Japan Imperializes China and Korea
China
Japan wanted to expand to China because of their raw materials, market, and farmland. Japan fought the Chinese over control of Korea and they both wanted to send their armies there. When China sent their troops to Korea to aid the Korean king, the Japanese were furious. They sent their troops to Korea to fight the Chinese. In the Sino-Japanese war, Japan defeated China by completely driving them out of Korea and taking over Manchuria in northern China. This worked out well for the Japanese because they then had control of Manchuria which they could use for land, markets, and resources. Although they ended this feud by signing a treaty, Japan still had control of Manchuria and Korea, as well as Taiwan and the Pescadores Islands. (1)
Korea
In 1905, Japan made Korea a protectorate, or a land controlled and protected by another nation. Japanese advisers took over power from the Korean government which made the Korean King give up control of his country in 1907. Japan officially brought Korea under it's control in 1910. For the next 35 years, Japan had controlled over Korea. The Japanese were cruel leaders. They seized the Koreans' freedom of assembly and freedom of the press by banning public protest and shutting down newspapers. Japan took over Korean schools and forced the children to learn about Japanese history. They let the Japanese people start businesses in Korea but banned Koreans from owning their own businesses in their own country. They took land from Korean farmers to give to Japanese people. (1) The Korean people were experimented on in camps, many of which left them injured to die. The Koreans tried protesting and revolting, but it did not work. (2) Despite all of these horrible things, Japan did do some good in Korea. They modernized factories, communications, and ways of transportation. (1) Below is a video of the way the Japanese treated the Koreans during this time. Warning: Some images shown are graphic.
In 1905, Japan made Korea a protectorate, or a land controlled and protected by another nation. Japanese advisers took over power from the Korean government which made the Korean King give up control of his country in 1907. Japan officially brought Korea under it's control in 1910. For the next 35 years, Japan had controlled over Korea. The Japanese were cruel leaders. They seized the Koreans' freedom of assembly and freedom of the press by banning public protest and shutting down newspapers. Japan took over Korean schools and forced the children to learn about Japanese history. They let the Japanese people start businesses in Korea but banned Koreans from owning their own businesses in their own country. They took land from Korean farmers to give to Japanese people. (1) The Korean people were experimented on in camps, many of which left them injured to die. The Koreans tried protesting and revolting, but it did not work. (2) Despite all of these horrible things, Japan did do some good in Korea. They modernized factories, communications, and ways of transportation. (1) Below is a video of the way the Japanese treated the Koreans during this time. Warning: Some images shown are graphic.
Sources
1. "Japan Modernizes." World History: Patterns of Interaction. Evanston, IL: McDougal Littell, n.d. 720-23. Print.
2. Japanese Imperialism of Korea. YouTube. N.p., 07 June 2011. Web. 17 Mar. 2013.
2. Japanese Imperialism of Korea. YouTube. N.p., 07 June 2011. Web. 17 Mar. 2013.