Strike North: A Japanese AAR
No one could deny that Japan was on its way to Westernization when the 15 year old boy Mutsuhito ascended to the throne of Japan, thus starting the Meiji Dynasty or “enlightened rule”. It quickly ended the 265 year reign of the isolationist Shogun rulers of Japan and ushered Japan into a brave new world. Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan had been moved to Tokyo. Japan quickly disposed of Chinese learning, which they had been a disciple of for centuries, and embraced Western ways. None now could deny the rise of a new power in the East.
On the economic front, Japan quickly became the first Asian nation to industrialize and join with the United States to become the only non-European countries to do so in sufficient quantities. Textiles were to be the primary industry of Japan, to clothe the masses of Asia could bring in much wealth, and Japan recognized this immediately. But, just like Europe, Japan needed resources to feed its modern industry, resources that their own rocky island did not possess.
Japan quickly eyed China to provide the resources for its industry, but did not want to pay for them peacefully. At this time, Japan’s military was still an antiquated force of old samurai that were woefully deficient in modern warfare. China did not have a much better force in that regard, but they could field many time the numbers of troops Japan could. In a sense, Japan could barely defend itself, much less undertake an overseas offensive. This problem, combined with the increased bullying of Japan by foreign powers like the US for trade rights prompted Japan to modernize its military, just like it was doing to its economy.
Japan began the long process of mimicking European forces like that of Prussia for its army, and Great Britain for its navy. Conscription was made mandatory in 1872, and that helped to make up for the lack of numbers Japan would face in its coming war. A supreme war council was founded, fashioned after the Prussian “Generalstab”, but deep divisions rapidly emerged between the IJN and the IJA.
Japanese soldiers on the firing range, under Prussian supervision
Great Britain and France were paid to instruct Japan how to build modern warships, and some orders were placed in Britain. The French initially had the most success in influencing Japan, and France was called upon to build a large navy consisting of:
• 3 cruisers: the 4,700 tons Matsushima and Itsukushima, built in France, and the Hashidate, built at Yokosuka.
• 3 coastal warships of 4,278 tons.
• 2 small cruisers: a small cruiser of 2,439 tons built in Britain, and one of, 1800 tons, built at Yokosuka.
• 1 frigate, the 1600 tons, built at Yokosuka.
• 1 destroyer: the 726 tons, built in France.
• 16 torpedo boats of 54 tons each, built in France 1888, and assembled in Japan.
• 2 heavy cruisers Naniwa and the Takachiho were 3,650 ton ships. They were capable of speeds up to 18 knots (33 km/h) and were armed with 2 to 3-inch deck armor and two 10.2-in (260 mm) Krupp guns. Built in Britain
The French-built Matsushima, flagship of the Imperial Japanese Navy
With these ships, Japan hoped that it could overpower China at sea, which had armed itself with two old German battleships of 7,000+ tons. With this, a naval arms race had started which closely resembled the British-German race. Japan, supported by France and Britain, and China supported by the Germans.
Now, all that was needed was a spark to ignite the flame, and that would soon come forth.
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