The Russian 2nd Pacific Squadron - Voyage of the Damned

This is a longish video and the narrator has a pleasantly drony voice, so I was able to wander off and

 play solitaire for the duration. I have heard this story before and it is amazing to me that a country that could build a fleet of warships was unable to operate them effectively. Shoot, they were barely able to operate them. Of all the men on board it seems that nearly everyone was completely incompetent. Now I wonder why. Was it the lack of education? Experience? Training? Perhaps, but why was there such a lack? I suspect it's a common problem across Asia and I blame it on Genghis Khan. He was the original autocrat and he killed everyone who showed any tendency to deviate from his command. On the other hand, supposedly he sired 10,000 sons and daughters, at least some of who should have inherited his tendency to be merciless. Or maybe that's the problem. Do as I say or die, those are your choices, and so we got a population that is mostly obedient with a few commanding types. Frigging barbarians, and they are trying to go to war against countries that have reached a higher level of civilization. No wonder this expedition was a disaster.