Module 3 - Chapter 19

Strayer's Chapter 19, Empires in Collision, talks about the conflicts between the empires in China, Europe, and the Middle East and the impacts that they had on each other.

2. How did Western pressures stimulate change in China during the 19^thcentury?

Western pressures stimulated China during the 19th century dramatically. China was forced to break away from their historical way of operating. There was quite the dramatic shift in the balance of global power that was clearly evident in China's changing relationship with Europe. China was forced to continue to import opium. Additionally, the pressures from the west forced China to set import tariffs at a very low rate. Hong Kong had to increasingly open more ports to Europeans. Foreigners were allowed to live in China and had the right to buy land. Historically, China was not open to accepting Christianity, however China began to open its doors to missionaries. Chinese businessmen mostly served in foreign firms, instead of developing as an independent capitalist class that was capable of leading China's own Industrial Revolution. China also lost control of Taiwan, Korea, and Vietnam. Ultimately the western powers along with Japan and Russia had much larger spheres of influence over China than in its historical past. Western powers had control over their water ways and could set up military bases.

5. What lay behind the decline of the Ottoman Empire in the 19^thcentury?

There were ultimately many factors that led to the decline of the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century. The empire had a great decrease in size due to the expansion of Europe combined with nationalist movements. Additionally, the Ottoman Empire lost power to local authorities and war lords. Their military was greatly weakened and the once effective Janissaries, were no longer effective. Another factor that weakened the Ottoman Empire was that the west kept evolving technology wise, while on the other hand they were not. This created an increasingly larger technology gap. Ottoman artisans could no longer compete with the cheap European manufacturers. This led to urban riots that were protesting against foreign imports. Ultimately the Ottoman Empire became increasingly dependent on foreign loans which led to foreign control and the occupation of Egypt by the British. The situation in the Ottoman Empire was very much like China in which they had fallen into a position of considerable dependency on Europe. 

10. In what respects was Japan’s 19^thcentury transformation revolutionary?

Japan's 19th century transformation was revolutionary in many different ways. Japan's transformation dismantled the old Confusion based order by taking away class restrictions on occupation, residence, marriage, and clothing, while also dismantling limitations on travel and trade. Japan had a government that was now committed to a decisive break with the past. They were ready for great revolutionary change. There were many technological advances which allowed Japan to progress into becoming the world's most urbanized country. This ranges from agricultural advances to advances in technology such as electricity. This transformation was revolutionary for Japan because all of this was accomplished through the use of their own resources instead of through aquiring a massive foreign debt. The is what truly helped them get ahead of other and launch their own Industrial Revolution. Ultimately, Japan was able to grow out of their outdated and traditional ways and truly become acknowledged as one of the Great Powers of the world.