Russo-Japanese War

Why Japan and Russia go to war in 1904-05 is a one of the most dispute topics in 20th century. In fact it is varied by several reasons that will be discusses below.
First of all, I think the most of reason for Japan making this war should be related to its internal factor, Japanese culture and background at that period. Japan¡¯s isolation was rudely shattered in the 1850s, and in the ensuring domestic turmoil, a new government of radical reformers bent on rapid modernization and westernization replaced the Tokugawa shogunate. Their aim was to give Japan the strength which industrialization had given to the west so that the country could defend itself against the threat of imperialist domination, under ¡± Rich country, strong army.¡± 1 At that period time all of the Asian country subjected to imperialist pressures or to outright colonialism resented it, but Japan had thought of themselves from early times as a special people. Their distinctive culture and deep sense of separate i...