The A to Z of the Russo-Japanese War

by Rotem Kowner University of Haifa

Overview

Every 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 and strategy as well as the weaponry and of course the causes and consequences. The result is the first major reference work on the Russo-Japanese War in English and the largest in any language.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780810868410
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	08/20/2009
Series:	The A to Z Guide Series , #58
Pages:	640
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.40(h) x 1.70(d)

About the Author

Rotem Kowner serves as the chair of the Department of East Asian Studies at the University of Haifa and teaches Japanese modern history and culture. He is one of the leading authorities on the war, has written extensively on the conflict, and also co-organized a major international conference on “The Russo-Japanese War & the 20th Century: An Assessment from a Centennial Perspective.”

Editorial Reviews

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

The 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

The 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.

November 2009 Reference and Research Book News

The 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

From the Publisher