In the mid-19th Century, two eastern empires were humiliated by industrialized powers. To avoid further humiliation, they both decided to industrialize themselves. In the late 19th Century, Russia and Japan went through rapid modernization. But which of the two succeeded would shock everyone, come 1905. In this episode, we will cover: The emancipation of the serfs in RussiaThe Witte SystemJapanese proto-industrializationThe Meiji RestorationAnd the Russo-Japanese War Be sure to check out the Warlords of History Podcast as well!