Meiji delegations
- Thread starter alberich
- Start date
Garetor
Gone Fishin'
Because they were paying good money for the help? The things they were learning weren't great secrets like, say, the design of the top-of-the-line artillery and machine guns, or the newest industrial processes. They were learning matters of engineering, science, law, and finance that any reasonably developed Western nation could teach them, and if one country didn't help them, their rivals would. Japan could have learned this stuff from Mexico, if need be. And if a country's professional/technical class is all trained in your language and technology and well-disposed to you from college nostalgia, you have an excellent position to co-opt them economically, diplomatically, etc.
Garetor
Gone Fishin'
It's also worth noting that no one expected Japan to go from feudal imperial monarchy to a modern industrial monarchy on the Prussian model in the space of about 30 years. In fact, that kind of transition to "poor nation" to "rich nation" was never really repeated until the Asian Tigers in the 90's. It was the first time that the pattern of Euro dominance, co-option, and eventual absorption was broken since Columbus went to America.
Because the Western powers were not a hivemind. Quite the contrary, they were at each other's throats often enough. If, say, Germany refused to help the Japanese modernization effort, France (defeated by the Germans in 1870-71) would be only too happy to make more money than it did OTL by cooperating with Japan some more. Even if all European powers banned their nationals from aiding Japan (which would be very unlikely), American instructors, scientists and engineers would have eagerly taken up Japanese offers, and Japan would be taught Western science by Americans almost as well as it was taught by Europeans and Americans OTL.
Also, it would take some quite strong (and highly illegal) measures on any government's part to prevent its nationals from aiding Japan, because 19th century Westerners were free to move wherever they wished to and meet whoever they wanted to, provided that their nation was not at war with the nation they wanted to contact.
Garetor
Gone Fishin'
Yeah.
Japan: "We'll pay you $5 million to send an officer delegation to help train our military, Germany."
Germany: "Piss off!"
Japan: *Blinks*
Japan: Putting out a call to all demobilized Confederate/Union officers in America! $500 a year for help drilling soldiers, plus bonuses for each year you stay!