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Asian Studies

Overview

In 1904-1905 Russia made its way to Manchuria, threatened control of Port Arthur in Northeast China, and started to initiate plans to gain control of the Korean Peninsula due to its will to expand its trade. Japan saw this as a threat and after just previously defeating China, started a war with Russia. With a strong sense of nationalism rooted in government reform, Japanese soldiers fought this war with motivation. Although a few battles were on land this war consisted of much more Naval warfare than land. After the Japanese sank most of the Russian ships ( and won a couple of land battles), they became the winners of the war. This was a shocking victory at the time because Japan had not yet proved its power to the rest of the world and was often looked at as a much smaller force. With this victory over China and Russia, it made the world take Japanese forces more seriously when WW1 started. 

Research Questions

  • How did Japan understand its victory in this conflict?
  • How was this victory understood in Russia and around the world?
  • What do these differing views suggest about the shape or world politics on the eve of WWI?

Key Terms

Russo-Japanese War - A war between Japan and Russia over dominance in Manchuria and Korea

Treaty of Portsmouth - Treaty that formally ended the Russo-Japanese War, signed on September 5, 1905

Manchuria - Exonym for several large overlapping historical and geographical regions in Northeast Asia.

Korea - Region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and several minor islands.

Siege of Port Arthur - August 1, 1904 - January 2, 1905, Longest and the most violent land battle of the Russo-Japanese War.

Russian Empire - Third-Largest empire in history, stretching over three continents.

Meiji Restoration - Event that restored imperial rule to the Empire of Japan.

Empire of Japan - The historical nation-state and great power that existed from 1868 to the enactment of the 1947 constitution of modern Japan.

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