World War O

100 anni fa, nella cittadina di Portsmouth nel New Hampshire, si conclusero i trattati di pace tra Russia e Giappone, dopo la sconfitta della prima in un sanguinoso conflitto che rischiò di propagarsi alle altre grandi potenze. Il Presidente Theodor Roosevelt, per il suo ruolo, si guadagnò il Premio Nobel per la pace.

"[...] the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05, fought mostly in Manchuria, was so profound in its effect that some historians now call it "World War 0."

[...] "Historian Randall says a main unappreciated legacy of the talks is President Roosevelt's canny introduction of multi-track negotiations - the mix of formal talks with informal meetings. The constant intermingling between local townspeople, the delegates, the press, and officials was designed to break the grim clouds."

Treaty of Portsmouth now seen as global turning point, Robert Marquand, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 dicembre 2005.