How the Balance Swung: A Hundred Years after the Russo-Japanese War

This seminar aims to look into the aftermath of the Russo-Japanese War that had such an impact on the self-confidence of colonised peoples all over Asia. Issues to be discussed are the effects of Russia's defeat on the nation's domestic and foreign politics, the influence of the war on social movements in other countries in the region, and Japan's use of its victory in its relationships with Western powers and the people in its colonies. Participating in the event is a selection of international experts in the field.

LOCATION
The seminar will take place on Saturday 8 October, in the Oost-Indisch Huis, room Heren XVII, the old VOC headquarters, located on Kloveniersburgwal 48 (1012 CX Amsterdam).

For directions, you may use http://route.anwb.nl or check out the map at http://www.english.uva.nl/locations/object.cfm/objectid=05ACC68A-269A-4FF5-A27B37FD0C0FC2C

PAPERS
To avoid printing issues you are kindly requested to bring along - if at all possible - extra copies of your paper to the seminar. We hope to be able to make photocopies of papers in the morning for other participants, but because it is the weekend, and because it is only a one-day seminar, we might run into technical or time problems of some kind.

PROGRAMME

9:30 - 10:00 Coffee and tea outside room Heren XVII
10.00 - 10:20 OPENING by dr. Roald Maliangkay

Part One:
Discussant: Prof. Dr. Marcel van der Linden (IISH and University of Amsterdam)

10.20 -11.10 Dr. Koen De Ceuster (Leiden University)
Foreseeing the Future. Korean understanding of the consequences of the
Russo-Japanese conflict at the time of the War

11.10 - 12.00 Ambassador Togo Kazuhiko (Princeton University)
The Russo-Japanese War and its Contemporary Implication (A Japanese perspective)

12.00 - 12.20 Discussion

12.30 - 14.00 LUNCH

Part Two:
Chairman - Discussant: Dr. Ethan Mark (Leiden University)

14.00 - 14.50 Dr. Paul Rodell (Department of History, Georgia Southern University)
Japanese Ascendance and Early Southeast Asian Nationalists: Myths and Realities,

14.50 - 15.40 Dr. Victor van Bijlert (Kern Institute)
The Icon of Japan in Nationalist Revolutionary Discourse in India, 1890-1910: Some Additional Remarks.

15.40- 16.00 Coffee / tea

Part Three:

16.00 - 17.20 Open forum.

Possible topics for discussion are the possible impact of Japan's victory on the concept of modernity, or on the perception of colonialism. Prof. Vermeer of Leiden University notes that the Japanese victory over Russia was seen by reform-minded Chinese not so much as an "Asian" victory over Westerners, but as a victory of modern, parliamentarian democratic government over imperial autarchy.

Participating in these discussions are:

• Prof. Dr. Touraj Atabaki (Professor of Modern History, University of Amsterdam and IISH)
• Prof. Dr. Marcel van der Linden (Research Director of the International Institute of Social History ISH]

and Professor of Social Movement History, University of Amsterdam)
• Dr. Ethan Mark (Research Fellow, Leiden University)

17.20 - 17.30 Closing remarks