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- wartime atrocities. There were dismal reports of horrendous Chinese military and civilian casualties. This war was glorified in Japan until the end of World War II in 1945, when embarrass�ment and guilt caused the imperialist wars to be largely blotted from Japanese history books.
Emperor Meiji, who was originally reluctant to start the war, remained in the background at first. But after the initial successes he became more of a public figure and began presid�ing over the imperial war councils. As commander-in-chief he moved his headquarters to Hiroshima (the major embarkation point) so he could oversee troop operations. The empress also got involved in the war effort, frequently visiting military hospi�tals to boost morale.
In 1900 Japan became involved in another conflict with China. She united with Western imperialist powers and sent troops to suppress the Boxer Rebellion, which threatened foreign nationals in China. Japan sent 20,000 soldiers to relieve the beleaguered foreign legations in Beijing. With the rebellion de�feated, China was again forced to pay huge indemnities to the imperialist countries.
In 1902 a military pact called the Anglo-]apanese Alliance was signed on equal terms between Japan and Great Britain, the
greatest naval power of the day. Both countries agreed to come to the aid of the other if its ally, while engaged in war with one power, should be attacked by another. By signing this accord, Japan now had the security it wanted in order to fight Russia without interference from another Western power.
Russia's expanding outposts in Manchuria and Korea caused Japan to break diplomatic relations with them. Then, without warning, on the evening of February 6,1904, the Japanese navy attacked the Russian fleet in Port Arthur. Japan succeeded in crippling the Russian navy in the Far East as well as blockading them in the harbour of Port Arthur. Japan declared war the following day. After costly assaults the Japanese finally took the Liaodong peninsula and drove the Russian army northward through Manchuria.
Although Russia had the most expansive army in the world and a larger, more powerful navy than Japan, she had a distinct disadvantage as most of her war apparatus was located in East�ern Europe. The several thousand kilometre single track railway that led to Russia's east coast delayed supplies and troop move�ment. Russia was forced to deploy her European fleet from the Baltic Sea and head to the Far East. Britain, now an ally of Japan, would not allow them to use the Suez Canal so the Russian navy
Meiji Period Medals, left to right, 1. Imperial Constitution Promulgation Commemorative Medal (1889�Japan's First Constitution); 2. Twenty-fifth Wedding Anniversary Medal (1894�Emperor Meiji's 25th Wedding Anniversary); 3. 1894-1893 War Medal (War with China); 4. 1900 War Medal (Japanese troops
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