20th Century History Study Guide

Prior to 1900’s * Unequal Treaties unfair for China * Qing Dynasty (1644 1912) * 1842: War over trade Britons want to trade Chinese opium for their tea C don’t want opium B and C battle it out C lose disastrously leads to Treaty of Nanjing: B gets Hong Kong starts to take over parts of China * extraterritoriality: citizens of ruling country abide by their own country’s laws * Most Favored Nation status: * 1844: Treaty of Whampoa French open up areas in China for trade ports are forced open b/c Chinese keep losing wars French get Guangzhou * 1858: Treaty of Tianjin Russia, Germany, and Italy take Yangtze River * 1895: Japanese Invasion of China leads to Treaty of Shimonoseki: Japan gets Korea and Taiwan (valuable ports) * 1850: Clayton Bullwer Treaty treaty with Britain; no sole ownership of Panama Canal (by 1914 it was US property) * 1871: Franco-Prussian War (siege of Paris) leads to the unification of Germany * 1880s: Panamanian revolts * 1888: Kaiser Wilhelm II is crowned * 1894: German-Russian friendship ends * 1895: Decision to Declare War * For * Support for the Cubans (want to civilize them) * Public pressure generated by yellow journalism * Against * Want to protect property; hold Spain responsible for protecting US property * Avoid weakening US dollar/US credit via silver * Constitutional issue does US Constitution work overseas? * Don’t want multi-racial society * Result = No War * 1897: Decision to Declare War * For * Public pressure b/c of yellow journalism * Want to civilize Cuba * Japanese invasion of China/Philippines as base * Distrust of Spain (USS Maine) * Against * Hold Spain responsible * Want to avoid weakening US dollar * Constitutional issues * Don’t want multi-racial