“In Russian historiography, the intelligence activities of the Japanese Fleet were poorly considered...” Book review: Russian-Japanese Rivalry at Sea. A Duel of Fleets and Intelligence Services. 1875-1922 by A.G. Zorikhin

Abstract

The article examines the contents of the book Russian-Japanese Rivalry at Sea. A Duel of Fleets and Intelligence Services. 1875 1922 by A.G. Zorikhin (Moscow: Tsentrpoligraf, 2025. 351 p. Series “Contemporary Research on Russian History.” ISBN 978-5-227-11029-9). The review outlines the main topics addressed by the author of the book: Russian-Japanese naval rivalry in 1875 1905, i.e., in the period preceding the Russo-Japanese War and during the conflict itself, the continuation of this rivalry on the eve and during the First World War, the work of Japanese naval reconnaissance during the Civil War in Russia and the Japanese Siberian intervention in 1918 1922. The reviewer notes the high academic level of the research, the introduction into scientific circulation of a significant number of new sources from Japanese archives, the depth and quality of the author’s analysis, and the validity of the conclusions. According to the reviewer’s conclusion, the book makes a significant contribution to several areas of research at once: history of Russian-Japanese naval rivalry, history of intelligence services, military history of the Far East, history of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904 1905, the First World War, the Russian Civil War, and the Japanese Siberian intervention.