The First Japanese effort to colonize Taiwan and the Chinese Reaction

Successful modernization at home, the self-congratulatory ideology of State Shintō and the trend of the time made Japan’s expansion appear as an act of benevolence towards its adjacent, more underdeveloped nations. Before expanding abroad however the new leadership had to solidify its rule and authority in the Japanese archipelago. Initially the main Japanese islands were brought under submission and were ruled almost despotically by the Satchō leaders that came to dominate the government after their victory over the old regime. Clans were relocated or brushed aside, people were taught the standard national language and made into loyal subjects and the entire nation suddenly acquired after centuries of division a common identity (internal colonialism). Japan rapidly embraced the colonial theories and imperialistic reasoning of the West. Strategic considerations about the safety of the nation spurred Tōkyō towards controlling, absorbing or reforming the Chinese held island of Taiwan. A relatively unknown military as well as a diplomatic clash with China took place in the 1870s for the control of his island.

Abstract licence: CC BY-NC

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