Changes

==War==

==War==

The war can be said to have begun with the [[Battle of Seonghwan]] in July 1894, with the official declarations of war being made early the following month.

The war can be said to have begun with the [[Battle of Seonghwan]] in July 1894, with the official declarations of war being made early the following month. Many central elements of the [[Meiji government]], including the [[National Diet]] and the [[Meiji Emperor|Emperor]] himself, relocated to [[Hiroshima]] to be closer to the headquarters of the war effort.<ref>[[Marius Jansen]], "Japanese Imperialism: Late Meiji Perspectives," in [[Mark Peattie]] (ed.), ''The Japanese Colonial Empire, 1895-1945'', Princeton University Press (1984), 71.</ref>

The Japanese First Army (17,000 troops) attacked [[Battle of Pingyang|Pingyang]] on September 15, securing the city by the next day, and forcing the Chinese to retreat across the [[Yalu River]]. The day after that, September 17, saw the [[Battle of the Yalu River]], the first naval battle in history fought between steamship fleets.

The Japanese First Army (17,000 troops) attacked [[Battle of Pingyang|Pingyang]] on September 15, securing the city by the next day, and forcing the Chinese to retreat across the [[Yalu River]]. The day after that, September 17, saw the [[Battle of the Yalu River]], the first naval battle in history fought between steamship fleets.

In the end, though China had long been considered the great power in the region, to the surprise of the world (read: i.e. the Western powers especially), Japan achieved a decisive victory. This came in large part as a result of superior equipment and organization; China at the time is said to have been struggling with considerable corruption, internal rifts and instability, and inadequate leadership, not to mention an incomplete effort at military modernization. The [[Empress Dowager Cixi]], who wielded ''de facto'' power in China at the time, was rather conservative, and hesitant in her attitudes towards reforms, resulting in a military and industries that were not yet as fully modernized/Westernized as Japan's. Some accounts cite anecdotes of admirals who arranged modern warships as if it were a traditional cavalry charge, and artillery shells filled with sawdust, for want of sufficient supplies of gunpowder. Furthermore, many of the regional governors & generals enjoyed a degree of local autonomy, and dragged their feet in sending troops; while the Beiyang ("Northern Sea") Navy was defeated by the Japanese, the Southern Chinese Navy did not participate in the conflict at all.

In the end, though China had long been considered the great power in the region, to the surprise of the world (read: i.e. the Western powers especially), Japan achieved a decisive victory. This came in large part as a result of superior equipment and organization; China at the time is said to have been struggling with considerable corruption, internal rifts and instability, and inadequate leadership, not to mention an incomplete effort at military modernization. The [[Empress Dowager Cixi]], who wielded ''de facto'' power in China at the time, was rather conservative, and hesitant in her attitudes towards reforms, resulting in a military and industries that were not yet as fully modernized/Westernized as Japan's. Some accounts cite anecdotes of admirals who arranged modern warships as if it were a traditional cavalry charge, and artillery shells filled with sawdust, for want of sufficient supplies of gunpowder. Furthermore, many of the regional governors & generals enjoyed a degree of local autonomy, and dragged their feet in sending troops; while the Beiyang ("Northern Sea") Navy was defeated by the Japanese, the Southern Chinese Navy did not participate in the conflict at all.

In Japan, the nationalist feelings stirred up by the war created a more widespread sense of unity and patriotism, and support for the [[Meiji government]], than the government had ever enjoyed up until then. In other words, the war played an important part in securing a greater stability for the regime, which up until then faced considerable political opposition in elections and political parties & movements.<ref>Schirokauer, et al., 180.</ref>

In Japan, the nationalist feelings stirred up by the war created a more widespread sense of unity and patriotism, and support for the Meiji government, than the government had ever enjoyed up until then. In other words, the war played an important part in securing a greater stability for the regime, which up until then faced considerable political opposition in elections and political parties & movements.<ref>Schirokauer, et al., 180.</ref>

==Aftermath==

==Aftermath==