Kantai Kessen
The idea gained broad acceptance following the Russo-Japanese War , where a well-trained , smaller Japanese naval force gained a decisive victory in the Sea of Japan at the Battle of Tsushima , defeating the Imperial Russian Navy of their rival the Russian Empire , a western naval power . 
<triplet> Russo-Japanese War <subj> Battle of Tsushima <obj> has part <subj> Russian Empire <obj> participant <triplet> Battle of Tsushima <subj> Russo-Japanese War <obj> part of <triplet> Imperial Russian Navy <subj> Russo-Japanese War <obj> conflict <triplet> Russian Empire <subj> Russo-Japanese War <obj> significant event