East Asia Dbq Analysis

East Asia saw significant changes and continuities with regard to attitudes of acceptance and rejection towards Western ideas from 1815 C.E. to 1939 C.E. From 1815 C.E. to 1939 C.E., China and Japan recognized that they needed to westernize in order to fend off Western powers. However, by 1939 C.E., the nature of the Western ideas adopted in Japan shifted. Throughout this period, China peoples remained aggressive in their attempts to reject most Western ideas. However, by 1939 C.E., the Chinese were no longer rejecting ideas in order to preserve their traditional Chinese culture.
From 1815 C.E. to 1939 C.E., Western ideas were accepted in China and Japan in an effort to compete with Western power (CONT). Both China and Japan dramatically failed …show more content…
and 1939 C.E., China remained aggressive in their attempts to reject most Western ideas (CONT). The Chinese treated the Europeans much like the nomads and other peoples whom they saw as barbarians, and refused Western involvement in Chinese affairs. In 1815 C.E., China’s aggressive attempt to put an end to trade with the British for Opium had lasting effects. China strived to expel the foreigners and their ideas from China, but attempts were put down only through the intervention of the imperialist powers. Its failure led to even greater control over China 's internal affairs by the Europeans and a further devolution of power to provincial officials. By 1939 C.E., the failure of the Chinese to resist mounting intrusions had lasting effects. Opposition to the government 's reliance on the Western powers had spurred violent uprisings, student demonstrations, and mutinies on the part of imperial troops in order to permanently rid China Western influence. When the dynasty had failed and it became clear that the "barbarians" had outdone the Chinese in so many fields of civilized endeavor, the Nationalist Party of China rose in power. The Nationalist Party stressed the need to unify China under a strong central government and bring the imperialist intruders under control. Internally, the cause of this continuity was the isolation that the Chinese had been practicing for centuries. This isolation prevented the Chinese from obtaining vital military technology, which led to shock when the Chinese were unable to defend their borders. The inability to defend their borders in turn created fear amongst the Chinese people and spurred acts of aggression (AN). Externally, this continuity was caused by the defeat of the Chinese against the British in the Opium Wars. This allowed the European powers to force China to open trade and diplomatic exchanges, allowing their ideas to spread across the Chinese empire, which only contributed to the hostility harbored by