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In 1875 the Qing Dynasty of China had allowed Japan to recognise Korea as an independent state. However, China continued to try to assert influence over Korea, and public opinion in Korea split, with conservatives wanting to retain a close relationship with China while reformists wanted Korea to modernize and to have a closer relationship with Japan.
Following the assassination of a pro-Japanese reformist in 1894, a Korean religious sect, the Tonghak , began the Tonghak Peasant Revolution. The Korean government requested help from China in suppressing it.
When China contributed assistance, the Japanese government sent an expedition in support of the reformists, and had seized the royal palace in Seoul by June 8, 1894. War between Japan and China was officially declared on August 1Some entries on this page have been duplicates from June 28. The correct dates for such events need to be determined. August 1st is the 213th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (214th in leap years), with 152 days remaining. Events 527 Justinian I, 1894, though some naval fighting had already taken place.
The more modern Japanese army defeated the Chinese in a series of battles around Seoul and PyongyangP'yongyang Directly Governed City Korean Name McCune-ReischauerP'yongyang Chik'alshi Revised RomanizationPyeongyang Jikhalsi Hangul Hanja Short NameP'yongyang (Pyeongyang;; ) Statistics Population2,741,260 ( 1993) Area? GovernmentSpecial City;Capital of N, forcing them north, and by November 21November 21 is the 325th day of the year (326th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. There are 40 days remaining. Events 235 Anterus is elected Pope. 1783 In Paris, Jean-Francois Pilatre de Rozier and Francois Laurent, the marquis d'Arlandes, make th the Japanese had taken Port Arthur (now known as Lushun).
The Japanese navy devastated China's northern fleet off the mouth of the Yalu RiverThe Yalu (Amnok) River is a river on the border between China and North Korea. Geography Rising 2,500 m above sea level on Baitou Mountain in the Changbai (Changbaek) mountain range, on the Chinese-North Korean border, the river flows south to Hyesan befo at the Battle of YaluThe Battle of the Yalu River also called simply 'The Battle of Yalu' took place on September 17 1894. It involved the Japanese and the Chinese navies, and was the largest naval engagement of the First Sino-Japanese War. The Yalu River is the border betwee on September 17, 1894. The Chinese fleet lost 8 out of 12 warships, retreated behind the fortifications of the Weihaiwei naval base, and was then caught by a surprise Japanese land attack across the Liaodong Peninsula, which shattered the ships in harbour with shelling from the landward side. After Weihaiwei's fall on February 2 and an easing of harsh winter conditions, Japanese troops pressed their advance into Manchuria.
Faced with these repeated defeats China signed the Treaty of Shimonoseki in April, 1895.
The defeat of China at the hands of Japan highlighted the failure of the Chinese army to modernize adequately, and resulted in increased calls within China for accelerated modernization and reform.