The Battle of Tsushima: A Turning Point in the History of Battleship Development

Japan, feeling aggrieved, used the huge war reparations obtained from China to expand its military capabilities. On January 30, 1902, Japan concluded a military alliance with the United Kingdom to jointly counterbalance Russia in the Far East. With its growing military strength and support from the UK, Japan began to provoke Russia, demanding that Russia recognize Japan's "preponderant interests" in Korea.