JOINT CRISIS COMMITTEE: THE SHUMUN XVII

Topic 1: Russo-Japanese War Topic 2: The Development of the Protectorate of Korea Topic 1: Russo-Japanese War Assessment of the region Currently, there are three major powers standing in the way of our nation’s expansion. China has been overrun by western powers and thus provides a toehold for these powers in the region. France, Germany, and Russia all have made agreements to control railroads and other infrastructure in China. Furthermore, our nation has been embarrassed on the world stage despite our military victories in China (Koda 15). Positions of other nations in the region In 1895, we won the Liaotung Peninsula, Formosa (now Taiwan) by defeating China. However, the European powers of Germany, France and Russia have conspired against us and forced us to return the Peninsula to the Chinese. Today, this strategically important peninsula is leased to the Russians and they have established a railroad branch at its tip. This is unacceptable considering the cost in Japanese blood to win the peninsula (Koda 15). Now, Russia is again threatening our interests on the Manchurian Peninsula. Today, they have a naval base at Port Arthur, a Russian port in China, and they refuse to recognize our interests in Korea. Furthermore, since 1900, Russia has kept thousands of troops on the Manchurian Peninsula, ostensibly to protect its interests in China. Manchuria is dangerously close to Korea, a small nation which cannot defend itself from both Chinese and Russian aggression. Our foreign policy In 1898, our policy decision making group, the Genro, decided that we would remain neutral in foreign affairs since our nation does not have the power to battle with Russia, Germany, or France. This policy is known as “Submit to any hardships to achieve revenge.” However, within the Genro and the general population, there is disagreement about the direction our nation should take. Some members of the Genro support allowing Russia to remain in Manchuria in return for a Russian agreement to respect our nation’s interest in Korea. Other members favor reaching some sort of agreement with either England or Germany. Members who favor an agreement with either England or Germany generally do not believe that our nation will be able to win a war against a major western power (Moody 30). Our military Our military now is extremely well organized. It is currently split into two parts, the Imperial Japanese Navy and the Imperial Japanese Army. Both parts are under the control of a Joint Chief. Currently, our fleet has six battleships, 6 armored cruisers, 12 cruisers, 22 destroyers, and 28 torpedo boats. Since 1895, we have been increasing the size of our fleet significantly (Koda 30). Introduction: The Russo-Japanese War began on February 8th, 1904 when the Japanese launched a surprise naval attack on Port Arthur. The strike was a retaliation following the Russian rejection of a Japanese plan to divide Manchuria and Korea into spheres of influence. History: The Russo-Japanese War developed out of a rivalry between Russia and Japan for dominance of Manchuria and Korea. In 1898, Russia had pressured China into giving them a lease for Port Arthur (Lü-shun)—a port of strategic importance located in southern Manchuria at the tip of the Liaotung Peninsula. Russia thus began an occupation of the peninsula, even though (in cohort with other European powers) they had forced Japan to relinquish their right to occupation, which they had begun following their victory over China in the Sino-Japanese war of 1894 and 1895. Russia continued to add to Russo-Japanese tensions when they entered an alliance with China, and against Japan—an alliance that granted them the right to extend the Trans-Siberian Railroad across Chinese held Manchuria to their seaport of Vladivostok, and gave them control of an important strip of Manchuria. Even though Russia had built up their Trans- Siberian Railroad, they still did not have the transportation facilities needed to reinforce their limited troops in Manchuria. The Japanese took advantage of this, and had steadily expanded their army since their war with China in 1894, and by 1904 had gained a marked superiority over Russia in the number of ground troops in the Far East. This fact alone made Japan’s initial war strike all the more achievable, and resulted in an attack on Port Arthur. The Japanese and Russians thus entered a series of military conflicts in which the former suffered humiliating defeats. Japan sent an army into Korea in March of that year, which quickly was overrun. In May, Japanese army landed on the Liaotung Peninsula, and on May 26 it cut off the Port Arthur garrison from the main body of Russian forces in Manchuria. The Japanese then pushed northward, and the Russian army fell back to Mukden after losing battles at Fu-hsien (June 14) and Liao-yang (August 25), south of Mukden. In October, the Russians went back on the offensive with the help of reinforcements received via the Trans-Siberian Railroad, but their attacks proved indecisive owing to poor military leadership. The Japanese began a long siege on Port Arthur after several military assaults on it had failed. The Russian military leadership was highly divided, and in an act of pure corruption on January 2, 1905 the incompetent commander of Port Arthur surrendered to the Japanese without consulting his officers and with three months’ provisions and adequate supplies of ammunition still in the fortress. The final battle of the war was fought in Mukden in late February and early March of 1905—between 330,000 Russian and 270,000 Japanese troops. The fight was long and relentless, but eventually Russian general Kuropatkin broke off the fighting and sent his forces to the North—letting Mukden fall to the Japanese. Losses in this battle were exceptionally heavy, with approximately 89,000 Russian and 71,000 Japanese casualties. In the following naval battle of Tsushima, the Japanese gained a decisive upperhand— previously they were unable to secure their hold on the seas, and this was well timed as the Japanese government was now financially exhausted. This loss, along with growing unrest in Russia in regards to the war, brought Russia to the peace table. This war, and the loss of it, is credited as one of the main roots of the Russian Revolution. Works Cited: Koda, Yoji. "The Russo--Japanese War." Naval War College Review 58.2 (2005): 10-44. Academic Search Complete. Web. 10 Jan. 2016. Moody Jr., Peter R. "Genro Rule In China And Japan: A Comparative Perspective." Journal Of Chinese Political Science 12.1 (2007): 29-48. Political Science Complete. Web. 10 Jan. 2016. CITINO, ROBERT M. "Japan's First Big Surprise." Military History 29.5 (2013): 48-57. Academic Search Complete. Web. 11 Jan. 2016. HUDSON, ROGER. "A Game Of Battleships." History Today 62.11 (2012): 16-17. Academic Search Complete. Web. 11 Jan. 2016. Wolf, David, and John W. Steinberg. The Russo-Japanese War In Global Perspective : World War Zero. Leiden: Brill, 2007. eBook Academic Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 11 Jan. 2016 "Russo-Japanese War | Russo-Japanese History." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 12 Jan. 2016..

Topic 2: The Development of the Protectorate of Korea Introduction The relationship between Korea and Japan has been long and complicated. Starting in 1592, Japan has aspired to take over Korea and claim it as their own. This struggle between the two neighboring countries continues and is the main reason for the start of the Russo-Japanese War. History In 1392, Yi Seong-gye established the dynasty (1392–1910) after a coup in 1388. King (1418–1450) implemented numerous administrative, social, and economic reforms, established royal authority in the early years of his rule and promulgated , the Korean alphabet. Korea began to develop its own customs and customs similar to those of China, whom they had a close relationship with.

1392-1897 Choson (Yi) Dynasty

1418-1450 Reign of King Sejong

1592-1598 Imjin Wars (Hideyoshi Invasions)

1724-1800 Reigns of Yongjo and Chongjo

1600-1850s Two centuries of peace

1850s-1910 Foreign skirmishes threaten Korea

From the late 16th century, the Joseon dynasty faced foreign invasions, internal power struggle and rebellions. Internal conflicts within the royal court, civil unrest and other political struggles plagued the nation in the years that followed. This struggle within Korea worsened when the Japanese decided to invade Korea between 1592 and 1598. The Japanese invasions of Korea comprised two separate, yet linked operations: the initial invasion in 1592 and a second invasion in 1597. There was a brief truce made between the two countries in 1596 but it was called off in 1598 when the Japanese invaded for the second time. The conflict ended in 1598 with the withdrawal of the Japanese forces from the Korean Peninsula after a military stalemate in Korea's southern coastal provinces. The invasions were launched by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, also known as the Imjin Wars, with the intent of conquering Korea and China, which were ruled by the Joseon and Ming dynasties. Japan quickly succeeded in occupying large portions of the Korean Peninsula, but the Ming Dynasty quickly came to the rescue. There were also miscommunications and wrong disbursements of Japanese supply fleets along the western and southern coasts that were enacted by the Joseon Navy. The Japanese armies and navies were forced to withdraw from Pyongyang. Although, the Japanese continued to occupy Hanseong (present-day ) and the southeastern regions. Afterwards, guerrilla warfare was waged against the Japanese by Joseon civilian militias which put a hold on Japanese attacks. Also, there were many supply difficulties hampering both sides’ ability to fight adequately. Neither the Japanese nor the combined Ming and Joseon forces were able to reach a successful offensive position or gain any additional territory, which resulted in a military stalemate between Hanseong and Kaesong. The first phase of the invasion lasted from 1592 until 1596, and was followed by ultimately unsuccessful peace negotiations between Japan and the Ming between 1596 and 1597. In 1597, Japan renewed its offensive by invading Korea a second time. The pattern of the second invasion largely mirrored that of the first. The Japanese had initial successes on land, capturing several cities and fortresses, only to be halted and forced to withdraw to the southern coastal regions of the peninsula. The pursuing Ming and Joseon forces, however, were unable to remove the Japanese from their remaining fortresses and entrenched positions in the southern coastal areas, where both sides again became caught in a ten-month long military stalemate. With Hideyoshi's death in 1598, limited progress on land, and the continuing disruption of supply lines by the Joseon navy, the Japanese forces in Korea were ordered to withdraw back to Japan by the new governing council. Final peace negotiations between the parties followed afterwards and continued for several years. Ultimately, the two countries came to an understanding and normalized relations between one another. Support from China, particularly militarily, became increasingly important to maintaining rule and the dynasty maintained a strict isolationist policy to all countries except China. By the 19th century, with the country unwilling to modernize, and the decline of China’s involvement, Korea became subject to foreign powers. Korea faced battles with France and the United States in the 1860s and 1870s, but still held their territory. Korea, being one of the last few countries that had not been subjected to Western colonialism or imperialism, became weak and caught the eyes of its imperialistic neighbor country, Japan. The new and modern Meiji government in Japan developed increasingly imperialist ambitions, competing with other global powers for colonies. Japan forced the Koreans to open up to negotiations and sign the Treaty of Kanghwa in 1876. This treaty gave the Japanese special trading rights and other privileges in Korea that were not given to Koreans in Japan. King Gojong ended the Joseon dynasty and established the in 1897 which he used to indicate the end of relations with China. However, the peace was interrupted by, not one, but two wars being fought over the occupation of Korea:. By the end of the nineteenth century, rivalry over Korea led to war between Japan and China (1894-95) and, ten years later, between Japan and Russia. After Japan had defeated China, a brief period of independence and reform occurred within Korea. Just ten years later, Russia and Japan would go head-to-head for the prized territory of Korea. The Situation: Following the Japan-Korea Treaty of 1876, Japan attempted to integrate Korea, both economically and politically into the Japanese Empire. As many western countries were attempting to do in the latter half of the 19th century, Japan wanted Korea as a sphere of influence under their rule. Korea offered many benefits to Japan such as employment for their people, a hold on the mainland of Asia, and the availability of critical resources. The idea of Japanese control was attractive to Koreans mainly because of the political turmoil of their country. Under the tutelage of a 10 year old emperor, the Korean state saw a destabilization of their military, state revenue and hardship on their people. As a result of this treaty, Korea ended their relationships with China and opened an economic relationship with Japan. Additionally, Japan brought culture to their country by publishing their first newspaper and making cities in Korea international trade hubs. Works Cited: "Korea, 1900 A.D.–present | Chronology | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art." The Met's Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. Web. 12 Jan. 2016. "List of Rulers of Korea | Lists of Rulers | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art." The Met's Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. Web. 12 Jan. 2016. "List of Monarchs of Korea." - New World Encyclopedia. Web. 12 Jan. 2016. "A Timeline of Korean History | Asia for Educators | Columbia University." A Timeline of Korean History | Asia for Educators | Columbia University. Web. 12 Jan. 2016. "1750-1919: Korea: The West and Japan (1860s-1919) | Central Themes and Key Points | Asia for Educators | Columbia University." 1750-1919: Korea: The West and Japan (1860s-1919) | Central Themes and Key Points | Asia for Educators | Columbia University. Web. 12 Jan. 2016.