raharris1973
Well-known member
What if China and Japan fought a war over Okinawa and the Ryukyu Islands?
I can see multiple PoDs when this might occur:
1. What if the Ming dynasty went to war with Japan to contest the initial Shimazu clan invasion of the Ryukyus in 1609?
The Chinese become aware of this Japanese attack on their tributary Kingdom, which the Japanese use to get around anti-Japanese trade restrictions, and, pissed off, send a fleet and soldiers to drive out the Japanese. They are especially angry because the Imjin War is in living memory and the Japanese have to be taught another lesson. If all else is the same, this would be under Wanli, who was Emperor during the Imjin War, but OTL he was demotivated and 'on-strike' by this point. Maybe rage at the Japanese might motivate him, or maybe the PoD could be something happening earlier that eases the deadlocked frustration he has with his court bureaucrats, maybe his preferred heir dies early, their preferred heir dies early, or Wanli dies early and the Tianqi Emperor gets to learn the job and do it instead of reigning just a week before dying.
2. What if the Qing find out about the Ryukyuans "two-timing" their tributary status to China and being tributaries to the Satsuma Shimazus, and Admiral Shi Lang sells the Emperor on a plan to restore China's exclusive relationship right after gloriously conquering Taiwan in 1683. Using Qing naval forces, now augmented by forces of the Zheng family fleet from the former Tungning Kingdom on Taiwan, Shi Lang invades the Ryukyu in the middle 1680s, reclaims the whole island chain for the Ryukyuan King, expels Japanese influence and trade, and reasserts the island Kingdom as part of China's tribute network.
3. The same thing happens but much later, in the 1760s, under the Qianlong Emperor, shortly after he has completed his wars against and genocide of the Dzunghar Mongol people. (c. 1763)
4. 19th century China declares war on Japan when it announces the formal annexation of the Ryukyu Kingdom in 1879.
I can see multiple PoDs when this might occur:
1. What if the Ming dynasty went to war with Japan to contest the initial Shimazu clan invasion of the Ryukyus in 1609?
The Chinese become aware of this Japanese attack on their tributary Kingdom, which the Japanese use to get around anti-Japanese trade restrictions, and, pissed off, send a fleet and soldiers to drive out the Japanese. They are especially angry because the Imjin War is in living memory and the Japanese have to be taught another lesson. If all else is the same, this would be under Wanli, who was Emperor during the Imjin War, but OTL he was demotivated and 'on-strike' by this point. Maybe rage at the Japanese might motivate him, or maybe the PoD could be something happening earlier that eases the deadlocked frustration he has with his court bureaucrats, maybe his preferred heir dies early, their preferred heir dies early, or Wanli dies early and the Tianqi Emperor gets to learn the job and do it instead of reigning just a week before dying.
2. What if the Qing find out about the Ryukyuans "two-timing" their tributary status to China and being tributaries to the Satsuma Shimazus, and Admiral Shi Lang sells the Emperor on a plan to restore China's exclusive relationship right after gloriously conquering Taiwan in 1683. Using Qing naval forces, now augmented by forces of the Zheng family fleet from the former Tungning Kingdom on Taiwan, Shi Lang invades the Ryukyu in the middle 1680s, reclaims the whole island chain for the Ryukyuan King, expels Japanese influence and trade, and reasserts the island Kingdom as part of China's tribute network.
3. The same thing happens but much later, in the 1760s, under the Qianlong Emperor, shortly after he has completed his wars against and genocide of the Dzunghar Mongol people. (c. 1763)
4. 19th century China declares war on Japan when it announces the formal annexation of the Ryukyu Kingdom in 1879.