.Japan then was placed under the occupation of the Allied Powers, led by the United States.
Japan YouTube Programmes
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