A major Chinese revolt against Western Imperialism, it was crushed between 18 by the Eight Nation Alliance of France, Britain, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Russia, Italy, Japan, and the United States.

To see the fruits of the 1894-1895 war lost to Russia was unthinkable. To many in Japan, control over Korea was a vital strategic interest. In addition, Russia began exerting political and economic influence in Korea. To the fury of the Japanese government, Russia immediately seized the KLT for itself, building a fortress and naval base called 'Port Arthur'. In the so-called Triple Intervention, Russia, France, and Germany forced Japan to retrocede the KLT. But some European powers were not ready to see Japan become so powerful.

In the Treaty of Shimonoseki, China was forced to cede Taiwan and the tip of the strategic Kwantung Peninsula (what would become known as the 'Kwantung Leased Territory') to Japan, as well as withdrawing their dominance from Korea and paying a massive indemnity. European observers expected a quick Chinese victory, but were shocked as Japanese armies swiftly drove Qing forces out of Korea and the Imperial Japanese Navy annihilated the Chinese navy at the Battle of the Yalu River. In 1894, tensions erupted between Japan and China over control of Korea, and the First Sino-Japanese War began. By the 1890s, they were ready to put this to use. While nearby China was carved up into Spheres of Influence by France, Germany, Britain, and Russia, the Japanese government worked tirelessly to build a modern army, navy, and industrial base. Since the Meiji Restoration 1867, Japan had been carrying out a concerted program of industrialization and reform designed to put it on the same level as the European powers.

Russo japanese war propaganda