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- had to sail around Africa. After an arduous voyage the Baltic fleet finally reached the straits between Japan and Korea. It was met by the entire Japanese navy led by Togo Heihachiro (1846-1934), who descended upon it and virtually annihilated it. In the meantime there was domestic unrest as well as revolu�tionary movements taking place across the continent on Russia's European side.
Japan had won the war conclusively. Most of the world had been on her side, viewing her as the "underdog." Both Russia and Japan were exhausted from the 18 month war and wel�comed the repose. Peace was proposed by the Japanese and arranged by President Theodore Roosevelt in Portsmouth, New Hampshire on September 3th, 1905. Roosevelt expressed his admiration for the bravery and efficiency of the Japanese military.
Japan did not get as many territorial concessions as she had hoped. However, in the treaty Russia ceded the southern half of Sakhalin Island and transferred the lease of the Liaodong penin�sula to Japan as well as its railways in southern Manchuria. Russia now had to acknowledge Japan's supremacy in Korea. Japan had become a full-fledged world power and had reached equality with the Western world. It was the first time in the
modern era that a non-white nation had defeated a white army. This would stimulate nationalism throughout colonized Asia.
The Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1903 had been much more costly to the Japanese than the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895. In comparison, Japan suffered only about 5,000 casualties in the war with China, while losing 118,000 in the war with Russia. While the war had caused disunification in Russia, it helped to unify the Japanese and foster immense pride in their national accomplishments. The Japanese people had avidly followed the news of the war in their newspapers.
In 1910 Japan annexed Korea and subjected her peoples to a repressive and ruthless administration until Korea was freed from Japanese occupation in 1945.
Death of Emperor Meiji
Emperor Meiji died on July 29,1912 after being grievously ill for over a week with uremic poisoning. There was a great demon�stration of grief over his death throughout Japan. His funeral was richly symbolic of his era for it combined conventions from the East and West; old and new. His grave was placed in the traditional capital of Kyoto.
The transformation that took place in Japanese society during
rescue foreigners during Boxer Rebellion in China); 5.1904-1905 War Medal (War with Russia); 6. Korean Annexation Commemorative Medal (in 1910 Japan annexed the Korean Peninsula); Collection of W. A. Windrum
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