Japanese Aggresion
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Japanese Aggression before Pearl Harbor
After the Ishida's family toppling as ruling shogunate by Ieyasu Tokugawa at the battle of Sekigahara in 1600, Tokugawa proceeded to set himself up as shogun. With this came the belief of complete isolation from other countries. This worked for Japan until growing pressure from the United States forced them to open up ports to the outside world in 1854. Soon afterward, with the re-introduction of Western teachings and Christianity, the Tokugawa shogunate fell in 1868 to the power of the emperor.
The re-opening of Japanese ports to outsiders was going to propel Japan into the industrial age. Soon they were acquiring weapons and ships capable of defending Japan adequately to counter the growing Russian threat. During the time between the Meiji Restoration and the beginning of the Russo-Japanese War. Japan was flourishing in nearly all aspects. Though with Japan's small surface area and severe lack of raw materials, war was almost inevitable for the island nation.
In 1894 Japan declared war on China and imposed a harsh treaty on them making the Chinese pay heavy reparations and handing over Port Arthur and the island of Formosa...