title: 2 The Russo-Japanese War
abstract: The Russo-Japanese WarIn the mid-nineteenth century, after more than two centuries of international isolation, Japan opened its doors and began to expand as a way to survive in a competitive world.Although its isolation from the outside world had also been a way of survival (indeed, its isolation was never complete), this seclusion was irrevocably broken by an expanding neighbor across the Paci c Ocean, namely the United States.This was classic gun-boat diplomacy.Like many other nations, Japan w