Russo-Japanese War

[Marcus Apathicus]

I won't say anything on the background of this war, but how in the living... did an Asian nation defeat a European power in the 1900s.

two words: Meiji Restoration.

Japan became the little engine that could in less than half a century.

From a feudal shogunate to a state constitution and a modern army in only a few decades. Now that's what I call a success story.

[Kosmo]

Japan and Britain were allies. So, Britain, that was in control of most bases on the road to the East did not let the russians use their coaling stations for the long trip. Also the treaty between the Japan and UK stated that Britain will be neutral in the case of a conflict with a single power, but will fight against other ones. As nobody wanted to fight the RN the russians could not call their french allies.

Some ships used the Suez for the trip, but most were to big for it.

The surprise attack on Port Athur was a failure with little results.

Japonese fleet was bigger, newer and with better trained crews. Also Japan had a geographical advantage dominating the coast. Russian fleet was divided between three far away seas and faced mutinies and later a Revolution.

They fought for Coreea that Japan was dominating since they defeated the chinese in 1895, but where the russians were traying to expand.

US agreed with Japonese plans on Coreea in exchenge for a free hand in the Phillipines. Actualy most powers were against russian asiatic expansion supporting the Open Doors policy on China.

Russian defeat opened the way for a russian-british treaty regarding the current issues: Afghanistan, Iran, Tibet and China, followed by a loose, informal alliance, the Entante. The russian-british treaty was a momentous change in european policy after almost a century of conflicts and distrust between the two powers. And a huge step closer to 1914.

Dreadnought was build as a result of Tsushima lessons.