Note sull'episodio
In 1904, Imperial Russia entered a war it expected to win. Its opponent was Japan, a nation that had transformed itself from a feudal society into a modern industrial and military power in just a few decades.
This episode explores how competition over Korea and Manchuria pushed Russia and Japan toward war, why Russia’s enormous size became a logistical weakness, and how Japan used preparation, naval power, intelligence, and speed to gain the advantage.
From the brutal siege of Port Arthur and the massive Battle of Mukden to the destruction of the Russian fleet at Tsushima, the conflict shocked Europe and changed global perceptions of power. Japan’s victory inspired anti-colonial movements across Asia, weakened the Russian Empire, and announced the arrival of a new great power.
But the victory also strengthened Japan’s imperial ambitions and helped create the dangerous confidence that would shape its later expansion.
This is the story of the Russo-Japanese War—the conflict that shattered the myth of permanent European military superiority and changed the balance of power in Asia.