Japanese gather their dead soldiers in the rain to burn them after a battle against the Russians.

Japan's growing alarm over Russian incursions into Korea and Manchuria, areas considered vital to Japanese economic expansion, led to pre-emptive strikes against the Russian navy, which quickly escalated into full-scale war. Japan's modern navy and army manhandled the Russians, causing 50 percent casualties to Russian land forces and destroying the Russian Pacific and Baltic fleets at the Battle of Tsushima. In the peace settlement, Russian forces withdrew from Manchuria and Japan gained the Liaotung Peninsula, Port Arthur, part of Sakhalin Island and controlling influence over Korea. Japan had also proven to itself, and the world, that it could defeat a major European power.