The article briefly talks about the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905. This war became one of the most shameful in Russian history. The expectation of a “small victorious war” turned into a disaster.
- Introduction
- Progress of the Russo-Japanese War
- Results of the Russo-Japanese War
Causes of the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905.
- The main prerequisite for the outbreak of the war was the growth of imperialist contradictions at the turn of the century. European powers sought to divide China. Russia, which did not have colonies in other parts of the world, was interested in maximizing the penetration of its capital into China and Korea. This desire ran counter to Japan's plans. The rapidly developing Japanese industry also required the seizure of new territories to allocate capital.
- The Russian government did not take into account the increased combat effectiveness of the Japanese army. In the event of a quick and decisive victory, it was planned to significantly reduce revolutionary sentiment in the country. The Japanese elite relied on chauvinistic sentiments in society. It was planned to create Greater Japan through territorial conquests.
Progress of the Russo-Japanese War
- At the end of January 1904, the Japanese, without declaring war, attacked Russian ships based in Port Arthur. And already in June, the successful actions of the Japanese led to the complete defeat of the Russian Pacific squadron. The Baltic Fleet (2nd Squadron) sent to help, after a six-month journey, was completely defeated by Japan in the Battle of Tsushima (May 1905). Sending the 3rd squadron was becoming pointless. Russia has lost its main trump card in its strategic plans. The defeat was a consequence of underestimating the Japanese fleet, which consisted of the latest warships. The reasons were insufficient training of Russian sailors, Russian warships that were outdated at that time, and defective ammunition.
- In military operations on land, Russia also showed a significant lag in many respects. The General Staff did not take into account the experience of recent wars. Military science adhered to outdated concepts and principles of the Napoleonic Wars era. It was assumed that the main forces would gather together followed by a massive strike. Japanese strategy, under the guidance of foreign advisers, relied on the development of maneuver operations.
- The Russian command under the leadership of General Kuropatkin acted passively and indecisively. The Russian army suffered its first defeat near Liaoyang. By June 1904, Port Arthur was surrounded. The defense lasted for six months, which can be regarded as the only success of the Russians in the entire war. In December the port was handed over to the Japanese. The decisive battle on land was the so-called “Mukden Meat Grinder” (February 1905), as a result of which the Russian army was practically surrounded, but at the cost of heavy losses it managed to retreat. Russian losses amounted to about 120 thousand people. This failure, coupled with the Tsushima tragedy, showed the futility of further military action. The situation was complicated by the fact that the “victorious war” caused a revolution in Russia itself.
- It was the outbreak of the revolution and the unpopularity of the war in society that forced Russia to enter into peace negotiations. The Japanese economy was significantly damaged as a result of the war. Japan was inferior to Russia both in the number of armed forces and in material capabilities. Even a successful continuation of the war would have led Japan to an economic crisis. Therefore, Japan, having won a number of spectacular victories, was content with this and also sought to conclude a peace treaty.
Results of the Russo-Japanese War
- In August 1905, the Portsmouth Peace Treaty was concluded, containing humiliating conditions for Russia. Japan included South Sakhalin, Korea, and Port Arthur. The Japanese gained control of Manchuria. Russia's authority on the world stage was greatly undermined. Japan has demonstrated that its army is combat-ready and armed with the latest technology.
- In general, Russia was forced to abandon active actions in the Far East.
About the Russo-Japanese War in brief
Russko-yaponskaya voyna (1904 - 1905)
Russo-Japanese War begins
Russo-Japanese War causes
Russo-Japanese War stages
Russo-Japanese War results
The Russo-Japanese War, briefly summarized, was the result of a complex relationship between the two countries resulting from the expansion of the Russian Empire in the Far East. The country was experiencing economic growth and the opportunity arose to increase its influence, primarily on Korea and China. This, in turn, caused strong dissatisfaction in Japan.
The reasons for the war are Russia's attempt to spread its influence in the Far East. The reason for the war was Russia's lease of the Liaodong Peninsula from China and the occupation of Manchuria, which Japan itself had plans for.
The Japanese government's demands to withdraw from Manchuria meant the loss of the Far East, which was impossible for Russia. In this situation, both sides began preparing for war.
Describing the Russo-Japanese War briefly, it should be noted that in the highest circles of power there was hope that Japan would not decide to take military action with Russia. Nicholas II had a different opinion.
By the beginning of 1903, Japan was completely ready for war and was just waiting for a convenient reason to start it. The Russian authorities acted indecisively, never fully realizing their plans to prepare a military campaign in the Far East. This led to a threatening situation - Russia's military forces were in many ways much inferior to the Japanese. The number of ground troops and military equipment was almost half that of Japan. For example, in terms of the number of destroyers, the Japanese fleet had a threefold superiority over the Russian one.
However, the Russian government, as if not seeing these facts, continued its expansion in relation to the Far East, and decided to use the war with Japan itself as an opportunity to distract the people from serious social problems.
The war began on January 27, 1904. The Japanese fleet suddenly attacked Russian ships near the city of Port Arthur. It was not possible to capture the city itself, but the most combat-ready Russian ships were disabled. Japanese troops were able to land in Korea without hindrance. The railway connection between Russia and Port Arthur was disrupted, and the siege of the city began. In December, the garrison, having suffered several heavy attacks by Japanese troops, was forced to surrender, while scuttling the remnants of the Russian fleet so that it would not fall to Japan. The surrender of Port Arthur actually meant the loss of the Russian army.
On land, Russia was also losing the war. The Battle of Mukden, the largest at that time, Russian troops could not win and retreated. The Battle of Tsushima destroyed the Baltic fleet.
But Japan was so exhausted by the ongoing war that it decided to enter into peace negotiations. She achieved her goals and did not want to waste her resources and strength further. The Russian government agreed to make peace. In Portsmouth, in August 1905, Japan and Russia signed a peace treaty. It cost the Russian side dearly. According to him, Port Arthur, as well as the southern part of the Sakhalin Peninsula, now belonged to Japan, and Korea finally fell under its influence.
In the Russian Empire, the loss of the war increased dissatisfaction with the authorities.
More wars, battles, battles, riots and uprisings in Russia:
- Caucasian War
On February 8, the Japanese fleet attacked Russian warships that were in Port Arthur. As a result of such an unexpected move by the Japanese army, the most powerful and powerful ships of the Russian fleet were completely destroyed. After this, Japan officially declared war. The military announcement was made on February 10. According to historical data from Japan, the main reason for the unexpected war was the appropriation of the east by Russia, as well as the seizure of the Japanese Liaodong Peninsula. The unexpected attack of Japan and the announcement of military action against Russia caused a wave of indignation in Russian, but not in world society. England and the United States of America immediately sided with Japan, and sharp anti-Russian attacks appeared in their magazines and newspapers. Russia's ally, France, took a friendly neutral position, the reason for this was fear of a rising Germany. However, this did not last long: France switched sides to England on April 12, 1905, thereby cooling its relations with the Russian government. At the same time, Germany, taking advantage of the situation, declared warm, friendly neutrality regarding Russia.
Despite the initial victorious actions and many allies, the Japanese failed to capture the fortress. A second attempt was made on August 26 - General Oyama, commanding an army with 46 thousand soldiers, attacked the fortress of Port Arthur, but, having met worthy resistance on August 11 and suffering huge losses, he was forced to retreat. On December 2, Russian General Kondratenko died, the commanders signed an act, and the fortress, despite the remaining forces and the ability to hold on, was given to the Japanese along with 30 thousand prisoners and the Russian fleet. 
Victory was almost on the side of the Japanese, but, having exhausted the economy by a long and grueling war, the Emperor of Japan was forced to sign a peace treaty with Russia. On August 9, the Russian and Japanese governments began peace negotiations. In Tokyo, this agreement was received coldly and with protest.
This war showed many gaps in Russian politics that needed to be filled. Many soldiers and officers betrayed the country and deserted, and the Russian army was unprepared for a sudden war. The weakness of the tsarist power was also revealed, on the basis of which the revolution was subsequently organized in 1906. However, there was also a good consequence of the war: thanks to previous mistakes revealed during the Russo-Japanese War, Russia stopped exploring the east and actively began to transform and carry out reforms of the old order, which subsequently increased both the internal and external political power of the country.
Shang Dynasty and State
The Shang or Shang-Yin Dynasty (1600 - 1650 BC) is the only prehistoric Chinese dynasty that formed a state that was officially recognized as existing: actual archaeological excavations have proven this. As a result of excavations, stone slabs with ancient hieroglyphs were found describing the life and government of the emperors of that era.
There is an opinion that the Shang-Yin clan descended from the imperial son Xuan-Xiao, who overthrew his father Huang Di from the throne with the help of his minister I-Yin. After this incident, the ancient Chinese astrologer, historian and writer, famous for writing the Shi Ji, a historical record from the mythical ages to his time, fled the capital five times, only to be brought back by the Shang rulers.
The Shan state was small - only about 200 thousand people. They lived in the basin of the Chinese Yellow River, which influenced the lifestyle of the inhabitants of the Shang-Yin state. Since there were practically no wars in this state (there were only rare raids by nomads from neighboring countries), some men were mainly engaged in farming and hunting, others made tools and weapons. Women were engaged in gathering, looked after the house and taught children. Basically, men took boys to study, and girls were taught at home by their mothers all the worldly wisdom of women.
The people of the Shan State were very religious. Their main deity was Sky or Shandi, who was identified with the home of the souls of the supreme rulers and emperors. The emperor who accepted gifts and offerings, as well as performed the rituals of worshiping the spirits of the dead, was popularly called the Son of Heaven and was considered sacred. An attempt on the life of the Son of Heaven was considered blasphemy and was punishable by death.
The palace of the emperors of the Shang-Yin dynasty was richly decorated with frescoes and paintings on the walls. Under the ceilings were tall gilded columns that depicted scenes from ancient Chinese mythology and history. The paintings depicted moments from wars and foreign campaigns in oil.
Unlike the rich palaces of the emperors, ordinary residents lived in dugouts built from dried wooden “bricks”, which were held together with clay.
The Shang-Yin dynasty was interrupted when, following a rebellion, Emperor Xia Jie Shang was assassinated and Tang Zhou, the next emperor of China and founder of the Zhou dynasty, took the throne. A new era began in the history of the Ancient Chinese Empire.
Elizabeth II
The eldest daughter of King George VI (originally Prince Albert), Elizabeth (Alexandra Maria) of York (abbreviated Elizabeth II) holds the title of "Britain's longest-living reigning monarch". Elizabeth II turned exactly 92 on April 21, 2018; she has ruled the country since she was twenty-five, that is, she has been on the throne for 67 years, which is a record in the history of England. In addition to Great Britain, she is also the queen of 15 states. The ruler of Great Britain is a descendant of many kings of England, which means she is of the purest royal origin.
Basically, Elizabeth carries out foreign policy actions, with virtually no influence on the internal governance of Britain. Her royal duties include receiving foreign ministers and ambassadors, presenting awards, visiting countries on diplomatic affairs, etc. However, she does her role well. It is with her, thanks to developed computer technology, that the queen can communicate with people outside the castle. Thus, the ruler of Great Britain has been a participant and user of such social networks as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and even YouTube for many years now.
Despite her high status, the monarch loves gardening and breeding dogs (she mainly breeds spaniels, Great Danes and Labradors). Recently she has also become interested in photography. She photographs the places she has visited in her life. You should know that the Queen has visited 130 countries, and has made more than 300 foreign trips - in addition to her native English, she knows French perfectly. She is also very punctual, but this does not make her any less polite and kind.
But, despite all these good qualities, the Queen of England strictly observes the royal ceremony: articles sometimes appeared in newspapers about how the Queen, when visiting hospitals, was extremely polite and courteous to everyone, but did not allow anyone to touch her and did not even take off her gloves . This will probably seem strange, but even when receiving especially important guests at a tea party (for example, officials and important persons from other countries), a separate tent is set up especially for Elizabeth, her family and associates, into which no outsiders are allowed.
According to surveys of the population of Great Britain, all residents are satisfied with their ruler and value and respect her very much, which accurately assures her of her good-natured and hospitable character traits, which were so loved by all her royal subjects.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Russia was one of the influential world powers, owning significant territories in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, while Japan dominated the eastern part of the Asian continent.
Therefore, the Russo-Japanese War had a significant resonance, long before its end in 1905. There is every reason to believe that the Russo-Japanese War was a harbinger of the First World War, and then. Because the causes of the initial conflict between states influenced subsequent events. Some tend to call the Russo-Japanese War "World War Zero" since it occurred 10 years before the start of the war.
Causes of the Russo-Japanese War
In 1904, Russia, led by Emperor Nicholas II, was the largest world power with vast territories.
The port of Vladivostok did not have year-round navigation due to difficult climatic conditions. The state needed to have a port in the Pacific Ocean that would receive and dispatch merchant ships all year round, and also serve as a fort on Russia’s eastern borders.
He placed his bets on the Korean Peninsula and Liaodong, now located in China. Russia had already entered into a lease agreement with Russia, but the emperor wanted complete sovereignty in this region. The Japanese leadership has not been satisfied with Russia's activity in this region since the Sino-Japanese War of 1895. Russia at that time supported the Qing Dynasty, i.e. was on one side in the conflict.
Initially, the Japanese side offered Russia a deal: Russia would gain full control over Manchuria (northeastern China), and Japan would control Korea. But Russia was not satisfied with this outcome of events; it put forward a demand to declare the territories of Korea above the 39th parallel a neutral zone. The negotiations were disrupted by the Japanese side, and it unilaterally launched military actions against Russia (an attack on the Russian fleet in Port Arthur on February 8, 1904).
Beginning of the Russo-Japanese War
Japan officially declared war with Russia only on the day of the attack on Russian Navy ships in Port Arthur. Before this, the Russian leadership had no information about the military intentions of the land of the rising sun.
The Cabinet of Ministers assured the Emperor that even after failed negotiations, Japan would not dare to attack Russia, but this was an unfortunate assumption. An interesting fact is that, according to the norms of International Law, a declaration of war before the outbreak of hostilities was optional at that time. This rule ceased to apply only 2 years after these events, which was enshrined at the Second Hague Peace Conference.
The purpose of the Japanese fleet's attack on Russian ships was to blockade the Russian fleet. By order of Admiral Togo Heihachiro, the torpedo boats of the Japanese fleet were to disable the three largest cruisers: Tsesarevich, Retvizan and Pallas. The main battle was expected a day later, in Port Arthur.
The Russian fleet in the Far East was well protected in Port Arthur harbor, but its exits were heavily mined. So on April 12, 1904, the battleships Petropavlovsk and Pobeda were blown up at the exit from the harbor. The first sank, the second returned to the harbor with great damage. And, although Russia, in response, damaged 2 Japanese battleships, Japan continued to control and carry out regular bombing of Port Arthur.
At the end of August, Russian troops, deployed from the center to help the sailors of Port Arthur, were driven back by the Japanese and were unable to get into the harbor. Having settled in the newly conquered positions, the Japanese military continued to fire at ships in the bay.
At the beginning of 1905, the commander of the garrison, Major General Sessel, decided to leave the harbor, believing that the losses among the naval personnel were significant and meaningless. This decision came as a surprise to both the Japanese and the Russian command. The general was later convicted and sentenced to death, but was pardoned.
The Russian fleet continued to suffer losses in the Yellow Sea, forcing the state's military leadership to mobilize the Baltic Fleet and send it to the combat area.
Military operations in Manchuria and Korea
Seeing the weakness of the Russians, the Japanese gradually moved to complete control of the Korean Peninsula. Landing in its southern part, they gradually advanced and captured Seoul and the rest of the peninsula.
The plans of the Japanese command included the seizure of Russian-controlled Manchuria. In the first military action on land, they successfully attacked Russian ships in May 1904, forcing them to withdraw to Port Arthur. Further, in February 1905, the Japanese continued to attack Russian troops in Mukden. These bloody battles also culminated in the victory of the Japanese. The Russians, suffering heavy losses, were forced to retreat to northern Mukden. The Japanese side also suffered significant losses of soldiers and equipment.
In May 1905, the Russian fleet arrived at its location, having sailed about 20 thousand miles - quite a serious military campaign for that time.
Making the transition at night, the Russian armada was nevertheless discovered by the Japanese. And Togo Heihachiro blocked their path near the Tsushima Strait at the end of May 1905. Russian losses were enormous: eight battleships and more than 5,000 men. Only three ships managed to break into the harbor and complete the task. All of the above events forced the Russian side to agree to a truce.
Treaty of Portsmouth
The Russo-Japanese War was brutal and could serve as a bad echo of subsequent events. Both sides lost about 150 thousand military personnel in hostilities, about 20 thousand Chinese civilians died.
A peace agreement was concluded in Portsmouth in 1905, mediated by Theodore Roosevelt (US President). Russia was represented by Sergei Witte, the minister of his imperial court, and Japan by Baron Komuro. For his peacekeeping activities during the negotiations, Roosevelt was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Results of the Russo-Japanese War
As a result of the agreement, Russia transferred Port Arthur to Japan, retaining half of the island of Sakhalin (the entire island would go to Russia only after the end of World War II. supported the refusal of Nicholas II to pay compensation to the victorious side. Russian troops liberated the territory of Manchuria and recognized the control of the Japanese side over the Korean Peninsula.
The humiliating defeats of the Russian army in the Russo-Japanese War added negative consequences to the political unrest in Russia, which ultimately served as the impetus for the overthrow of the government in 1917.
In the second half of the 19th century, Russia actively developed the Far Eastern territories, strengthening its influence in the East Asian region. The main rival in Russia's political and economic expansion in this region was Japan, which sought at all costs to stop the growing influence of the Russian Empire on China and Korea. At the end of the 19th century, these two Asian countries were very weak economically, politically and militarily and were completely dependent on the will of other states, which shamelessly divided their territories among themselves. Russia and Japan took an active part in this “sharing”, seizing the natural resources and lands of Korea and Northern China.
Causes that led to the war
Japan, which by the mid-1890s began to pursue a policy of active external expansion of Korea, which was geographically closer to it, encountered resistance from China and entered into a war with it. As a result of the military conflict known as the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, China suffered a crushing defeat and was forced to completely renounce all rights to Korea, transferring a number of territories to Japan, including the Liaodong Peninsula, located in Manchuria.
This balance of power in this region did not suit the major European powers, which had their own interests here. Therefore, Russia, together with Germany and France, under the threat of triple intervention, forced the Japanese to return the Liaodong Peninsula to China. The Chinese peninsula did not last long; after the Germans captured Jiaozhou Bay in 1897, the Chinese government turned to Russia for help, which put forward its own conditions, which the Chinese were forced to accept. As a result, the Russian-Chinese Convention of 1898 was signed, according to which the Liaodong Peninsula was practically the undivided use of Russia.
In 1900, as a result of the suppression of the so-called “Boxer Rebellion” organized by the Yihetuan secret society, the territory of Manchuria was occupied by Russian troops. After the suppression of the uprising, Russia was in no hurry to withdraw its troops from this territory, and even after the signing of the allied Russian-Chinese agreement on the phased withdrawal of Russian troops in 1902, they continued to rule the occupied territory.
By that time, the dispute between Japan and Russia had escalated over Russian forest concessions in Korea. In the zone of operation of its Korean concessions, Russia, under the pretext of building warehouses for timber, secretly built and strengthened military installations.
Exacerbation of Russian-Japanese confrontation
The situation in Korea and Russia's refusal to withdraw its troops from the territory of Northern China led to increased confrontation between Japan and Russia. Japan made an unsuccessful attempt to negotiate with the Russian government, offering it a draft bilateral treaty, which was rejected. In response, Russia proposed its own draft treaty, which fundamentally did not suit the Japanese side. As a result, in early February 1904, Japan broke off diplomatic relations with Russia. On February 9, 1904, without an official declaration of war, the Japanese fleet attacked the Russian squadron to ensure the landing of troops in Korea - the Russo-Japanese War began.