The end of war and the decision about when to negotiate peace are rarely planned effectively before a war. The Russo-Japanese War is one of the few historical exceptions. The Russo-Japanese War provides three lasting lessons about the end of war in a conflict fought for limited objectives. First, the most effective plans to end the war are drawn up before the war. Second, continued military and political pressure can actually improve your position in negotiating peace. Third, common interests and compromises 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 carry on the struggle can, in practice, be replaced by two other reasons for making peace: the first it is the improbability of victory; the second is its unacceptable cost.” (Clausolawitz, 91). The Japanese actually identified the culmination of 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 far inferior power at the start of the war. The first lasting lesson of war ending in the Russo-Japanese War is that the most effective plans to end the war are created before the war. This lesson would seem rather obvious, but historically detailed plans for ending the war before the start of the war are rare. Efforts to bring about the end of the war, and not chance, that ultimately allowed the Japanese to achieve their military and political goals. The Russo-Japanese War offers many lessons to learn. offering, and this essay has discussed the three most enduring lessons about ending war in a limited-purpose conflict. History has and will likely continue to show us the inherent difficulties of a lasting and successful conclusion to war. The leadership foresight needed to plan ahead for an end to war that achieves the political goal is often beyond the capabilities of countries and their leadership. The Japanese provide us with a rare scenario in which their pre-war plan was almost identical to their post-war results. As a result, the Russo-Japanese War may offer current planners and leaders several valuable lessons about strategy, planning, and war termination that are still relevant to today's conflicts..