A Very Short Fact: US President Theodore Roosevelt mediates the signing of the Treaty of Portsmouth on this day in 1905, which ended the Russo-Japanese War.
"Japan's victory sent shockwaves around the international community; it was the first time that a European power had been defeated by an Asian power in the modern era. Russia's military capacity had been devastated, and its prestige severely dented – indeed, the humiliation of the defeat was one of the factors that provided the backdrop for the Russian Revolution of 1917. Yet, despite the drama, the heroics, and the victory, the Russo-Japanese War was not a great success for Japan. The terms of the Treaty of Portsmouth that ended the war reflected the fact that both sides had suffered terrible losses and gained little."
[P. 69-70: Modern Japan: A Very Short Introduction by Christopher Goto-Jones]
Like the Very Short Introductions on Facebook for more from this series.
Image credit: “Treaty of Portsmouth delegations” by P. F. Collier & Son. Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
