William Franklin Sands in late Choson Korea : at the deathbed of empire, 1896-1904
Author(s)
Bibliographic Information
William Franklin Sands in late Choson Korea : at the deathbed of empire, 1896-1904
Lexington Books, c2021
- : cloth
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Note
Includes bibliographical references (p. 153-156) and index
Description and Table of Contents
Description
After graduation from Georgetown University in 1896, William Franklin Sands joined the US diplomatic corps as second secretary in Tokyo. His year there sparked his interest in East Asia, so when a position in Korea opened, he took it, with the help of his influential father, an admiral in the US navy. For two years he served under US Minister Horace Allen until a more powerful position opened as chief qdviser to the Korean government in 1900. As the most influential foreign adviser, Sands attempted to convince Emperor Kojong to undertake reforms and to promote Korean neutrality to keep the country independent. The author argues, however, that Sands was hampered by corrucpt officials who had the ear of the emperor, by the Japanese and the Russians who competed for influence and who tried to replace Sands with their own advisers, and, ironically, by Horace Allen. When he lost the confidence of Kojong and when the Russo-Japanese War broke out, Sands was forced out, having failed to maintain Korea's independence as Japan moved to take over. Although his subsequent activities included other diplomatic postings, teaching, and writing, he maintained an interest in Korea and offered his services as World War Two raged.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Prologue: Japan, 1896-1897
Chapter 2: Arrival in Korea, January 1898
Chapter 3: Entering His Majesty's Service, January 1900
Chapter 4: The Cheju Uprising, 1901
Chapter 5: Sands Undercut: Koreans, Japanese, and Russians
Chapter 6: Sands Undercut: Horace Allen
Chapter 7: Troubles Mounting
Chapter 8: Memorials to Kojong
Chapter 9: Leaving Korea, March 1903 to February 1904
Chapter 10: Epilogue: 1904-1946
by "Nielsen BookData"