Bangkok City, August 12, 1916.
Bangkok is the capital of the Kingdom of Siam, as well as its largest city, and one of the most prosperous cities in the South Sea Region.
Ever since the nineteenth century, faced with Western aggression and expansion, Siam, the most typical ancient country in the South Sea Region, also launched a series of reforms, including an end to its "closed‑door" policy.
Yes, Siam once implemented a closed‑door policy as well. After all, most backward countries threatened by Western power, in order to ensure stable rule and protect their own traditional markets, found that shutting themselves off from the world was the most effective short‑term measure.
But clearly, a closed‑door policy is no long‑term solution, especially for a backward country like Siam; Western ironclads and powerful cannon are no joke.
