Darkened Sun

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Russian propaganda during the Russo-Japanese War

Japan has had a history of rising, falling, and rising again. Her first rise began following a shocking victory in the Russo-Japanese War, where she defeated the Russian Empire and gained control over Korea and Port Arthur (present-day Dalian). This victory marked Japan as a great power, and a decade later, was one of the victors of the First World War. However, poor treatment by the western allies fueled bitterness in Japan, and a flame of nationalism was ignited. The nationalism led to Japan becoming one of the most powerful nations in the world, only to be crushed in the Second World War. Reconstruction and investment fueled the Japanese economic miracle, and by the end of the century, Japan had emerged as an economic superpower.

However, the Russo-Japanese War was a surprise victory for the Japanese. It is fairly possible that had one of Russia's greatest admirals in the war had survived, Japan would have faced bankruptcy and losing the war. What if the war had ended in a Japanese defeat? What if there was a Darkened Sun?

Point of Divergence[edit | edit source]

On April 13, 1904, following a naval engagement between Russian and Japanese ships outside of Port Arthur, the Petropavlovsk narrowly avoids the mine she struck in our timeline, leading to the survival of Admiral Stepan Makarov.