This study examines the unsuccessful peace negotiations that occurred during the Imjin War (1592-1598). Having recently unified Japan, Toyotomi Hideyoshi launched an invasion of the Korean...Show moreThis study examines the unsuccessful peace negotiations that occurred during the Imjin War (1592-1598). Having recently unified Japan, Toyotomi Hideyoshi launched an invasion of the Korean peninsula in 1592. With the fighting deadlocked, a ceasefire was concluded followed by intermittent bilateral peace talks between Japan and Ming China for the next three-and-a-half years, while simultaneous negotiations between Japan and Chosŏn Korea lasted merely nine months. The thesis applies D.G. Pruitt’s ‘readiness theory’ to help explain why both diplomatic channels ultimately collapsed, but also identifies a wide range of contextual factors that undermined the peace process. These factors include: fundamental disagreements over the war’s outcome; problems of miscommunication and deception; a lack of unity on all sides; diplomatic inexperience, and ignorance of the other sides’ political situation. It adopts a trilateral approach in order to understand the conflicting perspectives of the three combatants. Moreover, it reveals significant individual and institutional rivalries within each camp. The thesis draws on primary source materials in classical Chinese and classical Japanese, as well as recently published studies in Japanese and English.Show less
