The end of a war and the decision of when to negotiate peace are rarely planned effectively before a war. The Russo-Japanese War is one of the rare historical exceptions. The Russo-Japanese War provides three lasting lessons about ending a war in a conflict fought for limited objectives. First, the most effective end-of-war plans are made before war. Second, continued military and political pressure can actually improve your position in peace negotiations. Third, common interests and compromise are necessary for lasting peace. Clausewitz's thoughts on the end of the war effectively summarize the situation of the Japanese and Russian empires before the peace negotiations: "The inability to continue the struggle can, in practice, be replaced by two other reasons for peace. make peace: the first is the improbability of victory; the second is its unacceptable cost. (Clausewitz, 91). The Japanese effectively identified the high point of their victory and predicted that continued success would be highly unlikely. The Russian Empire had the means to turn the tide of the war, but the cost of doing so was unacceptable. As a result, both chose to negotiate peace while continuing to take steps to improve their negotiating position. The Russo-Japanese War highlights the Japanese Empire's ability to effectively plan, execute, and negotiate the end of a war, despite being considered a vastly inferior power at the start of the war. The first lasting lesson of the end of the war in the Russo-Japanese War is that the most effective end-of-war plans are made before the war. This lesson seems somewhat obvious, but historically, detailed end-of-war plans before the war begins are rare. The efforts to reach middle of paper ... are the path to the end of the war, not chance, that ultimately allowed the Japanese to achieve their military and political goals. The Russo-Japanese War has many lessons to learn. offers and this essay discussed the three most enduring lessons about ending war in a conflict for limited objectives. History has shown us and will likely continue to show us the difficulties inherent in bringing a successful and lasting end to a war. The leadership foresight required to plan for an end to war that achieves the political goal is often beyond the capabilities of countries and their leaders. The Japanese present us with a rare scenario in which their pre-war plan was almost identical to the post-war results. As a result, the Russo-Japanese War can offer today's planners and leaders several valuable lessons about strategy, planning, and war ending, which are still relevant to today's conflicts..