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When the Russian-Japanese began. The war between Russia and Japan

The main reason for the outbreak of war between Japan and Russia in 1904 lies on the surface 1. The geopolitical ambitions of these powers collided in Northeast Asia. But, as in many other armed conflicts, the immediate causes of war are more confusing.

These are Russia's plans for construction railroad in the Russian Far East, and the victory of Japan in the war with China in 1895, and the project of some Petersburg guards officers to open a logging enterprise on the Yalu River, and Tokyo's concerns about Petersburg's influence in Korea. Chaotic, fickle diplomacy also played an important role.

But, as in the case of the outbreak of the First World War, a clear understanding of how the Russian-Japanese conflict broke out can lead us beyond the framework of historical science.

The answer concerns an important but often elusive concept of diplomacy, namely honor 2. When attempts to infringe on the international authority of a state can be considered as dangerous as a military invasion of its territory. Alexander II once said that in the life of states, as in the life of any person, there are times when you need to forget everything except to protect your own honor.

UNCLEANING OUT ON THE SINGING BRIDGE

Russia and Japan have gone to war since 1895, when the Japanese inflicted a spectacular defeat on the Chinese in the short-lived conflict over Korea. Russia's attempt to prevent Japan from gaining a foothold in Chinese territory caused extreme outrage in the island empire. And the Russian intervention began after the conclusion of the Shimonoseki Peace Treaty on April 17, 1895, which marked the end of the Sino-Japanese War. Among the requirements of the Japanese side was the possession of the Liaodong Peninsula located not far from Beijing with the strategically important naval base Port Arthur. The Qing dynasty agreed to cede rights to the peninsula, but Petersburg attracted Berlin and Paris to jointly demand Liaodong's cession to Russia.

The Russian demarche came after heated debates among the dignitaries of Nicholas II, caused primarily by the proximity of Eastern Siberia to the theater of operations of the Sino-Japanese conflict. The main goal of the Romanovs was an ice-free exit to The Pacific... Owning the Pacific port of Vladivostok, surrounded by freezing seas, Russia did not have a convenient, washed warm waters harbor for the terminal station of the Transsib, which was being built at that time. Prominent Russian naval commanders believed that the time was right to seize the port in Korea. This idea was enthusiastically shared by Nicholas II. Lacking the necessary support to take such a step, Foreign Minister Prince Andrei Lobanov-Rostovsky proposed to conclude an agreement with Tokyo on a new port in the region.

But there was also another point of view. Its most influential supporter was Finance Minister Sergei Witte, who saw good relations with China as essential to the development of the Russian Far East. He had no doubt that over time the Romanovs would dominate China. But the empire must go to this peacefully and economically. Russian and Chinese railways, banks, trading houses and not troops should compete with each other. Among other things, Witte often reminded Nikolai: "... for the general state of affairs within Russia, it is essential to avoid everything that could cause external complications."

As a result, after the Shimonoseki Peace, Russia played rather the role of the defender of Beijing. The finance minister quickly reaped dividends from the Chinese. He secured the consent of Zongli Yamen (Chinese Foreign Office. - Ed. Trans.) To lay the Trans-Siberian Railway through Manchuria, which significantly shortened the eastern section of the railway. And on June 3, 1896, the two empires concluded a secret agreement on joint confrontation in the event of possible aggression from Japan 5.

However, after only a year, Emperor Nicholas abruptly changed course. In imitation of his cousin Wilhelm, who conquered Qingdao, he occupied the southern part of the Liaodong Peninsula, which included Port Arthur. Three years later, the Cossacks unexpectedly entered the hereditary provinces of the Qing dynasty in Manchuria. Although Nikolai's diplomats officially promised to withdraw them, the military did not move and even plotted a campaign against neighboring Korea.

This volatility reflected deep divisions in St. Petersburg's Far Eastern policy. Sergei Witte remained an unshakable supporter of friendly relations with China, who was supported by Count Vladimir Lamsdorf, Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1900 to 1906. A coalition of "hawks" opposed at various times, including naval commanders, Lamsdorf's predecessor, Count Mikhail Muraviev, a retired guard captain and the dubious businessman Alexander Bezobrazov and the imperial governor in the Russian Far East, Admiral Yevgeny Alekseev. However, disagreements did not prevent the opponents from agreeing on one thing: Russia should play an active role in Northeast Asia.

"KOREA FOR MANCHURIA"

Japanese dignitaries also agreed on one thing: the main goal of their country's geopolitics was Korea, a hermit state that had long been a tributary of the Qing dynasty. However, to late XIX For centuries, the progressive weakness of China led to the weakening of its dominion on the peninsula and made it possible for more powerful powers to operate here. The latter included Japan, which, during the Meiji Restoration, ended medieval isolation and turned into a modern state with a Europeanized army and its own colonial aspirations.

The simple logic of geography pointed to Korea as one of the main targets of the genro, a group of nine statesmen that determined the policy of the empire. At its narrowest point, Japan was only 60 kilometers from Korea.

Already in 1875, Japanese troops clashed with the Koreans on the island of Ganghwa, and 20 years later, the empire began a war with China, weakening its influence on the hermit country. As the Western powers divided China into spheres of influence, the genro decided they could fulfill their colonial ambitions by giving Russia a dominant role in Manchuria in exchange for their control of Korea. Over the next eight years, the slogan "Man-Kan kokan" (Korea for Manchuria) became one of the leading imperatives of the Japanese foreign policy 6 .

On April 13, 1898, Baron Rosen, the Russian envoy, and Japanese Foreign Minister Tokujiro Nishi signed a joint protocol in Tokyo recognizing the economic dominance of the Japanese in Korea. But at the same time, both sides pledged to defend the country's political sovereignty. Rosen himself called the treaty "incomplete and meaningless," and the Japanese also had a poor opinion of it 7.

For the next four years, as Russia moved more and more away from Korean affairs, Japan made repeated attempts to achieve official recognition of its primacy on the peninsula. However, Russian diplomats have been unable to obtain government approval for such a policy turn. As Alexander Izvolsky, the then envoy to Tokyo, explained, both the tsar and his admirals "were too interested in Korea." At the same time, Lamsdorf feared Japanese hostility, warning in letters to Witte, General Kuropatkin and Minister of the Navy Tyrtov: if Russia cannot pacify a new serious rival, then there will remain "a clear danger of an armed conflict with Japan."

When the Japanese government was headed by the Marquis Hirobumi Ito, cold heads prevailed in Tokyo. Since the Treaty of Shimonoseki in 1895, the Marquis has tended to adopt a cautious policy towards Russia. One of the most prominent statesmen of the Meiji era, Ito had great authority both among the dignitaries and among the emperor. But despite this, in May 1901 his cabinet lost the confidence of parliament, and the new prime minister, Prince Taro Katsura, took office. The younger members of his cabinet were much more aggressive towards Russia.

True, the Marquis Ito, who was outside the government, did not give up. During a private visit to St. Petersburg in November 1901, he looked for ways to pursue a policy of reconciliation. The experienced dignitary received a warm welcome in St. Petersburg and was awarded the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky, and during his meetings with Witte and Lamsdorf he defended the Korean-Manchu project. But if the finance minister was sympathetic to this idea, the foreign minister was still against 11.

Most importantly, while Ito was negotiating with the king and his officials, the Japanese ambassador to London, Count Tadasu Hayashi, secretly concluded a defensive alliance with Great Britain. Russian diplomats this news was taken by surprise. The two main adversaries in the Far East have joined forces, simultaneously reshaping the political landscape in the Pacific.

PETERSBURG DISSOLVE CONTINUES

The ministers of Nicholas II hastily assured the world that Russian troops would leave Manchuria in the near future. However, here, too, opinions in St. Petersburg were sharply divided. Count Lamsdorf and Witte believed that Manchuria should be returned as soon as possible. They predicted that a reluctance to calm the atmosphere in the region would cause new unrest there. This point of view was also supported by many Russians - for simple reasons that there are at least 14 problems at home. In addition, the "kingdom of Witte" - the construction of the Chinese Eastern Railway (CER) - flourished, and the military presence in Manchuria posed a serious threat to the plans of the Minister of Finance.

However, the idea of ​​preserving Manchuria for Russia had no less influential defenders. The military believed that Manchuria would become part of the Russian Empire like Khiva, Kokand and Bukhara, annexed in the second half of the 19th century 15. The most prominent "hawk" was Admiral Yevgeny Alekseev, who was in Port Arthur. This naval commander had authority not only in the Pacific Fleet, but also among the garrison of the Liaodong Peninsula. His irrepressible temperament and ambitions, together with rumors that Alekseev was the illegitimate son of Alexander II, provided him with the enmity of many of his contemporaries. And above all, Sergei Witte, who saw him as a dangerous rival in the Russian Far East.

The pathologically indecisive Nicholas II hesitated. The confused and unstable policies of the empire sharply increased the hostility of other powers. Nevertheless, after a year of difficult negotiations with China, on April 8, 1902, Russia signed an agreement in Beijing, according to which the withdrawal of troops from Manchuria was to take place in three stages over 18 months. On October 8, 1902, the first phase of the evacuation of troops began in the southern part of Fengtian province, including in the ancient capital of the Qing dynasty, Mukden (modern Shenyang). But the second stage, scheduled for April 1903, did not take place, the Russian dignitaries could not agree among themselves. Petersburg did not keep its word.

"VINY NEGOTIATIONS"

In the summer of 1903, Russia and Japan entered the debate again, wanting to resolve their differences in East Asia. Moreover, the intractable Japanese Prime Minister Taro Katsura took the initiative. By this point, the Russian line had also tightened considerably, as the influence of Witte, the principled defender of peace in East Asia, had fallen sharply at court. The tsar called the hard line adopted in the spring of 1903 the "new course" 17. Its purpose was "to prevent the penetration of foreign influence into Manchuria in any form" 18. Russia will emphasize its decisiveness, he wrote to Alekseev, as it embarks on a military and economic presence in East Asia.

Tired of endless bickering among the ministers, Nikolai made two important decisions in the summer. On August 12, he appointed Admiral Alekseev as governor in the Far East, which actually made him the personal representative of the tsar in the Pacific region with full power here. And two weeks later, Nikolai removed Alekseev's main opponent, Sergei Witte, from the post of finance minister.

The rise of Alekseev caused a harsh reaction in Tokyo. Baron Roman Rosen, the Russian envoy, reported that in Japan the appearance of the governor of the Far East was perceived as an act of aggression. The Japanese were particularly offended by the fact that the appointment took place two weeks after their government proposed to start a new round of negotiations.

Throughout 1903 the Foreign Ministers European countries were bewildered, alarmed and often annoyed by the constant sharp turns of the tsarist policy, which exposed Russia to increasing international isolation. But a compromise was still possible even at this late stage. However, the king and his viceroy still did not take Japan seriously.

Nikolai, of course, did not consider the endless negotiations a worthy excuse to interrupt his long autumn trips abroad or hunting. And he believed that "there will be no war, because I do not want this" 24. As a result of fruitless, until the winter, negotiations, the Japanese cabinet finally came to the conclusion that a peaceful resolution of the conflict is impossible. On February 6, 1904, Foreign Minister Komura summoned Baron Rosen to announce that the government had lost patience in all these "futile negotiations." Therefore, it decided to end them and break off diplomatic relations with Russia 25.

Upon returning to his residence, the Russian envoy learned from the naval attaché that earlier that day, at 6 am local time, two Japanese squadrons weighed anchor for unknown reasons. Shortly after midnight on February 8, 1904, torpedoes from Japanese destroyers hit three Russian ships in the roadstead of Port Arthur. Two empires went to war ...

CONCLUSION

The Russo-Japanese War is often viewed as a classic imperialist conflict. This is only partly true. Although expansionist goals led St. Petersburg and Tokyo to disagreements over Northeast Asia, this rivalry is not unique in an age of aggressive colonial wars. Over the decades that have passed since the 1880s. and before the outbreak of the First World War, in Asia and Africa there were repeated clashes between the great states of Europe. However, none of them escalated into open warfare. Disagreements were invariably resolved by "imperialist diplomacy," 27 a tool for getting out of the colonial disputes that were gaining momentum at the end of the 19th century.

An unwritten code defined the relationship between the great powers of Europe. Although there were no strictly fixed rules here, they were fairly clear-cut. Based on tough calculation and a sense of fair play, imperialist diplomacy has been effective. Crucial to its success was the understanding by the great powers that they all have legitimate interests outside Europe. And this line successfully saved countries from open struggle on other continents.

But imperialist diplomacy itself turned out to be not without flaws. Chief among these was the failure of states to recognize new developing non-European countries. Like an old-fashioned gentlemen's club, only European governments were granted membership. Thus, the tiny Belgian monarchy was considered a colonial power, while the ambitions of the United States or Japan were called into question. It was this inability of a member of this club - Russia - to take seriously the colonial aspirations of an outsider - Japan - that led to the outbreak of war in East Asia on February 8, 1904.

Tokyo saw how Petersburg tramples on his honor. And statesmen who do not properly respect the interests of other countries have put their own serious risks. And after more than a hundred years, this collision has not lost its relevance in international relations.

Translated by Evgenia Galimzyanova

Notes (edit)
1. This article is based on the chapter Russia s Relations with Japan before and after the War: An Episode in the Diplomacy of Imperialism from The Treaty of Portsmouth and its Legacies. Steven Ericson and Alan Hockley, eds. Hanover, NH, 2008. P. 11-23, as well as in my monograph: Schimmelpenninck van der Oye D. Toward the Rising Sun: Russian Ideologies of Empire and the Path to War with Japan. DeKalb, 2001.
2. Honor Among Nations: Intangible Interests and Foreign Policy. Elliot Abrams, ed. Washington, DC, 1998; Tsygankov A.P. Russia and the West from Alexander to Putin: Honor in International Relations. Cambridge, 2012. P. 13-27.
3. Wohlforth W. Honor as Interest in Russian Decisions for War 1600-1995 // Honor Among Nations ...
4. Witte to Nicholas II, memorandum, August 11, 1900 // RGIA. F. 560. Op. 28.D. 218.L. 71.
5. Collection of treaties between Russia and other states in 1856-1917. M., 1952.S. 292-294.
6. Nish I. The Origins of the Russo-Japanese War. London, 1985. P. 45.
7. Rosen R.R. Forty Years of Diplomacy. Vol. 1. London, 1922. P. 159.
8. A.P. Izvolsky L.P. Urusov. Letter dated March 9, 1901 // Bakhmetyevsky Archives. Box 1.
9.V.N. Lamsdorf S.Yu. Witte, A.N. Kuropatkin and P.P. Tyrtov. Letter dated May 22, 1901 // GARF. F. 568. Op. 1.D. 175.L. 2-3.
10. Okamoto S. The Japanese Oligarchy and the Russo-Japanese War. N.Y. 1970. P. 24-31.
11. V.N. Lamsdorf, reports 20.11.1901 // GARF. F. 568. Op. 1.D. 62.L. 43-45; V.N. Lamsdorf to Nicholas II, memorandum, 11/22/1901 // Red Archive (M.-L.). 1934. T. 63, pp. 44-45; V.N. Lamsdorf A.P. Izvolsky, telegram, 11/22/1901 // Ibid. S. 47-48.
12. Nish I. The Anglo-Japanese Alliance: The Diplomacy of Two Island Empires 1894-1907. L. 1966. P. 143-228.
13. V.N. Lamsdorf A.N. Kuropatkin. Letter dated March 31, 1900 // RGVIA. F. 165. Op. 1.D. 759.L. 1-2. See also: A.N. V.V. Kuropatkin Sakharov. Letter dated July 1, 1901 // Ibid. D. 702.Sheet 2.
14. Suvorin A. Small letters. New time. 1903.22 February. P. 3; Chinese Railway // New time. 1902.3 May. P. 2; Kravchenko N. From the Far East. // New time. 1902.22 October. P. 2.
15. For a good example of such opinions, see: I.P. Balashev to Nicholas II, memorandum, March 25, 1902 // GARF. F. 543. Op. 1.D. 180.L. 1-26.
16. Glinsky BB Prologue of the Russo-Japanese War: materials from the archive of Count S.Yu. Witte. Pg., 1916.S. 180-183.
17. Although Nikolai coined this term, B.A. Romanov popularized it among historians to describe the growing influence of Bezobrazov.
18. Romanov V.A. Russia in Manchuria. Ann Arbor, 1952, P. 284.
19. Ibidem.
20. Nicholas II E.I. Alekseev, telegram, September 10, 1903 // RGAVMF. F. 417. Op. 1.D. 2865.L. 31.
21. Nicholas II S.Yu. Witte, letter, August 16, 1903 // RGVIA. F. 1622. Op. 1.D. 34.L. 1.
22. Rosen R.R. Op. cit. Vol. 1.P. 219.
23. Gurko V.I. Facts and Features of the Past. Stanford, 1939. P. 281.
24. MacKenzie D. Imperial Dreams / Harsh Realities: Tsarist Russian Foreign Policy, 1815-1917. Fort Worth 1994. P. 145.
25. Nish I. The Origins ... P. 213.
26. Rosen R.R. Op. cit. Vol. 1.P. 231.
27. The phrase is taken from the title of William Langer's classic work on European diplomacy at the turn of the 20th century: Langer W.L. The Diplomacy of Imperialism. N.Y., 1956.

* Mikado is the oldest title of the secular supreme ruler of Japan.

(1904-1905) - the war between Russia and Japan, which was fought for control over Manchuria, Korea and the ports of Port Arthur and Dalny.

The most important object of the struggle for the final division of the world at the end of the 19th century was the economically backward and militarily weak China. It was to the Far East that the center of gravity of the foreign policy activity of Russian diplomacy was shifted from the mid-1890s. The tsarist government's keen interest in the affairs of this region was largely due to the appearance here by the end of the 19th century of a strong and very aggressive neighbor in the person of Japan, which had embarked on the path of expansion.

By the decision of the Japanese commander-in-chief, Marshal Iwao Oyama, the army of Maresuke Nogi began a siege of Port Arthur, while the 1st, 2nd and 4th armies, which landed at Dagushan, moved to Liaoyang from the southeast, south and southwest. In mid-June, Kuroki's army occupied the passes southeast of the city, and in July repelled a Russian counter-offensive. Yasukata Oku's army seized the port of Yingkou after the battle at Dashichao in July, cutting off the Manchu army's communications with Port Arthur by sea. In the second half of July, three Japanese armies united at Liaoyang; their total number amounted to more than 120 thousand against 152 thousand Russians. In the battle of Liaoyang on August 24 - September 3, 1904 (August 11-21 O.S.), both sides suffered huge losses: the Russians lost more than 16 thousand killed, and the Japanese - 24 thousand. The Japanese were unable to encircle the army of Alexei Kuropatkin, which in perfect order withdrew to Mukden, but they captured Liaoyang and the Yantai coal mines.

The retreat to Mukden meant for the defenders of Port Arthur the collapse of hopes of any effective assistance from the ground forces. 3rd japanese army captured Wolf Hills and began an intense shelling of the city and the inner raid. Despite this, several assaults undertaken by her in August were repulsed by the garrison under the command of Major General Roman Kondratenko; the besiegers lost 16 thousand killed. At the same time, the Japanese were successful at sea. An attempt by the Pacific Fleet to break through to Vladivostok at the end of July failed, Rear Admiral Vitgeft was killed. In August, the squadron of Vice Admiral Hikonojo Kamimura managed to overtake and defeat the cruising detachment of Rear Admiral Jessen.

By the beginning of October 1904, thanks to reinforcements, the number of the Manchu army reached 210 thousand, and the Japanese troops near Liaoyang - 170 thousand.

Fearing that in the event of the fall of Port Arthur, the forces of the Japanese would increase significantly due to the liberated 3rd army, Kuropatkin launched an offensive to the south at the end of September, but was defeated in the battle on the Shahe River, losing 46 thousand killed (the enemy - only 16 thousand) , and went on the defensive. The four-month "Shahey sitting" began.

In September-November, the defenders of Port Arthur repulsed three Japanese assaults, but the 3rd Japanese army managed to capture the High Mountain dominating Port Arthur. On January 2, 1905 (December 20, 1904 O.S.), the head of the Kwantung fortified region, Lieutenant General Anatoly Stessel, without exhausting all the possibilities for resistance, surrendered Port Arthur (in the spring of 1908, a military court sentenced him to death, commuted to ten years imprisonment).

The fall of Port Arthur sharply worsened the strategic position of the Russian troops and the command tried to turn the tide. However, the successfully launched offensive of the 2nd Manchurian Army on the village of Sandepu was not supported by other armies. After joining the main Japanese forces of the 3rd Army

Legs their number equaled the number of Russian troops. In February, Tamemoto Kuroki's army attacked the 1st Manchu Army southeast of Mukden, while Noga's army began to outflank the Russian right flank. Kuroka's army broke through the front of Nikolai Linevich's army. On March 10 (February 25, O.S.), 1905, the Japanese occupied Mukden. Having lost more than 90 thousand killed and captured, the Russian troops retreated in disarray north to Telin. The largest defeat at Mukden meant that the Russian command lost the campaign in Manchuria, although it managed to retain a significant part of the army.

Trying to achieve a turning point in the war, the Russian government sent the 2nd Pacific Squadron of Admiral Zinovy ​​Rozhdestvensky, created from a part of the Baltic Fleet, to the Far East, however, on May 27-28 (May 14-15, O.S.) in the Battle of Tsushima, the Japanese fleet destroyed the Russian squadron ... Only one cruiser and two destroyers reached Vladivostok. At the beginning of summer, the Japanese completely ousted the Russian troops from North Korea, and by July 8 (June 25, O.S.) they captured Sakhalin.

Despite the victories, Japan's forces were exhausted, and at the end of May, through the mediation of US President Theodore Roosevelt, she invited Russia to enter into peace negotiations. Russia, which found itself in a difficult internal political situation, responded with consent. On August 7 (July 25 O.S.), a diplomatic conference opened in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, USA, which ended on September 5 (August 23 O.S.) 1905 with the signing of the Portsmouth Peace Treaty. According to its terms, Russia ceded the southern part of Sakhalin to Japan, the rights to lease Port Arthur and the southern tip of the Liaodong Peninsula and the southern branch of the CER from Changchun station to Port Arthur, allowed its fishing fleet to fish off the coast of the Japan, Okhotsk and Bering seas, recognized Korea a zone of Japanese influence and gave up its political, military and trade advantages in Manchuria. At the same time, Russia was exempted from paying any indemnities.

Japan, which, as a result of victory, took the leading place among the powers of the Far East, until the end of World War II, celebrated the day of victory at Mukden as the Day of the Ground Forces, and the date of the victory at Tsushima as the Day of the Naval Forces.

The Russo-Japanese War was the first major war of the 20th century. Russia lost about 270 thousand people (including over 50 thousand killed), Japan - 270 thousand people (including over 86 thousand killed).

In the Russo-Japanese War, for the first time, machine guns, rapid-fire artillery, mortars, hand grenades, radiotelegraphs, searchlights, wire obstacles, including those under high voltage, naval mines and torpedoes, were used on a large scale.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources

RUSSIAN-JAPANESE WAR(1904-1905), the war between Russia and Japan for domination in North China (Manchuria) and Korea.

The cause of the war was the Russian expansion in Manchuria. In May 1896, Russia secured a concession from China for the construction and operation of the Chinese Eastern Railway (CER) from Harbin to Port Arthur, and in March 1898 - the lease of the southern part of the Liaodong Peninsula (Kwantong) and Port Arthur, which soon turned into its main naval base in the Far East. In 1900, taking advantage of the Yihetuan uprising in China, Russian troops occupied Manchuria. However, Russia's attempt to maintain its military presence there ran into opposition from Japan, Great Britain and the United States, which did not want to increase Russian influence in North China. In January 1902, Japan and Great Britain signed an alliance against Russia. In this situation, Russia was forced in March 1902 to conclude an agreement with China, undertaking an obligation to withdraw its troops from Manchuria within eighteen months, but delayed its execution in every possible way, which led to a sharp aggravation of its relations with Japan. In March 1903, Russia demanded that China provide guarantees that it would not lease any part of Manchu territory to another power without its consent; the Chinese government, backed by Japan and Britain, refused. In July 1903, Japan proposed to Russia a plan for dividing spheres of influence in North China, but subsequent negotiations were unsuccessful. January 23 (February 5) 1904 Japan severed diplomatic relations with Russia.

In the upcoming war, the Japanese command considered their main task to be the destruction of the Russian Pacific Fleet, the capture of Port Arthur and the defeat of the Russian army in Manchuria (the Manchurian army of General A.N. Kuropatkin). On the night of January 26-27 (February 8-9), 1904, without waiting for the declaration of war, Japanese destroyers suddenly attacked Pacific fleet on the roadstead of Port Arthur and disabled the best Russian battleships "Retvizan" and "Tsesarevich", as well as the cruiser "Pallada". On January 27 (February 9), Rear Admiral Uriu's squadron attacked the cruiser Varyag and the gunboat Koreets in the Korean port of Chemulpo; after a short but fierce battle, the Russian ships were flooded by their crews. On the same day, Russia declared war on Japan.

Admiral Togo blocked the Pacific Fleet in Port Arthur, the commander of which, Vice Admiral OV Stark, adhered to passive tactics. Vice-Admiral S.O. Makarov, who replaced him on February 24 (March 8), switched to active operations, organizing a number of successful sorties against the enemy fleet, but on March 31 (April 13) his flagship, the battleship Petropavlovsk, was blown up by a mine; S.O. Makarov died. The new commander, Rear Admiral V.K. Witgeft, abandoned offensive tactics. Taking advantage of the inactivity of the Russians, Togo tried on the night of 19 to 20 April (from 2 to 3 May) to destroy the Pacific Fleet with the help of fire ships, but failed. At the same time, the Vladivostok cruising squadron of Rear Admiral Jessen conducted several raids off the northern coast of Japan and disrupted its trade communications.

The Japanese launched active military operations on land. General Kuroki's 1st Japanese Army landed in Korea, captured its capital, Seoul, and moved towards the Sino-Korean border. On the night of April 17-18 (from April 30 to May 1), 1904, she crossed the Yalujiang border river and entered Manchuria, on April 18 (May 1) defeated the combined reserve corps of General M. I. Zasulich and on April 23 (May 6) occupied the city of Fynhuancheng. MI Zasulich took the corps to Liaoyang, where the main forces of the Russians were concentrated.

April 21-22 (May 4-5) in the east of the Liaodong Peninsula near the town of Biziwo, without encountering any resistance, the 2nd Japanese Army of General Oku landed. On May 13 (26), during a fierce six-day battle, she captured the fortifications of Jinzhou and blockaded Port Arthur from land. Capturing the commercial port of Dalniy and the Talien Bay, she ensured the landing of the 3rd Japanese army of General Noga, and on June 1–2 (14–15) at Wafangou repulsed an attempt by Lieutenant General AF Stackelberg's corps to break through to Port Arthur.

By decision of the Japanese commander-in-chief, Marshal I. Oyama, the Noga army began a siege of Port Arthur, while the 1st, 2nd and 4th armies, which landed at Dagushan, moved to Liaoyang from the southeast, south and southwest. On June 12-14 (25-27), Kuroki's army occupied the passes southeast of the city, and on July 4 (17) repulsed an attempt at a Russian counteroffensive. After the battle at Dashichao on July 11 (24), the Oku army captured the port of Yingkou, cutting off the communication of the Manchurian army with Port Arthur by sea. In the second half of July, three Japanese armies united at Liaoyang; their total number was more than 120 thousand against 152 thousand Russians. In the battle of Liaoyang on August 11-21 (August 24-September 3), both sides suffered huge losses: the Russians lost more than 16 thousand killed, and the Japanese - 24 thousand; the Japanese could not encircle the army of A.N. Kuropatkin, which in perfect order withdrew to Mukden, but they captured Liaoyang and the Yantai coal mines.

The retreat of the Russians to Mukden meant for the defenders of Port Arthur the collapse of hopes for any effective assistance from the ground forces. On July 17 (30), the 3rd Japanese Army captured the Wolf Hills and began an intensive shelling of the city and the internal raid. Nevertheless, several assaults undertaken by her on 1–12 (14–25) August were repulsed by the garrison under the command of Major General RI Kondratenko; the besiegers lost 16 thousand killed. At the same time, the Japanese were successful at sea. The attempt of the Pacific Fleet to break through to Vladivostok on July 28 (August 9) failed; Rear Admiral V.K. Witgeft was killed. On August 1 (14), the squadron of Vice Admiral Kamimura managed to overtake and defeat the cruising detachment of Rear Admiral Jessen.

By the beginning of October, thanks to reinforcements, the number of the Manchurian army reached 210 thousand, and the Japanese troops near Liaoyang - 170 thousand. launched an offensive to the south on September 22 (October 5), but was defeated in the battle on the Shakhe River on September 26 - October 6 (October 9-19), having lost 46 thousand killed (the enemy - only 16 thousand), and went on the defensive ... The four-month "Shahey sitting" began. At this time, the Manchu army was reorganized into three armies: 1st (N.P. Linevich), 2nd (O.-F.K. Grippenberg) and 3rd (A.V. Kaulbars) under the general command of A M. Kuropatkina.

In September-November, the defenders of Port Arthur repulsed three Japanese assaults. But on November 13-22 (November 26 - December 5), the 3rd Japanese Army captured the High Mountain dominating Port Arthur. On December 2 (15), R.I. Kondratenko, the soul of the city's defense, was killed. On December 15 (28), the Japanese took the Erlungshan fort and became the masters of the entire northeastern front of the fortress. On December 20 (January 2, 1905), the head of the Kwantung fortified region, Lieutenant General A.M. Stessel, without exhausting all the possibilities for resistance, surrendered Port Arthur (in the spring of 1908, a military court sentenced him to death, commuted to a ten-year imprisonment).

The fall of Port Arthur sharply worsened the strategic position of the Russians; the command tried to turn the tide and take the initiative into their own hands. However, the offensive of the 2nd Manchurian Army on the village of Sandepu, successfully launched on January 12 (25), 1905, was not supported by other armies, and on January 16 (29) it was stopped. After the 3rd Army of Noga joined the main forces of the Japanese, their number was equal to the number of Russian troops. On February 5 (18), they launched an offensive on the left flank of the Russians. On February 11 (24), Kuroki's army attacked the 1st Manchu army southeast of Mukden, and on February 13 (26), Noga's army began to bypass the Russian right flank. A.V. Kaulbars's counterattacks on February 20-21 (March 5-6) were unsuccessful. February 24 (March 9) Kuroki broke through the front of the army of N.P. Linevich. Having lost more than 90 thousand killed and captured, the Russian troops retreated in disarray north to Telin. The largest defeat at Mukden meant that the Russian command lost the campaign in Manchuria, although it managed to retain a significant part of the army. On March 2 (15), A.N. Kuropatkin was replaced by N.P. Linevich, who fortified at Sypingai.

Last chance Russian government to achieve a turning point in the war by sending the 2nd Pacific Squadron of Admiral Z.P. Rozhestvensky, created from a part of the Baltic Fleet to the Far East (on April 30 (13 May) 1905, the 3rd Pacific Squadron of Rear Admiral N.I. Nebogatov joined), was lost after its crushing defeat on May 14-15 (27-28) near Tsushima Island in the Korea Strait; only one cruiser and two destroyers reached Vladivostok. At the beginning of the summer, the Japanese completely ousted the Russian detachments from North Korea, and by June 25 (July 8) they captured Sakhalin.

Despite the victories, Japan's forces were exhausted, and at the end of May, through the mediation of US President T. Roosevelt, she invited Russia to enter into peace negotiations. Russia, which found itself in a difficult internal political situation, responded with consent. On July 25 (August 7), a diplomatic conference opened in Portsmouth (New Hampshire, USA), which ended on August 23 (September 5) with the signing of the Portsmouth Peace Treaty. According to its terms, Russia ceded the southern part of Sakhalin to Japan, the rights to lease Port Arthur and the southern tip of the Liaodong Peninsula and the southern branch of the CER from Changchun station to Port Arthur, allowed its fishing fleet to fish off the coast of the Japan, Okhotsk and Bering seas , recognized Korea as a zone of Japanese influence and renounced its political, military and trade advantages in Manchuria; at the same time she was exempted from paying any indemnity; the belligerents pledged to withdraw their troops from Manchuria.

As a result of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, Japan became the leading power in the Far East. Russia's foreign policy positions were seriously undermined. Defeat also exposed her vices military organization(technical backwardness of the fleet, weakness of the highest command staff, deficiencies in the management and supply system) and contributed to the deepening of the crisis of the monarchical system.

Ivan Krivushin

One of the largest confrontations is the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. The reasons for it will be discussed in the article. As a result of the conflict, the guns of battleships, long-range artillery, and destroyers were used.

The essence of this war was which of the two belligerent empires would dominate the Far East. The Emperor of Russia Nicholas II considered it his primary task to strengthen the influence of his state in East Asia. At the same time, Emperor Meiji of Japan sought to gain complete control over Korea. The war became inevitable.

Preconditions for the conflict

It is clear that the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 (the reasons are related to the Far East) did not start immediately. She had her own prerequisites.

Russia has advanced in Central Asia to the border with Afghanistan and Persia, which affected the interests of Great Britain. Unable to expand in this direction, the empire switched to the East. There was China, which, due to complete exhaustion in the opium wars, was forced to transfer part of its territory to Russia. So she got control of Primorye (the territory of modern Vladivostok), the Kuril Islands, partly the island of Sakhalin. To connect distant borders, the Trans-Siberian Railway was created, which, along the railway line, provided communication between Chelyabinsk and Vladivostok. In addition to the railroad, Russia planned to trade on the ice-free Yellow Sea via Port Arthur.

In Japan, at the same time, its own transformations were taking place. Having come to power, Emperor Meiji stopped the policy of self-isolation and began to modernize the state. All of his reforms were so successful that a quarter of a century after their beginning, the empire was able to seriously think about military expansion to other states. Its first targets were China and Korea. Japan's victory over China allowed her to get the rights to Korea, the island of Taiwan and other lands in 1895.

A conflict was brewing between the two powerful empires for domination in East Asia. The result was the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. The causes of the conflict should be considered in more detail.

The main reasons for the war

It was extremely important for both powers to show their military achievements, so the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 unfolded. The reasons for this confrontation lie not only in the claims to the territory of China, but also in the internal political situations, which by that time had developed in both empires. A successful campaign in the war not only gives the winner economic benefits, but also increases its status on the world stage and silences the opponents of the existing power in it. What did both states count on in this conflict? What were the main reasons Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905? The table below reveals the answers to these questions.

Precisely because both powers sought an armed solution to the conflict, all diplomatic negotiations did not bring results.

The balance of forces on land

The reasons for the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 were both economic and political. The 23rd artillery brigade was sent to the Eastern Front from Russia. As for the numerical superiority of the armies, the leadership belonged to Russia. However, in the East, the army was limited to 150 thousand people. Moreover, they were scattered over a vast territory.

  • Vladivostok - 45,000 people
  • Manchuria - 28,000 people
  • Port Arthur - 22,000 people
  • Protection of the CER - 35,000 people.
  • Artillery, engineering troops - up to 8000 people.

The biggest challenge Russian army there was remoteness from the European part. Communication was carried out by telegraph, and delivery - by the CER line. However, a limited amount of goods could be delivered by rail. In addition, the leadership did not have accurate maps of the area, which negatively affected the course of the war.

Japan before the war had an army of 375 thousand people. They studied the area well, had fairly accurate maps. The army was modernized by British specialists, and the soldiers are loyal to their emperor to death.

The balance of forces on the water

In addition to land, battles took place on the water Admiral Heihachiro Togo was in charge of the Japanese fleet. His task was to block the enemy squadron near Port Arthur. In the other sea (Japanese), the squadron of the Land of the Rising Sun opposed the Vladivostok group of cruisers.

Understanding the reasons for the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, the Meiji state prepared thoroughly for battles on the water. The most important ships of its United Fleet were produced in England, France, Germany and significantly outnumbered Russian ships.

The main events of the war

When in February 1904 Japanese forces began to cross over to Korea, the Russian command did not attach any importance to this, although they understood the reasons for the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905.

Briefly about the main events.

  • 09.02.1904. Historical battle of the cruiser "Varyag" against the Japanese squadron near Chemulpo.
  • 27.02.1904. The Japanese fleet attacked the Russian Port Arthur without declaring war. The Japanese used torpedoes for the first time and disabled 90% of the Pacific Fleet.
  • April 1904. The clash of armies on land, which showed Russia's unpreparedness for war (inconsistency of form, lack of military cards, inability to fence). Due to the fact that the Russian officers had white jackets, the Japanese soldiers easily figured out and killed them.
  • May 1904. The capture of the port of Dalniy by the Japanese.
  • August 1904. Successful Russian defense of Port Arthur.
  • January 1905. Surrender of Port Arthur Stoessel.
  • May 1905. The naval battle at Tsushima destroyed the Russian squadron (one ship returned to Vladivostok), while not a single Japanese ship was damaged.
  • July 1905. Japanese invasion of Sakhalin.

The Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, the reasons for which were of an economic nature, led to the exhaustion of both powers. Japan began to look for ways to resolve the conflict. She resorted to the help of Great Britain and the United States.

Battle of Chemulpo

The famous battle took place on 02/09/1904 off the coast of Korea (the city of Chemulpo). Captain Vsevolod Rudnev commanded two Russian ships. These were the cruiser Varyag and the boat Koreets. The Japanese squadron under the command of Sotokichi Uriu consisted of 2 battleships, 4 cruisers, 8 destroyers. They blocked the Russian ships and forced them to join the battle.

In the morning, in clear weather, the Varyag with the Korean weighed anchor and tried to leave the bay. In honor of leaving the port, music played for them, but after only five minutes an alarm was sounded on the deck. The battle flag was raised.

The Japanese did not expect such actions and hoped to destroy the Russian ships in the port. The enemy squadron in a hurry raised anchors, battle flags and began to prepare for battle. The battle began with a shot from the Asama. Then there was a battle with the use of armor-piercing and high-explosive shells on both sides.

In unequal forces, the Varyag was badly damaged, and Rudnev decided to turn back to the anchorage. There, the Japanese could not continue shelling because of the danger of damaging the ships of other states.

Having lowered the anchor, the Varyag crew began to investigate the state of the ship. Rudnev, meanwhile, went for permission to destroy the cruiser and transfer his team to neutral ships. Not all officers supported Rudnev's decision, but the team was evacuated two hours later. They decided to sink the "Varyag" by opening its sluices. The bodies of the dead sailors were left on the cruiser.

It was decided to blow up the boat "Koreets", having evacuated the crew beforehand. All things were left on the ship, and secret documents were burned.

The sailors were received by French, English and Italian ships. After carrying out all the necessary procedures, they were delivered to Odessa and Sevastopol, from where they were disbanded by the fleet. By agreement, they could not continue to participate in the Russian-Japanese conflict, so they were not allowed on the Pacific Fleet.

Results of the war

Japan agreed to sign the peace treaty with the complete surrender of Russia, in which the revolution had already begun. According to the Portsmoon Peace Treaty (23.08.1905), Russia was obliged to fulfill the following points:

  1. Renounce claims to Manchuria.
  2. Refuse in favor of Japan from Kuril Islands and half of Sakhalin Island.
  3. Recognize Japan's right to Korea.
  4. Transfer to Japan the right to lease Port Arthur.
  5. Pay an indemnity to Japan for "keeping prisoners."

In addition, defeat in the war had negative economic consequences for Russia. Some industries stagnated as foreign bank lending curtailed. Life in the country has risen significantly. The industrialists insisted on an early conclusion of peace.

Even those countries that initially supported Japan (Great Britain and the United States) realized how difficult the situation in Russia is. The war had to be stopped in order to direct all forces to the fight against the revolution, which the world states were equally feared.

Mass movements began among workers and military personnel. A striking example is the uprising on the battleship Potemkin.

The reasons and results of the Russian-Japanese war of 1904-1905 are clear. It remains to find out what the losses were in human terms. Russia lost 270 thousand, of which 50 thousand were killed. Japan lost the same number of soldiers, but more than 80 thousand were killed.

Value judgments

The Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, the reasons for which were of an economic and political nature, showed serious problems inside the Russian Empire. The war also wrote about this and revealed the problems in the army, its weapons, command, as well as blunders in diplomacy.

Japan was not entirely happy with the outcome of the negotiations. The state has lost too much in the fight against the European adversary. She hoped to get more territory, but the United States did not support her in this. Discontent began to mature within the country, and Japan continued on the path of militarization.

The Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, the reasons for which were considered, brought many military tricks:

  • use of spotlights;
  • the use of wire barriers under high voltage current;
  • field kitchen;
  • radiotelegraph for the first time made it possible to control ships from a distance;
  • switching to fuel oil, which does not produce smoke and makes ships less visible;
  • the emergence of minelaying ships, which began to be produced with the proliferation of mine weapons;
  • flamethrowers.

One of the heroic battles of the war with Japan is the battle of the cruiser "Varyag" at Chemulpo (1904). Together with the ship "Koreets" they opposed a whole squadron of the enemy. The battle was deliberately lost, but the sailors made an attempt to break through. It turned out to be unsuccessful, and in order not to surrender, the crew led by Rudnev sank their ship. For their courage and heroism, they were awarded the praise of Nicholas II. The Japanese were so impressed by the character and stamina of Rudnev and his sailors that in 1907 they awarded him the Order of the Rising Sun. The captain of the sunken cruiser accepted the award, but never wore it.

There is a version according to which Stoessel handed over Port Arthur to the Japanese for a fee. It is no longer possible to verify whether this version is correct. Anyway, because of his act, the campaign was doomed to failure. For this, the general was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in the fortress, but he was pardoned a year after his imprisonment. He was stripped of all titles and awards, while leaving his pension.

The more a person is able to respond to the historical and universal, the broader his nature, the richer his life and the more capable such a person is for progress and development.

F. M. Dostoevsky

The Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, which we will briefly talk about today, is one of the most important pages in the history of the Russian Empire. In the war, Russia was defeated, demonstrating a military lag behind the world's leading countries. Another important event of the war - as a result, the Entente was finally formed, and the world began, slowly but steadily, to slide towards the First World War.

Preconditions for the war

In 1894-1895, Japan defeated China, as a result of which Japan had to cross the Liaodong (Kwantung) Peninsula along with Port Arthur and the island of Farmoza (the current name of Taiwan). Germany, France and Russia intervened in the negotiations and insisted that the Liaodong Peninsula remain in China's use.

In 1896, the government of Nicholas II signed a friendship treaty with China. As a result, China allows Russia to build a railroad to Vladivostok via Northern Manchuria (Chinese Eastern Railroad).

In 1898, Russia, within the framework of a friendship agreement with China, leases the Liaodong Peninsula from the latter for 25 years. This move drew sharp criticism from Japan, which also claimed these lands. But this did not lead to serious consequences at that time. In 1902 tsarist army enters and Manchuria. Formally, Japan was ready to recognize this territory for Russia if the latter recognized Japan's domination in Korea. But the Russian government made a mistake. They did not take Japan seriously, and did not even think to enter into negotiations with it.

Causes and nature of the war

The reasons for the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 are as follows:

  • Lease by Russia of the Liaodong Peninsula and Port Arthur.
  • Economic expansion of Russia in Manchuria.
  • Distribution of spheres of influence in China and Korea.

The nature of hostilities can be defined as follows

  • Russia planned to conduct defense and pull up reserves. The transfer of troops was planned to be completed in August 1904, after which it was planned to go on the offensive, right up to the landing of troops in Japan.
  • Japan was planning to wage an offensive war. The first strike was planned at sea with the destruction of the Russian fleet, so that nothing would interfere with the transfer of the landing. The plans were to seize Manchuria, Ussuriysk and Primorskii Territories.

The balance of forces at the beginning of the war

Japan in the war could deploy about 175 thousand people (another 100 thousand in reserve) and 1,140 field guns. The Russian army consisted of 1 million people and 3.5 million in reserve (reserve). But in the Far East, Russia had 100 thousand people and 148 field guns. Also at the disposal of the Russian army were border guards, of whom there were 24 thousand people with 26 guns. The problem was that these forces, inferior in number to the Japanese, were very scattered geographically: from Chita to Vladivostok and from Blagoveshchensk to Port Arthur. In 1904-1905, Russia carried out 9 mobilizations, calling for military service about 1 million people.

The Russian fleet consisted of 69 warships. 55 of these ships were in Port Arthur, which was very poorly fortified. To demonstrate that Port Arthur was not completed and was ready for war, it is enough to give the following figures. The fortress was supposed to have 542 guns, but in fact there were only 375, but of these, only 108 guns were usable. That is, the gun supply of Port Arthur at the time of the beginning of the war was 20%!

It is obvious that the Russo-Japanese War of 1904 - 1905 began with a clear superiority of Japan on land and at sea.

The course of hostilities


War Map


rice. 1 - Map of the Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905

Events of 1904

In January 1904, Japan severed diplomatic relations with Russia and on January 27, 1904, attacked warships near Port Arthur. This was the beginning of the war.

Russia began to transfer the army to the Far East, but this happened very slowly. A distance of 8 thousand kilometers and an unfinished section of the Siberian railway - all this prevented the transfer of the army. The capacity of the road was 3 echelons per day, which is extremely small.

On January 27, 1904, Japan attacked Russian ships in Port Arthur. At the same time, in the Korean port of Chemulpo, an attack was launched on the cruiser "Varyag" and the escort boat "Koreets". After an unequal battle, the "Korean" was blown up, and the "Varyag" was flooded by the Russian sailors themselves, so that the enemy would not get it. After that, the strategic initiative at sea passed to Japan. The situation at sea worsened after the battleship "Petropavlovsk", on board of which was the commander of the fleet, S. Makarov, was blown up by a Japanese mine on March 31. In addition to the commander, his entire headquarters, 29 officers and 652 sailors were killed.

In February 1904, Japan landed an army of 60,000 in Korea, which moved to the Yalu River (the river divided Korea and Manchuria). There were no significant battles at that time, and in mid-April the Japanese army crossed the border of Manchuria.

Fall of Port Arthur

In May, the second Japanese army (50 thousand people) landed on the Liaodong Peninsula and headed for Port Arthur, creating a bridgehead for the offensive. By this time, the Russian army had partially managed to complete the transfer of troops and its number was 160 thousand people. One of major events wars - the battle of Liaoyang in August 1904. This battle still raises many questions among historians. The fact is that in this battle (and it was almost general) the Japanese army was defeated. And so much so that the command of the Japanese army declared the impossibility of continuing the conduct of hostilities. The Russo-Japanese war could have ended there, if the Russian army went over to the offensive. But the commander, Kuropatkin, gives an absolutely absurd order to retreat. During further developments war in the Russian army there will be several opportunities to inflict a decisive defeat on the enemy, but each time Kuropatkin either gave absurd orders or hesitated in action, giving the enemy the right time.

After the battle of Liaoyang, the Russian army retreated to the Shahe River, where in September a new battle took place, which did not reveal a winner. After that, there was a lull, and the war passed into a positional phase. In December, General R.I. Kondratenko, who commanded the land defense of the Port Arthur fortress. The new commander of the troops A.M. Stoessel, despite the categorical refusal of the soldiers and sailors, decided to surrender the fortress. On December 20, 1904, Stoessel surrendered Port Arthur to the Japanese. On this, the Russo-Japanese War in 1904 passed into a passive phase, continuing active operations already in 1905.

Later, under public pressure, General Stoessel was brought to trial and sentenced to death. The verdict was not carried out. Nicholas 2 pardoned the general.

Historical reference

Port Arthur Defense Map


rice. 2 - Port Arthur Defense Map

Events of 1905

The Russian command demanded active actions from Kuropatkin. It was decided to start the offensive in February. But the Japanese preempted him by going over to the offensive on Mukden (Shenyang) on ​​February 5, 1905. The largest battle of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 lasted from 6 to 25 February. From the Russian side, 280 thousand people took part in it, from the Japanese side - 270 thousand people. There are many interpretations of the Mukden battle in terms of who won it. In fact, there was a draw. The Russian army lost 90 thousand soldiers, the Japanese - 70 thousand. Lesser losses on the part of Japan is a frequent argument in favor of its victory, but this battle did not give the Japanese army any advantage or gain. Moreover, the losses were so severe that Japan made no further attempts to organize major land battles until the end of the war.

Much more important is the fact that the population of Japan is much smaller than the population of Russia, and after Mukden, the island country has exhausted its human resources. Russia could and should have gone on the offensive in order to win, but 2 factors played against this:

  • Kuropatkin factor
  • Factor of the 1905 Revolution

On May 14-15, 1905, the Tsushima naval battle took place, in which the Russian squadrons were defeated. The losses of the Russian army amounted to 19 ships and 10 thousand killed and captured.

Kuropatkin factor

Kuropatkin, commanding ground forces During the entire Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, he did not use a single chance for a favorable offensive to inflict great damage on the enemy. There were several such chances, and we talked about them above. Why did the Russian general and commander refuse to take active actions and did not strive to end the war? After all, if he gave the order to attack after Liaoyang, the Japanese army would most likely cease to exist.

It is, of course, impossible to answer this question directly, but a number of historians put forward the following opinion (I quote it for the reason that it is reasoned and very similar to the truth). Kuropatkin was closely associated with Witte, who, let me remind you, by the time of the war was removed from the post of prime minister by Nicholas II. Kuropatkin's plan was to create conditions under which the tsar would return Witte. The latter was considered an excellent negotiator, so it was necessary to bring the war with Japan to such a stage when the parties would sit down at the negotiating table. For this, the war could not be ended with the help of the army (the defeat of Japan is a direct surrender without any negotiations). Therefore, the commander did everything to bring the war to a draw. He successfully coped with this task, and indeed Nicholas II called on Witte by the end of the war.

The factor of the revolution

There are many sources pointing to Japanese funding for the 1905 revolution. Real facts transferring money, of course. No. But there are 2 facts that I find extremely curious:

  • The peak of the revolution and the movement fell on the Battle of Tsushima. Nicholas II needed an army to fight the revolution and he decided to start negotiations for peace with Japan.
  • Immediately after the signing of the Portsmouth Peace Treaty, the revolution in Russia began to decline.

Reasons for Russia's defeat

Why was Russia defeated in the war with Japan? The reasons for Russia's defeat in the Russo-Japanese War are as follows:

  • Weakness of the grouping of Russian troops in the Far East.
  • The unfinished Transsib, which did not allow the transfer of troops in full.
  • Errors of the army command. I already wrote about the Kuropatkin factor above.
  • Superiority of Japan in military-technical equipment.

The last point is extremely important. He is often forgotten, but undeservedly. In terms of technical equipment primarily in the navy, Japan was far ahead of Russia.

Portsmouth world

To conclude peace between the countries, Japan demanded that Theodore Roosevelt, the President of the United States, act as a mediator. Negotiations began and the Russian delegation was headed by Witte. Nicholas 2 returned him to his post and entrusted the negotiations, knowing the talents of this person. And Witte really took a very tough stance, preventing Japan from gaining significant gains from the war.

The terms of the Portsmouth Peace were as follows:

  • Russia recognized Japan's right to rule in Korea.
  • Russia ceded part of the territory of Sakhalin Island (the Japanese wanted to get the whole island, but Witte was against it).
  • Russia handed over the Kwantung Peninsula to Japan along with Port Arthur.
  • No one paid indemnities to anyone, but Russia had to pay a reward to the enemy for the maintenance of Russian prisoners of war.

The aftermath of the war

During the war, Russia and Japan lost about 300 thousand people each, but in view of the size of the population for Japan, these were almost catastrophic losses. The losses were due to the fact that it was the first major war, during which automatic weapons were used. At sea, there was a large slope towards the use of mines.

An important fact, which many bypass, it was after the Russo-Japanese war that the Entente (Russia, France and England) were finally formed and Triple Alliance(Germany, Italy and Austria-Hungary). The fact of the formation of the Entente is noteworthy. Before the war, there was an alliance in Europe between Russia and France. The latter did not want to expand it. But the events of the war of Russia against Japan showed that the Russian army had many problems (it really was so), so France signed agreements with England.


Positions of world powers during the war

During the Russo-Japanese War, the world powers held the following positions:

  • England and the USA. Traditionally, the interests of these countries were extremely similar. They supported Japan, but mostly financially. Approximately 40% of Japan's war costs were covered by Anglo-Saxon money.
  • France declared neutrality. Although in fact it had an allied agreement with Russia, it did not fulfill its allied obligations.
  • Germany from the first days of the war declared its neutrality.

The Russo-Japanese War was practically not analyzed by the tsarist historians, since they simply did not have enough time. After the end of the war Russian empire existed for almost 12 years, which included the revolution, economic problems and world war. Therefore, the main study took place already in Soviet times. But it is important to understand that for Soviet historians it was a war against the backdrop of a revolution. That is, "the tsarist regime was striving for aggression, and the people did their best to prevent this." That is why it is written in Soviet textbooks that, for example, the Liaoyang operation ended in the defeat of Russia. Although formally it was a draw.

The end of the war is also seen as a complete defeat of the Russian army on land and in the navy. If at sea the situation was really close to defeat, then on land Japan stood on the edge of an abyss, since they no longer had the manpower resources to continue the war. I propose to look at this question even more broadly. How did the wars of that era end after an unconditional defeat (and this is what Soviet historians often talked about) of one of the parties? Large indemnities, large territorial concessions, partial economic and political dependence of the loser on the winner. But there is nothing like this in the Portsmouth world. Russia did not pay anything, lost only the southern part of Sakhalin (an insignificant territory) and abandoned the land leased from China. The argument is often made that Japan won the struggle for dominance in Korea. But Russia has never seriously fought for this territory. She was only interested in Manchuria. And if we return to the origins of the war, we will see that the Japanese government would never have started a war if Nicholas II had recognized Japan's domination in Korea, just as the Japanese government would have recognized Russia's position in Manchuria. Therefore, at the end of the war, Russia did what it should have done back in 1903, without bringing the matter to war. But this is a question for the personality of Nicholas II, who today is extremely fashionable to call a martyr and hero of Russia, but it was his actions that provoked the war.