Una tormenta no tan lejanaLa España pos-98 ante la guerra ruso-japonesa

Abstract

The Russo-Japanese war of 1904 and 1905 was one of the most impactful international events during the first few years of the 20th century. One of the most powerful empires of the moment was contending against a small emerging power. The particularities and context in which this conflict unfolded provoked great attention from practically all corners of the globe. However, it fell slowly to oblivion over the years, upstaged by other successive events. It has continued like this until the last few decades, but since its centenary, there has been a significant increase in publications covering the topic, fully and partially. The following thesis adheres to this recovery and revaluation tendency about the Russo-Japanese war, and it does so from an innovative perspective: by placing the focus on the interest and impact of this conflict in Spain. The specific situation in this country makes it a particularly interesting study subject, because its reaction and stance against any notoriously transcendental international event could have been influenced by the recent Disaster of the 98. In the following pages, a variety of questions are disclosed, in which a connection to the Russo-Japanese conflict can be observed. To this endeavour, numerous sources have been used, albeit with priority to the Spanish testimonies. This research constitutes a novelty in studies about the impact of this conflict, as at the present being, the attention has been focused in other countries and areas, leaving Spain excluded from these works.