The Decisive Battles of World History

Lecture 31: 1905 Tsushima—Japan Humiliates Russia

the rivalry between the two nations steadily increased until they

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x Thus, the Battle of Tsushima can be said to have directly contributed

to both the fall of tsarist Russia and the rise of a militaristic Japan

whose expansionist policies contributed to the global cataclysm of

World War II.

Corbett, Maritime Operations in the Russo-Japanese War, 1904–1905.

Jukes, The Russo-Japanese War.

Pleshakov, The Tsar’s Last Armada.

1. What important technological advances in naval warfare are illustrated
   by the Battle of Tsushima?


2. Do you think the Russians ever had a realistic chance of beating the
   Japanese navy? Why or why not?

Suggested Reading

Questions to Consider