First Battle Between China and Japan -- Comprehensive Panoramic Chronicle of the First Sino-Japanese War

Author: Cui Guangbi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-07-01
Features: Looking back at history, we see very clearly: before the outbreak of the First Sino-Japanese War, China's defeat was already determined. The failure of the First Sino-Japanese War and the signing of the Treaty of Shimonoseki brought severe consequences to China. The defeat of the war caused a strong shock within China, directly triggering the "Petition on Horseback" and the "Hundred Days' Reform," transforming demands for political reform into the anti-Manchu revolution. The Qing Dynasty's rule became shaky, and China entered an era fraught with crises, disasters, and revolutionary winds. For over a century, the Chinese have reflected on this war. But whenever they look back, the pain has never faded, nor has it weakened. In the long history that followed, almost everything Japan learned came from China. Later, when both China and Japan began to learn from the West, Japan chose China as its target. Defeating China was a crucial step in Japan's strategy to enter the world, yet China remained oblivious, failing to see the danger of that "tiny" country in the East. However, smallness is not always a disadvantage, and size does not always guarantee safety. Proven by history, a vast empire was actually fragile and vulnerable. After defeating China, Japan greedily drained the wealth of this great nation. It grew powerful by extorting huge indemnities from China, which in turn fueled its desire to further subjugate China. As a result, China suffered a devastating blow and declined steadily, disintegrating into a semi-colonial country dominated by Western powers, especially by Japan, which acted as its vassal state.