Japanese power rivaly in East Asia (1868-1912)

The primary objective of this thesis is to analyze Japan's role in the power struggle in East Asia between 1868 and 1912 and to assess the impact of global transformations during this period in Japan. The study begins with the Meiji Restoration and examines the process through which Japan dismantled its feudal structure and transformed into a modern nation-state. In this context, the structural and cultural transformations within Japanese society, as well as the political and military rivalries with Western powers and regional states, will be explored. The thesis covers the period from Japan's modernization efforts initiated with the Meiji Restoration in 1868 to the death of Emperor Meiji and the ascension of Emperor Taisho in 1912. During this timeframe, Japan's rise within the balance of power in East Asia and the global implications of this process will be analyzed. The thesis will examine Japan's political, military, economic, and cultural transformation and how this transformation affected the balance of power in East Asia. In this regard, the Tokugawa Shogunate (Bakufu) period and the Boshin War— which marked the end of this regime—will be included to provide context for the transition to the Meiji era. Japan's political and military relations with other regional powers such as China and Korea, including territorial ambitions, border conflicts, and imperial objectives, will constitute significant areas of inquiry. Furthermore, critical turning points such as the Russo-Japanese War of 1904– 1905 will be examined in depth, particularly regarding Japan's emergence as a regional and global power. Additionally, Japan's economic reforms, educational policies, societal transformations, and its relations with the West—undertaken as part of its modernization efforts—will also be among the key topics addressed in this thesis. Keywords: East Asia, Russo-Japanese War, First Sino-Japanese War, Meiji Era, Shimonoseki Treaty, Kanagawa Treaty