This is a slight deviation from my normal uploads, since this isn't strictly speaking a historical uniform. I couldn't really resist when I saw Alpha 1918's design. I will instead use this opportunity to discuss one of the most important events in the 20th century.

The 1904-1905 Russo-Japanese War is an event many might be familiar with as the first time in recent history that a non-western country defeated a European power. In a stunning surprise attack launched 8 February 1904, the Imperial Japanese Navy blockaded Port Arthur, leased from China by Russia. Following on this, Port Arthur was placed under siege. The Russo-Japanese War was notable insofar as it was punctuated by conditions that would become familiar during the First World War: namely, trench fighting, heavy use of indirect fire artillery, early use of machine guns for defensive positions, and high casualties. Russia was systematically humiliated in this war, losing its toehold in Manchuria, and badly mauled at sea during the Battle of Tsushima. This triumph of Japanese arms was extremely costly for the fledgling Japanese Empire, but proved all the more so for Russia, which descended into the Russian Revolution of 1905 - halted only by sweeping concessions by Nicholas II. While Japan has traditionally been noted for its brutality in the Second World War, the Russo-Japanese War made Japan renowned for precisely the opposite reason. Japanese soldiers became famous world round for their fastidious obedience to the laws of war relating to the treatment of prisoners and their extreme commitment to humanitarianism on the battlefield. So prevalent was this observance of the Geneva Conventions that Japanese medics were seen sacrificing their own lives attempting to save wounded Russian soldiers. Beyond this, Japanese soldiers were well regarded for their zeal and capability in combat, in stark contrast to Russian soldiers' general defeatism and apathy.

Japan became an exemplar of Europe's notional values, and gained total hegemony over Korea, which had previously been threatened by Russia. Russia, for its part, lost Port Arthur and South Sakhalin, a stinging loss that was not reversed until 1945. The end of the war was not satisfying to Japan, however. Generally, the Japanese public had expected a war indemnity from Russia, as well as the cession of the Russian Far East to Japan (probably an unrealistic goal). The failure to achieve these objectives led to riots in Tokyo. America, which mediated the treaty between Japan and Russia, came to be viewed as a backstabber. This (alongside Japan's poor treatment during the 1919 Paris Peace Conference) set the stage for Japan's turn to fascism and its increasingly aggressive behaviour in the Pacific.

Outside of the immediate ramifications of this event, not least of which was Russia's humiliation on the international stage, the Russo-Japanese War actually fundamentally changed the global perception of geopolitics - namely, it shattered the traditional view of the hierarchy of nations. 19th Century Imperialism was broadly ideologically justified by the notion of Europe's innate superiority over the outside world, an idea backed up by Europe's long standing success in warfare and diplomacy. This logic was self-explanatory, European dominance during the 19th century was such that there was virtually no corner of the planet untouched by it. Japan's victory over Russia led to a series of running effects. First, it demonstrated that European powers were not invincible. Second, it suggested an alternate path to "modernity" that flowed in parallel with, but not in submission to, European methods. Japan's status as a constitutional monarchy versus Russia's status as an autocracy was frequently highlighted by foreign observers. The outcome of the war was generally seen as the final, definitive proof of the superiority of liberal constitutionalism over conservative absolute monarchy. This led to a sharp uptick in constitutionalism and constitutional revolutions in non-European powers - examples of this are the 1908 Constitutional Revolution in Persia, the 1908 Young Turk Revolution in the Ottoman Empire, the 1911 Xinhai Revolution in China, and so forth. The general trend was that Japan became the country to emulate among non-European powers.

This event more or less confirmed Japan's entry into the ranks of the Great Powers, even if it was not always treated as such. The Russo-Japanese War arguably set the tone for the 20th Century, by bringing conditions for the collapse of the Russian Empire to a head, giving ground to anti-imperialist movements (notwithstanding the fact that Japan was extremely imperialistic), and establishing alternate spheres of power to Europe. Arguably, all of these trends led directly to the ideological norms that set the stage for WWI, and even further afield, WWII - in particular, the idea of Japan as the leader of the non-European world (this notion directly translated into the concept of the Greater East-Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere). The Russo-Japanese War deflated the prestige of European imperialism in tandem with both World Wars, and can at least be partially credited with the decolonization movements that dominated the latter half of the century.

In this image, Alpha 1918 (or Russian Empire-chan) has been captured on the outskirts of Port Arthur during the disastrous siege. Her refusal to surrender and continued resistance to her Japanese captors has led to them securely trussing her up, ostensibly for her own safety. Given Japan's generally gallant behavior throughout this war, she's likely not in real danger from the Japanese themselves, beyond the obvious humiliation of being taken prisoner (and tied up). However, she will probably face court martial for cowardice on her return to Russia. The disaster needs scapegoats.

Commission done by the talented :iconcailin020:

Variants here: sta.sh/21ec1lmyyysp?edit=1