History is the best teacher.
Understanding history prevents us from being shortsighted and confused by the details of the present era, and allows us to view problems from a "God's eye view". In addition, history repeats itself, so understanding history is equivalent to understanding the present.
History often reminds us that a country and nation must constantly progress by humbly learning from the advanced experiences and technologies of other countries. Only through continuous learning and innovation can one stand undefeated in fierce international competition.
Japan is a typical example of a country that has emerged from poverty and ignorance by learning from advanced countries. Japan relied on the Meiji Restoration to thoroughly reflect on its own backwardness and learn from the advanced experiences of the West.
Another example is Peter the Great of Russia. Before him, Russia was a wild land, and it was he who led Russia to modernization by learning Western technology and culture.
Meiji Restoration
Japanese reformists learning from the West
In the mid-19th century, Japan was in the period of the Tokugawa shogunate, and both its economy and military power were very backward. In this situation, Japan faced the threat of Western powers, especially the "Black Ships" incident by the United States in 1853 made the Japanese realize the harm of isolationism.
In 1853, Commodore Matthew Perry of the United States Navy led four warships into Edo Bay, Uraga Strait, threatening the shogunate to open the country by force. The black ironclad warships in the fleet shocked the Japanese, and their impact was no less than that of Li Hongzhang when he saw the Empire State Building in New York during his visit to the United States.
Perry presented the shogunate with a model of a steam locomotive and a telegraph machine, while the shogunate could only demonstrate its strength by using sumo wrestlers to carry the rice it gave in return.
This event made Japan deeply feel the huge gap with foreign countries, and they called this event the "arrival of the Black Ships".
Finally, the two sides signed the "Treaty of Amity and Commerce between the United States and Japan" (also known as the "Treaty of Kanagawa") the following year (1854), and Japan was thus involved in the global trading system controlled by countries such as Britain, France, the Netherlands, and the United States. At this time, Japan was still an extremely poor and ignorant country due to its long-term isolation.
In 1867, the famous Japanese historical figure Saigo Takamori (one of the three heroes of the Restoration, along with Okubo Toshimichi and Kido Takayoshi) challenged the Tokugawa shogunate. In 1868, under Saigo's command, the anti-shogunate forces defeated the shogunate forces, which outnumbered them threefold.
In 1871, the Japanese government sent an envoy led by Iwakura Tomomi to visit various countries in Europe and America. The envoy visited the United States, Britain, France, Germany, and other countries, conducting detailed investigations of the political, economic, military, and educational systems of these countries.
It is worth noting that Japan did not limit itself to learning only industrial and technological aspects from the West. They gradually discovered that the reason why the West was powerful was not just because of industrial development and strong ships and cannons, but because of advanced systems such as separation of powers, rule of law, and free market economy.
Through their investigations, the envoy realized that education and technology were the foundation of the Western powers. After returning to Japan, they actively promoted educational reforms, established a new education system, set up modern schools following the Western model, and encouraged students to study abroad. At the same time, Japan also introduced a large number of Western science and technology, especially in the fields of industry and military.
Most importantly, Japan also learned the Western constitution and legal system, and promulgated the "Constitution of the Empire of Japan", establishing a constitutional monarchy. The government institutions also underwent large-scale modernization reforms.
By humbly learning the advanced systems of the West, Japan achieved modernization in just a few decades and became a powerful industrialized country. In the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, Japan defeated the Qing Dynasty, shocking the entire Qing Empire and plunging it into a sense of national humiliation.
However, the Qing Dynasty believed that its backwardness compared to Japan was only due to the failure to build better warships and cannons, and did not seek the root cause in the rigid centralization system of the Qing Dynasty.
However, Li Hongzhang and others may have recognized this root cause, but no one dared to say it to the Emperor.
The Qing Dynasty was left behind by Japan in this way, and it never realized the fundamental problem until its collapse.
Peter the Great
Learning from the West, promoting Russian modernization
Peter the Great (1672-1725) was one of the greatest tsars in Russian history. He thoroughly transformed Russia's appearance by learning advanced Western technology and culture, laying the foundation for its modernization.
In March 1697, Tsar Peter the Great carefully organized a 250-person Russian delegation to travel to Western European countries such as Prussia, the Netherlands, Britain, and Austria to learn advanced technology. Peter even disguised himself as a Russian army private and personally served as an apprentice in a Dutch shipyard to learn shipbuilding and navigation techniques.
Peter the Great and Kangxi were contemporaries, and China was still closed off at that time.
Afterwards, Peter the Great actively invited Western experts to come to Russia, especially in shipbuilding, military, and industrial fields. In order to encourage the spread of technology, he also required many noble children to study abroad and master advanced technology.
He also reformed a series of domestic systems: establishing a modernized army, training soldiers and officers following the Western model; promoting industrial construction, establishing a large number of factories and shipyards; and carrying out administrative reforms to improve government efficiency and national governance level.
Peter the Great's reforms turned Russia from a backward agricultural country into one of the powerful countries in Europe. Especially in 1703, he established St. Petersburg, making it Russia's window to Europe. These series of reforms not only improved Russia's comprehensive national strength, but also enhanced its influence on the international stage.
Conclusion
Humbly learning from the experiences of advanced countries is the path for a nation to prosper and become powerful.
On the other hand, nations that are closed-minded and unwilling to learn are often eliminated in the tide of history.
History also tells us that only learning the superficial aspects of the West may bring short-term progress, but it is difficult to sustain. Adapting to the system of modern world's free economy, rather than individual will, is what guarantees long-term development.
Therefore, there are also examples in history where after gaining short-term progress by learning the superficial aspects of the West, nations fall into arrogance and complacency, thinking that the experiences of advanced countries are no longer worth learning and that they themselves are the most powerful.
This situation often requires experiencing a certain degree of failure again for the nation to become sober, but the cost paid is often high.
Therefore, learning is an ongoing process, and only through continuous learning and a sense of crisis can long-term prosperity and development be maintained.