The World Goes to War, Part 2
A History of Japan
The eastern front of the first world war was much busier than its western counterpart and the stakes for one nation were much higher. When the war finally ended with the Entente triumphant, Japan was poised to enjoy the advantages of supporting the winning side.
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The World Goes to War, Part 1
A History of Japan
The assassination of an Austrian Archduke sparks a chain reaction which would ignite a global conflict on a scale never seen before.
If you'd like to read the complete "Literary Digest History of the World War," all ten volumes are available for free on the internet archive here.
My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, Bookshop.org, and many other online platforms!
The Republic of China
A History of Japan
In early 1912, the Qing Dynasty officially transferred its right to rule to the Republic of China, who named Yuan Shikai as their president in exchange for ending the civil war. Shikai, however, would soon prove just as power-hungry and authoritarian as the imperial system he sought to replace.
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The Fall of the Qing Dynasty
A History of Japan
The first decade of the 1900s witnessed a final attempt by the Qing Dynasty to reform its outmoded systems of governance and forge a new Chinese nation state. Those attempts eventually failed in the wake of a massive revolution against the last dynasty of China, which succeeded in 1912.
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Crisis and Opportunity
A History of Japan
The Taisho Period began with a political crisis that threatened to upend the stability established by the Meiji Period as the people of Japan took to the streets to express their displeasure by rioting.
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The Resident Foreigner and the Foreign Resident - BONUS EPISODE
A History of Japan
This episode follows the lives and adventures of Basil Hall Chamberlain and Lafcadio Hearn, two of the most famous foreign residents who lived in Japan during the Meiji Period.
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Nourishing the Nation - BONUS EPISODE
A History of Japan
The Meiji Period witnessed a radical expansion of the Japanese palate as the people began consuming foreign foods like beer and the government encouraged the populace to eat meat.
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An Age of Letters - BONUS EPISODE
A History of Japan
Writers of the Meiji Period included some of the most influential Japanese authors of all time, many of whom are still regularly included in reading curriculum today.
Soseki Project
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The Pax Meiji
A History of Japan
The Meiji period saw sweeping transformation in nearly every aspect of Japanese society. The political status quo which it established, however, paved the way for future infighting and the imperial government's tendency toward repression cast a dark shadow.
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The Question of Korea
A History of Japan
After the Russo-Japanese War, the Meiji government moved quickly to solidify their control of Korea, gradually chipping away at the sovereignty of its government until annexation became the only logical next step.
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The Long Road of Peace
A History of Japan
Both Russia and Japan were desperate to end the Russo-Japanese War by the summer of 1905. However, the conditions of that peace would not bring an end to domestic turmoil in Russia, and would inaugurate entirely fresh domestic turmoil in Japan.
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The Russo-Japanese War, Part 2
A History of Japan
After securing the southern portion of Liaodong Province, the Imperial Japanese Army proceeded to besiege Port Arthur while simultaneously fighting Russian forces to their north in increasingly costly and difficult battles.
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The Russo-Japanese War, Part 1
A History of Japan
In February of 1904, the Imperial Japanese Navy launched a surprise attack on Port Arthur and initiate the Russo-Japanese War.
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A Tsar is Born
A History of Japan
We examine the development Russian Empire of the 1800s and see what factors set them on a collision course with Japan in 1904.
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The Boxer Rebellion
A History of Japan
When a militant anti-imperial movement spreads China, an allied army of eight nations moved quickly to suppress the rebels, leading to a reactionary swing from the Qing Dynasty's government.
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Losing Korea
A History of Japan
Although Japan had seemingly won influence over Korea as a war prize from the Chinese, Joseon itself was still an independent state. Because of the actions of one inexperienced Japanese diplomat, that independence was about to be asserted in an undeniable way.
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The First Sino-Japanese War
A History of Japan
Mounting tensions over the future of Korea turned violent after the end of the Donghak Rebellion, resulting in a war between Japan and China.
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The Battlefield of Ideas
A History of Japan
With its new constitutional structure in place, the Japanese government began to take on a more permanent political shape. However, war with China over the future of Korea lurked on the horizon.
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The Qing Dynasty’s Self-Strengthening
A History of Japan
In light of its repeated defeats and humiliations at the hands of imperial powers, the Qing Dynasty attempted to modernize its military, economy, and society through a series of reforms known as the "Self-Strengthening Movement."
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The Hermit Kingdom
A History of Japan
By the mid-1800s, the Joseon Kingdom had become an isolated polity which was famously hostile to unwelcome visitors. Nevertheless, imperial powers vied to force the nation to open to international trade, offer paths toward modernization, and jealously eyed the strategic and economic value of Korea's many ports.
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The Meiji Constitution
A History of Japan
As pressure mounted from grass roots organizations like the Freedom Party, the Meiji government decided to finally draft a constitution. The process which brought it about, and the language which it employed, would determine the course of Japan's political future.
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Clans, Corporations, and Capital
A History of Japan
The early years of the Meiji period saw an explosion of economic growth as Edo Period merchant houses transformed into conglomerates called Zaibatsu.
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Counter-Revolution
A History of Japan
The Meiji Revolution very rapidly changed nearly every aspect of public life in Japan. Such rapid progress led, inevitably, to counter-revolutions among various groups who felt discarded by the march of modernization, including a large body of samurai in the land formerly known as Satsuma Domain.
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The Meiji Reformation
A History of Japan
The Buddhist temples throughout Japan had worked hand-in-hand with the Shogunate to help prevent the spread of Christianity in Japan. Now that the Shogunate was gone, anti-Buddhist sentiment in the country boiled over into a violent response.
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The New Frontier
A History of Japan
As the Meiji leaders continued to consolidate power and enact radical reforms, they also sought to expand Japan's sovereignty over the northern island of Ezo and the Ryukyu islands to their south.
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The World Goes to War, Part 2
26:18
The World Goes to War, Part 1
23:49
The Republic of China
23:20
The Fall of the Qing Dynasty
27:23
Crisis and Opportunity
26:01
The Resident Foreigner and the Foreign Resident - BONUS EPISODE
12:58
Nourishing the Nation - BONUS EPISODE
15:26
An Age of Letters - BONUS EPISODE
20:55
The Pax Meiji
29:24
The Question of Korea
27:15
The Long Road of Peace
24:40
The Russo-Japanese War, Part 2
26:02
The Russo-Japanese War, Part 1
29:02
A Tsar is Born
25:32
The Boxer Rebellion
28:06
Losing Korea
26:47
The First Sino-Japanese War
29:59
The Battlefield of Ideas
24:50
The Qing Dynasty’s Self-Strengthening
31:55
The Hermit Kingdom
35:02
The Meiji Constitution
28:42
Clans, Corporations, and Capital
26:06
Counter-Revolution
29:53
The Meiji Reformation
26:52
The New Frontier
29:30