The Russo-Japanese War

Russia had for some time been increasing its military presence in Northeastern Asia. This put the rising Japan on guard, especially as the Russians occupied islands populated by the Ainu people. In 1904, the bulk of the Russian military was pulled back to Europe to deal with other conflicts, and Japan seized the opportunity. A small strike force snuck into Russian territory, infiltrating a prison labor camp outside the city of Yakutsk. The IJA forces freed the prisoners in order to cause chaos while they proceeded further inland. This prison camp was used to construct the Nikolovsk Gate, which was still stationed above Yakutsk. With the mass jailbreak covering their tracks, the Japanese managed to ambush the guard post at the aether elevator and seize the gate.

This attack did not reach the ears of the Russian central government in time. The IJN launched an attack on Vladivostok, distracting them from Yakutsk’s radio silence. The sudden strike crippled the Russian Fleet, while the IJA was able to quickly overrun the local boyar’s undermanned coastal fortifications. Hearing of the defeat of the Pacific Fleet, an untested idea was brought up to reinforce them. The Baltic Fleet would be rigged with Balfour Engines in order to tow them over land to reinforce the East, while navy personnel were transported by rail. The “flying navy” planned on regrouping near Yakutsk, as they felt it was the closest headquarters not compromised by Japanese assaults. The highly decentralized Russian military was still unaware of the Japanese ploy there. The Baltic fleet arrived before the bulk of its crew, and the Japanese easily disabled the drives towing them. By the arrival of navy personnel, the majority of the fleet had been beached hundreds of miles from the nearest ocean.

These two embarrassments set the tone for the conflict, with the Russians only managing to stall the advance after a slow mobilization. With both fleets destroyed, the Russians struggled to reinforce their coastal and island holdings. The reformed Japanese military had proved itself to rival the greater powers of the world. The struggle continued for over a year, with many of the local leadership in the Russian Far East meeting death by Japanese execution. When peace was finally brokered by President William R. Hearst, Japan was met by an insulting deal. They were ceded Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands, but were forced to return the jump gate and the captured fleet. Hearst’s deal enraged the Japanese public, who saw it as racially motivated. Before returning the gate however, they managed to steal key components for research, eventually aiding them in improving their own gate project. This ordeal permanently soured Russo-Japanese relations, and the two powers to this day have no formal diplomatic communications.