Russian Imperialism and Naval Power: Military Strategy and the Build-up to the Russo-Japanese War

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

From 1904-1905, Russia and Japan were locked in conflict arising from rival imperial ambitions in the Far East. Nicholas Papastratigakis offers an integrated analysis of Russian naval strategy in the decade before this Russo-Japanese War, in which the Russians suffered catastrophic defeat. He seeks to determine the extent to which their defeat can be attributed to flawed Tsarist naval strategy in the region. Rooted in rich primary resources from Russian, French and British archives, the book sheds new light on Russia's conduct in international affairs in the pre-World War I era. He places Russian naval strategy in the broader context of Russian military strategy at the turn of the century, and of imperialism and 'navalism' in general. This book will be of enormous interest to scholars and students of naval, military, imperial and Russian history.

Reviews

'The core of the book is a study of Russian Naval strategy in the Pacific theatre. Nicholas Papastratigakis pinpoints the key moments when this strategy was determined, explains the debates within Russia's navy and government, makes clear why the crucial decisions were made, and shows what were their consequences. It is one of the enormous strengths of the book that it covers many different levels, from broad issues of ideology in the age of high imperialism to the nitty-gritty of why naval planners advocated the deployment of specific types of warship in various theatres and ports. By doing this he makes a unique contribution to understanding both why the Russo-Japanese war happened and how geopolitics, ideology and technology interacted in this era. There is nothing like this study even in Russian, let alone in English. Thoughtful, wide-ranging and meticulously researched, this book will be of enormous interest to students of the era, of naval history and warfare, and of Russian history.' - Professor Dominic Lieven, Fellow of the British Academy and Head of the Department of International History at the LSE; 'Russian Imperialism and Naval Power contains a remarkable, fresh analysis of the period based on evidence that was, hitherto, inaccessible to western scholars. Nicholas Papastratigakis' book will be of great significance for historians of East Asia, Imperialism, Russia, Japan, Britain and China. It is a work of the first importance, and will transform our understanding of a critical period in East Asian history. Learned, reflective and deeply considered, Russian Imperialism and Naval Power is a land mark.' - Andrew Lambert, Laughton Professor of Naval History, King's College London

Author Bio

Dr Nicholas Papastratigakis undertook his research at the London School of Economics and Political Sciences. He is an independent scholar based in Athens.