There is one interesting fact about the Russo-Japanese War and the Japanese victory that I would like to share with you. The Japanese government was desperate for peace as their supplies were running out and their industrial plant was not up to maintaining Japan's armies in the field. Russia had just completed the Trans-Siberian Railroad and was going to have a much superior capacity to maintain its armies in Manchuria. Japan was on track to a defeat much as it was later to suffer in 1945, fighting a continent-sized country with superior resources. But in the Russo-Japanese War then stepped Teddy Roosevelt. He hated Russia, and was delighted at the Japanese counterweight to Russia in the Far East. His reaction was identical to the British imperialists' reaction. Teddy Roosevelt brokered a peace agreement between Japan and Russia (Look up "Treaty of Portsmouth.") that enabled Japan to hide its weakness from the world. Unfortunately for the Japanese government, they had to hide their weakness from the Russians at the negotiations, or Russia would not have made peace. Then, when the relatively mild terms were announced, the Japanese public, also unaware of the extent of Japan's weakness, was enraged! The Japanese moderates fell, and Japan was taken over by much more aggressive politicians. These politicians were probably not as aware of how close Japan had come to a crushing defeat, and were inclined to overestimate Japan's strength.
In return, Roosevelt got the Taft-Katsura agreement. This was not a formal treaty, but a secret understanding between Japan and the United States giving Japan rights to invade and occupy Korea and Manchuria in exchange for Japan's agreement not to interfere with the USA's occupation of its colony in the Philippines.
I don't think it really changed Japan's view of itself all that much. It mostly affected the way the rest of the world viewed Japan. The "Western world" had viewed all countries of Asia, Africa and the Middle East as inferior, and not capable of matching the power of the West. The defeat of Russia, even though Russia was not as strong as it had once been, showed the West that Japan could become competition, or a threat.
There's really only one way in which Japan's perception of itself may have changed. The Japanese may have gained confidence in their power, and seen that they, too, could control other nations. This was beginning to happen, and Japan later went on to invade China, carve Manchuria into spheres of influence, and take Taiwan from the Chinese.
"Japan never declares war before attacking." Billy Mitchell, 1932. There really wasn't much the US didn't know about the Japanese military in 1941. On the other hand, the Japanese had taken all the wrong lessons from the Russo-Japanese war, or they'd never have fought WW II.
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There is one interesting fact about the Russo-Japanese War and the Japanese victory that I would like to share with you. The Japanese government was desperate for peace as their supplies were running out and their industrial plant was not up to maintaining Japan's armies in the field. Russia had just completed the Trans-Siberian Railroad and was going to have a much superior capacity to maintain its armies in Manchuria. Japan was on track to a defeat much as it was later to suffer in 1945, fighting a continent-sized country with superior resources. But in the Russo-Japanese War then stepped Teddy Roosevelt. He hated Russia, and was delighted at the Japanese counterweight to Russia in the Far East. His reaction was identical to the British imperialists' reaction. Teddy Roosevelt brokered a peace agreement between Japan and Russia (Look up "Treaty of Portsmouth.") that enabled Japan to hide its weakness from the world. Unfortunately for the Japanese government, they had to hide their weakness from the Russians at the negotiations, or Russia would not have made peace. Then, when the relatively mild terms were announced, the Japanese public, also unaware of the extent of Japan's weakness, was enraged! The Japanese moderates fell, and Japan was taken over by much more aggressive politicians. These politicians were probably not as aware of how close Japan had come to a crushing defeat, and were inclined to overestimate Japan's strength.
In return, Roosevelt got the Taft-Katsura agreement. This was not a formal treaty, but a secret understanding between Japan and the United States giving Japan rights to invade and occupy Korea and Manchuria in exchange for Japan's agreement not to interfere with the USA's occupation of its colony in the Philippines.
I don't think it really changed Japan's view of itself all that much. It mostly affected the way the rest of the world viewed Japan. The "Western world" had viewed all countries of Asia, Africa and the Middle East as inferior, and not capable of matching the power of the West. The defeat of Russia, even though Russia was not as strong as it had once been, showed the West that Japan could become competition, or a threat.
There's really only one way in which Japan's perception of itself may have changed. The Japanese may have gained confidence in their power, and seen that they, too, could control other nations. This was beginning to happen, and Japan later went on to invade China, carve Manchuria into spheres of influence, and take Taiwan from the Chinese.
"Japan never declares war before attacking." Billy Mitchell, 1932. There really wasn't much the US didn't know about the Japanese military in 1941. On the other hand, the Japanese had taken all the wrong lessons from the Russo-Japanese war, or they'd never have fought WW II.