Description
Book SynopsisEvery war leaves an imprint in history, but few have had such a pervasive impact in so many respects as the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. Politically, it fatally weakened the Russian Empire while allowing Japan to follow more dangerous paths. Diplomatically, it shook the power balance in Europe and reshaped it in the form of two coalitions, leading to World War I. With regard to the art of warfare, it emphasized the use of trench warfare and machine guns on land and the deployment of battleships and the use of torpedoes at sea. Yet, despite its importance at the time, it has become very much a forgotten war. The A to Z of the Russo-Japanese War provides considerable breadth and depth of coverage based on Japanese, Russian, and Western sources. The breadth is accomplished through a wide-ranging introduction, a detailed chronology and an extensive bibliography. The depth comes in the hundreds of entries on military and political leaders, major battles and lesser encounters, tactics
Trade ReviewThe centrality of the 1905 Russo-Japanese war in modern history, believes Jowner, is still not sufficiently recognized. He aims to correct that problem with this historical dictionary, which not only covers the battles, weaponry, and personalities of the war, but also the international events and conflicts, agreements, schemes, and projects that led to the war, as well as the political, social, and military consequences of the conflict in the years leading up to World War I and occasionally beyond. * Reference and Research Book News, November 2009 *
The war history volumes of the "A to Z" series will prove useful references for both amateur and professional historians, and would make a valuable addition to any library, particularly as they cost less than other similar, often less comprehensive historical dictionaries. * Strategy Page *
