Japan and Qing fought the first Qing-Japan War during 1894 and 1895, primarily over control of Korea. To distinguish it from the second Sino-Japanese War, this war is called the "Jiawu War" (甲午戦争) in Chinese because it occurred in the Chinese year of that name. The Japanese refer to this conflict as the Nisshin War (日清戦争, literally "Japan-Qing War").
Korea (under the Joseon Dynasty) had traditionally been a tributary state of Qing. In 1875 Qing had allowed Japan to recognise Korea as an independent state. However, Qing continued to try to assert its influence over Korea and public opinion in Korea split, with conservatives wanting to retain a close relationship with Qing while reformists wanted Korea to modernize and to have a closer relationship with Japan.
Following the assassination of a pro-Japanese reformist in 1894, a Korean religious sect, the Donghak, began the Donghak Peasant Revolution . The Korean government requested help from Qing in suppressing it. The Qing Dynasty informed the Japanese government of its decision to send troops to the Korean penisula in accordance with the Sino-Japanese Treaties of Tientsin of 1885 in which the two sides agreed to: (a) pull their expeditionary forces out of Korea simultaneously; (b) not send military instructors for the training of the Korean army; and (c) notify the other side beforehand should one decide to send troops to Korea.
However, Yuan Shikai from Qing remained in Seoul interfering in Korea's internal affairs after the treaty. For its part, Japan was ready to pounce upon any suitable opportunity for invasion. When Qing dispatched troops at the request of Korean royalty, the Japanese government simultaneously sent an expedition in support of the reformists and had seized the royal palace in Seoul by June 8, 1894. In an effort to increase its influence on the Korean peninsula, the Japanese government nominated a new Korean ruler and proposed a project for reform of the Korean governmental system. This was rejected by the Qing, who still regarded Korea as a dependent country.
War between Japan and Qing was officially declared on August 1, 1894, though some naval fighting had already taken place. The more modern Japanese army defeated the Chinese in a series of battles around Seoul and Pyeongyang, forcing them north, and by November 21 the Japanese had taken Port Arthur (now known as Lushun).
The Japanese navy devastated Qing's northern fleet off the mouth of the Yalu River at the Battle of Yalu on September 17, 1894. The Chinese fleet lost 8 out of 12 warships, retreated behind the fortifications of the Weihaiwei naval base, and was then caught by a surprise Japanese land attack across the Liaodong Peninsula, which shattered the ships in harbour with shelling from the landward side. After Weihaiwei's fall on February 2 and an easing of harsh winter conditions, Japanese troops pressed into Manchuria.
Faced with these repeated defeats Qing signed the Treaty of Shimonoseki in April, 1895. The defeat of Qing at the hands of Japan highlighted the failure of the Qing army to modernize adequately and resulted in increased calls within Qing for accelerated modernization and reform.
Reasons for the Qing Defeat
The Japanese government undertook many political reforms, such as the Meiji constitution, while the Qing followed traditional policies. Qing was plagued with corruption as well. Corrupt politicians embezzled war funds of the Qing Navy. Therefore, the Qing state was unable to win against the Japanese navy. In the middle of the battle, the Qing navy ran out of gunpowder, and was sunk.
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