History UsefulNotes / FirstSinoJapaneseWar

Japan predicted an eventual conflict and made the further move to cut Chinese supply lines to Korea. Chinese and Japanese ships reached the point of combat in the Bay of Asan, resulting in the Battle of Pungdo and the sinking of the Kow-shing, a British steamer leased by China to transport troops and war material to Korea. Incidentally, the captain of the Japanese warship that sank the Kow-shing was Heihachiro Togo who impressed the British with his acute awareness of the international law and political acumen when the ship's owners sought to challenge Japan's decision to sink the steamer. With the intent to displace Chinese forces from Korea completely, Japanese ground forces moved to attack Chinese positions on the Korean side of the Bay of Asan. The Japanese succeeded in routing the Chinese forces at both the Battle of Seonghwan and the Battle of Pyongyang, more or less removing all Chinese presence in mainland Korea.

* In the ''Webcomic/AxisPowersHetalia'' strip "The Story Of China And Teensy Japan", China calls Japan inside to come eat the zong zi he cooked. However, Japan takes out his katana and proceeds to violently betray China, setting in motion the event of the first Sino-Japanese War. It was omitted from the episode that adapted the strip, for [[UnfortunateImplications obvious reasons]].

!!Tropes:
* ArchaicWeaponForAnAdvancedAge: One of the reasons the Chinese lost. Most of their weapons were a mixture of rifles and outdated weaponry like bows and arrows. The rifles themselves ranged from modern to old-fasioned.
* ArmchairMilitary: The Qing Government is a Type 2. They made direct commands to the commandering officers, dicating their movements despite not any of the officials having any military experience.
* BadassNavy: The Imperial Japanese Navy handled the Beiyang Fleet easily.
* CoolBoat: The Dingyuan, and its sister ship, Zhenyuan.
* CurbStompBattle: China was on the receving end of this from Japan.
* DrivenToSuicide:
** Ding Ruchang, who swallowed opium when the Battle of Weihaiwei turned over to the Japanese favor.
** Liu Buchan, Ding's deputy, also swallowed opium.
* TheEmpire: China, and after the war, Japan.
* EndOfAnAge: Japan's victory ended China's imperial influence.
* ForeignCultureFetish: Around this time, Korea became more exposed to Christianity
* FriendlyEnemy: Ding Ruchang and Itō Sukeyuki. At the Battle of Weihaiwei where the Japanese were winning, Ito wrote a letter to Ding, promising him safety in a political asylum and releasing him later so he could continue his contribultions to reforming China. Ding was flattered but declined.
* FromBadToWorse: For China and the Qing government. Having lost it's territoires and influence, people critized the government and civil unrest grew.
* GoDownWithTheShip: Deng Shichang. After his ship, Zhiyuan, got shot, he stayed onboard and drowned.
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: During the Battle of the Yalu River, Dingyuan was unable to communicate with the others ships because its weapons disabled the signalling mast.
* IncompletelyTrained: A great number of soliders in the Beiyang Army didn't have the proper military training.
* {{Irony}}: Many of the Western advisors helping the Chinese were certain they would win the war. The Japanese doubted they could even win. The Chinese didn't even win a single battle.
* MadeInCountryX: Many of the ships the Chinese and Japanese used were made in western countries, including the Dingyuan and Zhenyuan.
* RisingEmpire: Japan, having gaining land and asserting it's influence.
* RuleOfTwo: How the Beiyang fleet operated. They fought in designated pairs.
* TheScapegoat: Ding Ruchan was blamed for the Beiyang Fleet's defeat. The government stripped him of all ranks and honors, and wasn't even given a proper burial until 17 years later.
* TheShortWar: The war lasted for a year.
* ShockingDefeatLegacy: China had already lost to various western powers. But to lose to Japan, a country it always considered a tributary state, it was another blow.
* SuccessionCrisis: When Cheoljong of Joseon died without a male heir, Gojong of Korea and his newly wed wife, Empress Myeongseong, took the throne. The latter clashed with her father-in-law who was working with the Japanese and factions formed, taking sides.
* ThisIsACompetition: The war was essentially this, proving whether China or Japan would be the dominant power. Japan won.
* VestigialEmpire: China, after the war.
* WorthyOpponent: The Japanese held great respect for Ding and Deng, so much so that when the UsefulNotes/SecondSinoJapaneseWar happened, the IJA made sure not to damage Deng's shrine.
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* DrivenToSuicide:
** Ding Ruchang, who swallowed opium when the Battle of Weihaiwei turned over to the Japanese favor.
** Liu Buchan, Ding's deputy, also swallowed opium.

* TheShortWar: The War lasted for a year.

The First Sino-Japanese War (1 August 1894 - 17 April 1895) was fought between Qing Dynasty China and Meiji Japan, primarily over the control of Korea. The war served to demonstrate the success of Japan since the Meiji Restoration as compared with the Self-Strengthening Movement in China, and also highlighted a shift in regional power from China to Japan.

* ShockingDefeatLegacy: China had already lost to various western powers. But to lose to Japan, a country it always considered a tributary state, it was another blow.

* BadassNavy: The Imperial Japanese Navy handled the Beiyang Fleet easily.

* TheEmpire: China, and after the war, Japan.

* FromBadToWorse: For China and the Qing government. Having lost it's territoires and influence, people critized the government and civil unrest grew.