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The Russo-Japanese War
1904-1905
Turning Point: The Battle of Tsushima
by Chris Alper
The Battle of Tsushima marked the change of the
balance of power in the Pacific in the early 20th century
Kokoku no kohai kono issen ni ari; kakuin isso funrei doryoku seyo
"The fate of the Empire rests upon this one battle; let every man do his
utmost." Admiral Togo to the Japanese Fleet, 27 May 1905
As dawn broke on 27 May 1905, few outside the inner circle of the Japanese
Naval high command had any inkling as to the magnitude of naval and strategic
victory the Imperial Japanese Navy were about to win. The Russo-Japanese War
had broken out as a result of old Russian and new Japanese efforts to wrest a
"sphere of influence" out of the crumbling remains of the Chinese Empire. The
Sino-Japanese War of 1895-96, won in ruthless fashion by a swiftly created and
modernized Japanese Army, left the Japanese with a foothold on the Asian
Mainland, with the strategic Port Arthur in Manchuria, along with Formosa
(Taiwan) and a hefty indemnity.
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Battle of Port Arthur
