Similarities
Colonialism that existed in the 18th century affected various emperors that include Japan and Russia. However, it greatly impacted vast aspects like independence and industrialization. This is the reason why both Japan and Russia have similar industrialization approaches. For instance, both nations began their industrialization late due to suspicion of the west and scarce population that led to minimal investment. More so, the two empires had similar reasons for industrialization because they embraced industrialization in order to avoid being colonized by the western powers (Cooper, 302). Additionally, Russia and Japan defied the western culture, but instead copied their industrialization platforms like machinery and technological gadgets. The two empires also had similar industrialization basis because industrializations were sponsored by government. This is a fact because Japanese empire, through Emperor Meiji, created a ministry of industry in 1870 with an aim of enhancing industrialization (Wallace, 80). The government sponsorship fostered the construction of ports, rail roads, canal and steamships. On the other hand, the Russian government sponsored education as the basic platform of industrialization. The government also built railroads, which include Trans-Siberian railroad networks.
Differences
Irrespective of similar approaches of industrialization, Russia and Japan have vast industrialization aspects. For instance, the demographic differences between the two nations contributed to the pace of industrialization. More so, Japan was more organized in terms of embracing civilization than Russia because while Japan recognized the need for industrialization crash course that would help them build a modern army, Russia focused on agriculture as the main activity. More so, While Japan was technology conscious, Russia focused on agriculture and the education sector. This quest for industrialization led Japan to build railroads all over the country, an aspect that made Japan the most prominent nation in terms of technology today (Sil, 308).
Work cited
Sil, Rundra. Managing “modernity”: Work, Community, and Authority in Late-industrializing Japan and Russia. University of Michigan Press. 2002. Print.
Wallace, Robert, M. Hegel’s Philosophy of Reality, Freedom, and God. Cambridge University Press. 2005. Print.
Cooper, Frederick. Empires and Political Imagination in World History. Princeton [u.a.: Princeton University Press, 2008. Print.
