Sarah Paine

And that's when Japan is sick of Russia procrastinating.

And we're going to wind up

getting into the Russo-Japanese War.

So guess what?

We're back to my original explanation, right?

The Japanese finessed all of this, and they wind up on top, and it's by being very thoughtful in their grand strategy that they reverse the balance of power.

So I'm going to end this thing with General Nogi.

General Nogi is the

one who oversaw the four assaults on Port Arthur.

He lost both of his sons in this war, one in the Battle of Nanshan, which is down the Latom Peninsula, and then his other, his favorite, under his command in Port Arthur.

When the war was over, he asked the Meiji Emperor if he could commit ritual suicide, and the emperor said no.

So when the Meiji emperor died, he and his wife did.

And this poem helps explain why.

Imperial troops, a million strong, conquered an arrogant enemy.

But siege and field warfare left a mountain of corpses.

Ashamed, what face can I show to old parents?

How many men have returned this day of triumphal song?

Wars bring much sorrow.

And so I'll leave you with that.

And thank you very much for your attention.