What did Japan achieve through the Meiji Restoration?

Progress needs comparison. We must first realize what Japan was like before the Meiji Restoration.

geography

Territorially, Japan's land area is small, only 360,000 square kilometers in some areas, which is smaller than that of Russian, French, German, American, Austro-Hungarian Empire and other western powers, and even worse than that of China. If you count the colonies, Japan is not even a fraction of the European and American powers. In fact, even Japan's 360,000 square kilometers was only a theoretical area at that time, because Hokkaido, northern Honshu and other areas were all Xia Yi people's land. Until the middle of19th century, Japan eliminated Xiayi * * and the country (the old shogunate fled to the north to establish) and immigrated to these areas on a large scale.

Human population

Before the Meiji Restoration, the population of Japan was about 30 million, roughly equivalent to that of the United States. Japan is a country with a large population and is not rich in human resources. However, due to the lack of resources, Japan has been controlling its population, and due to natural disasters and other reasons, Japan's population even experienced negative growth before the Meiji Restoration.

3. Economy

Japan's economy is very backward. Like China at the same time, Japan is a traditional agricultural country. On the whole, Japan's economic development level is still good, but Japan lacks modern industry, and with the policy of closing the country to the outside world, Japan's total economic output is only about one-tenth of that of China, and modern industry is even smaller, which is not comparable to that of European and American powers.

4. Military affairs

In terms of military strength, at that time, the Japanese army had a large number, strong combat effectiveness, high proportion of firearms and equipment, and certain firearms production capacity. Generally speaking, Japan's military capability is very strong, otherwise there would not be a situation in which two local provinces, Satsuma and Changzhou, dared to challenge western powers. Although both governors were defeated, it can be seen that Japan's military strength and war potential are very strong. However, to some extent, Japan's military strength and economic strength have been weakened by the separatist state of many buffer areas.

Generally speaking, Japan was a second-rate country before the Meiji Restoration.

The main contents of Meiji Restoration are as follows.

Politically, the abolition of vassal States, the establishment of States, prefectures, capitals and counties, and the appointment of vassal governors by the central government strengthened centralization;

Economically: abolish the feudal lords' land system and allow land to be bought and sold freely; Introduce western technology and vigorously support the development of capitalist industries.

Militarily: reform the military and police system, establish an arms industry, implement the conscription system, and establish a new army and police system.

Culturally: learn western ideology and culture, science and technology, develop modern education, improve the level of national knowledge and cultivate modern talents.

The emphasis is on education. After the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, almost all people's education was realized, which is quite frightening data. At that time, some western powers could not reach this level, and the victory of the Sino-Japanese War proved that Japan was strong enough. They are facing the sixth largest navy in the world: beiyang fleet.

If the reform is to be thorough, it must be to overthrow the old order and establish a new one. Emperor Meiji succeeded in overthrowing the old order in the new era. On the other hand, the Qing court itself is the old order. I'm afraid he really didn't realize this, so he judged the reform results!

Therefore, the Meiji Restoration was far superior to the Westernization Movement. Of course, the Meiji Restoration was only a little better than the Westernization Movement, but it only realized the prosperity of Qiang Bing, but not the prosperity of the country. The vassal forces represented by big landlords and big financial businessmen formed a new exploiting class. Therefore, it is a historical necessity for Japan to develop militarism in its later period, and it has not expanded. As an island country with scarce resources, Japan is already weak and cannot continue to develop. Sharp social contradictions have not been alleviated, so there will be expansion and aggression in the later period, and Japan won several national games by luck, which directly led to the expansion of militaristic forces and, of course, the failure of World War II.