A deterrent plan succeeds most cleanly when war never occurs, yet the Russo-Japanese War demonstrated that the fleet could fight effectively when deterrence failed. Russian diplomatic and logistical errors magnified Japan's advantage: the Baltic Fleet took the long route, relied on non-British coal support, and worsened relations with Britain through the Dogger Bank incident. Those political constraints made Suez Canal access and discreet British coaling support less usable for Rozhestvensky's voyage. Material design, alliance politics, and an opponent's logistical burden all shaped the outcome.
Notable Point · 1:19:01-1:20:32
The Russo-Japanese War tested the deterrent fleet in combat
The war was not the plan's ideal outcome, but victory showed that a deterrent force could also defeat a stronger power under favorable strategic conditions.