Chapter 68: Industrialization Spreads East

**Mark Pimenta** (0:01)
I'm Mark Pimenta, the host of the Warlords of History podcast, focused on intriguing warriors and leaders, ancient and medieval, that were titans during their respective ages. Where over several episodes, we'll review each of their lifetimes and actions. But also take this further by exploring the surrounding environmental and political conditions, their motivations for taking on the mantle of war. We'll cover what they did, how they did it, and finally, what their legacy was beyond their demise.
If any of this interests you, join me as we dive into each of their lifetimes, their worlds, in the Warlords of History podcast, available on all major podcast platforms or accessed via warlordsofhistory.com.

**Dave Broker** (0:56)
On January 15th, 1856, Emperor Alexander II of Russia decided to sue for peace. Two years earlier, his father had gotten the country into the Crimean War, shout out Chapter 52 Now, with Sevastopol taken and no way to turn the situation around, the new Tsar knew he needed to get his country out of that war. Two and a half months later, the Russians signed the Treaty of Paris. It was a humiliating defeat. Russia would have to give up its Black Sea fleet and its territorial claims in modern day Moldova and Romania. But the Crimean War also woke Russia up to the fact that the world was leaving them behind. The vastly superior technology and operational skills of the British and French forces were proof. As the Tsar's brother supposedly lamented, We cannot deceive ourselves any longer. We must say that we are both weaker and poorer than the first class powers.
The time for reform had come. Over the next half century, Russia would modernize. The social organization of the empire was totally rearranged, while massive effort and resources were invested in economic development, namely for heavy industry to eventually improve military capabilities. A defeat like the one in Crimea could never happen again.
Except by the end of this half century, a military defeat would come again. This time it would not be to a great power like Britain or France, but to Japan, a country that absolutely nobody had on their radar as a great or even a rising power in the 1850s. You see, as the war in Crimea was being waged, the Japanese were facing their own humiliation at the hands of another industrializing power. The United States was forcing open the long-secluded Island Empire, and it would set in motion Japan's own program of modernization. These efforts in Russia and Japan created once unthinkable advancement for both empires, until they finally came head to head against each other in a conflict that would have major consequences for decades to come.
This is The Industrial Revolutions. Chapter 68, Industrialization Spreads East.
Alright, before we get started, let me cover a couple quick items. First, I probably could have made this episode two or three episodes long. There is a lot of really interesting material that I just don't have enough time to cover. Patreon subscribers at the Steam Engine level and higher will be seeing my book recommendations in the next few months. And if you're interested in learning more about Russian and or Japanese history in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, you will definitely want to check out these books. Another reason I want to keep my episodes focused and moving forward right now is because I have a big change coming up in my life. My wife and I are expecting a new Industrial Revolutionary this August, so expanding my episode count is a bit unrealistic. My plan is to get one more chapter done before she arrives, but that will probably be the last episode I am going to be able to record for several months. But I am still hoping to wrap up The Gilded Age by the end of the year. Finally, I want to thank everyone who continues to support the Industrial Revolutions financially. Special shoutouts this time to Paul Schockett and new patron Diego Huerta, as well as Andre Andrakovich, John Bartlett, Adam Bibby, Chris Bradford, Elizabeth Brooking, Harriet Buchanan, Yipa Burkhot, Tara Carlson, Britt Cleaver, Dancer in the Dark, Michael Hosknecht, Madeline Hill, Eric Hoganson, Alonzo Ibanez, Naomi Kanakia, Paul Craisen, Kyle Laskowski, Ian Lacane, Brian Long, Andrew C. Madigan, Martin Mann, JJ. Marx, John Newton, Max Ricard, David Roberson, Brad Rossi, Joshua Shanley, Christian Sebast, Jonathan Smith, Ray Squittieri, Tanner, Ross Templeton, and Seth Weiner. Now let's get on with the show.
The writer James Baldwin once noted that, quote, anyone who has ever struggled with poverty knows how extremely expensive it is to be poor, end quote. Nowadays, this feels truer than ever. Being poor means paying hefty fees for mistakes like overdrawing your bank account or missing a child support payment. It means having to purchase inferior products that are soon useless to you. It means you do not have the time or resources to go shopping and prepare a holistic meal, so instead, you eat fast food or heavily processed foods which cost you more in the long run, especially when you take the health care implications into account. Oftentimes, trying to climb out of poverty will only leave you further impoverished. And this can be as true for countries as it is for individuals. And from the end of the Crimean War, right up until the First World War, this was the hole in which Russia found itself unable to escape. The massive empire had largely failed to industrialize thus far. Now, they would discover just how difficult it would be to catch up.