until 1895 War broke out, and the blindly arrogant Qing government went from the court to the people, and believed that Japan was just a small country. But it was such a small country with wolf ambitions that challenged the vast and large population of Qing Dynasty and won the victory. What are the reasons that make Japan dare to launch a war? I would like to express my personal opinion.
In fact, war is inseparable from economic strength and military strength. Since the implementation of Meiji Restoration on January 3, 1868, Japan has embarked on the road of modern development. After more than ten years, industrial production has changed with each passing day and national strength has become increasingly stronger. By 1888, the Japanese industrial revolution had a climax, so it was urgently needed to export foreign commodity and capital. However, as an island country with a small area, Japan has a small domestic market and scarce resources. In addition, there are remnants of feudal forces in China and various sharp contradictions during the transition period of social transformation. Therefore, the Japanese rulers are eager to expand externally to seek a way out.
1887, the Japanese ruling group formulated a mainland policy of foreign invasion with China as the center. The specific policy is to first conquer North Korea, then Manchuria, then destroy China, then conquer Asia, and realize the ambition to dominate the whole world. Why did Japan target the Qing government at that time? Because although the Qing government implemented the Westernization Movement , only the military industry was following the West and thought that it had some new weapons and equipment, the Qing government was confused and arrogant. In fact, people's lives are still difficult, factions in the officialdom continue to fight, military affairs are strong outside and at the same time, discipline is relaxed, and modern training is lacking. In contrast, Japan is a modern country that is about to emerge. Under such circumstances, Japan has the determination to fight with the Qing Dynasty.
To start a war, you must have a strong army, which is the most important factor in determining the outcome of the war. The military strength is strong, not only with many soldiers and advanced weapons, but also with all-round morale, intelligence, etc. In April 1874, the Japanese army dispatched Japanese warships such as Rijin and Longxiang to invade the southeastern islands of China. The Qing army's Fujian Navy and other new warships confronted the Japanese ships. In the end, the small and old Japanese ships did not dare to go to war. This incident made Japan see the gap and stimulated its determination to further develop its military. Since the 1980s, Japan has made every effort to expand its military with the achievements brought by economic development, and the whole country has high morale. With the goal of catching up with the Qing Dynasty, it is ready to fight a war of national destiny.
As of the eve of the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, the Japanese Army had already had 7 divisions, a standing army with a total strength of 63,000, and a reserve army of 230,000. After the war began, Japan carried out war mobilization, sending more than 170,000 troops to North Korea and China, and more than 150,000 people were sent to the squad. The total tonnage of the Japanese Navy warship reached 72,000 tons, exceeding the 41,200 tons of the Qing Beiyang Navy .
Intelligence information is particularly important in the war. Why did Japan dare to go to war against the Qing government? Because many years ago, it sent a large number of spies to China for intelligence, and understood the political, economic and military situation of the Qing Dynasty, and drew a large number of accurate maps. In 1878, the General Staff Head Office's spy revealed the Army's Grandmaster Kaitaro, who sneaked into China for many years and collected a large amount of intelligence. Since 1880, the Army Colonel Ogawa, director of the Second Bureau of the Japanese Army, went to China for intelligence many times as a cover. During the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, the Qing army once seized the Liaodong and Shandong Peninsula maps drawn by Japanese spies. Each coastal hill, port, Qing army garrison, etc. on it was clearly marked.
Japan relies on his thriving national strength and has the army to carry out modern wars, and has a clear understanding of the opponent's situation and extremely outstanding intelligence capabilities. These are the reasons why Japan dared to launch the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895.
