Russo-Japanese War

The Russo–Japanese War (Japanese: 日露戦争 Nichi-Ro Sensō, Russian: Русско-японская война, Chinese: 日俄戰爭, February 10, 1904 – September 5, 1905) was a conflict that grew out of the rival imperialist ambitions of the Russian Empire and the Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea. The major theatres of operations were Southern Manchuria of China, specifically the area around the Liaodong Peninsula and Mukden, and the seas around Korea, the Yellow Sea and Japan. The Russians were in constant pursuit of a warm water port on the Pacific, for their navy, as well as maritime trade. The recently established Pacific seaport of Vladivostok was the only active Russian port that was reasonably operational during the summer season; but Port Arthur would be operational all year. Japanese negotiations with the Tsar's Government since the end of their 1894 war with China (First Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895)) up until 1903, had proved futile; the Japanese chose war to maintain the exclusivity of their own interests in Korea.

The resulting campaigns, in which the fledgling Japanese military consistently attained victory over the forces arrayed against them, were unexpected by world observers. These victories, as time transpired, would dramatically transform the balance of power in East Asia, resulting in a sober reassessment of Japan's recent entry onto the world stage. The embarrassing string of defeats inevitably underlined the dissatisfaction of the Russian populace with the Tsar's inefficient and autocratic rule. This event was one of many which led to the Russian Revolution of 1905.