Both government and military leaders made miscalculations and decisions that caused unnecessary friction that led to Russia's defeat. The prime example of a poor leader is Nicholas II. The Emperor could have prevented Russia from entering the war if he had dealt diplomatically with Japan. Japan made every effort to turn to Nicholas II; to no avail, he purposely ignored their problems. Under the rule of Nicholas II, Russia made the fatal mistake of not preparing in case of war with Japan during the period of negotiations. Nicholas II had been warned of the dangers of imperial expansion in the East but had not taken considerable measures to defend himself during the trial (Fuller, p. 398). The Empire had established an imbalance between politics and strategy. An imperialist policy requires strong use of diplomatic and military power with unlimited use of both. Nicholas II failed on the diplomatic front, which led to war, and the military powers also failed, which ended in defeat. Russia's war planning was nothing more than side conversations or thoughts of individuals who had no real ability to strategize. The Russian Council's council discussed concentrating the fleet in the east, to ensure that Japan would be eliminated if war was necessary. This strategy would have provided Russia with more favorable conditions for success. However, the decision not to keep them