Abstract
Rotem Kowner's Tsushima is the first book in the Great Battles Series from Oxford University Press to tackle a naval battle and the first book to explore a topic from either Russian or Japanese military history. It does both with great aptitude. Kowner's account is based on a wide array of Russian and Japanese sources, and provides a great overview of the battle and its short and long-term consequences. It is written in engaging and accessible language, and will be a valuable read for both those who are only just getting acquainted with the topic and those who consider themselves experts on the Russo-Japanese War.
Like other books in the series, Tsushima answers the questions of how the battle was fought, how it has been remembered and what it means for us today. Its structure honours these questions, covering all of them without boring the reader with unnecessary details. The book is divided into seven chapters. In the first two, the author provides a compelling but also pithy narrative of the background of the battle and the unfolding of the battle itself. In the next four chapters, Kowner proceeds to evaluate the legacy of the battle for the Russian and Japanese navies, global reactions to Russia's spectacular defeat and the lessons the other major navies drew from Tsushima. The final chapter is a brief conclusion that draws on Kowner's analysis.
The author is a specialist on the impact of the Russo-Japanese War, so the second part of the book, looking at the legacy of the battle, is by far the strongest. Kowner makes a convincing argument about Tsushima's pivotal role in developing naval military doctrine and technological development in the twentieth century, and why it deserves to be called a ‘great battle’ and be part of the series. Tsushima sealed the fate of the battleship as the major naval vessel for decades to come, starting with HMS Dreadnought, which was launched only two years after the battle in 1907. With the Japanese success due in great part to the accuracy of the Imperial Japanese Navy gunnery, the battle boosted the reputation of naval artillery and demonstrated how improvements in fire control could impact the outcome of a naval engagement. It also proved the effectiveness of many naval technological advances, such as torpedoes, floating mines and wireless. The author, however, makes the sober observation that, despite Tsushima's influence, it occurred before navies were equipped with large numbers of submarines and aeroplanes, which revolutionized naval battles in the mid-twentieth century.
Although Tsushima is dedicated to naval history, the author uses a variety of approaches to study the battle, including an analysis of its foreign-affairs implications and a discussion of the memory of the battle both in Japan and in Russia. As a specialist in Russia myself, the chapter on the memory of the battle in Japan was particularly enlightening and helpful to put things into perspective. The similar section on Russia is equally detailed but could benefit from an update on the latest developments in Russia's memorial policy, especially following the annexation of Crimea in 2014. Remarkably, for a book of such length and focus, the author also finds an opportunity to acknowledge the plurality of opinions on the battle in the Russian Empire and shows that oppressed minorities in the Empire were often cheerful, or at least ambivalent, about the destruction of the Imperial Russian Navy (114).
For such a short introductory book, it would be impossible for the author to cover all areas where the battle had an impact. In only 190 pages or so, Tsushima does an excellent job of analysing the battle, providing as much context as possible on the navies of the time, but the focus on the naval side of the battle often overshadows its impact on land. The book would have benefited from a more detailed analysis of Tsushima's role in the overall strategy of the Russo-Japanese War and a more nuanced view of the impact of the Baltic Fleet's destruction on operations in Manchuria. Rightly pointing out the role that Tsushima played in the development of naval logistics, Kowner fails to develop the same thoughts with regard to the overall logistics of the war. Similarly, the coverage of both Japanese and Russian internal politics, especially the First Russian Revolution of 1905–1906, would have benefited from greater depth, even at the expense of a few extra pages.
The numerous maps and illustrations selected by the author are very instructive and helpful towards a better understanding of the author's points. Although printed in black and white, the quality is good enough to see even the smallest details in the pictures. The edition itself is well executed and reasonably priced, even as a hardback copy (£25), making it accessible for both academic readers and the general public. It would be a great addition to any library or book collection on maritime history and is highly recommended to any reader interested in the topic or broader questions of naval doctrine and naval development at the turn of the twentieth century.