1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:27,479 Speaker 1: Ridiculous History is a production of iHeartRadio. Welcome back to 2 00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:30,840 Speaker 1: the show Ridiculous Historians. Thank you, as always so much 3 00:00:30,880 --> 00:00:35,159 Speaker 1: for tuning in. Uh that's our own Tzar of podcasting 4 00:00:35,280 --> 00:00:41,600 Speaker 1: super producer mister Max Williams Bizar Hizar Hizzar. Indeed, Uh, 5 00:00:41,720 --> 00:00:43,360 Speaker 1: I am Ben Bullen. 6 00:00:43,479 --> 00:00:46,080 Speaker 2: You are Noel Brown and Noel. 7 00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:48,240 Speaker 1: This is probably gonna be a two part episode. 8 00:00:48,280 --> 00:00:50,520 Speaker 3: We gotta get think it's gotta be dude, this one 9 00:00:50,560 --> 00:00:55,480 Speaker 3: gets pretty in the in the russo Japanese weeds in 10 00:00:55,800 --> 00:00:57,280 Speaker 3: the best good way ever. 11 00:00:57,480 --> 00:01:01,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, and we are definitely going to be on our 12 00:01:01,520 --> 00:01:05,400 Speaker 1: p's and q's because I am currently stuck in Japan. 13 00:01:06,040 --> 00:01:09,479 Speaker 2: But luckily this is a story. This is a. 14 00:01:09,440 --> 00:01:14,959 Speaker 1: Story where in Japan spoiler history, Buffs emerges victorious. So 15 00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:17,800 Speaker 1: I won't get hassled too much. I think trying to 16 00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:18,480 Speaker 1: get out of here. 17 00:01:18,680 --> 00:01:20,200 Speaker 3: You're a japan booster is what you. 18 00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:24,199 Speaker 1: There we go and we are so we are coming 19 00:01:24,240 --> 00:01:28,120 Speaker 1: to you from around the world, folks. And this is 20 00:01:28,160 --> 00:01:31,440 Speaker 1: a story brought to us by our research associate, doctor 21 00:01:31,560 --> 00:01:34,440 Speaker 1: z the Man, the myth, the legend about I love 22 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:39,160 Speaker 1: his title here that one time Japan rinsed Russia doctor. 23 00:01:38,959 --> 00:01:42,080 Speaker 3: Z is a master phrase turner. I don't know that 24 00:01:42,120 --> 00:01:44,880 Speaker 3: I've ever heard rints used in that way, but if 25 00:01:44,880 --> 00:01:48,040 Speaker 3: you follow the man on Instagram, he's always posting some 26 00:01:48,080 --> 00:01:51,120 Speaker 3: stuff with some very clever little aphorisms that are largely 27 00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:52,400 Speaker 3: of his own making. 28 00:01:52,520 --> 00:01:57,320 Speaker 1: Which I obviously totally vibe with that. Here's the piece 29 00:01:57,320 --> 00:02:00,680 Speaker 1: in a pod bro Pie's in a pod, Noll. Here's 30 00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:05,440 Speaker 1: the gist cast memory back. It's September nineteen oh five, 31 00:02:05,880 --> 00:02:09,400 Speaker 1: the end of the Russo Japanese War. The world is 32 00:02:09,480 --> 00:02:14,600 Speaker 1: shaking because Japan, a country that has long been considered 33 00:02:15,040 --> 00:02:20,400 Speaker 1: underdeveloped and prime real estate for colonization, just like less 34 00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:26,920 Speaker 1: than fifty years ago, has absolutely whipped Russia on the Keastern. 35 00:02:33,560 --> 00:02:36,600 Speaker 1: They gave them a spanking at a time when Russia 36 00:02:36,639 --> 00:02:41,639 Speaker 1: was the largest empire in the world. This is the 37 00:02:42,320 --> 00:02:46,680 Speaker 1: For some historians, this is kind of the beginning of 38 00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:50,160 Speaker 1: the end for Sarist Russia, and then for others it's 39 00:02:50,240 --> 00:02:51,720 Speaker 1: the beginning of. 40 00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:53,640 Speaker 2: The beginning for modern Japan. 41 00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:56,799 Speaker 3: You remember that's Smashing Pumpkins song from the Batman and 42 00:02:56,919 --> 00:02:59,959 Speaker 3: Robin soundtrack. The end is the beginning is the end? 43 00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:02,040 Speaker 3: I do, okay if you don't. It was a bit 44 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:03,640 Speaker 3: of a mind. I don't even know if it was 45 00:03:03,680 --> 00:03:05,600 Speaker 3: a hit. It had a really dumb video. It was 46 00:03:05,639 --> 00:03:07,600 Speaker 3: specifically written for that soundtrack. What but I always thought 47 00:03:07,600 --> 00:03:09,520 Speaker 3: the name was funny. A lot of this early stuff 48 00:03:09,520 --> 00:03:11,400 Speaker 3: we're talking about here comes from a fabulous piece on 49 00:03:11,520 --> 00:03:14,639 Speaker 3: the Collector by Ilias. I forget the pronunciation here. I'm 50 00:03:14,680 --> 00:03:19,360 Speaker 3: doing my best. Ben abd Jalalil, who is a Masters 51 00:03:19,560 --> 00:03:24,640 Speaker 3: of International Relations. Russo Japanese War the affirmation of a 52 00:03:24,720 --> 00:03:27,800 Speaker 3: global Asian power highly worth checking. 53 00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:32,640 Speaker 1: Out, as is the Russo Japanese War in world history. 54 00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:36,240 Speaker 1: From our friends at the Association of Asian Studies. We'll 55 00:03:36,280 --> 00:03:39,960 Speaker 1: be leaning on some of their findings in this story. 56 00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:42,520 Speaker 1: Let's flash back, right because we kind of did a 57 00:03:42,560 --> 00:03:45,800 Speaker 1: Tarantino thing, folks. We started in the at the end 58 00:03:45,800 --> 00:03:47,920 Speaker 1: of the story, and now we're going back to the beginning. 59 00:03:48,800 --> 00:03:54,400 Speaker 1: Here's why Russia and Japan started beefing up anyway, So 60 00:03:54,800 --> 00:04:00,480 Speaker 1: Russia and Japan had conflicting ambitions. They wanted to both 61 00:04:00,600 --> 00:04:07,280 Speaker 1: be the ultimate sovereigns of Manchuria and Korea. To Russia, 62 00:04:07,440 --> 00:04:12,680 Speaker 1: the idea of expanding Russian territory into Manchuria was just 63 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:16,599 Speaker 1: part of an ongoing policy that you can trace back 64 00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:20,520 Speaker 1: as far as the reign of Ivan the Terrible. Shout 65 00:04:20,560 --> 00:04:24,080 Speaker 1: out to our ongoing series on honorifics, and you know what, 66 00:04:24,120 --> 00:04:27,000 Speaker 1: I think we should call that one now, dishonorifics. 67 00:04:27,480 --> 00:04:30,040 Speaker 3: That's true. I do believe even the Terrible came up, 68 00:04:30,080 --> 00:04:33,080 Speaker 3: and I think I made the point that in this case, 69 00:04:33,400 --> 00:04:35,440 Speaker 3: this was probably an honorific that he would have been 70 00:04:35,480 --> 00:04:37,840 Speaker 3: cool with, because terrible in this case doesn't just mean 71 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:40,400 Speaker 3: like God, that guy was awful. It means like a terrible, 72 00:04:40,480 --> 00:04:43,120 Speaker 3: like a like a terrible giant, or an ogre or 73 00:04:43,160 --> 00:04:44,440 Speaker 3: someone to be feared. 74 00:04:45,640 --> 00:04:46,080 Speaker 2: Yeah. 75 00:04:46,120 --> 00:04:50,720 Speaker 1: Absolutely, and it's it's pretty good marketing rights. It may 76 00:04:50,720 --> 00:04:54,000 Speaker 1: as well be synonymous with Ivan the Mighty, for instance, 77 00:04:54,080 --> 00:04:57,839 Speaker 1: strikes fear into the hearts of the little folk, of 78 00:04:57,880 --> 00:05:03,120 Speaker 1: which I count myself among their number. And Japan's rise 79 00:05:03,200 --> 00:05:09,720 Speaker 1: to prominence at this point had been extraordinary, not unprecedented, 80 00:05:09,760 --> 00:05:15,680 Speaker 1: but quite anomalous. They had no industrial revolution or political 81 00:05:16,480 --> 00:05:20,520 Speaker 1: franchise of any sort when they were contacted in eighteen 82 00:05:20,600 --> 00:05:24,719 Speaker 1: fifty three by commodore Perry. The Great Black Fleet arrived 83 00:05:24,760 --> 00:05:28,760 Speaker 1: in Edo Bay, and they because they didn't have this 84 00:05:30,040 --> 00:05:33,920 Speaker 1: I guess governmental infrastructure and economic infrastructure. At the time, 85 00:05:34,600 --> 00:05:38,559 Speaker 1: they were very vulnerable to what we call the Great 86 00:05:38,640 --> 00:05:41,680 Speaker 1: Powers and the age of imperialism. You know, this is 87 00:05:41,720 --> 00:05:45,920 Speaker 1: the time when a lot of forces in Europe, and 88 00:05:46,400 --> 00:05:49,520 Speaker 1: you know, Russian forces figured hey, if I just walk 89 00:05:49,600 --> 00:05:52,719 Speaker 1: over to a new land and I put my flag 90 00:05:52,760 --> 00:05:55,239 Speaker 1: on the ground, it's mine. 91 00:05:55,440 --> 00:05:57,800 Speaker 3: Sure, just plant the flags like they did on the Moon. 92 00:05:58,279 --> 00:05:58,920 Speaker 3: We on the moon. 93 00:05:59,320 --> 00:05:59,640 Speaker 2: Yeah. 94 00:05:59,680 --> 00:06:02,599 Speaker 1: And there was a lot of you know, dehumanization of 95 00:06:02,680 --> 00:06:10,120 Speaker 1: native populations things like that. But Japan understood that there 96 00:06:10,279 --> 00:06:13,159 Speaker 1: was a lot at stake here and one of the 97 00:06:13,200 --> 00:06:18,599 Speaker 1: things that they prioritized as a nation was maintaining their autonomy. No, 98 00:06:18,880 --> 00:06:21,359 Speaker 1: you can't come trade here. They did something that you 99 00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:24,640 Speaker 1: should do in any relationship, which is set up serious boundaries. 100 00:06:25,040 --> 00:06:28,240 Speaker 3: Mm hmm. Sure did. They were very good. They had 101 00:06:28,240 --> 00:06:30,720 Speaker 3: a good therapist as a country. I guess you could 102 00:06:30,760 --> 00:06:34,400 Speaker 3: call this sort of an isolationist way of doing business. 103 00:06:34,800 --> 00:06:40,200 Speaker 1: Yes, yeah, And we could call it selective isolationism. 104 00:06:38,920 --> 00:06:42,120 Speaker 3: That's right, because they wanted to choose who they traded 105 00:06:42,160 --> 00:06:44,000 Speaker 3: with or who they did business with, and they were 106 00:06:44,040 --> 00:06:47,880 Speaker 3: not opposed to expanding into neighboring territories. 107 00:06:48,160 --> 00:06:51,919 Speaker 1: Absolutely absolutely nailed it. And I would say It's also 108 00:06:52,080 --> 00:07:00,360 Speaker 1: selective isolationism in that Japan embraced all the scientific and 109 00:07:00,480 --> 00:07:04,680 Speaker 1: technical and political expertise from the West as long as 110 00:07:04,720 --> 00:07:08,279 Speaker 1: they deemed it appropriate. So you can't run our good bits. Yeah, 111 00:07:08,320 --> 00:07:11,240 Speaker 1: we'll take the good man. You can't run our country, 112 00:07:11,240 --> 00:07:16,040 Speaker 1: but teach us the biggest innovations in manufacturing and we'll 113 00:07:16,080 --> 00:07:16,520 Speaker 1: take that. 114 00:07:16,840 --> 00:07:20,640 Speaker 3: You know, they and we certainly know Japan has always 115 00:07:20,680 --> 00:07:24,920 Speaker 3: been quite good at that sort of assimilation of other cultures, 116 00:07:24,960 --> 00:07:27,760 Speaker 3: you know, I mean, like with their focused on technology, 117 00:07:27,840 --> 00:07:30,600 Speaker 3: with all of their rebuilding in the image of the 118 00:07:30,640 --> 00:07:33,080 Speaker 3: future kind of posts the bombs. 119 00:07:33,600 --> 00:07:38,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, speaking of innovations, I saw something recently that still 120 00:07:38,440 --> 00:07:42,880 Speaker 1: confuses me. I'll send Max and you a picture of 121 00:07:42,920 --> 00:07:46,560 Speaker 1: this after we record. I was walking around in what 122 00:07:47,080 --> 00:07:51,480 Speaker 1: towers and big cities. Lots of big cities have a 123 00:07:51,520 --> 00:07:55,080 Speaker 1: tourist attraction that's just a gigantic tower and they've got 124 00:07:55,120 --> 00:07:57,560 Speaker 1: shopping and stuff around it, and it's kind of like 125 00:07:57,600 --> 00:08:01,920 Speaker 1: a fair ground in some places. And yesterday I saw 126 00:08:02,320 --> 00:08:08,120 Speaker 1: a I saw an amazing food stall. It was unfortunately closed, 127 00:08:08,440 --> 00:08:12,440 Speaker 1: and all it said was turkey and marshmallow. 128 00:08:12,600 --> 00:08:15,480 Speaker 3: And stick at the same time. 129 00:08:15,760 --> 00:08:19,240 Speaker 1: Yes, a stick with a marshmallow and a turkey on it, 130 00:08:19,640 --> 00:08:22,600 Speaker 1: like a turkey leg, like a piece of turkey, not 131 00:08:22,720 --> 00:08:25,960 Speaker 1: like a Thanksgiving treat where you dip a marshmallow and 132 00:08:26,040 --> 00:08:27,680 Speaker 1: chocolate and put turkey eyes on it. 133 00:08:28,200 --> 00:08:32,600 Speaker 3: I don't know that that's that's that's the thing you need. Yeah, Oh, 134 00:08:32,640 --> 00:08:35,000 Speaker 3: I'm learning so much. And yeah, of course Japan has 135 00:08:35,120 --> 00:08:38,440 Speaker 3: taken that spirit of innovation and you know, put it 136 00:08:38,480 --> 00:08:41,760 Speaker 3: into their cuisine as well. Have you seen those crazy 137 00:08:41,760 --> 00:08:44,800 Speaker 3: omelets they make that's like a tornado style omelet and 138 00:08:44,880 --> 00:08:47,079 Speaker 3: then they slice it and they put it over rice 139 00:08:47,120 --> 00:08:48,719 Speaker 3: and slice it with a knife and it sort of 140 00:08:48,760 --> 00:08:52,600 Speaker 3: turns itself inside out. Wow, amu rice esthetically beautiful? 141 00:08:53,160 --> 00:08:55,440 Speaker 2: Agreed? And this is uh. 142 00:08:56,440 --> 00:08:59,679 Speaker 1: I'm bringing this tangent in just because I'm still I 143 00:08:59,720 --> 00:09:03,440 Speaker 1: have many questions about turkey marshmallow. I gotta send this 144 00:09:03,480 --> 00:09:05,000 Speaker 1: to you guys, all right, so. 145 00:09:05,120 --> 00:09:06,720 Speaker 3: I gotta see it. 146 00:09:06,720 --> 00:09:08,520 Speaker 2: It's weird. 147 00:09:08,520 --> 00:09:10,400 Speaker 1: We've got to try it when we all go together. 148 00:09:10,760 --> 00:09:17,000 Speaker 1: So the idea here is that after acquiring various innovations 149 00:09:17,040 --> 00:09:22,960 Speaker 1: and due to other regional tensions, Japan gets involved again 150 00:09:23,520 --> 00:09:27,520 Speaker 1: in beef with Chinese forces from eighteen ninety four to 151 00:09:27,760 --> 00:09:32,120 Speaker 1: eighteen ninety five, there's the Sino Japanese War, and after 152 00:09:32,679 --> 00:09:37,880 Speaker 1: being victorious in this conflict, the Japanese government believes we 153 00:09:37,960 --> 00:09:41,280 Speaker 1: can make a convincing case that we are the great 154 00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:44,959 Speaker 1: power in Asia, not a Western colonial power. If you 155 00:09:45,000 --> 00:09:47,760 Speaker 1: want to do business in Asia, you mess with us. 156 00:09:47,800 --> 00:09:49,800 Speaker 1: We're the big dogs. Like look at me, I am 157 00:09:49,840 --> 00:09:50,880 Speaker 1: the captain now. 158 00:09:51,040 --> 00:09:54,000 Speaker 3: And if I'm not mistaken, they did kind of have 159 00:09:54,120 --> 00:09:59,240 Speaker 3: to take an l on their isolationist views when the 160 00:09:59,240 --> 00:10:03,800 Speaker 3: European hours strong armed a bit of their territory away 161 00:10:03,800 --> 00:10:04,760 Speaker 3: from them, right. 162 00:10:05,200 --> 00:10:11,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, yes, yeah, the Laodong Peninsula. And forgive my pronunciation there, folks, 163 00:10:12,360 --> 00:10:16,120 Speaker 1: despite taking this up, they said, look, we're still going 164 00:10:16,160 --> 00:10:18,040 Speaker 1: to do it. We're going to have our own empire. 165 00:10:18,200 --> 00:10:21,200 Speaker 1: We are not going to be a vassal state nor 166 00:10:21,280 --> 00:10:25,520 Speaker 1: a servant of the West. And to put it simply, 167 00:10:26,200 --> 00:10:30,480 Speaker 1: Russia took that personally because Russia, as we mentioned earlier, 168 00:10:30,760 --> 00:10:35,319 Speaker 1: had their own plans for the Korean Peninsula for centuries 169 00:10:35,360 --> 00:10:38,439 Speaker 1: and centuries and even now in the modern day. By 170 00:10:38,440 --> 00:10:43,480 Speaker 1: the way, rulers of Russia have always tried to tackle 171 00:10:43,800 --> 00:10:47,640 Speaker 1: one huge problem for their land, which is they don't 172 00:10:47,679 --> 00:10:50,160 Speaker 1: have a lot of warm water ports. 173 00:10:50,679 --> 00:10:53,240 Speaker 3: That's right, so they wanted to open up sea trade 174 00:10:53,320 --> 00:10:56,959 Speaker 3: routes with these warm water ports, and for that they 175 00:10:56,960 --> 00:11:00,000 Speaker 3: had been eyeing that Korean peninsula. So in eighteen feet 176 00:11:00,720 --> 00:11:06,120 Speaker 3: Russia acquired a region known as Zolotoi Rog which they 177 00:11:06,160 --> 00:11:10,560 Speaker 3: acquired from China along the Pacific coast, and that established 178 00:11:10,600 --> 00:11:12,440 Speaker 3: the port of a city that you may well have 179 00:11:12,480 --> 00:11:15,680 Speaker 3: heard of, Vladivostok. But it was a bit of a 180 00:11:15,720 --> 00:11:20,240 Speaker 3: seasonal bargain. This coastal port was only able to be 181 00:11:20,320 --> 00:11:22,520 Speaker 3: used during the warm months of the year because other 182 00:11:22,559 --> 00:11:24,760 Speaker 3: times of the year, I believe it would have been 183 00:11:25,000 --> 00:11:26,640 Speaker 3: you know, frozen. 184 00:11:26,240 --> 00:11:29,960 Speaker 1: Over, yes, yeah, locked in the ice. And that is 185 00:11:30,040 --> 00:11:35,120 Speaker 1: something that is something that was still, to their estimation, 186 00:11:35,400 --> 00:11:38,679 Speaker 1: better than nothing, right, because they did get a navigable 187 00:11:38,720 --> 00:11:41,600 Speaker 1: sea route, they did get access to the wider world 188 00:11:41,640 --> 00:11:46,840 Speaker 1: and the Pacific. However, they wanted more so on the 189 00:11:46,880 --> 00:11:50,720 Speaker 1: other side of the war. After you know, after Japan 190 00:11:50,960 --> 00:11:54,160 Speaker 1: kind of whips Chinese forces in eighteen ninety five, as 191 00:11:54,200 --> 00:11:58,880 Speaker 1: we said, the nation of Japan acquires Port Arthur. It 192 00:11:59,000 --> 00:12:03,719 Speaker 1: is the ancestor of today's Lushunku province in China. And 193 00:12:03,880 --> 00:12:07,000 Speaker 1: Russia was really mad about this. For any fans of 194 00:12:07,040 --> 00:12:12,080 Speaker 1: the strategy game's Civilization by sid Meyer. You'll see a 195 00:12:12,120 --> 00:12:15,840 Speaker 1: thing that happens whenever you build a city or extend 196 00:12:15,880 --> 00:12:19,920 Speaker 1: your territory too close to another territory, even if you're 197 00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:24,320 Speaker 1: friendly with each other, you'll get a message that says, hey, 198 00:12:25,120 --> 00:12:28,440 Speaker 1: you're getting too close to our stuff. And that's what 199 00:12:28,520 --> 00:12:32,080 Speaker 1: Russia was doing. They said, Japan, you getting a little 200 00:12:32,080 --> 00:12:43,600 Speaker 1: too close to our backyard. Imagine like if you have 201 00:12:44,440 --> 00:12:47,400 Speaker 1: a backyard in your own life ridiculous historians. Imagine if 202 00:12:47,440 --> 00:12:52,000 Speaker 1: your neighbors build a fence and it's a decent fence, 203 00:12:52,400 --> 00:12:56,600 Speaker 1: and then they they take a few years with that 204 00:12:56,679 --> 00:12:59,240 Speaker 1: boundary and you wake up one day and the fence 205 00:12:59,280 --> 00:13:00,600 Speaker 1: has moved three feet. 206 00:13:01,840 --> 00:13:02,560 Speaker 2: You know what I mean. 207 00:13:03,280 --> 00:13:06,760 Speaker 3: I to completely know what you mean. It's funny. Actually, 208 00:13:06,800 --> 00:13:11,800 Speaker 3: I had a neighbor who purchased a plot of land 209 00:13:12,120 --> 00:13:14,520 Speaker 3: next to my house and is building a house, a 210 00:13:14,559 --> 00:13:16,960 Speaker 3: brand new house, and he came knocking on my door 211 00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:19,840 Speaker 3: and told me, hey, by the way, ignited me choose 212 00:13:19,880 --> 00:13:22,000 Speaker 3: my name, And by the way, it turns out that 213 00:13:22,120 --> 00:13:27,160 Speaker 3: your fence was incorrectly built and it is actually three 214 00:13:27,160 --> 00:13:30,440 Speaker 3: feet on my property. But it's okay because I'll pay 215 00:13:30,480 --> 00:13:32,640 Speaker 3: for it to be moved, And in my mind, I'm like, 216 00:13:32,679 --> 00:13:35,120 Speaker 3: do I check him on this? Do I just take 217 00:13:35,120 --> 00:13:37,240 Speaker 3: his word? And this seems like it opens up a 218 00:13:37,280 --> 00:13:40,760 Speaker 3: lot of questions on a very micro example of this 219 00:13:40,800 --> 00:13:43,359 Speaker 3: sort of macro geopolitical maneuvering. 220 00:13:43,720 --> 00:13:47,199 Speaker 1: Yeah, and we have to remember that the imperialism and 221 00:13:47,600 --> 00:13:53,199 Speaker 1: the racial attitudes of the time are inseparable from policy. 222 00:13:53,800 --> 00:13:57,960 Speaker 1: So Russia, Sarist Russia is able to go to France 223 00:13:58,120 --> 00:14:05,959 Speaker 1: and Germany and essential say, all right, fellow Europeans, right, 224 00:14:06,000 --> 00:14:09,960 Speaker 1: because the Tsarist Russia would switch between call these self 225 00:14:10,040 --> 00:14:14,439 Speaker 1: Asiatic or European or just Russian, however it suited them. 226 00:14:14,720 --> 00:14:16,680 Speaker 3: And you know, it's interesting, though, Ben, because in my 227 00:14:16,760 --> 00:14:19,920 Speaker 3: mind I always kind of forget how much Russia is 228 00:14:20,040 --> 00:14:22,640 Speaker 3: very much part of Asia because they are just so 229 00:14:22,840 --> 00:14:25,760 Speaker 3: uniquely their own thing in my mind, the way they've 230 00:14:25,840 --> 00:14:28,800 Speaker 3: established themselves and really have very little in common with 231 00:14:28,880 --> 00:14:32,080 Speaker 3: Asian culture, and yet they are absolutely a part of 232 00:14:32,120 --> 00:14:34,760 Speaker 3: that region of the world. Right, any any thoughts on that? 233 00:14:35,080 --> 00:14:38,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, Well, I'm still baffled that we consider and it 234 00:14:39,040 --> 00:14:41,200 Speaker 1: always ruffles feathers when I say it, but I'm still 235 00:14:41,240 --> 00:14:47,520 Speaker 1: baffled that we consider Europe Western Europe its own continent 236 00:14:48,120 --> 00:14:52,960 Speaker 1: because there's no there's no big water separating it from Asia. 237 00:14:53,200 --> 00:14:53,840 Speaker 2: You know what I mean. 238 00:14:53,920 --> 00:14:57,000 Speaker 1: You can wake up and you can wake up in Paris, 239 00:14:57,080 --> 00:15:00,360 Speaker 1: and if you have enough time, you can and walk 240 00:15:00,400 --> 00:15:03,640 Speaker 1: to Beijing. It'll take a while, it'll take one. 241 00:15:03,520 --> 00:15:07,920 Speaker 3: We'll take him minute flat at least it's not flat. No, 242 00:15:08,200 --> 00:15:10,440 Speaker 3: there's a ton of stuff in the way. But anyhow, 243 00:15:10,600 --> 00:15:14,600 Speaker 3: so Russia decides to pull this card and they go 244 00:15:14,680 --> 00:15:19,240 Speaker 3: to France and Germany and they say, fellow Europeans and 245 00:15:19,320 --> 00:15:22,880 Speaker 3: they're like, oh, you're European this week and they go yeah, yeah, yeah. 246 00:15:22,760 --> 00:15:23,400 Speaker 2: Move past it. 247 00:15:23,920 --> 00:15:27,720 Speaker 1: We switch yeah, exactly, we need your help with these 248 00:15:28,560 --> 00:15:33,840 Speaker 1: Asiatic forces they're acting up in France and Germany say okay, 249 00:15:33,960 --> 00:15:39,400 Speaker 1: right on, we and yeah, And this creates something called 250 00:15:39,400 --> 00:15:44,360 Speaker 1: the Triple Intervention wherein Russian ruler Nicholas the Second gains 251 00:15:44,440 --> 00:15:49,520 Speaker 1: control of Port Arthur and then Russian armies go into 252 00:15:49,640 --> 00:15:55,200 Speaker 1: Manchuria in nineteen hundred, taking advantage of the massive chaos 253 00:15:55,280 --> 00:15:58,000 Speaker 1: during the Boxer rebellion in China and. 254 00:15:57,920 --> 00:16:02,480 Speaker 3: When there's an absolute bloodbath. Yes, it's actually portrayed very 255 00:16:02,480 --> 00:16:07,000 Speaker 3: interestingly in some like kind of weird Disneyland esque sort 256 00:16:07,040 --> 00:16:11,640 Speaker 3: of dioramas in BioShock Infinite, the video game it has 257 00:16:11,760 --> 00:16:16,720 Speaker 3: that portrays the Boxer rebellion from a very let's call 258 00:16:16,760 --> 00:16:20,920 Speaker 3: it propagandistic perspective in the world, the kind of you know, 259 00:16:21,160 --> 00:16:24,080 Speaker 3: bizarro alternate future world of that game. 260 00:16:24,440 --> 00:16:30,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, and with this we we again. I can't leave 261 00:16:30,200 --> 00:16:33,200 Speaker 1: this fence analogy just yet because we're not to an. 262 00:16:33,120 --> 00:16:34,560 Speaker 2: Active war with the sit on it. 263 00:16:34,880 --> 00:16:39,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, right, the Russian nice the Russian army. Now from 264 00:16:39,080 --> 00:16:42,920 Speaker 1: the Japanese perspective, the Russian nation, I should say, they 265 00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:48,400 Speaker 1: have moved their fence closer and Japan is going and 266 00:16:48,480 --> 00:16:52,800 Speaker 1: they're so concerned about this. Tensions are so high that 267 00:16:54,200 --> 00:16:57,600 Speaker 1: Japan says, in nineteen oh two, hey, we can play 268 00:16:57,640 --> 00:17:00,760 Speaker 1: this game with the Europeans as well. They signed a 269 00:17:00,840 --> 00:17:05,320 Speaker 1: defensive pact with Great Britain, and then they say that 270 00:17:05,320 --> 00:17:08,360 Speaker 1: at the same time they go to Russia and concurrently 271 00:17:08,440 --> 00:17:12,120 Speaker 1: they say, look, guys, let's turn the temperature down a bit, 272 00:17:12,520 --> 00:17:19,320 Speaker 1: let's demilitarize Manchuria. And then France comes back and says, 273 00:17:19,640 --> 00:17:25,040 Speaker 1: all right, publicly, everybody, Russia is getting a little thirsty, 274 00:17:25,400 --> 00:17:28,080 Speaker 1: get a little hungry over there in the Far East. 275 00:17:28,400 --> 00:17:33,200 Speaker 1: Let's not escalate things Okay, Nikki, that's what they called 276 00:17:33,200 --> 00:17:35,960 Speaker 1: each other. They called Nicholas the second Nikki. They were like, Nikki, 277 00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:38,720 Speaker 1: you're a good boy. You know, what would your mom 278 00:17:38,800 --> 00:17:43,040 Speaker 1: think if he kept escalating like this? And Nicholas it 279 00:17:43,119 --> 00:17:45,800 Speaker 1: turns out, didn't vibe with that. 280 00:17:45,960 --> 00:17:47,560 Speaker 2: Maybe he didn't like being called NICKI. 281 00:17:48,080 --> 00:17:49,480 Speaker 3: No, he's a bit of an escalator. 282 00:17:49,840 --> 00:17:54,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, there, it is an habitual linestepper. As Charlie Murphy 283 00:17:54,640 --> 00:17:56,919 Speaker 1: would say, and shout out to anybody who got that 284 00:17:57,200 --> 00:18:01,880 Speaker 1: Dave Chappelle reference. Oh gosh, Charlie Murphy's storytelling. Remember when 285 00:18:01,920 --> 00:18:05,840 Speaker 1: he tells the story about Rick James and then Prince Oh, 286 00:18:05,840 --> 00:18:06,680 Speaker 1: it's so good. 287 00:18:06,600 --> 00:18:09,200 Speaker 3: It's the best. Some of the best comedy ever ever 288 00:18:09,240 --> 00:18:13,000 Speaker 3: put to video film. So Korea and Manchuria back to 289 00:18:13,080 --> 00:18:19,240 Speaker 3: them jointly kind of represented a very important, very key 290 00:18:19,280 --> 00:18:23,160 Speaker 3: objective for Russia. They were not would not let go 291 00:18:23,359 --> 00:18:28,240 Speaker 3: of Port Arthur. So in nineteen oh one, Russia had 292 00:18:28,520 --> 00:18:33,760 Speaker 3: concluded the construction of a very very modern and long railway, 293 00:18:34,680 --> 00:18:36,320 Speaker 3: the longest in fact in the world. You may have 294 00:18:36,320 --> 00:18:39,800 Speaker 3: heard of it, the Trans Siberian Railway. I think there's 295 00:18:39,800 --> 00:18:43,040 Speaker 3: a isn't there a band called the Trans Siberian orches 296 00:18:43,119 --> 00:18:46,080 Speaker 3: something or other orchestra. That's it. There you go. The 297 00:18:46,160 --> 00:18:49,679 Speaker 3: idea is to connect Vladivostok, that seasonal port on the 298 00:18:49,680 --> 00:18:52,040 Speaker 3: Pacific coast, with Moscow. 299 00:18:52,680 --> 00:18:56,720 Speaker 1: And this would be followed up. You know, constructing railways 300 00:18:56,840 --> 00:19:00,520 Speaker 1: is a lot like rivers and tributaries, right. This would 301 00:19:00,520 --> 00:19:03,240 Speaker 1: be followed by a bunch of smaller railways that would 302 00:19:03,280 --> 00:19:06,960 Speaker 1: connect Manchuria to the rest of Russia. And this is 303 00:19:07,000 --> 00:19:11,520 Speaker 1: a very big move. This is what Jack Miles and 304 00:19:11,560 --> 00:19:15,840 Speaker 1: you and I will call an historical flex. Japan knows 305 00:19:15,880 --> 00:19:21,280 Speaker 1: what's going on. The Emperor is pod about this. He is. 306 00:19:23,000 --> 00:19:23,680 Speaker 2: Not happy. 307 00:19:23,960 --> 00:19:26,160 Speaker 1: He sees what's in the winds, he sees what they're 308 00:19:26,160 --> 00:19:30,000 Speaker 1: trying to do, pushing these boundaries literally. And so on 309 00:19:30,160 --> 00:19:35,720 Speaker 1: February fourth, nineteen oh four, they break all diplomatic ties 310 00:19:35,880 --> 00:19:42,440 Speaker 1: with Russia. And this is where things get even more hectic. 311 00:19:42,880 --> 00:19:47,520 Speaker 1: Just a few days later, it's February eighth. Japan doesn't 312 00:19:47,560 --> 00:19:52,480 Speaker 1: wait for someone to declare war. They launch a surprise 313 00:19:52,680 --> 00:19:56,800 Speaker 1: attack on the Russian naval base of Port Arthur on 314 00:19:56,880 --> 00:20:01,880 Speaker 1: the coast of Manchuria. And they never publicly diplomatically declare 315 00:20:01,960 --> 00:20:03,480 Speaker 1: war or cause for war. 316 00:20:03,920 --> 00:20:05,600 Speaker 3: They just do it. 317 00:20:05,720 --> 00:20:10,000 Speaker 1: Yes, tactic that will later be practiced to Pearl Harbor 318 00:20:10,200 --> 00:20:10,720 Speaker 1: in Hawaii. 319 00:20:10,920 --> 00:20:15,000 Speaker 3: Wrecked definitely gave me Pearl Harbor vibes. So in the nights, 320 00:20:15,160 --> 00:20:21,760 Speaker 3: Japanese destroyer ships approached the Russian Pacific fleets that were anchored. 321 00:20:22,200 --> 00:20:26,679 Speaker 3: These ships were anchored in the harbor, sailors asleep on board, 322 00:20:27,600 --> 00:20:29,840 Speaker 3: they had their lights on, they were very easy to spot, 323 00:20:30,000 --> 00:20:33,159 Speaker 3: and they fired torpedoes that were the Japanese that is, 324 00:20:33,200 --> 00:20:37,680 Speaker 3: and hit two of these Russian battleships known as the 325 00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:43,600 Speaker 3: Retvisan and the Sarevich, in addition to a cruiser. To 326 00:20:43,680 --> 00:20:48,320 Speaker 3: believe ben is a smaller vessel, a smaller military vessel 327 00:20:48,440 --> 00:20:51,960 Speaker 3: known as the Palada. And then when the sun came out, 328 00:20:52,280 --> 00:20:57,280 Speaker 3: the Japanese battleships began to shell the Russian warships that 329 00:20:57,359 --> 00:21:00,600 Speaker 3: had taken refuge in their batteries on shore. 330 00:21:01,840 --> 00:21:04,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, and we want to shout out our pal Richard 331 00:21:04,960 --> 00:21:09,280 Speaker 1: Cavendish writing for History Today, who's giving us that blow 332 00:21:09,359 --> 00:21:12,600 Speaker 1: by blow? And yeah, I don't you know, maybe we're 333 00:21:12,640 --> 00:21:18,120 Speaker 1: oversimplifying with the comparison to Pearl Harbor, but the tactic, 334 00:21:18,280 --> 00:21:21,080 Speaker 1: the heart and soul of the tactic remains the same. 335 00:21:21,240 --> 00:21:25,320 Speaker 1: You know, and when they when they damage these ships. 336 00:21:26,880 --> 00:21:29,919 Speaker 1: The attack is audacious and bold, even though it's not 337 00:21:30,240 --> 00:21:34,320 Speaker 1: an automatic knockout, right, there's not a kill shot, not 338 00:21:34,359 --> 00:21:38,560 Speaker 1: a kill shot. Yeah, there's still other other naval forces 339 00:21:38,600 --> 00:21:42,520 Speaker 1: that exist that can retaliate. The Times of London says, 340 00:21:42,800 --> 00:21:45,200 Speaker 1: the Japanese navy has opened the wall by an act 341 00:21:45,240 --> 00:21:47,639 Speaker 1: of dabbering, which is destined to take a place of 342 00:21:47,760 --> 00:21:49,560 Speaker 1: auto in naval adults. 343 00:21:49,960 --> 00:21:52,080 Speaker 3: And that's how you kind of started that East mid 344 00:21:52,080 --> 00:21:54,840 Speaker 3: Atlantic and then you kind of turned it into into British. 345 00:21:54,880 --> 00:21:56,080 Speaker 3: I love it. It's a great combo. 346 00:21:56,160 --> 00:21:58,560 Speaker 1: I could do it again. I mean, transit is pretty 347 00:21:58,600 --> 00:21:59,080 Speaker 1: much both. 348 00:22:00,160 --> 00:22:01,600 Speaker 3: But it's sort of like I felt like it had 349 00:22:01,640 --> 00:22:03,520 Speaker 3: a nice morphing flow to it, and I was I'm 350 00:22:03,560 --> 00:22:04,560 Speaker 3: a fan. I thought it was cool. 351 00:22:04,840 --> 00:22:05,280 Speaker 2: Well, the. 352 00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:12,320 Speaker 1: European forces clearly thought that the attack by Japan was 353 00:22:12,680 --> 00:22:17,200 Speaker 1: as you said, cool, bold, ambitious, and it. 354 00:22:17,240 --> 00:22:20,440 Speaker 3: Took a job at a Japanese navy right. 355 00:22:20,200 --> 00:22:23,760 Speaker 1: And navy annals cour naval annimals, of course, is just 356 00:22:23,800 --> 00:22:26,440 Speaker 1: the the records of maritime war. 357 00:22:26,600 --> 00:22:28,879 Speaker 2: Yeah, and so the. 358 00:22:30,520 --> 00:22:34,520 Speaker 1: Night after this sneak attack, that's very much what it was. 359 00:22:35,119 --> 00:22:40,000 Speaker 1: The Japanese Navy comes back. They've launched multiple assaults on 360 00:22:40,400 --> 00:22:45,560 Speaker 1: aspects of the Russian fleet positioned in southern Manchuria, and 361 00:22:45,640 --> 00:22:49,480 Speaker 1: the Russians take a lot of losses heavy casualties, but 362 00:22:49,920 --> 00:22:54,000 Speaker 1: with the help of ground artillery, they were able to 363 00:22:54,119 --> 00:22:58,439 Speaker 1: repel the forces of the Japanese. And the Japanese at 364 00:22:58,440 --> 00:23:01,760 Speaker 1: this time are led by an admiral named Togo Haihachiro, 365 00:23:02,200 --> 00:23:06,840 Speaker 1: and Haiachiro says, all right, the attack that we're doing, 366 00:23:07,240 --> 00:23:09,520 Speaker 1: you know, the thing about these sneak attacks and the 367 00:23:09,560 --> 00:23:12,520 Speaker 1: shocking aw stuff is it kind of only works once, 368 00:23:13,040 --> 00:23:15,440 Speaker 1: so we have to figure out something. 369 00:23:15,080 --> 00:23:19,440 Speaker 3: Else, that's right, Awamiral Togo pivoted to a less flashy 370 00:23:19,480 --> 00:23:22,520 Speaker 3: approach and more of like, let's wade them out, let's 371 00:23:22,560 --> 00:23:24,760 Speaker 3: smoke them out of their holes, or starve them out 372 00:23:24,800 --> 00:23:27,720 Speaker 3: of their holes. They decided to blockade the city, which 373 00:23:27,760 --> 00:23:31,000 Speaker 3: is pretty effective strategy, but it is sort of more 374 00:23:31,000 --> 00:23:32,119 Speaker 3: of a long game, right. 375 00:23:32,520 --> 00:23:36,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, exactly. It's a long game, partially because the 376 00:23:36,800 --> 00:23:39,119 Speaker 1: people on the boats have to eat too. So the 377 00:23:39,200 --> 00:23:44,240 Speaker 1: Russian Navy could not break through this Japanese blockade, which 378 00:23:44,320 --> 00:23:49,320 Speaker 1: meant that they couldn't stop Japanese forces from invading Korea 379 00:23:49,440 --> 00:23:52,240 Speaker 1: in nineteen oh four. By the end of the month, 380 00:23:53,359 --> 00:23:56,800 Speaker 1: Japan's troops were crossing into Manchuria, and then they were 381 00:23:56,840 --> 00:24:00,720 Speaker 1: defeating Russians on land, especially in the Battle of the 382 00:24:00,800 --> 00:24:05,040 Speaker 1: Yalu River on May one. Now at this point, if 383 00:24:05,080 --> 00:24:09,439 Speaker 1: you go to our friends at Brilliant Maps, you'll find 384 00:24:09,480 --> 00:24:11,800 Speaker 1: a quote that stood out to doctor Z and to 385 00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:12,879 Speaker 1: us as well. 386 00:24:13,160 --> 00:24:14,879 Speaker 3: That's right. I think this does a fine job of 387 00:24:14,920 --> 00:24:18,120 Speaker 3: summing up the situation at hand in nineteen oh four. 388 00:24:18,200 --> 00:24:20,679 Speaker 3: Russia in nineteen oh four was more of a paper 389 00:24:20,760 --> 00:24:24,399 Speaker 3: tiger than a sleeping giant. Japan benefited from much shorter 390 00:24:24,520 --> 00:24:27,600 Speaker 3: supply lines than Russia. Therefore, while the initial assault on 391 00:24:27,680 --> 00:24:30,840 Speaker 3: Port Arthur failed to achieve its goal, the Japanese were 392 00:24:30,840 --> 00:24:33,639 Speaker 3: able to quickly follow the attack with a blockade and 393 00:24:33,680 --> 00:24:36,359 Speaker 3: then a siege of the port. More of a paper 394 00:24:36,400 --> 00:24:37,879 Speaker 3: tiger than a sleeping giant. 395 00:24:44,359 --> 00:24:50,560 Speaker 1: And Russia reinforcements do exist, the Russian reinforcements Russian to 396 00:24:50,720 --> 00:24:51,320 Speaker 1: the region. 397 00:24:54,520 --> 00:24:56,640 Speaker 3: Wow, yeah, alliterative. 398 00:24:56,720 --> 00:24:59,560 Speaker 1: King Oh dude, that's a quote from our friends at 399 00:24:59,600 --> 00:25:04,920 Speaker 1: the collect So they say, look, we've got to stop 400 00:25:04,960 --> 00:25:11,639 Speaker 1: this Japanese advance. We cannot have them completely encircling Port 401 00:25:11,800 --> 00:25:15,640 Speaker 1: Arthur by sea and by land because we will never 402 00:25:15,720 --> 00:25:20,400 Speaker 1: get it back. And so on October fifteenth, nineteen oh four, 403 00:25:20,720 --> 00:25:24,959 Speaker 1: the Russian Baltic fleet sets out from Saint Petersburg and 404 00:25:25,000 --> 00:25:27,360 Speaker 1: they say, all right, we're going to reach the theata 405 00:25:27,400 --> 00:25:30,919 Speaker 1: of war here in the Far East. Can you guys 406 00:25:30,960 --> 00:25:32,719 Speaker 1: hold on for seven months? 407 00:25:33,800 --> 00:25:37,440 Speaker 3: Yeah? Sure, why not? We got snacks. So on its way, 408 00:25:37,600 --> 00:25:41,000 Speaker 3: the fleet in and of itself almost started another war 409 00:25:41,160 --> 00:25:44,159 Speaker 3: one with Great Britain by firing on some British fishing 410 00:25:44,280 --> 00:25:49,560 Speaker 3: vessels on October the twenty first, having accidentally clocked them 411 00:25:49,680 --> 00:25:51,320 Speaker 3: as enemy ships. 412 00:25:51,760 --> 00:25:53,280 Speaker 2: Again. Yeah, whoop. 413 00:25:53,280 --> 00:25:57,480 Speaker 1: See, tensions are high, and the British government gets mad 414 00:25:57,520 --> 00:26:00,399 Speaker 1: about this and they say, you know what, since you 415 00:26:00,440 --> 00:26:03,720 Speaker 1: guys are being such pills and rascals, we're going to 416 00:26:03,760 --> 00:26:08,199 Speaker 1: close the Suez Canal to the Russian fleet. And this 417 00:26:08,400 --> 00:26:12,000 Speaker 1: is where, you know again, we see the Defensive Pact 418 00:26:12,440 --> 00:26:16,120 Speaker 1: that England and Japan had already signed back a few 419 00:26:16,160 --> 00:26:19,719 Speaker 1: years ago in nineteen oh two, and they said, look, 420 00:26:19,920 --> 00:26:24,760 Speaker 1: we're going to remain neutral in the event that either 421 00:26:24,800 --> 00:26:29,160 Speaker 1: of us getting a scrap with a third party. That's 422 00:26:29,200 --> 00:26:32,680 Speaker 1: why England doesn't enter the Free Well, Britain I should 423 00:26:32,680 --> 00:26:37,359 Speaker 1: say that's why they don't enter the fray because they cannot. 424 00:26:38,960 --> 00:26:41,879 Speaker 1: They cannot go to war with Russia just because Japan 425 00:26:42,000 --> 00:26:44,439 Speaker 1: is doing it, right, if everybody else is doing it, 426 00:26:44,480 --> 00:26:47,480 Speaker 1: why can't we, et cetera. So they have to fight 427 00:26:47,600 --> 00:26:52,600 Speaker 1: back in less direct ways. That's why they closed the canal. 428 00:26:53,160 --> 00:26:58,959 Speaker 1: And in either case, this means the Russian forces have 429 00:26:59,080 --> 00:27:02,800 Speaker 1: to now travel around the Cape of Good Hope, which 430 00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:05,359 Speaker 1: makes their journey even longer. 431 00:27:06,680 --> 00:27:09,040 Speaker 3: It's such a positive sounding cape. 432 00:27:09,480 --> 00:27:10,480 Speaker 2: It really is. 433 00:27:10,680 --> 00:27:15,640 Speaker 1: It's like the pursuit of happiness. It sounds really good 434 00:27:15,800 --> 00:27:20,400 Speaker 1: till you think about it, like the Cape of Good Hope. 435 00:27:20,720 --> 00:27:24,000 Speaker 2: I hope this is going to be all right around 436 00:27:24,040 --> 00:27:24,360 Speaker 2: the court. 437 00:27:24,480 --> 00:27:26,440 Speaker 3: Yeah, and it wasn't always, was it. 438 00:27:26,680 --> 00:27:29,440 Speaker 2: No, it wasn't always. But that's the nature of hope. 439 00:27:29,920 --> 00:27:35,560 Speaker 1: And there's another thing Doctor Z points out that that 440 00:27:35,640 --> 00:27:41,680 Speaker 1: I think bears bears some cogitation. You would imagine, let's cogitate, Yeah, 441 00:27:41,720 --> 00:27:44,439 Speaker 1: you would imagine at this point, right that all right, 442 00:27:44,440 --> 00:27:48,399 Speaker 1: we're in the early nineteen hundreds, so people aren't People 443 00:27:48,400 --> 00:27:52,560 Speaker 1: are still using sailing ships, but people have also switched 444 00:27:52,560 --> 00:27:57,560 Speaker 1: to coal powered steamships and putting a coal powered ship 445 00:27:57,600 --> 00:28:01,639 Speaker 1: on the map is really great at this time, so 446 00:28:01,920 --> 00:28:06,280 Speaker 1: long as you have a constant supply of coal. Kind 447 00:28:06,280 --> 00:28:09,719 Speaker 1: of like how electric cars when they were getting mainstream, 448 00:28:10,040 --> 00:28:12,760 Speaker 1: they were really great, so long as you had a 449 00:28:12,800 --> 00:28:14,159 Speaker 1: way to plug your car in. 450 00:28:14,400 --> 00:28:17,480 Speaker 3: Yeah, like a really long extension car. That is the 451 00:28:17,560 --> 00:28:20,479 Speaker 3: rub there. And at this point, Japan has kind of 452 00:28:20,520 --> 00:28:23,600 Speaker 3: opened up to the rest of the Western world in 453 00:28:23,640 --> 00:28:26,520 Speaker 3: eighteen fifty three, and that's in part because the American 454 00:28:26,520 --> 00:28:32,360 Speaker 3: government wanted the Japanese to help them set up coaling 455 00:28:32,400 --> 00:28:36,200 Speaker 3: stations some of its ports that would then help facilitate 456 00:28:36,280 --> 00:28:38,920 Speaker 3: trade between China and the US. 457 00:28:39,280 --> 00:28:42,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, and because this stuff that happened way back in 458 00:28:42,520 --> 00:28:48,600 Speaker 1: eighteen fifty three, now Russia's empire is is kind of screwed. 459 00:28:48,680 --> 00:28:52,240 Speaker 1: They don't have those coaling stations because they're largely a 460 00:28:52,400 --> 00:28:57,840 Speaker 1: land empire, right, And this means that the Second Pacific Squadron, 461 00:28:57,880 --> 00:29:01,520 Speaker 1: these Russian forces, when they leave Ussia, they have to 462 00:29:01,600 --> 00:29:06,640 Speaker 1: carry tons of coal, like literal tons of coal just 463 00:29:06,680 --> 00:29:10,040 Speaker 1: to keep the boats going. And the Suez Canal gets 464 00:29:10,080 --> 00:29:13,320 Speaker 1: cut off, so they're they're like literally I picture them 465 00:29:13,360 --> 00:29:16,640 Speaker 1: counting bricks of coal one by one going through the 466 00:29:16,640 --> 00:29:19,360 Speaker 1: Cape or going around the Cape of Good hope, and 467 00:29:19,600 --> 00:29:23,840 Speaker 1: they are only able to refuel when they reach Madagascar, 468 00:29:24,200 --> 00:29:26,520 Speaker 1: which is controlled by France. 469 00:29:26,360 --> 00:29:29,120 Speaker 3: And the clock's taking away. With the Baltic fleet making 470 00:29:29,160 --> 00:29:34,240 Speaker 3: its way towards the Pacific, Theatah the Japanese Empire then 471 00:29:34,480 --> 00:29:38,280 Speaker 3: begins to kind of close that open hand into a 472 00:29:38,320 --> 00:29:43,040 Speaker 3: fists and tighten their grasp on Manchuria and that port 473 00:29:43,560 --> 00:29:49,400 Speaker 3: of Arthur. The Russian Navy at this point tries several 474 00:29:49,600 --> 00:29:52,960 Speaker 3: little skirmishes or what do you call these? Ben The 475 00:29:53,000 --> 00:29:56,440 Speaker 3: collector describes them as sorties. He has always sounded very 476 00:29:56,520 --> 00:29:59,480 Speaker 3: high follutant to me. What's a sortie versus a skirmish? 477 00:29:59,800 --> 00:30:02,440 Speaker 3: A specific type of attack? Aren't these kind of like 478 00:30:02,560 --> 00:30:03,320 Speaker 3: mini attacks? 479 00:30:04,160 --> 00:30:04,320 Speaker 2: Yeah? 480 00:30:04,360 --> 00:30:09,240 Speaker 1: A sorty is specifically an attack made from a made 481 00:30:09,280 --> 00:30:10,800 Speaker 1: when you're surrounded. 482 00:30:11,240 --> 00:30:16,040 Speaker 2: So like an invasion. Yes, it's like. 483 00:30:16,080 --> 00:30:19,440 Speaker 1: You're cornered, right, and then you say, all right, I'm 484 00:30:19,480 --> 00:30:20,760 Speaker 1: not going down without a fight. 485 00:30:21,080 --> 00:30:21,880 Speaker 3: Okay, got it? 486 00:30:22,240 --> 00:30:25,680 Speaker 1: So these guys are Yeah, these guys are encircled by 487 00:30:25,760 --> 00:30:29,360 Speaker 1: the Japanese forces holding that blockade, and every so often 488 00:30:29,440 --> 00:30:33,640 Speaker 1: they go out there and do a little, but they 489 00:30:33,680 --> 00:30:38,320 Speaker 1: can't quite sink any of the Japanese ships. They're different 490 00:30:38,360 --> 00:30:41,480 Speaker 1: famous battles in this regard that you can read about, 491 00:30:41,840 --> 00:30:45,280 Speaker 1: but what you need to know is that none of 492 00:30:45,320 --> 00:30:50,800 Speaker 1: those sorties worked at all, and I sort of not 493 00:30:50,840 --> 00:30:56,240 Speaker 1: even sorty of yeah, not on land nor on sea. 494 00:30:56,320 --> 00:31:04,960 Speaker 1: And after multiple defeat, the Russian forces get knocked again 495 00:31:05,200 --> 00:31:09,800 Speaker 1: by the Japanese army, which sieges or besieges Port Arthur 496 00:31:09,880 --> 00:31:16,240 Speaker 1: from the ground. The last general in the city, anatotally Stecil, 497 00:31:16,680 --> 00:31:21,760 Speaker 1: surrenders to Japanese forces on January tewod nineteen oh five, 498 00:31:21,960 --> 00:31:26,800 Speaker 1: which means now Port Arthur and Manchuria are officially controlled 499 00:31:27,240 --> 00:31:32,960 Speaker 1: by the Japanese Empire. This is the end of that war. 500 00:31:33,640 --> 00:31:37,440 Speaker 3: Thank god took long enough. 501 00:31:38,000 --> 00:31:41,840 Speaker 1: I mean, imagine being those being those poor guys on 502 00:31:41,480 --> 00:31:45,720 Speaker 1: the Russian squadron who are just trying to get coal 503 00:31:46,760 --> 00:31:49,600 Speaker 1: and they're there for seven months and they don't really 504 00:31:49,760 --> 00:31:54,080 Speaker 1: know what's happening on the ground. Talked about showing up 505 00:31:54,160 --> 00:31:57,240 Speaker 1: late to the party, right, But wait, as Billy Mays 506 00:31:57,440 --> 00:32:02,440 Speaker 1: was wont to say there's more war ahead, we played 507 00:32:02,480 --> 00:32:04,280 Speaker 1: with this quote a little bit. I don't think he 508 00:32:04,360 --> 00:32:07,040 Speaker 1: ever said war as a product. 509 00:32:07,880 --> 00:32:10,720 Speaker 3: No, he was known for that war. Warren never changes 510 00:32:11,200 --> 00:32:12,720 Speaker 3: Billy Mays. 511 00:32:12,200 --> 00:32:13,320 Speaker 2: Yes, yeah, that's right. 512 00:32:13,480 --> 00:32:17,040 Speaker 1: No, in fact check us, but do check back in 513 00:32:17,080 --> 00:32:20,840 Speaker 1: with us for part two on the one time Japan 514 00:32:21,120 --> 00:32:22,240 Speaker 1: rinsed Russia. 515 00:32:22,840 --> 00:32:25,280 Speaker 3: We you know, this one's a little bit in the weeds, 516 00:32:25,320 --> 00:32:26,720 Speaker 3: but I think it's one for a lot of you 517 00:32:26,840 --> 00:32:29,720 Speaker 3: war wonks out there, and maybe we can kind of 518 00:32:29,760 --> 00:32:31,920 Speaker 3: set the stage a little bit about what's to come. 519 00:32:32,960 --> 00:32:36,720 Speaker 1: Yes, so we'll have a recap here too, because as 520 00:32:36,720 --> 00:32:40,560 Speaker 1: you pointed out, there is a lot of back and 521 00:32:40,600 --> 00:32:45,239 Speaker 1: forth here. The Japanese Empire is ready to call it 522 00:32:45,280 --> 00:32:48,840 Speaker 1: a day on this front and to expand further. Russia 523 00:32:49,200 --> 00:32:54,840 Speaker 1: now has a real act to grind because Japan has 524 00:32:54,920 --> 00:32:58,760 Speaker 1: yet to conquer Manchuria. Tune in for part two to 525 00:32:58,840 --> 00:33:01,920 Speaker 1: see what happens now. In the meantime, Thanks to the 526 00:33:02,040 --> 00:33:05,920 Speaker 1: ridiculous historians you all form our empire, we couldn't be 527 00:33:06,000 --> 00:33:09,280 Speaker 1: more happy that you're here. Thanks to Max Williams. Thanks 528 00:33:09,360 --> 00:33:11,880 Speaker 1: to Alex Tijuana Williams, who composed this. 529 00:33:11,960 --> 00:33:12,760 Speaker 2: Slap and bop. 530 00:33:13,320 --> 00:33:17,520 Speaker 3: Indeed, Baham Alex Tijuana Bahama Breeze Williams Wall, No, no, no, 531 00:33:17,560 --> 00:33:19,560 Speaker 3: it's a j Bahamas Jacobs. What am I doing here? 532 00:33:19,720 --> 00:33:26,360 Speaker 3: We've got the puzzler, aj Bahamas Jacobs the Quizzler Quizzler, Sure, yeah, 533 00:33:26,440 --> 00:33:27,560 Speaker 3: I like the Quizzler though. 534 00:33:27,560 --> 00:33:28,080 Speaker 2: That's fun. 535 00:33:28,440 --> 00:33:32,520 Speaker 3: That would be Jonathan Aloisious Strickland the third. 536 00:33:33,120 --> 00:33:35,479 Speaker 2: Yes, yes, Ed of course. 537 00:33:35,600 --> 00:33:40,720 Speaker 1: As always, if there are any criticisms, feedback or complaints, 538 00:33:41,200 --> 00:33:44,360 Speaker 1: please please do not hesitate to email us twenty four 539 00:33:44,440 --> 00:33:47,760 Speaker 1: hours day, seven days a week at our complaint department 540 00:33:47,840 --> 00:33:50,320 Speaker 1: Jonathan Strickland at iHeartMedia dot com. 541 00:33:50,600 --> 00:33:52,360 Speaker 3: That's right, but if you want to say nice things, 542 00:33:52,400 --> 00:33:55,680 Speaker 3: you can find Ben and I's human individual people peopling 543 00:33:55,720 --> 00:33:58,200 Speaker 3: our way across the Worldwide Web. People don't really call 544 00:33:58,240 --> 00:33:59,600 Speaker 3: it that anymore. What I think it's fun. We like 545 00:33:59,640 --> 00:34:03,360 Speaker 3: a literally here on Ridiculous History. I am Instagram exclusive 546 00:34:03,480 --> 00:34:06,800 Speaker 3: at how Now Noel Brown. How about you Ben Bolin. 547 00:34:06,720 --> 00:34:09,880 Speaker 1: If you can find me at Ben Bollen on Instagram 548 00:34:09,920 --> 00:34:13,160 Speaker 1: as well. You can also just drop by the website 549 00:34:13,200 --> 00:34:18,040 Speaker 1: benbollin dot com. And while you are on the Internet, 550 00:34:18,080 --> 00:34:21,680 Speaker 1: why not check out our colleagues, the rude dudes over 551 00:34:21,880 --> 00:34:25,400 Speaker 1: at Ridiculous Crime. If you like our show, you will 552 00:34:25,600 --> 00:34:27,920 Speaker 1: love theirs. Tell them we sent you. 553 00:34:28,239 --> 00:34:33,080 Speaker 4: And you're on the internet. Someone is someone's on being 554 00:34:33,160 --> 00:34:38,080 Speaker 4: coy I suspect let's dead Internet theory turns out to 555 00:34:38,080 --> 00:34:38,520 Speaker 4: be true. 556 00:34:38,600 --> 00:34:39,680 Speaker 2: You can check out our stuff. 557 00:34:39,680 --> 00:34:42,160 Speaker 1: They don't want you to do episode on that big 558 00:34:42,200 --> 00:34:47,160 Speaker 1: thanks to our research associate, doctor Z. What a legend, 559 00:34:47,280 --> 00:34:50,279 Speaker 1: what an absolute mention and Noel Big thanks to you. 560 00:34:50,640 --> 00:34:53,359 Speaker 3: And follow that guy on Instagram too. By the way, 561 00:34:53,440 --> 00:34:59,600 Speaker 3: he goes by Herbert Underscore Chill with seven Eyes, seven Eyes, 562 00:34:59,760 --> 00:35:02,560 Speaker 3: and two else. That dude is a good follow He's 563 00:35:02,600 --> 00:35:06,640 Speaker 3: a real handcrafted memester that guy. Check him out and hey, 564 00:35:07,320 --> 00:35:17,640 Speaker 3: in the meantime, we'll see you next time, folks. For 565 00:35:17,760 --> 00:35:21,400 Speaker 3: more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 566 00:35:21,440 --> 00:35:23,600 Speaker 3: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.