The Fault in Our Stars? Korea's Strategy for Survival and Germany's Rise, 1876–1910

Abstract

Observers often attribute the disappearance of Korea in 1910 to the failure of Korean elites to modernize the country. Yet, this explanation overlooks both Korea's foreign policy and the international power shift ongoing during the early twentieth century. Accordingly, this study uses international relations theory to shed new light on the Japanese annexation of Korea. First, it shows that the international strategy of Joseon and the Korean Empire corresponds to buck-passing, a cost-effective strategy for weak states. Second, it argues that the rise of German power during the 1900s forced the great powers to focus their attention on Europe. In doing so, they left Korea with no one to catch its buck and vulnerable to a Japanese takeover. Therefore, this article enriches both Korean historiography and the understanding of the strategies of small states.