Le JAPON face à l’OCCIDENT : la modernisation ou la mort.

Le JAPON face à l’OCCIDENT : la modernisation ou la mort.

1864, in Japan, during a conflict between the city of Shimonoseki and the Western countries. While Europe and the United States are fighting over control of global trade the Japanese come under threat. British, French, Americans, Spanish and Dutch try to sale industrial products in the Far East, but it unbalances the local economy. Some lords also fear a political turmoil because the sale of foreign goods encourages cultural practices that are dangerous to the country’s traditional values. Between financial ruin and Christianity, Japan’s opening to international trade poses a challenge to its aristocracy. Also, if you followed our episode on the Opium Wars, you know what it costs to close the door to Western ships. Japanese families saw, with their own eyes, the Middle Kingdom brought to its knees China, once so rich and powerful, collapsed in a few years and many Japanese fear they will suffer the same fate. So, in 1864, just four years after the sack of Beijing by Franco-British troops, the attack by Western warships on the city of Shimonoseki feels like a wake-up call. Welcome to this special video about Japan in the time of Napoleon III, a time that will change the destiny of the archipelago forever. it is necessary to delve into a brief historical analysis. The events that followed sealed the future of today’s Japan and the authorities of the time were influenced by their past so it’s important for our presentation. So let’s take a leap forward in time. Back then, in the 7th century, the archipelago was not even known to European geographers. Between the years 600 and 700 of the Christian calendar, Japan had three to five million inhabitants. Its population was increasing over the years. The country was not still a country because historians do not detect any organization before this time. At most, a Chinese source from the 3rd century said that the eastern islands were inhabited by stupid and dangerous barbarians. These “weird people” (according to him) had always lived apart from civilization. But despite this barely hidden disdain, it is thanks to China that Japan entered history. Since the invention of agriculture, Chinese merchants have established trading points between Asia, Korea and the North Pacific islands. They sold artisanal products in exchange for raw materials. The adoption of agricultural technologies have increased the number of inhabitants this number have gone from 300,000 to five million after the year 1000. Then, by dint of seeing traders crossing the Korean Strait to get rich, China also ended up exporting cultural and religious practices to Japan. The adoption of writing is the best example since it is based on Chinese characters. The Japanese language was gradually constructed and so was its political system. Without the Chinese wanting it, the Japanese ended up imitating them. They created a state competing with their own – which was not without displeasing the Middle Kingdom. From the 7th century, the great families of the archipelago gradually began to build a country in its own right – a country that the oldest sources call “Nihon”. It means “where the sun was born”. As we have said, the Nihon was first built in the shadow of China whose influence was felt across three dimensions. Politics, because it imported institutional and administrative practices. Religion, because it imported Buddhism and finally, economics with the import of technologies. Bureaucracy, written law codes, architecture, temples, monasteries everything was borrowed from China and was mixed with the ancient traditions. However, Chinese omnipresence has never turned into a guardianship of the archipelago. In fact, the opposite happened. The aristocracy imitated its neighbor but not out of a desire to submit to him rather, because they wanted to assert its independence from the Chinese Empire. China considers its Emperor to be the head of a world state its Emperor sits on the roof of the universe, hence his nickname Son of Heaven. Lords cannot place themselves at his level and everyone owes him respect and obedience. If Japan had remained passive, the Emperor of China would have make it a vassal state. The Japanese would have suffered the same fate as Tibet or Manchuria. It is therefore to avoid this scenario that the uji, the name given to Japanese aristocrats, named their own celestial Sovereign. This one calls himself the Tenno. Its existence is a way of refusing submission to Chinese dynasties. According to Michel Vié, the reasons behind the adoption of this system is a way to escape the takeover of the archipelago by the Chinese. Since the Middle Kingdom considers itself a world, and since its Emperor is the Son of Heaven, Japan in turn equips itself with a celestial Sovereign. Japan becomes a separate political entity while developing its own singularities. This made it a unique country of its kind. As in China, there is a capital, called kyo, which settled in Kyoto at the end of the 8th century. This city is full of civil servants, whose number varies between 5,000 and 10,000 They enforce the law throughout the archipelago. However, contrary to China the Tenno is nothing like an all-powerful Emperor. His function is above all symbolic and he serves as a point of reference. The Japanese aristocracy see in him a means of justifying their power. The Tenno has a legendary dimension. Guardian of traditions, protector of spirituality, representing eternity, the celestial Sovereign surrounds himself with almost divine symbols. Through him, the uji become legitimate to govern. The Western nobles needed the Chuch, Japanese aristocrats needed a Tenno to justify their feudal rights. After its establishment in the 7th century, the link between the Japanese nobility and the Tenno, whom Westerners sometimes call the Emperor of Japan, only gets stronger over time. Despite years of civil war, periods of peace and feudal conflict, the figure of the Tenno never disappeared. The Tenno has no real power. But when old families have been overthrown, and when new dynasties arose, none of them ever attacked the Japanese Emperor. Imitation and then differentiation from the Chinese model has fulfilled its objective. Protect the integrity of the Nihon and protect its eternity. It remains to be seen what will become of the Tenno when China looses the control of the world. And when Europe takes control of the planet. To explain how Japan reinvented itself at the time of Western domination, we must advance a few centuries in chronology. Between the years 1100 and 1200, shortly before the first contacts with Europeans, the Japanese aristocracy was dominated by a warrior class It was called the bushi, and the richest among them are the daimos. Daimos were originally protected the uji but ended up at the head of governments. They formed the bulk of the Japanese elite from the 12th century onwards. We often think about samurai but this title is rather anachronistic. They will only appear much later. All these warriors can also serve the imperial state. Thus, they obey directly the Shogun – that is to say the military leader. The shogun, a key figure in the Japanese Middle Ages, was appointed by the Tenno. He carried out the actual functions of power while the Tenno remains in its symbolic dimension. The Shogun is the head of the government he gathers the daimos around him, he gathers the samurai warriors and lead them. He is the keystone of the Japanese state. In this way, the society of feudal Japan is intrinsically linked to the warrior function When Europeans made contact with Japan lords, they sold them firearms. Europeans set foot on the archipelago for the first time in 1543 and took over Chinese influence. In the 16th century, the West began to establish itself as the new arbiter of the world. The Far East is slowly but surely suffering the consequences. China is now in competition with the Portuguese, who bring arquebuses to Japan European firepower crushes all competition. As a result, in 1600, during the famous battle of Sekigahara, a third of the samurai fight with Western-designed firearms. Most of them are produced locally but it shows that Europe is taking control of the world. The phenomenon is not limited to the military domain. Just like China at the beginning of our presentation, Europe exports ideas after firearms, it is the turn of Christianity to spread in Japan. The Battle of Sekigahara marked a turning point in the history because it put an end to a civil war and also shake politics. Very quickly, the Shogun realized the extent of the phenomenon: around 1630, there are 700,000 Christians in Japan. Out of 15 millions inhabitants. It means that 1 out 16 Japanese are now converted to a European religion. Since the Tenno system depends on different beliefs, the whole architecture of power is threatened. In 1635, Japan entered what historians call the Edo period it runs from 1603 to 1868. This period is marked by a policy of isolation against the rise of Christianity. This policy is known as “sakoku”, enacted a century after the arrival of the Portuguese. The term is the subject of much debate Specialists believe that the closure to foreign influences was never complete. However, in the name of sakuko, Christians are obliged to renounce their faith. Missionaries are forced to leave Japan – only Nagasaki tolerates Europeans. Revolts by Catholic or Protestant peasants are suppressed, Samurai destroy churches, tear down symbols of Jesus, from Edo, the future Tokyo, the shoguns decided to isolate the archipelago. The aim is to protect the traditional political system and avoid disorder inside. Christianity is seen as a religion incompatible with the Tenno. Immediately, the effect of withdrawal into oneself has a first consequence. It unites the aristocracy around the Shogun. Foreigners are the threat, the state is their common shield. The Edo period is known to be a time of peace. But the second consequence is a widening of the technological gap between Japan and the West. When Europe was undergoing its industrial revolution, the Russians set foot on the Sakhalin Islands, the English attacked China, the French and the Americans came with growing ambitions And Japan now cannot defend itself ! In the middle of the 19th century The time of Sekigahara is no more. Around the 1850s, the world has changed. Until then, Europeans had only a slight technological advance. They were trying, with more or less success, to compete with the Chinese. In the 19th century, the West completely distanced itself from other civilizations. The world chessboard has completely reinvented itself. The Native Americans are now wiped out the Muslim world is pinched between the Russians and the French The Indian civilization is crushed by the English. The economy becomes global it is the effect of European conquests and no part of the globe is spared. So, in the future Tokyo, the shoguns are aware of these changes. If the China and its 400 million inhabitants had to cede Hong Kong to England, which has 12 times fewer inhabitants, it is obvious that Japan will be crushed if the shogun refuse to open up to international trade. But then, beyond the simple desire for conquest, what could possibly push the West to take an interest? the archipelago is located thousands of kilometers from its capitals The Chinese wanted basic metals, such as copper or gold, but Europe needs much more if they launch distant expeditions. France, for example, is more interested in silk products rather than minerals. When Napoleon III learned that his clothing industry was in crisis because of a pandemic affecting silkworms, he immediately turned abroad to find supplies. In 1855, the caterpillar farms which allow the production of silk are affected by incurable diseases. This catastrophe causes financial turmoil especially in the Lyon region. It is a whole section of the French economy which is paralyzed. Thousands of jobs are threatened. Nevertheless, France learns that some producers are raising silkworms that are immune to the bacteria The problem is that you have to go and find them on the other side of the globe Distance is not a problem in itself, but with this sakoku policy, it is not easy to convince Japanese weavers to open up to trade. Either Napoleon III chooses the diplomatic route, or he chooses to force his way through. After all, the United States did not hesitate to use drastic measures two years earlier. A US Navy flotilla clearly threatened the shogun with bombardment of his port cities if he refused to welcome American merchants. It was the year 1853. As France tries to find a solution to the epidemic affecting silkworms, the United States of America seeks to establish itself as a leading power in the Pacific. Since the English are busy in China, and since the Spanish stays in the Philippines, Commodore Perry receives orders to set foot in Japan. He has carte blanche to defend Washington’s interests. His steamships advance into Edo Bay, ask the shogun to open his trading ports, threaten him and then, faced with the refusal of the authorities, they open fire. Americans firepower is superior, so the shogun is immediately forced to negotiate. Thus, put under pressure by what is called gunboat diplomacy, the land of the rising sun sets in motion an irreversible process. It will open itself to international trade again and tolerate the return of Western influence. Only the Nagasaki counter was authorized to receive European traders, now, Washington obtains the opening of the ports of Shimoda and Hakodate. Manufactured goods from San Francisco enter the Japanese market. It inevitably whets the appetite of traders from all over the world. And as the shogun of 1635 feared, the great powers are in competition, so if one of them obtains concessions, so the following ones also claim their share of the cake! Back in 1855, it’s been two years since Japan was attacked by the Americans. The French still have a great need for silkworms. In 1858, Napoleon III takes the lead. His navy is engaged with the British in the Opium War against China, so he orders to his fleet to head northeast to reach Edo, the capital of the Shogunate. The tricolor steam ships have peaceful intentions but the Shogun does not want to repeat the same mistakes. Anyway, the isolation policy is already abandoned because after the Americans, the British, the Russians and the Dutch came knocking at the door. So why not the French? The great powers force the Shogun to open other ports to trade and Christian merchants are now present in Edo, Kobe, Niigata and Yokohama Five years after Perry’s visit, the archipelago is flooded with industrial products. Thus, accepting French demands would not change the situation globally. Napoleon III therefore got what he wanted: the weavers set up a branch in Yokohama and began exporting eggs to the metropolis. But you will have understood, after the establishment of commercial relations, there always comes the opening of cultural channels. France, which came second in China, does not want to miss the champion’s place. For the tricolor sovereign, Japan must become much more than a privileged supplier: he wants to make it a client state ! In the 1860s, France displayed imperial ambitions in the Far East. It tries to catch up with the Russians, the Dutch and the Anglo-Saxons the main competitors on the Japenese market. Napoleon III tries to seduce the Shogun if his country is not as gifted for commerce than London or Washington but the Second Empire shines on the international scene. Gigantic works in Egypt, for the Suez canal, victory against the Russians in Crimea, scientific exploits during the Universal Exhibitions, the prestige is immense. In 1864, the French took advantage of this to build a basilica in Nagasaki – marking the return of the Christian religion to the archipelago. This church is a symbolic success for the Second Empire and its construction is a revenge against the samurai who had martyred the Catholics. On the other hand, the inauguration of the basilica by a diplomat of Napoleon III is also accompanied by a feeling of humiliation among the Japanese. The promotion of Catholicism in China has just provoked the worst civil war in the history of the Kingdom The number of victims is estimated at no less than 20 million! The Taiping Rebellion is a catastrophe. It arouses the worst fears for the future of Japan. Irony of fate or coincidence of events? The Chinese rebel leader, who said he was the brother of Jesus died the same year as the inauguration of the church in Nagasaki. So, if we go back to our infographic from earlier, what do we notice ? We have the same phenomenon as in the first part. Europe has just replaced China. It all started with trade, through which the Portuguese, the Dutch, the Anglo-Saxons, the Russians and the French sold guns Then, thanks to their technological superiority, cultural influence began to gain momentum. The great powers being in competition with each other, they tried to influence Japan. They now want to export their political ideals and see Japan as a client state. In short, in the three dimensions of our diagram, we can now understand what means Westernization of Japan. Japanese society is placed under its economic, cultural and political influence and the question is whether this phenomenon will be suffered or controlled by the ruling class. Problem : Japanese lords, the daimos, they are filled with a sense of indignation at the rapid growth of foreign influence. Shogun Iemochi, who is only 13 years old, and his guardian Yoshinobu are quickly targeted by the lords who accused them of treason. The end of sakoku ends up diving the society and the Emperor Komei call for an uprising. In 1863, contrary to the political tradition, because the Tenno is not supposed todeal with current affairs, Komei publishes an order to expel all foreigners and challenge the Shogun. Yoshinobu refused to apply it, but the southern provinces disobey him. They fire on Western ships. So we are back to the event described in the introduction. The city of Shimonoseki declares war on the so-called barbarians of the West. Thus, because tensions caused by the opening to international trade, the land of the rising sun is plunging towards civil war. The shogunal power wants to modernize its state by opening itself to Western influence, he doesn’t want Japan to suffer the same fate as China but part of the aristocracy disobeys. Some lords see this as a danger to the balance of power because the Shogun would undoubtedly emerge stronger. The Europeans could supply him with weapons – not to mention a threat of centralization. With the French model, it would mean the end of aristocratic privileges. Rejection of the West is mixed with feudal conflicts and the Tenno defend traditions. To the cries of “Sonno joi”, that is to say “revere the Emperor” and “drive out the barbarians,” he calls on all his subjects to reject Westernization. According to him, this would be incompatible with Japanese society Japanese identity is at stake ! While waiting for the next episode, don’t forget to protect your smartphones and computers with NordVPN to go on vacation with peace of mind. whether in airports or train stations, or even in private homes, Public Wi-Fi and private connections are never completely secure. By clicking on the link just below, take advantage of a reduced price offer and let everyone benefit from it your family since a single subscription allows you to protect up to 10 devices simultaneously. As for us, we will soon be back in wartime Japan. Boshin. Napoleon III is preparing to send a military mission there that will have consequences. major on the destiny of the country so see you soon on Battles of France.

✅ Profitez d’une offre exceptionnelle sur NordVPN en cliquant sur ce lien : https://nordvpn.com/batailledefrance

C’est sans risques grâce à une garantie satisfait ou remboursé de 30 jours !

📚 SOURCES
===
Je remercie Rekishi – Histoire du Japon pour sa relecture. Découvrez sa super chaîne juste ici : https://www.youtube.com/@rekishi-histoiredujapon

Michel Vié, Histoire du Japon, Que Sais-je (édition 2023)
François et Miéko Macé, Le Japon d’Edo, Tempus

👾 COMMU
===
Discord : https://discord.gg/a5EyRsnnPk
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/bataillesdefrance
Twitter : https://twitter.com/BataillesdeFr

🖼️ IMAGES
===
Toutes les images de batailles sont tirées du jeu Total War Shogun 2 ou Total War Napoléon (mod ACW).

Les images de paysages ou de vie civile sont tirées de Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

Les graphismes sont faits sur Inkarnate et After Effects.

MUSIQUE
===
Last Chance to Die
https://motionarray.com/royalty-free-music/last-chance-to-die-1084762/

The Laoshan
https://motionarray.com/royalty-free-music/the-laoshan-1423983/

Spirit of the Samurai
https://motionarray.com/royalty-free-music/spirit-of-the-samurai-2247461/

Tibet
https://motionarray.com/royalty-free-music/tibet-1098827/

The Barbarian
https://motionarray.com/royalty-free-music/the-barbarian-965925/

Battle of Sekigahara
https://motionarray.com/royalty-free-music/battle-of-sekigahara-1204778/

CHAPITRES
===
00:00 Introduction & sponsoring
02:43 Les origines du Japon
07:57 La rencontre avec l’Europe
12:06 Le Japon à l’heure de l’Occident
18:17 Vers la guerre de Boshin