The Decisive Battles of World History

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and practices of the Royal Navy, and contracts were signed for

new Japanese warships to be constructed in British shipyards

following the most up-to-date designs.

o The modern Japanese army was initially to be based on the

French model, but after Prussia’s impressive defeats of Austria

in 1866 and France in 1870, the Japanese switched to the

Prussian military, again dispatching observers and purchasing

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x Nevertheless, Japan continued to be viewed as a strange but

unthreatening and technologically backward nation. This

assumption would be blown to bits in the narrow gap of water

separating Japan from Korea, the Tsushima Strait. It was here that,

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a much larger Russian one, announcing Japan’s entrance onto the

global stage as a major power.

The Navies and Their Technology
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6 modern battleships, all built in Great Britain within the previous
VHYHQ\HDUV7KHÀDJVKLSZDVWKHMikasa, a 15,200-ton battleship
completed in 1902. It represented the state of the art, having 12-
inch main guns that could be reloaded in whichever direction the
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x Next in size and strength were 8 powerful armored cruisers, also

recently built in foreign shipyards and all well-armed with 8- and

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supported by several dozen smaller cruisers and destroyers, as well

as some squadrons of torpedo boats.

x The Japanese sailors were highly disciplined and dedicated. Because

they had been subjected to vigorous training and drills, they knew

their roles and had experience using their ships and weapons.