Russo-Japanese War

This is an interesting Japanese image in their traditional style illustrating Japanese military treating Russian soldiers in the Russo-Japanese War. It is fair to say that the Russians under-estimated the skill and motiviation of the Japanese military and were surprised to have been defeated by them. It was the first time in the imperial era that a European power had been defeated by a non-European one and marked the elevation of Japan to be treated more seriously. Britain felt a certain affinity for an island nation off the coast of a powerful continent and seemed to make a natural fit for Britain looking to break out of its period of splendid isolation.