First Sino-Japanese War (jul 25, 1894 – apr 17, 1895)

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The First Sino-Japanese War, also known as the Jiawu War, was a conflict between the Qing dynasty of China and the Empire of Japan, primarily over Korea's influence. After six months of unbroken successes by Japanese forces and the loss of ports of Lüshunkou and Weihaiwei, the Qing government sued for peace in February 1895 and signed the unequal Treaty of Shimonoseki two months later, ending the war.

In the late 19th century, Korea remained one of China's tributary states, while Japan viewed it as a target of imperial expansion. In June 1894, the Qing government sent 2,800 troops to suppress the Donghak Peasant Revolution, which was considered a violation of the 1885 Convention of Tientsin. The Japanese sent an expeditionary force of 8,000 troops, which landed at Incheon, seized the Korean emperor, and set up a pro-Japanese government in the occupation of Gyeongbokgung.

The Qing government decided to withdraw its troops but rejected recognition of the pro-Japanese government, which had granted the Imperial Japanese Army the right to expel the Chinese Huai Army from Korea. About 3,000 Chinese troops remained in Korea, and the Japanese Navy won the Battle of Pungdo on 25 July, leading to a declaration of war on 1 August.

The war demonstrated the failure of the Qing dynasty's attempts to modernize its military and fend off threats to its sovereignty, especially when compared with Japan's successful Meiji Restoration. For the first time, regional dominance in East Asia shifted from China to Japan, and the loss of Korea as a tributary state sparked an unprecedented public outcry.

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