Japan has been expanding its armaments in preparation for Russia's southward policy. At the same time, by advancing the invasion of China and Korea, we will form imperialism alongside the great powers.
After the Triple Intervention after the Sino-Japanese War, the government made a postwar management plan centered on armament expansion in anticipation of the war against Russia, and promoted the expansion of the army and navy and the expansion of government-owned military factories.
The national budget for these plans has increased year by year, with military spending exceeding 50% of the national budget. The financial resources were the compensation obtained from the Sino-Japanese War, tax increases, and domestic and foreign public bonds.
Conflict with Russia
The confrontation with Russia first begins in Korea.
Under the Treaty of Shimonoseki, we succeeded in separating the two countries by allowing the Qing dynasty to recognize Korea as an independent country.
[ Profit line I was thinking of making Korea compliant. However, it evoked ethnic resistance in Korea and at the same time meant a conflict with Russia's advance into Korea.
In that Korea, the defeat of the suzerain nation, Qing, changed its foreign policy, and the movement to rely on Russia to oppose Japan became stronger. 1895 Mr. Yeoheung Leading Russophilia Overthrows the pro-Japanese government that was in power at the time and establishes an anti-Japanese government.
On the other hand, Miura Gorō , the Japanese minister to Korea. Assassinated Yeoheung by invading the Japanese garrison and police into the royal palace in an attempt to re-establish the pro-Japanese government. To do. With this, the Japanese government intends to establish a puppet government with Daewon as the governor, but this murder case will further separate Korea from Japan.
Therefore, the Kingdom of Korea escaped to the Russian embassy and established a pro-Russian government And the national name is [ Korean Empire ] And changed. In this way, Japan's isolation in Korea becomes decisive, and Russia's political influence grows stronger.
Further deepening the conflict with Russia is set in Manchuria in northern China.
Russia, which had a southward policy, 1900 Boxer Rebellion Taking this opportunity, we will dispatch a large army to Manchuria for the purpose of protecting residents and defending the Tosei Railway. Even after the Northern Qing dynasty, he did not withdraw his soldiers and showed a move to occupy Manchuria. If Russia continued to occupy Manchuria, which is connected to South Korea, Japan's interests in South Korea would be threatened, and the sense of crisis within the Japanese government increased.
At that time, Britain was also wary of Russia's southward policy.
Therefore, there was a movement to use Japan's military power to counter Russia. In response to this, Japan took a hard policy against Russia, 1902 Anglo-Japanese Alliance Agreement Has been signed.
For Japan, it is possible to expect British assistance at the start of the war with Russia, and for Britain, the purpose was to restrain Russia's southward movement with Japan as a vanguard. After the alliance is formed, Japan will prepare for the start of the war.
Behind Russia's southward policy was the support of France, which formed the Franco-Russian Alliance. The Russo-Japanese War was promoted in an international relationship in which the rights of each country were intertwined. Russia withdrew temporary troops from Manchuria in response to the Anglo-Japanese Alliance, but began to move south again, and in 1902, built a battery at the mouth of the Yalu River in South Korea.
1903 In the meantime, the Japanese government decided on a policy to open the war against Russia and proceeded to the Russo-Japanese War.