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First Sino-Japanese War

War over Korea that confirmed Japan's rise and exposed Qing military weakness.

Timeline
1894-1895
Duration
2 years
Region
East Asia
Record
Static archive

Historical overview

Overview adapted from a Wikipedia summary and stored locally on May 11, 2026.

The First Sino-Japanese War, or the First China–Japan War, was a conflict between the Qing dynasty of China and the Empire of Japan primarily for influence over Korea. In China it is commonly known as the Jiawu War. After 6 to 7 months of unbroken successes by Japanese land and naval forces and the loss of the ports of Lüshunkou and Weihaiwei, the Qing government sued for peace in February 1895 and signed the Treaty of Shimonoseki two months later, ending the war.

Theater countries

ChinaJapanNorth KoreaSouth KoreaTaiwan

Actors

Qing ChinaJapanKorean state

Tags

interstate-warempireeast-asia

Border context

1872-1899historical border era

High imperial age

Imperial expansion and late nineteenth-century state competition reshape Africa, East Asia and the Caribbean.

Japan rises as a regional power after war with Qing China. European colonial borders harden across Africa.

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