In 1905, an Asian navy destroyed a European empire's fleet for the first time in memory
At the Battle of Tsushima in 1905, Japan's navy annihilated a Russian fleet that had sailed halfway around the world to reach it, sinking most of its battleships for minimal losses of its own. The victory ended the Russo-Japanese War and marked the first time a modern Asian power had decisively defeated a European one, stunning observers worldwide. It helped trigger the 1905 Russian Revolution and inspired independence movements from India to Vietnam.