Anglo-japanese Alliance With Japan's Foreign Expansion

During late 19^th century and early 20^th century, the Japanese—Russian conflict and Anglo—Russian conflict became principle ones concerning the major powers in Far East, Japan and UK reached consensus on containing Russia, Russia's threat forced the two powers to get allied, they concluded the first Anglo—Japanese Alliance Treaty in 1902. Japan just took this alliance as a tool for its expansion across the Asian continent.Japan provoked Russian and launched the Japanese—Russia War in 1904 under the umbrella of the Anglo—Japanese Alliance, it also got the strong support from the UK during the war. As the outcome of the war, Japan drove the Russian influence out of Korea and shared northeastern China with Russia. In 1905, Japan and UK signed their second Alliance Treaty, with UK's indulgence and appeasement, Japan occupied the whole Korea as well as strengthened and expanded its interests in the south of northeastern China. The two states signed their third Alliance Treaty in 1911, which gave Japan a fabulous excuse to participate the First World War during which Japan established its supreme power in Far East. At the Paris Peace Conference following the First World War, also with the UK's help, Japan won the German Pacific islands and German colonial interests over Shandong Province of China. The Anglo—Japanese Alliance helped Japan so much upon its foreign aggression and expansion.However, Japan's expansion arose intense concern of its ally—UK and the Anglo—Japanese relation cooled down gradually. In particular, Japan's crazy expansion across Far East serenely threatened the UK. A few states such as China and United States also strongly opposed another Anglo—Japanese Alliance Treaty, therefore, the obsolete alliance was decently buried at the Washington Conference. After that, Japan had to change its foreign strategy and turned its openly aggression by force into a secret expansion way of Shidehara Diplomacy.Basing upon systematically analyzing the background and process and the contents of the three Anglo—Japanese Alliances, this paper emphatically deliberates the interactive relation between the Anglo—Japanese Alliance and Japan's foreign expansion. Via depicting the line and process of Japan's occupation of Northeastern China, Korea, Shandong as well as German Pacific islands and the establishment of its supreme power in Far East, this paper strives to characterize Japan's modern diplomacy and foreign expansion, namely allying with the powers and aggressing the weak nations with its power.