Dalian, a beautiful coastal city in northeast China. Today, Dalian has long become an important shipbuilding base and foreign trade base in China.
However, the historical Dalian is a city full of tragic history. In the Sino-Japanese War of 1894, the Qing Empire was defeated, and after the Japanese army occupied Lushunkou in Dalian, a frenzied massacre was carried out in Lushun, and 20,000 people were brutally killed by the Japanese army. However, just when the Japanese army confidently took the Liaodong Peninsula and enjoyed the fruits of victory, an accident occurred: Russia, Britain and France actually forced Japan to return the Liaodong Peninsula to China, and after repeated international games, Japan "returned" the Liaodong Peninsula to the Qing Dynasty.
Then, since Japan attaches great importance to the Liaodong Peninsula and Dalian, why did Japan "make great kindness" and "return" the Liaodong Peninsula to the Qing Empire?
Above_ The Qing army defeated in the Sino-Japanese War
First, Germany, Russia, and France, proceeding from their respective interests, forced Japan to "return" the Liaodong Peninsula to China, and the joint intervention of the three countries put "a lot of pressure" on Japan. Japan does not have the ability to go to war directly with France, Germany and Russia.
When it comes to the three-state intervention and the return of Liao, it is necessary to mention the chain of interests of Germany, Germany and France in China.
Russia's harm to China in modern times is quite profound, and China and Russia have signed a series of treaties in modern times, such as the Treaty of Yaohun and the Treaty of Beijing. Under pressure from a series of treaties, the Qing Empire ceded Sakhalin Island and the area north of the Heilongjiang River to Russia. In the mid-to-late 19th century, Russia supported Agubai's attack on Xinjiang, and the Qing Empire sent Zuo Zongtang to lead a large army into Xinjiang, crushing russia's offensive in one fell swoop and preserving the national defense and security of China's northwest frontier.
Above_ Zuo Zongtang (1812-1885), character Ji Gao
In the northeast, Russia's attempt to turn the northeast plain into a so-called "yellow Russia" is very evident in the Hailanpao massacre and the Jiangdong Sixty-Four Tun Massacre. Because Russia coveted northeastern China, it naturally could not tolerate Japan's expansion on the Liaodong Peninsula. According to historical information, after Japan launched the Sino-Japanese War, Russia felt the rapid expansion of the Japanese Far East, and the Russian army decided to fight with Japan at the expense of a war to protect its interests in the Far East.
From the perspective of the larger strategic structure, Russia is also covetous of Dalian. Dalian was an ice-free port in the Far East at that time, and in order to preserve its maritime interests in the Far East and grasp the initiative of a possible war between Japan and Russia, Russia had to find a port in the Far East to garrison its naval fleet, and the port of Dalian was very suitable for russian troops. This made it impossible for the Russian army to tolerate the Japanese occupation of Lushun Dalian, and it was natural for Russia to interfere in the Japanese occupation of Lushun.
Above_ In July 1894, in lushun port, the main ship of the Beiyang Marine Division "family portrait"
Russia has good reasons to put pressure on Japan, so why did France and Germany put pressure on Japan? France exerted pressure on Japan on the basis of the Russian-French Alliance, and France joined the British in the Second Opium War in 1856. Between 1883 and 1885, the Qing Dynasty and the French army fought the Sino-French War, and in the end, the Qing Empire compromised and retreated under the premise of defeating the French army, and the French power gradually extended to southwest China, and Vietnam became a French colony.
In addition to fighting the Sino-French War, France also coveted the island of Taiwan. Since Japan monopolized the island of Taiwan after the Sino-Japanese War, France was deeply dissatisfied with Japan's occupation of Taiwan Island, occupation of the Liaodong Peninsula and Dalian, and even its own seizure of greater interests in China. Russia, on the other hand, was also very dissatisfied with Japan's occupation of the Liaodong Peninsula and Dalian, and even its own seizure of interests in China. Russia and France were not satisfied with Japan's monopoly on China's interests, and France naturally followed Russia in forcing Japan to return the Liaodong Peninsula.
Above: The Japanese army that entered Chinese territory in 1895
Germany is a rising star in Europe, and the contradiction between Germany and Japan in China's competition for coastal areas is relatively deep. For example, in the Weihaiwei region of the Shandong Peninsula, Germany and Japan had a strategic conflict. After the outbreak of The First World War, the Japanese army sent troops to occupy Weihaiwei, which was a direct embodiment of the contradiction between Germany and Japan in the struggle for the Qing Empire.
Against the backdrop of the Sino-Japanese War in the 19th century, Germany could not tolerate Japan seizing China's Liaodong Peninsula and other ports of passage by absolute superiority, and in order to seek greater initiative in its own interests in China, Germany, together with France and Russia, exerted pressure on Japan on the Liaodong Peninsula issue.
Although Japan's naval strength at that time was comparable to that of the Beiyang Naval Division, there was still a big gap compared with the Russian, German and French navies. Even if Japan and Russia fought a naval battle alone, as long as the Russian Navy did not make low-level mistakes, it was possible to defeat the Japanese Navy. The gap in power forced Japan to consider the proposals of Russia, Germany, and France.
Kamijo_ Hirobumi Ito (October 16, 1841 - October 26, 1909), Toshisuke Juina, Toshiaki Aji, Chung-hee No. 1, Japanese Modern Politician, Senkyu Genro no 1
Second, in the face of pressure from Germany, Russia, and France, ito Hirobumi, the modern politician who presided over Japan's political situation, "went with the flow" and returned the Liaodong Peninsula to the Qing Empire. The reason for this is that Ito Hirobumi has a relatively calm and objective understanding of Japan's strength.
On April 23, 1895, German, Russian, and French diplomats submitted a memorandum to Japan, and after Japan learned of the records of the diplomats of the three countries, Ito Hirobumi and some of the Japanese cabinet ministers held a royal council.
At the meeting, three strategies were listed: First, they refused to return the Liaodong Peninsula and rejected the advice of the three countries. Second, an international conference should be convened to entrust the issue of the Liaodong Peninsula to international issues for discussion. Third, accept the advice of the three countries to return the Liaodong Peninsula.
The meeting discussed the relevant plans, and Ito Hirobumi was very clear that Japan does not currently have the ability to compete with several major powers in Russia, Japan and Germany. In particular, the Japanese fleet added up to only 80,000 tons, while the Russian navy had 120,000 tons of ships. If war were to break out, Japan would not necessarily be Russia's adversary. Other Officials in Japan agree with Hirobumi Ito.
Above_ The three countries interfered in the negotiations
On April 24, the meeting continued, and Foreign Minister Mutsu Munemitsu objected to Ito Hirobumi's views, but Ito Hirobumi insisted that "it would be unwise to categorically reject the Three Kingdoms."
As an outstanding modern politician in Japanese history and the first prime minister of Japan after the Meiji Restoration, Ito Hirobumi has his own pragmatic views on controlling Japan's direction. At that time, there were people in Japan who were affected by the victory in the Sino-Japanese War and opposed the intervention of the three countries in "returning" Liaodong, and even advocated the continuation of the war, but Ito Hirobumi was not swayed by various chaotic voices in the country.
As a politician, Ito Hirobumi was well aware of Japan's strength: although Japan's Meiji Restoration was becoming strong, Japan's strength was not yet enough to go to war with Russia, France, Germany and other powers. Moreover, at that time, the Russian army already had plans to send troops, and Japan naturally could not take the risk of directly colliding head-on with the "polar bear" in the Liaodong Peninsula.
Above_ Liaodong Peninsula
For Japanese Prime Minister Itō Hirobumi, the status of Taiwan Province is more important than that of the Liaodong Peninsula. As long as the great powers do not intervene in Japan's occupation of Taiwan, there is no need for Japan to turn the other cheek with the great powers. Maintaining relatively friendly relations with the great powers was very important for Japan to preserve the fruits of its victory in the Sino-Japanese War.
Therefore, after considering various factors, Ito Hirobumi agreed to accede to the request of the Three Kingdoms to "return" the Liaodong Peninsula to the Qing Empire. Of course, behind this "return" also asked the Qing Empire for 30 million taels of silver "compensation".
Hideki Tojo (30 December 1884 – 23 December 1948) was a Japanese militarist figure and a Class A war criminal of World War II
It is worth mentioning that Ito Hirobumi is a rare politician in Japanese history with a global vision, which in the early days of Japan's foreign expansion, Japan's domestic political circles can tolerate the existence of Ito Hirobumi. But by the time of World War II, Japan's ambitions had swelled much more than during the Sino-Japanese War, and "sober-minded" political forces like Ishihara Guan'er had no market for survival in Japan. Under the leadership of Hideki Tojo and other "stunned youths", Japan frantically launched the Pearl Harbor attack, which drew the United States and Britain into the war, and eventually led to Japan's total defeat during World War II.
Reference: History of International Relations in the Sino-Japanese War, Qi Qizhang, People's Publishing House