ABSTRACT
The Russo-Japanese War marked a watershed in Asian history. It altered certain power constellations and Japan eventually reached a hegemonic position in East Asia, while the ambitions of those living under colonial rule in South and Southeast Asia were stimulated by the victories of an Asian power against a Western imperialist army. For Japan, the war against the Czarist Empire was a colossal enterprise in many ways. With costs of more than 1.7 billion yen, the Russo-Japanese War would put a financial burden on Japanese society for years to come, and since more than one million men were recruited for Japan's army and navy, a large part of the population directly participated in the war. For Japan, the Korean Peninsula was the most important security issue in the East Asian region. Japan feared that any invasions of their country might be launched from Korea; in a way, they thought of it as a dagger directed towards the Japanese Isles.
