Feudal Period Dbq

Prior to Pearl Harbor, Japan started to create an empire that especially did not want to be manipulated by the United States. Steven Hook, the author of “U.S. Foreign Policy: The Paradox of World Power,” mentions that “With French and Dutch colonies in East Asia up for grabs, Japanese leaders knew that only the United States stood in the way of their plan to create a Japanese-led ‘co-prosperity

These rebels turned statesmen revolutionized Japan’s government, charting it on a course towards Westernization. After the pro-imperial forces overthrew the Tokugawa Shogunate they proceeded to welcome the West into their country in search of the power and knowledge that they could gain from them. The government of Japan was revitalized and centralized due to the efforts of Emperor Meiji and the rebels-turned-statesmen.

Japan was a very nationalistic country in which the purpose of the civilians was to fight until death for their emperor. This was evident in the fact that they had practiced an extremely nationalistic concept of Bushido. This concept made surrender unacceptable for all Japanese people and they lived to die for the emperor. There nationalism was fueled by the fact that they won 2 large battles (Sino Japanese War and Russo Japanese war) against larger countries. Along with this, the Japanese also had Kamikaze pilots who suicide by deliberately crashing planes into American warship as a tactic of fighting. This extreme nationalism shows that they could not be fought with regular weapons and so posed a threat for the whole world.

The working poor which made up the majority of the Japanese citizens were not allowed to become involved in any non-agricultural economic pursuits. Therefore, maintaining constant and traditional Japanese values, yet the Dutch whom were the only foreign power allowed to trade with the Japanese at the port of Nagasaki warned the shogunate that they would have to “accede to foreign demands.” Many young scholars and the samurai class agreed with the Dutch logic in that it is not smart for the Japanese to become stagnant while the rest of the world is booming a merchant dominated economic system. Many scholars such as Fukuzawa Yukichi were worried about the state of the government and stated “I was mortified when I thought over the possible outcome of national exclusiveness.” This hindrance by the government in order to preserve the traditions of Japan irked the citizens in that the “stability” of the shogunate was regression as a culture rather than progress which is what most felt that the government should be striving

The middle ages era is best labeled under “The Dark Ages” and “The Age of Feudalism”. In this time I believe that those labels work the best and are considered the most abundant that happened between 500 and 1400 in Europe. With all that happened then there is also a hand full of information to provide you with. “The dark ages” happened and scared the world. “The age of feudalism” changed our world later on giving us information to well control the world and not let it go into complete anarchy.

It is clear that Japan’s ‘three unifiers’ were beneficial to the development of Japan in three fundamental areas: social, economic and political. Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu are known for unifying Japan after the sengoku period (c. 1467 – c. 1603), a time of internal conflict. While each unifier had a different approach to developing Japan, the corroboration of each new policy resulted in an improved Japan which set foundations for lasting central rule.

From 1641 to 1853, the Tokugawa shogun of Japan enforced a policy called kaikin. The policy declined foreign contact with most outside countries creating an isolationistic Japan. The culture of Japan developed with very limited influence from the outside world and had one of the longest periods of peace in history. During this period, Japan developed thriving cities, increased agriculture, labor, and literacy rates. On July 8, 1853, American Commodore Matthew Perry led ships into the Tokyo Bay harbor, seeking to re-establish for the first time in over 200 years regular trade between Japan and the western world. The same combination of economic desires and belief in Manifest Destiny that motivated U.S. expansion across North America also drove

At the beginning of the 1600's power was switched to the Tokugawa clan when Ieyasu Tokugawa succeeded Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1603. Ieyasu Tokugawa promoted foreign trade and the education of the Samurai in areas other than martial arts such as literature, philosophy, and arts (tea ceremony). From 1614 Ieyasu persecuted and enforced the suppression of Christianity. He continued to display his military dominance by destroying the Toyotomi clan and capturing Osaka castle in 1615.

The Tokugawa period, also called the Edo period was the time when Japan was when the formation of Japan's religion and religious practices became framed as the structure it exists today. At the time, the Tokugawa Bakufu took control of everything that existed in the country, including the religions (Williams, 188). The shogun, who was the most powerful leader suppressed the religious freedom of the citizens and worked on exterminating any religions that the shogun (or the Bakufu) rationalized to be a threat to the stability of its power and authority. During this time, there were many religions that were practiced by the people both openly and covertly based on their faiths. From the environment that the believers were placed in, several variations

Ultimately, the Tokugawa shogunate wanted to maintain political and social stability in Japan. By seizing power, Ieyasu was able to quell domestic unrest but another threat was still presented for total control. Foreign influence proved to be a serious threat to stability within Japan. The initial threat to Japan was presented by Christian missionaries. After an initial introduction to Christianity, the shogunate conducted a purging and outlawed the religion. This led to a prolonged isolation of Japanese society from Western influence. The shogunate wished to prevent daimyo from conspiring with foreigners thus

There were two fundamental treaties signed between Japan and the West. These two treaties were labelled as the Treaty of Kanagawa and the Treaty of Shimoda. Both treaties were unmistakeably benefitting the West. The inequity between Japan and the West, whether it be in Russia’s or America’s favour, can distinctively be identified when they are read. The Treaty of Kanagawa was a contract signed between Japan and the U.S during 1854. The treaty of Shimoda was a deal between Japan and Russia. The primary reason the West degraded Japan so brutally is because Japan were so primitive in terms of their weaponry and industrialisation. And one way they derided the Japanese were by their highly partisan deals, at gunpoint.

Medieval government was called Feudalism, which provided protection for the townspeople. The first level was the monarch, king or queen, or clergy. The monarch was the highest level in the system and ruled over all of the land, except for the church. The next highest level in the medieval social structure was the lords, or nobles. The lords were given responsibility of estates by the monarch. Under the lords was the social class of the knights, or vassals. Knights were granted this title by the monarch of the land. The lowliest level of the medieval social classes was the serfs or the peasants. Almost 90% of the population of Medieval Europe was serfs. Serfs were regular village people that worked the land of the

Before the Russo-Japanese War, the Japanese and the Russians did not have contact with each other until the 1800s. The Japanese did not want European influence during the beginning of the 1600s. The first Europeans to come into contact and successfully trade with Japan was the Dutch in 1638. The first Japanese person to go to Russia was Dembei in 1697, and it was not until 1739 that the first Russians arrived in Japan. The Japanese refused to trade with the Russians for a long time, and it was not until a Russian expedition that followed after Admiral Perry’s expedition in 1853 did trade talks start with Japan. After more than

As Japan joined the global community, its leaders realized that in order for Japan to achieve the same successes as the Western powers, it needed to emulate the methods of the West. Notably, Japan sought to acquire colonial land holdings, in part because Japan lacked many natural resources of its own, but also to be on the same playing field as the Western powers who held many colonies, especially in Asia and the Pacific. Using the Western powers actions in China and Japan with the Unequal Treaties, as well as their actions in other Asian countries, Japan tried to justify their imperialism in Asia by stating they were trying to protect Asia from Western influences and to promote Pan-Asianism. Just like some Western powers have done, the

Upon arrival, it only took 40 years to take root in Japan and gather a clergy. However, throughout the early 17th century the disparity in the religion doctrines and the fear of Christianity being used as “a tool of the Western nations” (Rafe) led to the ruler Hideyoshi Toyotomi banning