August 23: Japan Declares War on Germany (1914)
Prayer Idea
Pray for peace among countries in Asia and the Pacific Ocean.
History Note
After two centuries of relative isolation from the 1600s to the mid-1800s, Japan began to exert its influence on the international stage. It fought and won a war against Russia in 1904-1905 and took over control of Korea. Japan also formed an alliance with the United Kingdom, primarily because both countries saw Russia as an enemy.
After the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in June of 1914, the nations of Europe began declaring war on each other. Because Japan had an alliance with the United Kingdom, it declared war on Germany. Japan saw this as an opportunity to take over territory controlled by Germany in Asia and the Pacific.
The main battle between Japan and Germany during the Great War was the Siege of Qingdao (also spelled Tsingtao). Germany had leased an area in the Shandong Province of East China in 1898 to use as a port and naval base. After declaring war on August 23, Japan gave Germany an ultimatum to remove its warships from the area and turn over the port to Japan. Germany refused.
The siege lasted from August to November of 1914. The Japanese, supported by British troops, finally captured the city. German POWs were held in Japan until the end of the war.
The Japanese military also captured Pacific islands controlled by Germany. These included the Mariana Islands, the Marshall Islands, Palau, and the Caroline Islands (most of which are now known as the Federated States of Micronesia). During the war, the Japanese navy also provided protection for Allied ships in the Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean.
The new territories that Japan controlled after World War I would see further conflict during World War II, in which Japan and Germany would fight on the same side.
This 1914 photo shows Japanese, British, and Indian troops in China. Image courtesy the National Army Museum (UK).
Learn More
Learn about the Siege of Qingdao.
Find more resources at Homeschool History.
