First sino-japanese war (1894-1895)

Japan's desire to build a modern industrial civilization led it to a policy of expansion. Around the turn of the 20th century, the Japanese embarked on a period of aggressive expansion to change the course of their nation, which had been isolated from the rest of the world for much of its history. For Japan's nationalist leaders, Western powers such as the United States, Britain, France and Russia had adopted tariffs that prevented Japan from accessing the natural resources it needed to develop its industrial capacity. In late July 1894, Japanese troops attacked Chinese forces stationed on the Korean peninsula. Four days later, on August 1, 1894, Japan declared war on China.