# Canonical recap data for Sino-Japanese War (1894)
# Source: https://recap.at/1894/sino-japanese-war-1894-1895
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: sino-japanese-war-1894-1895
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/1894/sino-japanese-war-1894-1895"
title: Sino-Japanese War
aliases:
- First Sino-Japanese War
- Jiawu War
- 甲午战争
subtitle: ""
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 1894-01-01
datePrecision: year
year: 1894
decade: 1890
country:
name: Japan
slug: japan
summaryShort: Japan defeated China in a rapid 1894–95 war that marked Japan's emergence as a regional power and shattered the myth of Chinese invincibility in East Asia.
summaryLong: |-
  The Sino-Japanese War of 1894–95 was the collision of two empires on very different trajectories. Japan, having spent 25 years modernizing its military after the 1868 Meiji Restoration, faced China-still the regional giant but creaking under internal decay and foreign encroachment. The spark was Korea, nominally a Chinese tributary but increasingly in Japan's orbit. When Korean insurgents rebelled in the spring of 1894, both powers sent troops. Japan moved faster, better coordinated, and more ruthless.

  The fighting was lopsided. At the Battle of Pungdo on July 25, 1894, the Japanese navy sank two Chinese warships without losing a single vessel. On land, Japanese forces under General Yamagata Aritomo crushed the Chinese army at Pyongyang in September, then pursued them across Manchuria. The Chinese commander, General Ye Zhiyuan, resigned in disgrace. By November, Japanese troops were threatening Beijing itself. China's Qing government, weakened by the Taiping Rebellion three decades earlier and humiliated by Western powers in the Opium Wars, couldn't muster effective resistance.

  The war lasted less than a year. When the smoke cleared, the Treaty of Shimonoseki signed by Chinese statesman Li Hongzhang in April 1895 handed Japan control of Taiwan, the Liaodong Peninsula, and the Pescadores Islands-plus a massive indemnity of 200 million taels of silver. Korea became independent (and effectively a Japanese sphere). The victory upended Asian geopolitics. China's prestige evaporated overnight; Japan was suddenly a power to be reckoned with. Within two decades, Japan would be at war with Russia, and by the 1930s, it was the region's dominant military force.

  Western observers were stunned. Japan had done what European armies did-modernized, organized, and won decisively. The war vindicated the Meiji reformers and set the template for Japan's imperial ambitions. But it also accelerated the partition of China and scrambled the regional order. For China, it was one more humiliation in a long century of them; for Japan, it was vindication of its bet on becoming Western-style modern.
lede: In 1894–95, Japan defeated China in a swift, decisive war that stunned the world and reshaped East Asia. Japan seized Chinese territories, Korea became its sphere of influence, and the old hierarchy-where China was the unchallenged regional power-collapsed overnight. The victory proved that Japan's decades of military modernization had worked, and it marked the beginning of Japan's rise as an imperial power.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7e/Sino-Japanese_War_book_cover.jpg"
heroImageCredit: "Wikipedia · \"The Sino-Japanese War of 1894–1895: Perceptions, Power, and Primacy\""
importance: 50
sourceConfidence: 50
keyFacts:
- label: Duration
  value: July 1894 – April 1895 (9 months)
- label: Treaty settlement
  value: Treaty of Shimonoseki, April 17, 1895
- label: Chinese indemnity to Japan
  value: 200 million taels of silver
- label: Territories ceded by China
  value: Taiwan, Pescadores Islands, Liaodong Peninsula
- label: Major Japanese naval victory
  value: Battle of Pungdo, July 25, 1894
- label: Major Japanese land victory
  value: Battle of Pyongyang, September 15–16, 1894
- label: Japanese commanding general
  value: Yamagata Aritomo
- label: Chinese negotiator
  value: Li Hongzhang
timeline:
- date: 1894-06-06
  title: Donghak Rebellion escalates
  description: Korean insurgents' uprising triggers requests for military intervention from both China and Japan, setting the conflict in motion.
- date: 1894-07-25
  title: Battle of Pungdo
  description: Japanese navy sinks two Chinese warships off the Korean coast in the first major engagement. Japan demonstrates naval superiority without losses.
- date: 1894-07-29
  title: Japan declares war
  description: Japan formally declares war on China after weeks of escalating military presence in Korea.
- date: 1894-09-15
  title: Battle of Pyongyang
  description: Japanese forces under General Yamagata crush Chinese troops in Korean capital. China's General Ye Zhiyuan resigns in the aftermath.
- date: 1894-11-21
  title: Fall of Port Arthur
  description: Japanese forces capture the strategic Liaodong Peninsula fortress, threatening Beijing and forcing China to negotiate.
- date: 1895-02-12
  title: Battle of Weihaiwei
  description: Japanese navy decisively defeats Chinese fleet in final major naval engagement; Chinese admiral Liu Buchan commits suicide.
- date: 1895-04-17
  title: Treaty of Shimonoseki signed
  description: Li Hongzhang negotiates peace terms. China cedes Taiwan, Pescadores, and Liaodong Peninsula; pays 200 million taels indemnity; recognizes Korean independence.
sources: []
related: []
gallery:
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b2/Sino_Japanese_war_1894.jpg/1280px-Sino_Japanese_war_1894.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b2/Sino_Japanese_war_1894.jpg/800px-Sino_Japanese_war_1894.jpg"
  caption: Sino Japanese war 1894
  credit: Oomoto (1894)
  width: 2837
  height: 1935
  alt: A black and white historical photograph showing soldiers in military uniforms and helmets positioned among dense vegetation and fortifications during combat operations. The image captures troops in what appears to be a trench or defensive position during the 1894 Sino-Japanese War.
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cd/JPN_1894-1895_Sino-Japanese_War_Medal_BAR.svg/1280px-JPN_1894-1895_Sino-Japanese_War_Medal_BAR.svg.png"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cd/JPN_1894-1895_Sino-Japanese_War_Medal_BAR.svg/800px-JPN_1894-1895_Sino-Japanese_War_Medal_BAR.svg.png"
  caption: JPN 1894-1895 Sino-Japanese War Medal BAR
  credit: KarlHeintz
  width: 218
  height: 60
  alt: A horizontal striped pattern alternating between green and gray sections, with a white center panel, representing the ribbon bar of a Japanese military medal awarded during the 1894-1895 Sino-Japanese War.
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/31/%27Sino-Japanese_War_in_Datong-_Sergeant_Iseo_Kawasaki_Spying_on_the_Chinese%27_by_Mizuno_ToshikataFXD.jpg/1280px-%27Sino-Japanese_War_in_Datong-_Sergeant_Iseo_Kawasaki_Spying_on_the_Chinese%27_by_Mizuno_ToshikataFXD.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/31/%27Sino-Japanese_War_in_Datong-_Sergeant_Iseo_Kawasaki_Spying_on_the_Chinese%27_by_Mizuno_ToshikataFXD.jpg/800px-%27Sino-Japanese_War_in_Datong-_Sergeant_Iseo_Kawasaki_Spying_on_the_Chinese%27_by_Mizuno_ToshikataFXD.jpg"
  caption: "'Sino-Japanese War in Datong- Sergeant Iseo Kawasaki Spying on the Chinese' by Mizuno ToshikataFXD"
  credit: Toshikata Mizuno
  width: 3524
  height: 1708
  alt: A Japanese soldier in light-colored military uniform stands in a wooden boat wielding a long pole, while observing Chinese figures in the distance near a gnarled tree on a misty riverbank during the Sino-Japanese War. The composition combines traditional Japanese artistic techniques with a military subject, depicting a scene of reconnaissance or surveillance near water.
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f7/%27Sino-Japanese_War_in_Datong-_Sergeant_Iseo_Kawasaki_Spying_on_the_Chinese%27_by_Mizuno_Toshikata.JPG/1280px-%27Sino-Japanese_War_in_Datong-_Sergeant_Iseo_Kawasaki_Spying_on_the_Chinese%27_by_Mizuno_Toshikata.JPG"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f7/%27Sino-Japanese_War_in_Datong-_Sergeant_Iseo_Kawasaki_Spying_on_the_Chinese%27_by_Mizuno_Toshikata.JPG/800px-%27Sino-Japanese_War_in_Datong-_Sergeant_Iseo_Kawasaki_Spying_on_the_Chinese%27_by_Mizuno_Toshikata.JPG"
  caption: "'Sino-Japanese War in Datong- Sergeant Iseo Kawasaki Spying on the Chinese' by Mizuno Toshikata"
  credit: Toshikata Mizuno
  width: 3524
  height: 1708
  alt: A Japanese soldier in a boat poles through water while holding a spear, observing Chinese figures in a tree above him during the Sino-Japanese War, in this traditional Japanese woodblock print style illustration.
categories:
- war
metaDescription: Japan crushes China in a brutal 8-month clash. Korea becomes the prize. The old guard crumbles; modernity wins. Japan emerges as Asia's new force.
impactStatement: Japan's 1894 victory over China marked the arrival of a non-Western power in great-power politics and signaled the decline of Qing dynasty authority across East Asia. The war accelerated Japanese imperial ambitions and reshaped the regional balance of power, setting conditions for conflicts that would dominate the next half-century.
relationships:
- targetSlug: russo-japanese-war
  type: evolved_into
  confidence: 92
  evidence: Japan's 1894 victory over China emboldened its territorial expansion and challenged Russian interests in Manchuria, directly precipitating the 1904 Russo-Japanese War as the next stage of regional competition.
  source: ai
- targetSlug: meiji-restoration
  type: enabled
  confidence: 88
  evidence: The Meiji Restoration (1868) modernized Japan's military and industrial capacity, directly enabling its decisive naval and land victories against China in 1894 and establishing Japan as a regional military power.
  source: ai
- targetSlug: boxer-rebellion
  type: caused
  confidence: 79
  evidence: Japan's 1894 victory humiliated China and accelerated Western encroachment on Chinese sovereignty, fueling the anti-foreign backlash that erupted in the Boxer Rebellion (1900) as nationalist reaction to foreign domination.
  source: ai
comparisonThenNow:
- metric: Japan's military spending as % of government budget
  thenValue: ~30%
  thenYear: 1894
  nowValue: ~9%
  nowYear: 2024
  note: Japan's militarization peaked during the Meiji era; modern spending reflects pacifist constitution adopted 1947
- metric: China's share of global GDP
  thenValue: ~6%
  thenYear: 1890
  nowValue: ~18%
  nowYear: 2023
  note: China's economic dominance has reversed the regional power dynamic established after the Sino-Japanese War
- metric: Japan's territorial control in East Asia
  thenValue: Taiwan, Korea peninsula, Liaodong Peninsula (briefly)
  thenYear: 1895
  nowValue: Homogeneous islands; South Korea and Taiwan independent
  nowYear: 2024
  note: All territorial gains from 1894–95 war were lost by 1945; regional order completely restructured
consequences:
- title: Treaty of Shimonoseki
  year: 1895
  description: China ceded Taiwan, the Pescadores, and the Liaodong Peninsula to Japan; paid 200 million taels indemnity. Russia, Germany, and France forced Japan to return Liaodong, humiliating Japan and preventing fuller territorial consolidation.
- title: Russo-Japanese War erupts
  year: 1904
  description: Tensions over Manchuria and Korea between Japan and Russia culminated in open conflict. Japan's 1894 victory emboldened expansionism and convinced the Japanese military that regional dominance was achievable through force.
- title: Japanese annexation of Korea
  year: 1910
  description: Japan formally annexed Korea after years of increasing control. The 1894–95 war had established Japan's sphere of influence over the peninsula; this completed the integration of Korea into the Japanese empire.
- title: China's Hundred Days' Reform
  year: 1898
  description: Shocked by military defeat to Japan, Chinese intellectuals and officials attempted rapid modernization under Emperor Guangxu. The war exposed China's backwardness and catalyzed internal pressure for institutional change, though the reform was suppressed within weeks.
- title: Western perception of Japan shifts
  year: 1895
  description: European and American observers began treating Japan as a credible great power rather than a regional curiosity. Japan's victory demonstrated successful Meiji-era modernization and repositioned it as a counterweight to Russian and Western influence in East Asia.
culturalContext:
topMusic:
- title: Jingoistic popular songs celebrating Japanese victory
  artist: Various traditional performers
  year: 1895
  note: Japanese folk and theater music celebrated military triumph; this period marked rise of nationalist sentiment in popular culture
  referenceCard:
  status: not_found
  checkedAt: "2026-06-01T07:59:11.751Z"
topFilms: []
topTVShows: []
zeitgeistNote: The 1890s in Japan were dominated by Meiji nationalism and modernization fervor. The war victory vindicated the government's Westernization program and military investment, strengthening militarist ideology that would shape Japanese politics through the 1930s. In China, the defeat triggered soul-searching about 'the Sick Man of Asia,' inspiring reform movements and nationalist backlash. Globally, the conflict demonstrated that non-Western nations could defeat European-trained armies, shifting assumptions about racial hierarchies and imperial dominance.
geo:
lat: 36.5748441
lng: 139.2394179
place: Japan
note: Location inferred from recap.country via OSM Nominatim.
significance: 25
heroImageAlt: "Book cover for \"The Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895: Perceptions, Power, and Primacy\" by S.C.M. Paine, featuring a colorful historical illustration depicting soldiers in combat during the conflict between Chinese and Japanese forces."
translations:
es:
lede: En 1894–95, Japón derrotó a China en una guerra rápida y decisiva que sorprendió al mundo y reformuló Asia Oriental. Japón se apoderó de territorios chinos, Corea se convirtió en su esfera de influencia, y la antigua jerarquía-donde China era la potencia regional indiscutible-se derrumbó de la noche a la mañana. La victoria demostró que las décadas de modernización militar de Japón habían funcionado, y marcó el comienzo del ascenso de Japón como potencia imperial.
summaryShort: Japón derrotó a China en una rápida guerra de 1894–95 que marcó el surgimiento de Japón como potencia regional y destrozó el mito de la invencibilidad china en Asia Oriental.
summaryLong: |-
  La Guerra Sino-Japonesa de 1894–95 fue la colisión de dos imperios en trayectorias muy diferentes. Japón, habiendo pasado 25 años modernizando su ejército después de la Restauración Meiji de 1868, enfrentó a China-aún el gigante regional pero tambaleándose bajo la decadencia interna y la invasión extranjera. La chispa fue Corea, nominalmente un tributario chino pero cada vez más en la órbita de Japón. Cuando insurgentes coreanos se rebelaron en la primavera de 1894, ambas potencias enviaron tropas. Japón se movió más rápido, mejor coordinado y más despiadado.

  La lucha fue desigual. En la Batalla de Pungdo el 25 de julio de 1894, la marina japonesa hundió dos acorazados chinos sin perder ni un solo barco. En tierra, las fuerzas japonesas bajo el General Yamagata Aritomo aplastaron al ejército chino en Pyongyang en septiembre, luego los persiguieron a través de Manchuria. El comandante chino, General Ye Zhiyuan, renunció en desgracia. Para noviembre, las tropas japonesas amenazaban a Beijing. El gobierno Qing de China, debilitado por la Rebelión Taiping tres décadas antes y humillado por las potencias occidentales en las Guerras del Opio, no pudo montar una resistencia efectiva.

  La guerra duró menos de un año. Cuando se disipó el humo, el Tratado de Shimonoseki firmado por el estadista chino Li Hongzhang en abril de 1895 entregó a Japón el control de Taiwan, la Península de Liaodong y las Islas Pescadores-más una indemnización masiva de 200 millones de taels de plata. Corea se volvió independiente (y efectivamente una esfera japonesa). La victoria trastocó la geopolítica asiática. El prestigio de China se evaporó de la noche a la mañana; Japón fue repentinamente una potencia con la que hay que contar. Dentro de dos décadas, Japón estaría en guerra con Rusia, y para los años treinta, era la fuerza militar dominante de la región.

  Los observadores occidentales estaban sorprendidos. Japón había hecho lo que los ejércitos europeos hacían-se modernizó, se organizó y ganó decisivamente. La guerra vindicó a los reformadores Meiji y estableció la plantilla para las ambiciones imperiales de Japón. Pero también aceleró la partición de China y revolvió el orden regional. Para China, fue una humillación más en un largo siglo de ellas; para Japón, fue la vindicación de su apuesta por volverse moderno al estilo occidental.
generatedAt: "2026-06-03T22:59:53.554Z"
fr:
lede: En 1894–95, le Japon a vaincu la Chine dans une guerre rapide et décisive qui a stupéfié le monde et remodelé l'Asie de l'Est. Le Japon s'est emparé de territoires chinois, la Corée est devenue sa sphère d'influence, et la vieille hiérarchie-où la Chine était la puissance régionale incontestée-s'est effondrée du jour au lendemain. La victoire a prouvé que des décennies de modernisation militaire japonaise avaient porté leurs fruits, et elle a marqué le début de l'émergence du Japon en tant que puissance impériale.
summaryShort: Le Japon a vaincu la Chine dans une guerre rapide de 1894–95 qui a marqué l'émergence du Japon en tant que puissance régionale et a anéanti le mythe de l'invincibilité chinoise en Asie de l'Est.
summaryLong: |-
  La Guerre sino-japonaise de 1894–95 était la collision de deux empires sur des trajectoires très différentes. Le Japon, qui avait consacré 25 ans à la modernisation de son armée après la Restauration Meiji de 1868, faisait face à la Chine-toujours le géant régional mais s'effondrant sous la décadence interne et l'empiétement étranger. L'étincelle a été la Corée, nominalement un tributaire chinois mais de plus en plus dans l'orbite du Japon. Lorsque des insurgés coréens se sont rebellés au printemps 1894, les deux puissances ont envoyé des troupes. Le Japon s'est déplacé plus vite, mieux coordonné et plus impitoyable.

  Les combats ont été unilatéraux. À la Bataille de Pungdo le 25 juillet 1894, la marine japonaise a coulé deux navires de guerre chinois sans perdre un seul navire. Sur terre, les forces japonaises sous le général Yamagata Aritomo ont écrasé l'armée chinoise à Pyongyang en septembre, puis les ont poursuivies à travers la Mandchourie. Le commandant chinois, le général Ye Zhiyuan, a démissionné en disgrace. En novembre, les troupes japonaises menaçaient Pékin elle-même. Le gouvernement Qing de la Chine, affaibli par la Rébellion Taiping trois décennies plus tôt et humilié par les puissances occidentales lors des Guerres de l'Opium, n'a pas pu monter une résistance efficace.

  La guerre a duré moins d'un an. Lorsque la fumée s'est dissipée, le Traité de Shimonoseki signé par l'homme d'État chinois Li Hongzhang en avril 1895 a confié au Japon le contrôle de Taiwan, de la Péninsule du Liaodong et des îles Pescadores-plus une indemnité massive de 200 millions de taels d'argent. La Corée est devenue indépendante (et effectivement une sphère d'influence japonaise). La victoire a bouleversé la géopolitique asiatique. Le prestige de la Chine s'est évaporé du jour au lendemain; le Japon était soudainement une puissance à respecter. Au cours des deux décennies suivantes, le Japon serait en guerre avec la Russie, et dans les années 1930, il était la force militaire dominante de la région.

  Les observateurs occidentaux ont été stupéfaits. Le Japon avait fait ce que les armées européennes avaient fait-se moderniser, s'organiser et gagner de façon décisive. La guerre a justifié les réformateurs Meiji et a établi le modèle pour les ambitions impériales du Japon. Mais elle a aussi accéléré le partage de la Chine et brouillé l'ordre régional. Pour la Chine, c'était une humiliation de plus dans un long siècle d'humiliations; pour le Japon, c'était la justification de son pari de devenir moderne à l'occidentale.
generatedAt: "2026-06-03T23:00:00.969Z"
de:
lede: 1894–95 besiegte Japan China in einem schnellen, entscheidenden Krieg, der die Welt schockierte und Ostasien neu gestaltete. Japan eroberte chinesische Territorien, Korea wurde seine Einflusssphäre, und die alte Hierarchie – in der China die unumstrittene Regionalmacht war – kollabierte über Nacht. Der Sieg bewies, dass Japans Jahrzehnte der militärischen Modernisierung Erfolg hatten, und markierte den Beginn von Japans Aufstieg als imperiale Macht.
summaryShort: Japan besiegte China in einem rasanten Krieg von 1894–95, der Japans Aufstieg zur Regionalmacht markierte und den Mythos der chinesischen Unbesiegbarkeit in Ostasien zerstörte.
summaryLong: |-
  Der Chinesisch-Japanische Krieg von 1894–95 war die Kollision zweier Imperien auf sehr unterschiedlichen Trajektorien. Japan, das 25 Jahre nach der Meiji-Restauration von 1868 seine Armee modernisiert hatte, stand China gegenüber – noch immer der Riesenstaat der Region, aber zerfallend unter innerer Zersetzung und fremder Einmischung. Der Funke war Korea, nominell ein chinesisches Tributland, aber zunehmend in Japans Orbit. Als koreanische Aufständische im Frühjahr 1894 rebellierten, entsandten beide Mächte Truppen. Japan war schneller, besser koordiniert und rücksichtsloser.

  Die Kämpfe waren einseitig. In der Schlacht von Pungdo am 25. Juli 1894 versenkte die japanische Marine zwei chinesische Kriegsschiffe, ohne ein eigenes Schiff zu verlieren. An Land vernichteten japanische Truppen unter General Yamagata Aritomo die chinesische Armee in Pjöngjang im September, verfolgten sie dann über die Mandschurei. Der chinesische Kommandant, General Ye Zhiyuan, trat in Schande zurück. Im November bedrohten japanische Truppen Beijing selbst. Die geschwächte Qing-Regierung Chinas, niedergebeugt durch die Taiping-Rebellion drei Jahrzehnte zuvor und gedemütigt durch westliche Mächte in den Opiumkriegen, konnte keinen wirksamen Widerstand leisten.

  Der Krieg dauerte weniger als ein Jahr. Als der Rauch sich verzog, überhandelte der Vertrag von Shimonoseki, unterzeichnet von chinesischem Staatsmann Li Hongzhang im April 1895, Japan die Kontrolle über Taiwan, die Liaodong-Halbinsel und die Pescadores-Inseln – plus eine massive Entschädigung von 200 Millionen Taels Silber. Korea wurde unabhängig (und effektiv eine japanische Einflusssphäre). Der Sieg stürzte die asiatische Geopolitik um. Chinas Prestige verdampfte über Nacht; Japan war plötzlich eine zu beachtende Macht. Innerhalb von zwei Jahrzehnten würde Japan mit Russland Krieg führen, und in den 1930er Jahren war es die dominierende Militärmacht der Region.

  Westliche Beobachter waren schockiert. Japan hatte getan, was europäische Armeen taten – modernisiert, organisiert und entscheidend gewonnen. Der Krieg rechtfertigte die Meiji-Reformer und setzte die Vorlage für Japans imperiale Ambitionen. Aber er beschleunigte auch die Aufteilung Chinas und durcheinander die regionale Ordnung. Für China war es eine weitere Demütigung in einem langen Jahrhundert dieser; für Japan war es die Rechtfertigung seiner Wette, westlich-modern zu werden.
generatedAt: "2026-06-03T23:00:10.338Z"
relatedQueries:
- First Sino-Japanese War 1894-1895
- Treaty of Shimonoseki 1895
- Japan regional power emergence East Asia
- Chinese military defeat 1894
- Meiji Restoration military modernization
- Korean Peninsula control 1894
- Western imperialism East Asia 1890s
taxonomy:
domain: military
eventTypes:
- war
- invasion
canonicalClasses:
- conflict
- transformation
impactRadius: regional
velocity: sudden
predictability: forecastable
intentionality: planned
domainCoupling: multi_domain
lifecycleClass: conflict
