Japan

Momoyama Period
End of Sengoku A man named Oda Nobunaga united Japan following its chaotic Sengoku (warring states or state at war) period. After Nobunaga committed suicide during a coup against him, his protege, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, took over. Hideyoshi then quickly rushed back to Shoryuji Castle, where Oda died, and killed the coup leader Akechi Misuhide in the ensuing Battle of Tennozan / Mt. Tenno / Yamazaki (Just pick one of the three names). Toyotomi Hideyoshi Hideyoshi built the Osaka Castle to serve as his capital. Hideyoshi's rule was staunchly anti-Christian (or Kirishitan in Japanese). A group of 26 Kirishitans he killed are now called the 26 Matyrs. The peasantry was reformed in that they were no longer allowed to pay taxes with anything other than the rice they grew. Weapons were banned and limited to samurai warriors, a law enforced by a " sword hunt". Two attempts to invade Korea were made, with Korea being the stepping-stone to the eventual goal ofconquering China. Neither succeeded. Thus, Hideyoshi's advisor, Sen no Rikyu, was forced to commit seppuku. Rise of Tokugawa Ieyasu Another protege of Oda and former ally to him and Hideyoshi, Tokugawa rebelled against and defeated Hideyoshi at the Battles of Komazi and Nagakute. After Hideyoshi died of the plague, five regents took over in place of his child, Hideyori , which made the Toyotomis even weaker since none of these six people is in any way competent. Ieyasu dealt a crushing blow to the Toyotomis commanded by Ishida Mitsunari in the Battle of Sekigahara. Ieyasu then proceeded to siege Osaka Castle, in which Hideyori (Hideyoshi's son) resided. The first siege, the Summer Siege, was unsuccessful. However, the second, the Winter Siege, was, and resulted inHideyori's death. Ieyasu then fought the Imagawa clan, who once held him hostage, and the Hojo clan, from whom he took the Kanto region. Having cleared his obstacles, Ieyasu was proclaimed Shogun, beginning the Tokugawa Shogunate. Summary A Japanese saying tries to explain the relationship between Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu: "Nobunaga cooked the rice, Hideyoshi made it into a rice ball, and Ieyasu ate it. "

Tokugawa Shogunate
Rule of Tokugawa Ieyasu Ieyasu built his capital in the form of the Edo Castle, which led his shogunate to bear the alternative nameEdo Period. Edo, incidentally, is modern Tokyo. Ieyasu nominally retired immediately after seizing power, although he continued to rule using the title Ogosho. Ieyasu wrote and enforced a law called Kuge Shohatto, which limited the power of the daimyos, or regional lords. One of Ieyasu's advisors was William Adams, an Englishman nickednamed the Pilot of Miura. Even more anti-Christian than Hideyoshi, Ieyasu expelled all Kirishitans from Japan. Sakoku (Nation-Locking) During his rule, Ieyasu met with Spanish and Dutch emissaries. Following these meetings, the Dutch became, along with the Chinese, the only countries allowed to trade with Japan, and said trade was limited to only one port: Nagasaki (yes, the same place we later nuked the crap out of), and all permitted trade ships must carry a red seal. This was known as nation-locking, because Japan became completely isolated - no Japanese person could leave the country, and no foreigner could enter. Later, this was somewhat relaxed when two additional ports opened for trade with Korea and Ryukyu. After Ieyasu Following Ieyasu's death, the shogunate became incrasingly weak. It no longer had control over all of

Japan. Although it owned the cities, mines, and ports, it only owned a quarter of the farmland, which was by far the most important. However, it had great influence throughout Japan. The later shogunate saw a flourishing of culture called the Genroku era, during which a style of painting calledshunga (do not look up what this is. If you do, please understand that I cannot be held responsible for anything you find) became popular. A law called the Compassion for Living Things Act was instituted, protecting stray dogs. In 1854, US naval officer Commodore Matthew Perry forced the Tokugawas to sign the Treaty of Kanagawa, opening up Japan after he sailed into Tokyo harbor and began shooting cannonballs at random things.

Meiji Restoration
Meiji Emperor Under the shogunates, Japanese emperors were figureheads.
Meiji figured since Japan had already opened up, it might as well modernize, and he might as well lead that modernization so he might actually obtain some power. "Meiji" means "enlightened rule".

Boshin War Allied with the Choshu, Satsuma, and Saga states, Meiji fought the Tokugawas, defeating them in the Battle of Toba-Fushimi. The defeated Tokugawas fled to the northern island of Hokkaido, where they established the Republic of Ezo. The Ezo cavalry, trained by Jules Brunet and Andre Cozenueve, were no match for Meiji's modernized army with guns and cannons. The war was ended with the Battle of Hakodate, a major Imperial victory. The last Tokugawa, Yoshinobu, was given a quiet retirement. Subsequent Rebellions In Meiji's plan for Japan, there was no place for the samurai, who were considered feudal and obsolete like the shogunate. The proud samurai, of course, were not happy with this. The Satsuma Rebellion, led by Saigo Takamori, was put down in the Battle of Shiroyama. This is the basis for The Last Samurai. Later revolts included the Shinpuren and Saga Rebellions. Meiji's Reforms Meiji moved the Imperial capital from Kyoto to Edo and renamed the latter Tokyo, meaning "Eastern Capital". Modernization was relentlessly pushed on. Rangaku, or Dutch studies, was promoted, resulting in industrial achievements such as the wadokei, or Japanese clock. The five-article Charter Oath was issued, which advocated Imperial rule, self-determination, and thedestruction of old customs. The old system of nobility in Japan, the Han System, was replaced by a new one modeled after the British peerage system. Meiji created the Constitution of 1890, or Meiji constitution, with the first prime minister of Japan, Ito Hirobumi, who was the daimyo of Choshu and had supported Meiji during the Boshin War. The Constitution established the Diet, which was a parliament of sorts, and was modeled after Bismarck's Prussian constitution.

Imperial Japan
I apologize beforehand for the large amount of ranting in this portion.

First Sino-Japanese War (1894-95) AKA Jiawu War The greatest failure in the history of all China.
Japan fought the Qing Dynasty for dominance in East Asia. The Qing had previously built the Beiyang Fleet, deemed the second greatest navy in the world at the time, second only the the British Navy. Hence, nobody, not even foreign observers and British naval personnel, thought Japan even had a chance. Unfortunately, nobody in China actually knew how to use the western-style ships. There was actually a recorded incident of Chinese sailors attempting to fire a cannon with hot chocolate powder rather than

gunpowder. (Yes, this coming from the country that invented gunpowder to begin with) Quite predictably, the Chinese lost just about every battle. China's defeat marked the end of its three-millennia hegemony over East Asia. It also marked the failure of Qing's modernization program, modeled, ironically, after Meiji's. Also, Japan captured and began using one of China's two battleships deployed in the war. This was Japan's first battleship. Japan became a regional power following the war. The war was ended with the Treaty of Shimonoseki (aka Treaty of Maguan or Xiaguan), which ceded Taiwan to Japan and legitimized the latter's occupation of Port Arthur.

Russo-Japanese War (1904-05) Japan fights Russia for control of Manchuria. Japan successfully crosses the Yalu River into Manchuria. The Russians at Port Arthur surrender after Japan captures 203 Meter Hill, from which they could shell the Russian fleet. Russia mistakes British fishing boats in the Baltic for Japanese torpedo boats, and fires at them in theDogger Bank incident. Japan captures Mukden (now Shenyang), the capital of Manchuria. The Russian Baltic fleet is destroyed in the Tsushima Strait, when the Russian hospital ships are spotted (its lights were lit according to international law). Japan receives a lock of Admiral Nelsons hair from Britain after their victory at Tsushima. Czar Nicholas II sues for peace in order to deal with Bloody Sunday.
Treaty of Portsmouth (1905)

Teddy Roosevelt got a Nobel Peace Prize for mediating between Russia and Japan. The two sides sign the Treaty of Portsmouth to end the Russo-Japanese War, which gives Manchuria back to China, although Japan kept Port Arthur. Japan's victory marked its ascension as a global power equal to those of Europe. It also eroded the last shred of authority held by Russian Czar Nicholas II, leading directly to his toppling.

Japan in WWI Japan was an Allied power during WWI, and it was given Shandong in the Treaty of Versailles. Shandong was previously a Chinese territory under German lease. China, also an Ally, had expected to receive Shandong for itself from Germany, a Central power. This sparked the May Fourth Movement. anti-Japanese sentiments in China which, to this day, still hasn't died down. Shortly before WWI, Japan also colonized Korea, whose people don't like the Japanese either, for obvious reasons. Interwar Japan Japan, seeing the sentiments in China as a threat, began incursions into it.
Due to its limited resources, Japan became increasingly militaristic and Fascist through the interwar years. At the opening of WWII, Japan controlled Korea, Taiwan, Manchuria, Ryukyu, half of Sakhalin, and a third of Mongolia. It was easily the one of the most powerful states in the world.

Pacific Theatre of WWII

This is rapid-fire battle history! You will be force-fed battle after battle, many of which you may have never heard of.

Mukden Incident (1931-32) AKA September 18 Incident Japan bombed its own railroad (the bomb failed) under the direction of rouge Japanese colonel Seishiro Itagaki. They blamed it on China and used it as an excuse to take over Manchuria. The Japanese then established the Manchukuo, lead by China's last Emperor, Aisin Gioro Henry Puyi. After this, the Japanese Kwantung Army was stationed in Manchuria. China's forces were under "Young Marshal" Zhang Xueliang. He had four times as much troops as the Japanese, and they were all well-equipped. Unfortunately, the troops were assisted in training by the Japanese, the latter having clear knowledge of Zhang's tactics. Zhang was therefore unable to fight. He thereby retreated after getting permission to do so from Chinese president Chiang Kai-shek, who called for non-resistance.

The US, in response to Mukden, adopted the Stimson Doctrine, which was basically that the US won't recognize Japanese annexations of territory, but won't stop it, either.

Marco Polo Bridge (1937) Japan invaded Beijing, causing the Marco Polo Bridge Incident (aka Lugouqiao Incident or July 7th Incident). The Chinese garrison held out, but nevertheless started WWII and the Second SinoJapanese War. The Allies sent China aid, but did not send troops until 1941. China was on its own until then, and was overrun almost immediately. Rape of Nanjing (1937-38) Nanjing was the capital of China at the time. Between 250,000-300,000 people were massacred by the Japanese. Among those later executed for committing the massacre were Japanese officers Hisao Tani and Iwane Matsui. Japan partially denies the massacre, which causes diplomatic tension throughout Asia. The massacre was so bad that the Nazi German embassy, under John Rabe, actually rescued over 200,000 civillians by establishing a "safety zone". Pearl Harbor (Dec. 7, 1941)
Background

The attack marked the culmination of decades of declining relations between the US and Japan. The passage of the Vinson-Walsh Act, which expanded the US Navy by 70%, was a major provocation for Japan. The Hull Note, sent by the US, was the last diplomatic action between the two nations before the attack. The attack had been foreseen, with a No. 1 alert against sabotage issued. However, the officer in charge,Kermit Tyler, was a newbie with no training, and did not pass on any orders nor see the Japanese crafts. Japan had intended for a notice of the termination of peace, known as the 14-part message, to be sent to the US 30 minutes before the attack, but it was delayed. The attack was codenamed Plan Z by Japan. The attack was centered on Wheelers Field and Ford Island. The Japanese made heavy use of the Type 91 torpedo, which they had just developed. Notable losses for the US include the USS Arizona, USS California, and USS Oklahoma. The attack was lead by Isoroku Yamamoto, who, after the attack, came to realize the mistake he had made. His exact words were: "I fear all we have done today is awake a great, sleeping giant and fill him with terrible resolve." "Tora! Tora! Tora!" (lit. Tiger! Tiger! Tiger!) - Japanese code for "complete surprise achieved. It was called right before the bombs dropped. "Niitaka yama nobore!" (lit. Climb Mt. Niitaka!) - Yamamoto's order to begin the attack. "... A day that will live in infamy..." - FDR, describing the incident to Congress. Only one Japanese soldier was captured. He was Kazuo Salamaki, sole survivor of a submarine ran aground. He tried to commit suicide by setting himself with a cigarette during captivity. The US immediately declared war on Japan. The only member of congress to vote against war wasJeannette Rankin. The America First Committee, an anti-war advocacy group, disbanded due to the attack. The First Roberts Commission was formed to investigate the attack. The commission dismissed Husband "Hub" Kimmel and Walter Short, officers-in-charge during the attack, after finding them guilty of dereliction of duty. The McCollum memo continues to be a controversy. The document suggests that the US may have intentionally let Pearl Harbor happen so it could enter WWII.

The Attack

Famous Words

Aftermath

Coral Sea (1942) First carrier-to-carrier battle. Stopped Operation Mo, which would have cut off Australia and New Zealand from the US. More specifically, the battle prevented the Japanese from capturing Port Moresby. USS Neosho refueled USS Astoria during the Battle. Of the two US carriers, USS Lexington was sunk, and USS Yorktown was crippled.

Both Japanese carriers, Shokaku and Zuikaku, were crippled, and that kept them out of the Battle of Midway.

Midway (1942) Only a month after Coral Sea Deciding battle of the Pacific Theatre. Japanese ship Mikuma was sunk by the USS Enterprise and USS Hornet. The battle was decided by the numerous SBD Dauntless dive bombers of the Allies. The Allies had a significant advantage after Station Hypo cracked the Japanese JN-25 code and got the entire Japanese order of battle. USS Yorktown was sunk, along with Japanese carriers Akagi, Kaga, and Soyru. The Allied commander was Raymond Spruance, who had no experience as he was a temporary replacement for the real commander, who was sick. After this battle, the Japanese had no functional carriers , which really isn't good if you happen to be in the middle of fighting a mostly sea-and-air war. Iwo Jima (1945)

The famous flag-raising.

Added by LTWLTY

USS Bismarck Sea, a carrier, was sunk by kamikazes. It was the last US carrier lost in WWII. Japanese commander: Tadamichi Kuribayashi. Notable places: Meatgrinder Hill, Mt. Suribachi. The photo of the flag raising was taken by Joe Rosenthal. The battle was opened with gunfire from USS Washington and USS North Carolina.

Okinawa (1945) AKA Operation Iceberg and Typhoon of Steel. Last stop in the US island-hopping. Japanese kamikazes caused the most casualties in this battle. Japanese commander: Adm. Seiichi Ito, on the battleship Yamato, which was sunk by the US before it could initiate Operation Ten-Go, which was a kamikaze offensive - with ships. Included land battles, resulting in the capture of Shuri Castle by Lt. Gen. Pedro de Valle, the first Hispanic general in the US. The End (1945) A landing on Honshu was considered but rejected due to high risk. Instead, we dropped nukes on Japan. Hiroshima: August 6, 1945. Nagasaki: August 9, 1945.

China
Zhou (1046-256BC)
Originated from the Wei River Moved capital from Xi'an to Luoyang after barbarian attack. This marked the transition from Western to Eastern Zhou. Eastern Zhou: no central authority, feudal lords fought for power in Spring and Autumn Period and Warring States Period. This chaotic time gave rise to Legalism, Confucianism, and Taoism. Came up with the Mandate of Heaven. Longest Dynasty Iron tools Very short First unified empire of China Did NOT actually build the Great Wall, merely linked many pieces built during the Warring States Period. Burnt many classical books and buried scholars alive Qin Shihuangdi - First Emperor of China, with advisers Li Si and Zhao Gao Built 8000 terra-cotta soldiers for Shihuangdi's grave. He, by the way, died of a mercury pill which he thought would grant eternal life. Oops.

Qin (221-206BC)

Han (206BC-221AD)

Golden age of China, long, prosperous, and namesake of modern Han ethnicity. Began silk road trade by killing Huns First to invent paper and gunpowder, the latter was also discovered while trying to make the same pill Shihuangdi died of. Strangely, tofu was also invented in the same manner. First emperor was Liu Bang, who took office after winning a civil war against Xiang Yu , had his wifeEmpress Lu took over after his death. Lu's rule caused the Rebellion of Seven States, during which princes took up arms against their aunt. Emperor Wudi presided over the dynasty at its height. During his reign, Sima Qian wrote the Records of the Grand Historian. Wang Mang usurped the dynasty for a short time to build his rival Xin Dynasty. Faced war in Korea with the Goguryeo, which it won. Crushed a revolt in Vietnam led by the Trung Sisters. Overrun with eunuchs in later times, causing many problems including the Disaster of Partisan Prohibitions and the Yellow Turban Rebellion, and was followed by Three Kingdoms. Short as hell. Built Grand Canal. United China following many centuries of division and chaos that followed Han's fall. "Gilded Age" of China. Fought the Battle of Talas against the Abbasids, which it lost. Relay to provide fresh lychee for empress Yang Guifei, wife to Emperor Xuanzong. Anlushan / Anshi Rebellion, lead by a jiedushi (or governor) named An Lushan who was Turkish. To quell public outrage, Guifei was strangled. Produced the only Empress Regnant in Chinese history - Empress Wuzetian. Dynasty of Poets, producing God of Poetry Li Bo (aka Li Bai) and Saint of Poetry Du Fu. Founded by Zhao Kuangyin, aka Emperor Taizu. First to issue paper money, build a standing navy, make a compass for said navy, and use gunpowder in battle. Enemies: Liao (Khitans) and Jin (Jurchens) Instituted a system of meritocracy and civil service exams to replace the old ruling-class aristocrats, who have mostly died out anyway. These were carried out by prime minister Wang Anshi.

Sui (589-618)

Tang (618-907)

Song (960-1279)

Yuan (1271-1368)
See "Mongols"

Ming (1368-1644)
Beginnings Began with the Red Turban Rebellion, lead by Zhu Yuanzhang, who became the Hongwu Emperor after successfully toppling the Mongols through the key victory at the Battle of Lake Poyang. Prince Yan, whose birth name is Zhu Di, ascended the throne as the Yong'le (please do not pronounce YON-gal) Emperor after deposing his nephew the Jianwen Emperor in a coup. He then moved the capital to Beijing and built the Forbidden City there. Zheng He Son of a Muslim hajji (essentially any Muslim who has immigrated elsewhere) living in Yunnan, he was made a eunuch by then Prince Yan as a boy. Zheng He distinguished himself in the army of Prince Yan, who promoted him to Head Eunuch upon becoming the Yong'le Emperor. After the coup, Yong'le never found Jianwen, dead or alive. To look for him, Zheng He was sent on 7 missionsthat also served as trade and diplomatic missions. Zheng He explored southern Asia and Africa, landing at places such as Hormuz, Ceylon, Malacca, Siam, and Zanzibar. Some evidence was found of a Chinese landing in Newfoundland, although this is not proven conclusive. Incidentally, the Chinese have had detailed maps of the Americas way before the Ming Dynasty. During one mission, Zheng He defeated King Alagonakkara. When he retired as an admiral, he commanded the garrison at Nanjing.

 After the voyages, China pursued isolationism and banned all trade. Later History Made many porcelain vases called Jingtailan. One emperor came up with the (totally unnecessary) Jinyi Wei, a secret spy agency equivalent to the product of a merger between the CIA and the FBI that has been put on steroids. Used fish-scale records to calculate taxes. Coastal areas were threatened by the Wokou (or Wako) pirates, thought to be from Japan. Tumu Crisis: Random emperor gets captured after going on a misguided Mongolian campaign. Overconfident Mongol leader proceeded to attack Beijing, fails, gives emperor back. Campaign to retake Vietnam for China was stopped by Le Loi. Last native Han dynasty. Last emperor killed family and hung himself in Jingshan Park (the tree on which he did this is still marked) before Beijing fell to peasant rebel Li Zicheng. Remnants of the Ming fled south and persisted for a few years in Fujian as the Southern Ming.

Qing (1644-1912)
Founding Led by the Manchu Aisin Gioro clan, the Qing established itself by toppling rebel Li Zicheng's weak regime in Beijing. Made Han men (who traditionally do not cut hair) shave their head and keep a ponytail, called a queue, through the Tonsure Decree. This sparked huge revolts suppressed by the massacring of entire cities. Faced a lot of rebellions early on, including the Revolts of the Three Feudatories, which was led by Ming generals who had previously surrendered, most notably Wu Sangui. Then, a Buddhist sect called the White Lotus cult rebelled, calling for native rule, resulting in failure and the deaths of 16 million people. This was the White Lotus Rebellion. Stabilization Experienced the reigns of Kangxi, at 61 years, and Qianlong, at 60 years, the longest reigns in Chinese history. Qianlong's advisor, Heshen, is considered the most corrupt official in Chinese history. Rebellions by the Western minorities, Dungans and Panthays, were crushed. The Siku Quanshu, an encyclopedia and the last great work in ancient Chinese non-fiction, was compiled. The Treaty of Nerchinsk with Russia to set the northern border of China was signed during this time. It was the first treaty China signed in which it was not higher in stature than the other side. Taiping Rebellion AKA Taiping Tianguo. Led by Hong Xiuquan, self-proclaimed brother of Jesus. Arose out of the God Worshippers' Society, a heretical Christian sect of Hakka (southern Fujianese) that advocated celibacy and communism. Qing commanders fighting it included Zuo Zongtang, Li Hongzhang, and Zeng Guofan, although it was theEver-Victorious Army, trained by Europeans and led by Charles "Chinese" Gordon that finally crushed it. Opium Wars Sparked after China tries to get rid of all British imports of opium in a fashion similar to that of the Boston Tea Party. This raid was led by Lin Zexu. Of course, the results this had on the general population of junkies is negligible. Two wars ensued, and China lost both. The Treaties of Tianjin (or Tientsin) and Nanjing (or Nanking), often called "unequal", ceded Hong Kong to Britain. These were supplanted with the Treaty of the Bogue, which grants British subjects extraterritoriality in China, the Treaty of Whampoa (or Huangpu) with France, and the Treaty of Wanghia (or Wanghiya, or Wangxia, or Mohnghah, a perfect example of why switching between 20 different romanizations within the span of a century is not a good idea) with the US. Attempted Modernization The Qing used the Eight Banners Army and the Green Standard Army, both of which are extremely weak compared to even the old Ming armies. Poor maintanence over the years meant that these troops are about as useless as soldiers get. Military reform came under the Self-Strengthening Movement, led by Li Hongzhang. It led to the creation of the western-style New Army, whose main contingent was the Beiyang Army, led by Yuan Shikai.

These new forces were put to the test in the First Sino-Japanese War (see "Japan"). A set of political and societal reforms were concurrently put in place by Emperor Guangxu under the supervision of Kang Youwei, called the Hundred-Day Reforms because they were stopped by the conservative Empress Dowager Cixi, who held the real power, a hundred and four days in. Guangxu was subsequently put under house arrest, and Cixi ordered him poisoned as her death wish.

Boxer Rebellion After the failure of the reforms, Cixi secretly planned a revolt against foreigners. The Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists (or Yihequan) believed that, to quote Mr. Wang, guns can easily be defeated with Kung Fu. This turned out to be not the case, and the rebellion failed after its siege of the Beijing Legation Quarter was broken. To retaliate against Cixi, eight western nations (Japan, Austria-Hungary, Britain, France, Italy, the US, Germany, and Russia) formed the Eight-Nation Alliance and sacked Beijing, burning the Summer Palacein the process. Puyi Aisin Gioro "Henry" Puyi was the last Chinese emperor. He abdicated in 1911. Years later, he would serve as emperor in the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo, in Manchuria.

Republican China (1911-present)

Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Dr. Sun was from Guangzhou (or Canton). He traveled all around the world, studying in Honolulu, practicing medicine in Macau, and spending time in exile in Japan. He was in Malaysia immediately prior to the revolution, where he fundraised money to pay for his Yellow Flower Mound Rebellion (aka the 2nd Guangzhou Uprising). He was part of many organizations prior to the revolution, including the United League and the Revive China Society. The Revolution of 1911 is usually known as the Wuchang Uprising, during which Sun was not present, since he was an ideologist above all else. The uprising led to the larger Xinhai Revolution. Sun operated on the principles of nationalism, democracy, and socialism (or social reform), and created for the new Republic the Three Principles of the People (or Sanmin Zhuyi or Sanmin Doctrine) as its fundamental ideology. The three principles are: minquan (people's rights), minzu (people's ethnicity, or nationalism), and minsheng(people's livelihoods). After the revolution succeeded, Sun was elected the first president of China as the leader of the Nationalist Party (or Kuomintang, or KMT). Therefore, he is considered the father of the Chinese republic. However, Sun's presidency was short, for he almost immediately resigned in favor of Yuan Shikai, who needed to be brought to the Republican fold, for he was in control of the old Beiyang Army, the Qing's modernized military force. May 4th Movement On May 4th, 1919, univesity students in Beijing took to the streets, protesting the fact that the Treaty of Versailles awared the German colony in Shandong, China to Japan rather than returning it to China, who was also an Allied power. This movement defined Chinese nationalism up to the present day. So, if you hear "Shandong" and "May Fourth" in a tossup, buzz and say Versaille. Guaranteed power. Chiang Kai-Shek Sun Yat-Sen's protege and KMT member. After Yuan tried to become emperor, the generals under him rebelled and plunged China into warlordism. This destroyed the nascent republic. Succeeding Sun as KMT chief after the doctor's death, Chiang led the Northern Expion that nominally reestablished central authority over the warlords through a somewhat feudal arrangement. Chiang was president during WWII and the Chinese Civil War against Mao . He lost the latter and fled to Taiwan, where his son ruled after he died. Then, a Taiwanese guy was elected to succeed the son. While in China, Chiang advocated the New Life Policy (basically Confucian Nazism that expectedly

failed). Chiang made a branch of the KMT called the Blue Shirts Society, similar to the brownshirts of Mussolini and the SS and SA of Hitler.

The Republic After 1949 See "Taiwan".

Communist China (1949-present)

Before 1949 Mao Zedong assumed full control of the Chinese Communist Party in the Zunyi Conference, in 1935. The Long March, from Jiangxi to Yan'an, is basically a glorified fleeing of Communist forces all across China with Chiang's armies at their tails the entire time. At Yan'an,Mao sponsored the Rectification Movement, which was a political persecution campaign. During the Chinese Civil War, Mao instigated the Futian Incident and the Spring and Autumn Uprising. After driving Chiang to Taiwan, Mao proclaimed the People's Republic in Beijing, on October 1, 1949. The 1950's A period of free speech and political commentary called the Hundred Flowers campaign (named after a corresponding period of flourishing in philosophy during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods) started with a speech of Mao's, entitled "On the Correct Handling of Contradictions Among the People". Of course, this did not last long and was simply a way for Mao to identify and purge rightists. The Great Leap Forward, which was Mao's attempt to institute socialism, shock-therapy style. In other words, Mao decided that he would somehow make China completely communist in five years and exceed the GDP of the UK. Obviously it failed, and millions starved to death. Mao had distributed the Little Red Book, a collection of his own quotes which surpasses the Bible in the number of copies distributed. There is only one other person on this planet crazy enough to self-publish his own quotes, and that person is Libya's Moammar Gadafi, whose book is green. Cultural Revolution Started by Mao because he felt that communism wasn't quite leftist enough and that China needed something more. Also, at the time, he had been replaced by Liu Shaoqi after the Great Leap Forward fiasco and needed to prove himself again. It failed, although it killed a lot of people and burnt down a lot of old artifacts. The Cultural Revolution is notable for making absolutely no sense. There are a lot of incidents that will be mentioned in a tossup, but you don't need to know what happens in any one of them because nobody does. So, the list of things you must associate with the Cultural Revolution: Red Guards, Big-Character Posters (or dazibao), Two Whatevers, Seek Truth from Facts, February Outline, Project 571, Group of Five, Gang of Four, the Four Olds, "Up the Mountains, Down to the Villages". Zhou Enlai First Premier of China under Mao and Mao's right hand man. Unlike Mao, however, he was remarkablysane. Before the Chinese Civil War, Zhou was also Chiang Kai-shek's friend. However, he tried to organize atakeover of Shanghai in the form of the Shanghai Commune, modeled after the Parisian one centuries ago, when Chiang was away, from which he barely escaped, and also organized the Nanchang Uprisingduring the Civil War. When war with Japan broke out, Zhou used his relations with Chiang to promote peace. He helped release Chiang Kai-shek after Mao took him hostage at the Xi'an Incident , where Mao tricked Chiang into coming to a "diplomatic conference", and instead made the two form a United Front of Communists and Nationalists against Japan. Due to his diplomatic prowess, he negotiated many treaties for China during the first years of communist rule. He formulated the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence with Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehruregarding India-China relations, and attended the 1955 Bandung (or Afro-Asian) Conference, where he wasalmost assassinated when his plane, the Kashmir Princess, was blown up, although without him on board. Zhou also met with American diplomat Henry Kissinger before Nixon visited China. Although Zhou stayed in power during the Cultural Revolution, he had great differences with Mao and often opposed his more crazy ideas, which caused Mao to criticize Zhou in the "Criticize Lin, Criticize Confucius" campaign and to refuse to let the people mourn Zhou after he died, which triggered a protest that caused Mao to give in.

Deng Xiaoping Reformist who came to power after winning a power struggle with Maoist Hua Guofeng. Deng was an extreme pragmatist, bent on pursuing economic growth using whatever method necessary. He once stated that he did not care what color a cat is, as long as it caught mice . It was this that led him to open up China to foreign capital and liberalize its communist economic system. This, combined with his Four Modernizations policy, created a mixed market economy. Deng also created disability benefits for China - after his son fell out of a window. Tian'anmen Square Massacre Commonly called the June 4th Incident in China. The famous Tank Man photograph.
Added by LTWLTY

End of Colonialism

Inspired by the visit of USSR leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who was pursuing political liberalization in his own country, university students in Beijing gathered in the central plaza,Tian'anmen Square, for a pro-democracy demonstration. The rabble included students from the Central Arts University, who brought along a replica of the Statue of Liberty. The protesters were supported within the communist leadership by Hu Yaobang andZhao Ziyang, the latter being a protege of Deng. However, they were overruled by Deng Xiaoping, who wanted a crackdown, although it was a man named Li Peng who actually signed off on the crackdown. The most famous image from the crackdown was the Tank Man, a guy who stood in front of a row of moving tanks as a symbol of resistance. It also saw Operation Yellowbird, an attempt The event is still very sensitive to Chinese people today. A 200,000-people mourning event was once held at the Happy Valley Racecourse in Hong Kong. Zhao Ziyang was purged following the crackdown for his supportive speech given during the protest.

Handover of Hong Kong (1997)

Hong Kong was a British colony ceded by China after the Opium Wars. (see Qing for details). China began negotiating with British prime minister Margaret Thatcher and diplomat Murray MacLehosestarting in 1979. Hong Kong was handed over back to China in 1997 by its last governor, Chris Patten. Commonly thought to be the last vestige of the British Empire, Hong Kong's handover marked the official end of the British Empire. The handover was panned by the people of Hong Kong. Elsie Leung, the Justice Minister of Hong Kong during the handover negotiations, warned Britain that China will impose dictatorship upon the city. Unlike all other foreign powers, Portugal acquired Macau legally during the Ming Dynasty, when China could still readily defeat any European powers. The Ming agreed to lease Macau to Portugal after significant begging from and humiliation of the latter. Portugal paid lucrative rent to the Ming and later the Qing until 1846. Due to Britain's being a much larger empire and Hong Kong being a much larger colony, Macau's return to China in 1999 was far less notable.

Handover of Macau (1999)

Special Administrative Regions

A condition imposed by Britain and later Portugal for the return of Hong Kong and Macau was that they must be governed as Special Administrative Regions (SARs) under the One Country, Two Systems doctrine of Deng Xiaoping. The doctrine said that while China could be a communist dictatorship, Hong Kong and Macau mustremain democratic and capitalist for at least 50 years.

Taiwan
DISCLAIMER: I am perfectly aware of the ongoing political dispute over Taiwan. However, it's undeniable that it is ethnically Chinese, having a 98% Han population (which, I might add, is significantly higher than mainland China's 91%). This, in addition to the island's close association with China makes this the logical placement of this section. This placement is not a political statement of any sort.

Early History Taiwan was initially populated with Micronesian indigenous tribes, the largest of which are the Atayal and the Ami.
These tribes now make up only a small percentage (~2%) of Taiwan's population. Taiwan was first colonized by the Dutch East India Company, which established Fort Zeelandia, which would become Taipei.

Chinese Colonization

Chinese began arriving in Taiwan in the 13th century. In the 15th century, a contingent of Ming loyalists, lead by Zheng Chenggong, or Koxinga, kicked out the Dutch to establish the Kingdom of Tungning as a base for counterattacking the Qing Dynasty on the mainland. The Qing Dynasty took Taiwan in 1683 from the Koxinga's grandson, and the island was quickly Sinicized under Qing rule.

Japanese Rule Taiwan was attached with the neighboring Pescadores (Penghu) and ceded to Japan following China's defeat in the First Sino-Japanese War via the Treaty of Shimonoseki. Japan modernized Taiwan and is often viewed favorably due to the amount of autonomy the Taiwanese had, Republican Rule
Chiang Kai-Shek

Taiwan and Penghu was returned to China after Japan's defeat in WWII. Chiang Kai-shek soon lost the Chinese Civil War to Mao in the mainland and fled to Taiwan to reestablish his government in Taipei. He intended for Taiwan to be a base for a counterattack on the mainland, ruled by Mao (sound familiar?) Chiang saw the island only as a military asset, a resource stockpile and military training ground for his counterattack efforts. Therefore, he didn't care about the Taiwanese people at all. As long as they listened to and worked for him, he was happy. Chiang and his KMT had very tight control of Taiwan through the entirety of the Cold War, as it, the Republic of China, existed solely because it, unlike the rest of China, had no communists. The 228-Incident was a massacre of pro-democracy demonstrators immediately after the island's return to China. It began when an old woman was beaten for possessing contraband cigarettes. While the western world maintained support of Chiang, they did condemn the crackdown. US ambassadorGeorge H. Kerr stated that 228 is a "betrayal" of the Taiwanese people. The White Terror (martial law combined with McCarthy-style witch hunt) was announced by Chiang after the incident. It lasted until 1991. Taiwan possessed the same traits that would later enable China to become rich. However, due to its capitalist principles, it was able to reap benefits much earlier than China. Taiwan is now one of the Four Asian Economic Tigers, one of the most economically advanced countries in the world, and its Cold War history is often known as the Taiwanese Miracle. In 2000, Chen Shuibian of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was elected president. He was the first non-KMT ruler of Taiwan. His party is based on the doctrine of Four Wants and One Without. He was nearly assassinated in 2004. The presidency returned to the KMT in 2008, when Ma Ying-jeou was elected. He won reelection in 2012, with the term expiring in 2016.

228 Incident

After Chiang Kai-Shek

Taipei Taipei is the capital of Taiwan. It contains the bamboo-shaped Taipei 101 skyscraper, once the tallest building in the world, and the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall.

The Mongols
Genghis Khan
Genghis was born Temujin, meaning "iron". He belonged to the Taychiut clan, from which he was exiled after his father Yesugei died. Genghis then served under Toghrul, of the Keriat tribe who, along with his friend Jemukha, later betrayed Genghis. He had to kill them both. Genghis then united the tribes of Keriat, Merkit, and Naiman, as well as his own Borjigin to form a single Mongol nation. During this war of unification, his wife Borte was once captured by the Merkits. A violent man by nature, Genghis once killed stepbrother Bekhter over a hunt. Genghis invaded the Khwarezmid Empire after his emissaries were beheaded and shaved by the Khwarezm king, Ala ad-Din Muhammed. While he did not conquer China, Genghis destroyed both the Jurchen (Jin) Empire and the Tangut (Xi Xia) Empire in its northern fringes.

To govern his empire, Genghis created a law code called the Yassa. Genghis's generals included Jebe, nicknamed "The Arrow", and Subutai, known for covering more ground and conquering more countries than any other general in history. Genghis created a script for the Mongolian language based on the Uyghur script. Genghis had three sons: Jochi, Chagatai, and Ogetai. Ogetai succeeded him while eldest son Jochi was passed over. Genghis may have even poisoned Jochi. Genghis' grandsons include Batu, Hulegu, and Kublai. The Mongols continued to push into Europe after the death of Genghis. At the Battle of Mohi, the Mongols defeated the Kingdom of Hungary, under Bela IV, who had with him the largest and best-trained contingent of knights in Europe. Hungary was ransacked and completely ruined. 25% of its population was killed. However, the Mongols found Hungary too mountainous and quickly left, ending Mongol advance into Europe.

Reign of Ogetai

Kublai Khan
Early Campaigns Before coming to rule, Kublai invaded the Vietnamese kingdom of Champa with his brother Mongke. Kublai was elected Khan by a council of nobles called Kuriltai, held at Shangdu, the capital of Yuan, although at the beginning of his reign, Kublai fought Arigboke, who contested his throne. Kublai defeated the Chinese Song Dynasty at the Battles of Xianyang and Fencheng, before vanquishing them at the Battle of Yamen, and established the Yuan Dynasty. Yuan Dynasty The Yuan Dynasty was very brief by Chinese standards. Kublai moved his capital to Dadu, later known as Beijing. Shangdu was kept as a summer residence and is often known as Xanadu. The city, incindentally, was subject of Coleridge's poem "Kubla Khan", which he did while high on opium. The Yuan issued paper money called chao Kublai hosted many foreign dignitaries at Dadu, including Marco Polo, who wrote Il Milione based on his experiences. Polo also acted as intermediate between Kublai and Pope Gregory X. In response to the kindness of Gregory, Kublai sent a Christian named Rabban Sauma to the West as an emissary. Kublai had many in his service, including Haiyun, a Buddhist monk and Hundred-Eyed Bayan, his general. Later, the Nayan Rebellion was crushed, securing Yuan rule over China. After settling the domestic front, Kublai led an invasion of the Korean kingdom of Goryeo, where he set up a puppet king named Wonjong. Kublai also tried to invade Java and Malaysia, to no success. Invasion of Japan Kublai invaded Japan twice, both times via Saga, a region of the island Kyushu. The first one failed when the Japanese built a very large wall to stop him. The second one failed when a large typhoon called Kamikazewrecked his fleets.

The Ilkhanate
The Ilkhanate was the Mongol dynasty in Persia. Its founder, Hulegu, sacked Baghdad in 1258, killing Caliph al-Musta'sim to end the Abbasid Caliphate. Then, Hulegu destroyed Alamut, capital of the Assassins. A general under him, Kitbuqa, tried to take Egypt but was defeated by Egyptian Sultan Baybars at the Battle of Ayn Jalut. Established by Batu Khan, this westernmost Mongol nation is also known as the Ulus of Jochi and theKipchak Horde. The Horde's second ruler Berke consolidated the two factions of the khanate, the Blue and White Hordes, and converted to Islam. The Horde's greatest khan was Oz Beg. The Golden Horde's primary territory was Russia, and its rule is known there as the "Tatar Yoke". The first Russian victory over it was the Battle of Kulikovo, where Russians under Dmitri Donskoi defeated Mongols under Mamai.

The Golden Horde

Russia gained independence in the bloodless Battle of Ugra River, where Mongols under Akhmet fled without a fight. The Horde ended with Timur's defeat of Khan Tokhtamysh at Terek and the loss of capital Sarai. (see more below in "Timur") The Horde's last battle was the Battle of Vorskla River, where it defeated Polish-Lithuanian forces that were harboring now-enemy Tokhtamysh, who fled west after his defeat.

Timur
Alternative Names
Timur had a variety of aliases, all of which are listsed below. The most common ones are bolded. Tamerlane Tamburlane Tamburlane the Whirlwind Timur the Lame Timur Gurkani Timur Lenk Timur e Lang Timur

Early Life A Turkish descendant of Genghis Khan, Timur wished for the restoration of Genghis's old empire. He was from Transoxiana, modern Uzbekistan. Timur seized power from the local Chagatai Khanate, one of the successor states to the Mongol Empire andbuilt his capital at Samarkand, which featured a paper mill operated by Chinese POW's, the first paper mill outside China. War Against Tokhtamysh Timur's main enemy in the early stage was Tokhtamysh of the Golden Horde. Timur originally supported him,helping him attack Russia and burn down Moscow. During his war against Tokhtamysh, he destroyed the cities of Sarai and Astrakhan. Notable battles in the war include the Battles of Kondurcha and Terek Rivers. Battle of Ankara Timur's 1402 victory in the Battle of Ankara was an important marker in his life. Timur and his allies Miran Shah, Khalil Sultan, and his youngest son and heir Shah Rukh subjugated theOttoman Turks under Bayezid I the Thunderbolt and the Serbians under Stefan Lazarevic. Bayezid was captured at the battle and used as Timur's footstool. Timur then subjugated the Mamluk sultans of Egypt. Later Conquests Massacred Baghdad. Killed and deported Christians (sometimes called Assyrians) in Syria. Emptied Damascus of its artisans. Built pyramids of skulls in conquered cities, including a grand one in Damascus called the Tower of Heads. Defeated the war elephants of Mahmoud Khan of Delhi by charging them with camels that were lit on fire, after which he razed Delhi. Death Timur died while preparing for his campaign against the Ming Dynasty in China.
Timur's Legacy

Timur killed over 5% of the world population through his conquests, and by the end of his life, his Timurid dynasty was the most powerful Muslim nation in the world. Nevertheless, Timur was but a brief interlude in the larger flow of history and was inconsequential if we consider the large scheme of things. As Corry puts it, " Timur is like a blip in history."
The Curse of Timur

Timur's tomb at Gur-e Amir was said to be able to unleash demons of war to the home country of whoever that dares enter it. Three days after Russian archaeologist Mikhail Gerasimov opened it in 1941, Hitler invaded Russia as part of his Operation Barbarossa.

Modern Mongolia
By creating the Yuan dynasty, Kublai effectively attached Mongolia to the Chinese throne, under which it will be ruled until it declared independence after the Qing fell. The Oirat Mongols (or Kalmyks) were the exception, since they lived in the Caucasus, outside Mongolian proper. After Qing rule, Monglia was led by Bogd Khan, who let Mongolia drift increasingly towards Russia. China retook Mongolia in 1919. A Russian White Army general named Ungern von Sternburg tried to take over but failed. After the Bogd Khan died in 1924, Mongolia declared itself a Communist republic. This republic quickly became a puppet state of the USSR, who outlawed Mongolian surnames. When they were reintroduced, 80% of the population took Borjigin, Genghis' clan name that means master of the blue wolf. Many Mongols continue to live in portable tents called yurts or gers, which can be packed or unpacked in thirty minutes. The Mongols traditionally believe in the sky-god Tengri.

Modern Steppes
Kazakhstan Kazakhstan is the world's largest landlocked country. Its capital is Astana, although its former capital and largest city is Almaty. It is also the largest of the Central Asian countries located in the Steppes. Kazakhstan was the last Soviet republic to declare independence due to its close ties with the USSR, being home to world's oldest space facility, the Baikonur Cosmodrome, and the USSR's primary nuke test site, Semipalatinsk. Shedding away communism, its new largest political party is Nur Otan. Kazakhstan contains the Syr Darya River, Lake Balkhash, and a 2000-mi shore of the Caspian Sea. Rest of the Steppes
The Steppes also contain Uzbekistan, Tajikstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan. I guarantee you, they will never, ever show up.

Korea
Ancient Korea
The Korean Bronze Age was called the Mumun Period. Agriculture developed during this period. Ancient Korea was composed of petty kingdoms in the south and Han Dynasty territory in the north. Eventually, the Han were driven out, and the many realms consolidated into three kingdoms: Sillaand Baekje in the north and Goguryeo in the south. A notable king from Goguryeo was Gwanggaeto the Great. The Sui Dynasty of China invaded Goguryeo in 612, and were crushed in the Battle of Salsu River, the most lopsided battle in history, where 300,000 Sui infantry were slaughtered by 10,000 Goryeo cavalry. Less than 3000 Sui soldiers made it back to China alive. The Three Kingdoms existed from roughly 50BCE to 660CE (a very long time), when Silla conquered the other two. After unification, Silla is known as Unified Silla or the Silla Dynasty. Silla divided its aristocracy into two tiers, true bones and sacred bones. Basically, true bones were normal aristocracy, and sacred bones were more like nobility in that only they were eligible for the throne. Since only children with two sacred-boned parents are counted as the same, the sacred bones died out around the time Silla unified Korea. Towards 900CE, Silla fractured into three kingdoms again: Silla, Hu-Goguryeo (Later Goguryeo), and HuBaekje (Later Baekje). This was the Later Three Kingdoms. A man named Wang Geon (aka Wang Kon) usurped Hu-Goguryeo and decided that it was too long of a name, and so renamed it Goryeo (aka Koryo or Gokoryo). Goryeo then unified Korea. The Later Three Kingdoms period thus only lasted about four decades. The Goryeo later fought the Khitans (aka the Liao Dynasty) and won. The English "Korea" came from "Goryeo". Towards its later years, Goryeo became a Mongol vassal when Kublai Khan installed Wonjong as king.

Unified Silla

Goryeo

Joseon

Beginnings Severely weakened as a Mongol vassal, Goryeo was overthrown by General Yi Seong-Gye, supported by theMing Dynasty. Due to this close tie, Joseon evolved Korean society into one that was almost entirely Chinese in culture and remained a Chinese client, vassal, and ally. The new regime is also known as the Choson Dynasty (or kingdom) and the Yi Dynasty, after the royal surname. The fourth king of Joseon was Sejong the Great. He created the Korean alphabet (or hangul) and signed the Treaty of Gyehae, where Japan would pay tribute to Korea to obtain trade rights. Golden Age In 1598, Joseon admiral Yi Sun-Sin defeated Japanese invaders under Toyotomi Hideyoshi (discussed previously) at the Battle of Noryang using turtle ships. After the invasion, known as the Imjin War, was repelled, Joseon saw its golden age. Confucianism flourished. Great technological accomplishments were also made, including the Hwacha, a primitive rocket launcher. The Joseon built a new capital called Hanseong, or Chinese city, later renamed Seoul. The new city was protected by a 10-mile wall, featuring the Namdaemun (aka Sungnyemun). Among those residing in the city were elites known as yangban, as well as a herary middle class known as the chungin. Decline Joseon eventually turned to isolationism because it feared the stronger foreign powers. Yet, isolationism only made it weaker because it had neither the sense to modernize (like Japan) nor the gigantic size that made colonization impractical (like China). In 1871, Joseon repelled an American invasion, considered to be the last conflict a unified Korea has ever won. As early as 1873, Japan thought of invading Korea in the Seikanron debate. A more moderate plan was carried out: in 1876, Japan forced Joseon to sign the Ganghwa Treaty, beginning Japanese influence in Korea. The US later affirmed the treaty in the Taft-Katsura Agreement. In 1884, the Gapsin Coup was launched, aiming to oust anti-modernization, pro-China conservatives, it failed. In 1894, the Donghak Peasant Revolution occurred to protest corrupt government and Japanese influence. It failed as well. Sadly, Joseon had power to put down neither of these, and they were only stopped when apprehended by then-ambassador from China, Yuan Shi-Kai, and his bodyguards. Gabo Reforms Realizing its weakness, Joseon launched the Gabo Reforms, modeled after the Meiji Restoration. A missionary named Horace Allen was called to help. Seeing this as a threat, the Japanese assassinated Empress Myeongseong (also known as Queen Min) and ended the reforms. The Russian ambassador Karl Ivanovich Weber had to shelter King Gojong, the Empress' husband, for over a year following the incident. Japanese Annexation After the Donghak Revolution, Japan launched the First Sino-Japanese War (discussed earlier). China's defeat in it caused Korea to become a Japanese vassal as opposed to a Chinese one. The Japanese then disbanded Joseon in 1897 to form the puppet Korean Empire. In 1905, the Eulsa Treaty was signed, formalizing Japanese annexation of Korea.

Japanese Rule
In the Treaty of Portsmouth between Japan and Russia (discussed earlier), the latter recognized Japanese rule of Korea. Lost names was a phenomenon in which Koreans were forced to adopt Japanese names during the occupation. The March 1st Movement of 1919 the first among many protests against Japanese rule that was crushed. After Japan lost WWII, its colonies, including Korea, was divvied up among the allies. Korea was jointly occupied by the USSR and the US, with their zones split at the 38th parallel. The two zones later became North and South Korea.

Korean War
Soviets control Northern Korea, US Southern Korea after World War II. Kim Il-Sung becomes Soviet client leader. UN forces were authorized to intervene, as the Soviets were boycotting the UN at the time due to China being at the time still represented by the Republic in Taiwan, not Communist China. UN forces were initially crushed and pushed back to Pusan (or Busan) Perimeter. More American troops, commanded by General MacArthur, invades at Incheon, reinforcements almost reach Yalu River (Chinese border), then Chinese troops invade in October 1950. US Marines fight desperate breakout battle at Chosin Reservoir. MacArthur wants to use atomic weapons against the Chinese, and was consequently fired by Truman. M*A*S*H is TV show that comments on the war. MiG Alley was the site of many dogfights. At the end of the war, the ceasefire resulted largely in status quo ante bellum. The DMZ currently separates North and South Korea.

someone needs to check this against QuizBowl DB.

Modern Times
under construction

Indonesia
Early History
Early polities included the Medang Kingdom, the Srivijaya Empire, who were fervent traders, the Mahapathit Empire, and the Sultanate of Mataram, which built the Imogiri (a mountain-shaped burial structure) and was ruled by Sultan Agung.

Dutch Rule
Indonesia was ruled by the Dutch East Indies Company, based from Jakarta, which they razed upon arriving and renamed as Batavia. The Padri War, also known as the Minangkabau War, was fought during the years 1803 and 1837 between two rival Muslim tribes in Sumatra, the Adats and Padris. The Dutch sided with the Adats, and the Adats' victory helped them consolidate their claim over Sumatra. The Sarekat Islam was the Indonesian textile trader's guild. Indonesia's first nationalist society, Budi Utomo, was established in 1908. Indonesia declared independence in 1945. Linggadjati Agreement (aka Cheribon Agreement) was an arrangement offered to Indonesia by the Dutch in1946, granting autonomy in a British Commonwealth-like structure. The agreement sparked outrage in Indonesia due to its unpopularity, making it a failure. After its failure, the Dutch sent two more waves of soldiers, who no longer had British help. In 1948, the Dutch offered the Renville Settlement, basically a uti poseidis ceasefire. It by the Republicans(the people that want independence) secretly, which lead to outrage and the Madiun Affair, a 1948 communist uprising. In 1949, the Dutch gave up, left, and recognized Indonesian independence. Also called Kusno Sosrodihardjo, Sukarno was an aristocratic genius with photographic memory and fluency in ten languages. He led the independence movement and became the first president of Indonesia. At first, Sukarno was merely a figurehead. He faced a bad economy and civil wars, without any means to stop it. In 1955, the Bandung Conference was held in Indonesia, creating the Non-Aligned Movement. Sukarno originally went by the ideologies of Pancasila, made up by Vice President Mohammed Hatta. Sukarno seized power in 1960 due to frustration from the lack of progress and instated " Guided Democracy" (read: dictatorship). In 1960, he came up with an ideology called Nakasom - Nationalism, Religion, Communism. In addition, he pursued non-aligned, anti-Imperialist and anti-Western policies. He notably fought a war with the British from 1963 to 1964 to keep Borneo and Malaya from gaining

Struggle for Independence

Sukarno

independence from Britain as a Union. He failed, and that union was allowed to take place, forming Malaysia. In 1965, Sukarno withdrew Indonesia from the United Nations, in keeping with his anti-Western policies.

Suharto
The New Order Later in 1965, a military officer by the name of Suharto overthrew Sukarno in a coup to form the New Order. The New Order was even worse because at least Sukarno had democracy in mind. Suharto did not. Suharto belonged to the Golkar Party. Christopher Koch (No relation to Koch brothers) wrote a book called The Year of Living Dangerously, based on the chaotic period immediately after the coup. As the name of the book suggests, the first months after the coup was very chaotic. In March of 1966, Sukarno signed the Supersemar Order, effectively giving dictatorial powers to Suharto. Sukarno lived in house arrest until death. Immediately after the Supersemar Order, Suharto and the army purged all communists. An Irish-Chinese Asian studies professor named Benedict Anderson was banned from Indonesia by Suharto after he wrote his doctoral dissertation on the overthrow of Sukarno. Insurgency in Aceh In the 70's, there was an insurgency (sometimes called a rebellion) in Aceh, the northernmost tip of Sumatra. The people of Aceh were more conservative than other Indonesians, and they were also being unfairly treated by American oil companies there and was therefore mad at Suharto, who increased oil exports. The rebels were called the Free Aceh Movement (GAM). They eventually lost. East Timor Conflict In 1974, Portugal decolonized East Timor, the island's western portion being part of Indonesia. In 1975, after the Portuguese left but before the East Timorese state formed, Suharto invaded and occupied East Timor, whose capital was, and still is, Dili. East Timor didn't gain independence until 2002. Until then, it was officially still Portuguese, and had seats in the Portuguese Parliament.

Recent History
The economic crisis of the late 1990's hit Indonesia hard. Suharto consequently suffered a sharp drop in popularity and was forced out in 1998. Yusuf Habibie, also of the Golkar Party, served out Suharto's "term". In 1999, the Reformasi ended the New Order and Guided Democracy , preparing Indonesia for elections. In 2000, a terrorist mujahedeen called the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) clashed with Christians and bombed a bunch of places. In 2001, the country finally got real democracy. Indonesia elected a new president, Megawati Sukarnoputri, daughter of Sukarno, who was once jailed by Suharto . In 2002, there was a terrorist bombing at a hotel in Bali. In 2004, the Australian embassy was bombed by terrorists. Also in 2004, the tsunami hit Aceh the hardest. In 2006, the leader of the FPI, Habib Shihab, was arrested . In 2008, a nightclub in Kuta was bombed by the same guys that bombed the Australian embassy. In 2009, President Susilo Yudhoyono was reelected. In 2010, the volcano Mt. Merapi erupted. Currently, Indonesia is the largest Muslim country in the world, although some Indian cultural elements remain in Bali.

Burma
Before Colonization
Significant native Burmese polities included the Taungoo Dynasty and the Konbaung Dynasty (or kingdom), whose sixth king was Bodawpaya and had other notable kings like Anawratha and

Kyanzittha. The Burmese conquered peoples including the Rakhine and the Kachin, whose territories now form namesake states in Burma.

Anglo-Burmese Wars
First Anglo-Burmese War Commanders include Charles Grant (KIA) and Archibald Campbell. Ended by the Treaty of Yandabo. Burmese coastal cities were ceded to Britain and Burma had to pay indemnity. Second Anglo-Burmese War Not important. Burma lost again.
Southern Burma ceded to Britain.

Third Anglo-Burmse War Resulted in the complete conquest of Burma, which was under King Thibaw Min, last of the Konbaung.
After the Third Anglo-Burmese War, Britain incorporated Burma into its Raj (Empire) of India. Burma (no offense to any Burmese people) was relatively useless, lacking in both farmland and resources, and is used mostly as a buffer between Britain and Siam, which was independent.

WWII
Burma was defended by the 77th Indian Infantry Brigade (later renamed the 3rd Indian Infantry Division), or Chindits, lead by General Orde Wingate.

Burma Road After Japan took over most of China's coastal areas, the Allies needed a new way to ship supplies to Chiang Kai-Shek in China. Chiang built the Burma Road from Kunming, in China, to Lashio, in British Burma, where goods would be first sent there via rail, then via truck over the road, crossing the Chinese border at Wanting. Ledo Road As the Japanese encroached upon Burma, it was no longer possible to ship goods via Lashio. Chinese workers under the command of Joseph Stillwell built the new Ledo Road, which lead to Ledo, India, in theAssam state. This road connected to the Burma Road near Wanting. After all of Burma was taken over, supplies were flown to China via Tibet. Japanese Rule of Burma While Japan ruled Burma, there was widespread dissent. A man named Bogyoke Aung San created a rebel force named Tatmadaw, which became Burma's national army upon independence. Bogyoke Aung San is known as the father of modern Burma.

Independence and First Junta

Burma obtained independence in 1948. Its first Prime Minister was U Nu. The new nation's military quickly splintered, as soldiers belonging to ethnic minorities left, refusing to serve U Nu. Civil war ensued between these minorities, the central government, and a very large contingent of KMT Chinese soldiers who fled to Burma and set up base because Chiang wanted "a second base" other than Taiwan. In 1962, a general named Ne Win, frustrated with U Nu's lack of progress, overthrew his government to form a dictatorial junta. This junta is most notable for massacring minorities and implementing something called the "Burmese Way to Socialism" (if socialism means "torture chamber", they were right on).

Second Junta
8888 Uprising The last major reform undertook by Ne Win was to change all currency to denominations of 9, a number he liked. This wiped out the savings of many and was the last straw. Officially started by students all over the country on August 8 1988, hence the name. They were joined on the streets by monks, housewives, children, lawyers, and doctors. It was brutally crushed by police, who were especially cruel near the Kandawgyi and Inya Lakes. Second Coup Although brutally suppressed, the uprising did achieve one significant goal - Ne Win was ousted as

another group of generals seized Ne Win's weakness to launch a coup. The coup was bloody. The new junta was called the State Law and Order Restoration Council and led by Saw Maung.

1990's The junta promised elections, which were held in 1990. Aung San Suu Kyi, daughter of Tatmadaw founder Aung San, had become the leader of the democracy movement during the 8888 Uprising. Her National League for Democracy (NLD) won over 80% of the vote. The junta declared the election void and put her under house arrest, which only ended in 2010. In 1992, Than Shwe replaced Saw Maung as dictator. In 1997, the State Law and Order Restoration Council was reorganized into the State Peace and Development Council. During all this, the junta continued to massacre minorities with child soldiers and suppress freedom and human rights. Aung San Suu Kyi won a Nobel Prize while under house arrest. She did not pick it up until 2012. 2000's In 2006, Than Shwe moved the capital from Rangoon (also called Yangon) to the planned city ofNaypyidaw. In 2007, the junta brutally suppressed a monk demonstration. In 2008, Burma was hit hard by Cyclone Nargis. Nargis means "daffodil" in Urdu. In 2009, the Kokang Incident occurred. It involved the military brutally attacking the minorities, and tens of thousands of minority refugees fled into China. In 2010, Than Shwe orchestrated long-promised elections , which were deemed fraudulent by the UN and was therefore boycotted by Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD. Aung San Suu Kyi had only been released weeks before polls opened. Thein Sein, a close associate of Than Shwe, was elected. Thein Sein's new government ended junta rule, although the new regime was just as bad. In 2012, an election was held as a small amount of seats in the two houses of the Burmese legislature were up for grabs. As Thein Sein was trying to get UN sanctions lifted, he did not rig the election, and Aung San Suu Kyi and her NLD won every one of the seats. In 2010, Burma got a new flag with the demise of the junta.

Miscellaneous
Burmese diplomat U Thant served as UN Secretary-General through most of the 1960's. The Shwedagon Pagoda (aka Great Dagon Pagoda and Golden Pagoda) is a magnificent Buddhist temple in Rangoon (or Rangoon) with a large, gold-coated dome. It contains the Staff of Kakusandha.

Cambodia
Khmer Empire Succeeding the Chenla Kingdom, the empire is considered the golden age of Cambodia. It was centered in a region called Kambuja. It was founded by King Jayavarman II, and another important king was Suryavarman II. In addition to the capital Angkor Wat, the empire also featured holy sites such as the Bayon Temple,Mount Meru, and the Bakong Temple. Slaves called khum serviced these religious sites. The empire once issued an edict to forbid land consolidation called misrabhoga. A Chinese diplomat was sent during Mongol rule named Zhou Daguan. The empire's one time allied with King Harideva of the Champa Kingdom to defeat the Dai Viet (Vietnam). The empire was conquered by the Ayuthaya.

Khmer Rouge
The Khmer Rouge was started by Pol Pot, also known as Brother Number One, who was part of theCercle Marxiste. Prime Minister Lon Nol initially came to power in 1970, and the five years that followed were filled with civil war with Pol Pot. Opponents of Pol Pot were part of groups called GRUNK and FUNK. Of course, the Khmer Rouge won and deposed Lon Nol, although they kept King Sihanouk as a figurehead. After coming to power, the Khmer Rouge reset the calendar to Year Zero and began pursuing selfreliance, which included denying all foreign aid, including malaria medication.

Then, they formulated the Anka Doctrine, which called for an agrarian society. Consequently, the rural population became known as the old people, and the urban population was referred to as new people and herded to the countryside. The new people were considered counterrevolutionary and many were killed in the most infamous part of the regime the killing fields. This idea was formed by Nuon Chea (Prime Minister and ideology director), Son Sen, and Leng Sary. Killing sites included M-13 and Office 870, although the most famous site was Tuol Sleng, also known as S-21 or Strychnine Hill, which was converted from a high school. The guy who ran it is only known as Duch. There was also a site almost immediately next to the old capital of Angkor Wat called Choeung Ek. These atrocities were later explored in a book called The Gate. Vietnam invaded Cambodia in 1979 to end Khmer Rouge, but it was already too late, and the current youth are called the Lost Generation. The Khmer Rouge remain a controversial topic, and a 2007 textbook exploring the issues stirred Cambodian society. A new prime minister elected in 1985. Hun Sen is considered to be corrupt and allegedly illegally sold a lot of oil fields. Singapore is a city-state. Bukit Timah - last rainforest left in the city. Sentosa Island, entertainment district home toUniversal Studios. Only airport -Changi International. It is the tip of the Malay Peninsula. Across the strait from Singapore is the Malaysian city of Johor Bahru (usually just Johor). The aforementioned strait is called the Johor Strait. Densest independent country in Asia. As with all the other countries around it, Singapore was ruled by many successive Muslim sultanates that flourished from trade. The British East India Company bought it during a dispute between two brothers in the royal family, Tengku Abdul Rahman and Tengku Hussein, who was then the Sultan of Johor. The first British governor in Singapore was Sir Stamford Raffles (yes, the guy they named that hotel after) The Dutch also had holdings in the area, so it and Britain signed the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824. Basically, the Dutch gave all of their Indian stuff to Britain, and the British gave all of their Indonesian stuff to the Dutch, and the two would share all trade resources in the area. Singapore, however, was not given to the Dutch. Earlier diplomatic tensions erupted when Britain took over Singapore, and the Dutch got freaked out. In the treaty, however, the Dutch affirmed British rule in Singapore. Singapore was then organized into the British crown as part of the Straits Settlements and became a very crucial port under British rule. This status was instrumental in its post-independence economic boom that earned it a place as one of the Four Asian Tigers, who are the very bastions of economic development. During WWII, the city was defended by Indian, Australian, British, Malaysian, and Singaporean troops, in addition to the Royal Air Force. The Allies outnumbered the Japanese no less than 2 to 1. These were the circumstances of the Battle of Singapore. The Japanese nevertheless crushed the British. Over 80,000 Allied troops were taken as POW. This was thelargest British-led surrender in all history. Singapore was previously dubbed "Impregnable Fortress", a misnomer considering it only lasted 7 daysagainst a vastly outnumbered invading Japanese force. Winston Churchill dubbed the Battle of Singapore the "worst disaster in British history". After this debacle, Singapore was overrun by the Japanese (just like almost every other Asian country). The Japanese took over in 1942 and left in 1945. During this period, the Japanese killed about 100,000 Chinese young men in the Sook Ching Massacre. Also, during WWII, Singapore was full of communists. Singapore gained home rule in 1959, brought about by governor Lim Yew Hock. He then helped form

After the Khmer Rouge

Singapore

British Rule

WWII

Independence

the new government of Singapore. Singapore gained independence as part of Malaysia in 1963 . Malaysia did not like the arrangement, fearing that Kuala Lumpur would lose all importance as focus shifts to Singapore and that the Chinese people in Singapore would dominate politics. So, the Malaysian legislature voted unanimously to kick out Singapore in 1965. Everyone who was in Singapore when the vote was cast became a citizen. Singapore's first prime minister after independence was Lee Kuan Yew. Laos is known as the "Land of a Million Elephants", or Lan Xang. Capital of Laos: Vientiane Laos was part of French Indochina and is landlocked. During the Vietnam War, Ho Chi Minh used a system of trails in Laos, known as the Ho Chi Minh Trail, tosmuggle Viet Cong guerrillas. Communist Party of Laos = Pathet Lao Lifeline & Western border = Mekong River Full name: Brunei, Abode of Peace. Ruled by a sultan, meaning it is one of the few sultanates remaining in the world. Gained independence from Britain on January 1, 1984. It was formerly a protectorate. The sultanate, however, has existed since ancient times. Located on Borneo and is bordered by the Malaysian state of Sarawak. Capital: Bandar Seri Begawan Also known as Brunei Darussalam, with Darussalam meaning abode of peace.

Laos

Brunei

Vietnam
Earlier History
Trung Sisters Fought control of the Chinese Han Dynasty. Defeated by the Chinese marshal Ma Yuan at the junction of Day (or Hat) River and Red River, where aTemple stands and commenmorates the sisters. Medieval History After the Han, Chinese control of Vietnam was tenuous at best. There were battles back and forth between the Chinese, the Vietnamese, and in one case, the Mongols. The most important of these battles is that at the Bach Dang River, where a Chinese army was repelled when Vietnamese divers poked holes in their boats. Strong Chinese rule resumed during the Ming dynasty. Le Dynasty Le Loi founded the Le Dynasty after kicking out Chinese authorities. He called himself the " Prince of Pacification". His capital, as with all other Vietnamese dynasties, was at Hue, which housed grand buildings such as theDai Noi. A later Le emperor was Emperor Hong Duc (aka Le Thanh Tong or Le Thai Thanh), who was a notable lawgiver.

Battle of Dien Bien Phu (1954)

In the First Indochina War, the French led by Henri Naverre seize Dien Bien Phu in order to cut off Vietminh supply lines in Laos. The Vietminh, led by Vo Nguyen Giap surround the French and besiege them with heavy artillery positioned in the hills surrounding the city. This battle begins with a nighttime offensive on the Beatrice outpost, during which the Vietminh used direct artillery fire because of their lack of experienced gunners. The next phase of this battle centered on the position named Gabrielle and rendered the Frenchs airstrip useless, after which many of the indigenous Tai people abandoned the Anne-Marie position. Most of the French are killed or captured, and the current French government resigns; Pierre Mends becomes the new French president. The war ends with the 1954 Geneva Accords. Vietnam is divided into the North under Ho Chi Minh, and the South underEmperor Bao Dai nd Prime Minister Ngo Dinh Diem. The French Fourth Republic collapses 4 years later, and Charles de Gaulle assumes power in the Fifth Republic. this section (c) Corry Wang.

Vietnam War

AKA Second Indochina War. Under construction. This is version 1.6, created on 7/14/2013 in honor of the Bastille, (c) Yuqiao Zhao, CC-BY-NC-SA 3.0 unless otherwise noted. Need Verification: Taiping Rebellion, Boxer Rebellion, Indonesia, Vietnam, Korean War Still Missing: Vietnam War, the Philippines, Thailand,