Part 2 of Michael Melliar Phelps account of the Battle of Tshushima, and tells the story of the epic voyage of Imperial Russia’s 2nd Pacific Fleet, as it travelled 18,000 miles from Russia around the Cape of Good Hope to reach the Far East to confront the Japanese fleet. The battle was fought on 27–28 May 1905 in the Tsushima Strait located between Korea and southern Japan, and in this battle the Japanese fleet under Admiral Tōgō Heihachirō destroyed the Russian fleet. Imperial Russia’s prestige was badly damaged and the defeat was a blow to the Romanov dynasty. It is argued that because Russia’s loss destabilized the balance of power in Europe, it emboldened the Central Powers and contributed to their decision to go to war in 1914. The battle had a profound cultural and political impact on the world. It was the first defeat of a European power by an Asian nation in the modern era. It also weakened the notion of white superiority that was prevalent in so many Western countries.
Recorded 1st August 1975.
Duration 1 hour 41 minutes.
Note that photos and diagrams referred to in this address are not included in this audio-only podcast.
