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The Siege of Tsingtao, sometimes Siege of Tsingtau, was the attack on the German port of Tsingtao (Qingdao) in China during World War I by Japan and the United Kingdom. The Siege of Tsingtao took place between 31 October and 7 November 1914 and was fought by Japan and the United Kingdom against Imperial Germany. The siege was the first encounter between Japanese and German forces and also the first Anglo-Japanese operation during the war. ==Background== Throughout the late 19th century, Imperial Germany joined other European powers in an imperialist scramble for colonial possessions. As with the other world powers, Germany began to interfere in Chinese local affairs. After two German missionaries were killed in 1897, China was forced to transfer Kiaochow and the surrounding areas in Shantung (now Shandong) to Germany in 1898 on a 99-year lease. Germany then began to assert its influence across the rest of the province and built the city and port of Tsingtao. This became the home base of the German Navy's East Asia Squadron, which operated in support of the German colonies in the Pacific. However, Britain viewed the German presence in China as a threat to her own interests and leased Weihaiwei, also in Shantung, as a naval port and coaling station, while Russia leased its own at Port Arthur (now Lüshunkou) and France at Kwang-Chou-Wan. Britain also began to forge close ties with Japan. Japan's developments in the late 19th century mirrored that of the European imperialist powers, and Japan acquired colonial footholds on the Asian mainland. Japanese and British diplomatic relations became closer and an Anglo-Japanese alliance was signed on 30 January 1902. This was seen as necessary, especially by Japan, who considered it as a step to deterring its main rival, Russia. Japan demonstrated its potential by its victory in the Russo-Japanese War 1904–1905, and the alliance continued into World War I. When the war in Europe began in August 1914, Britain promptly requested Japanese assistance. On 15 August Japan issued an ultimatum, stating that Germany must withdraw her warships from Chinese and Japanese waters and transfer control of its port of Tsingtao to Japan. The next day, Major-General Mitsuomi Kamio, General Officer Commanding (GOC), 18th Infantry Division, was ordered to begin preparing to take Tsingtao by force. The ultimatum expired on 23 August, and Japan declared war on Germany. At the beginning of hostilities, the ships of the East Asia Squadron under Vice Admiral Maximilian von Spee were dispersed at various Pacific colonies on routine missions. Spee's ships rendezvoused in the Northern Mariana Islands for coaling, and except for the , which headed for the Indian Ocean, all made their way to the west coast of South America. The squadron engaged and destroyed a Royal Navy squadron at the Battle of Coronel, before being finally being destroyed itself at the Battle of the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Siege of Tsingtao」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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