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War with the Japanese Empire 1904 1905. Russo-Japanese War

The Russo-Japanese War began on January 26 (or, according to the new style, February 8) 1904. The Japanese fleet unexpectedly, before the official declaration of war, attacked ships located in the outer roadstead of Port Arthur. As a result of this attack, the most powerful ships of the Russian squadron were disabled. The declaration of war took place only on February 10.

The most important reason for the Russian- Japanese war was Russia's expansion to the east. However, the immediate cause was the annexation of the Liaodong Peninsula, previously captured by Japan. This provoked military reform and the militarization of Japan.

The reaction of Russian society to the beginning of the Russo-Japanese War can be briefly said as follows: Japan’s actions outraged Russian society. The world community reacted differently. England and the USA took a pro-Japanese position. And the tone of press reports was clearly anti-Russian. France, an ally of Russia at that time, declared neutrality - it needed an alliance with Russia in order to prevent the strengthening of Germany. But already on April 12, France concluded an agreement with England, which caused a cooling of Russian-French relations. Germany declared friendly neutrality towards Russia.

Despite active actions at the beginning of the war, the Japanese failed to capture Port Arthur. But already on August 6 they made another attempt. A 45-strong army under the command of Oyama was sent to storm the fortress. Having encountered strong resistance and having lost more than half of the soldiers, the Japanese were forced to retreat on August 11. The fortress was surrendered only after the death of General Kondratenko on December 2, 1904. Despite the fact that Port Arthur could have held out for at least 2 more months, Stessel and Reis signed the act of surrendering the fortress, as a result of which the Russian fleet was destroyed, and 32 thousand. people were captured.

The most significant events of 1905 were:

  • The Battle of Mukden (February 5 - 24), which remained the largest land battle in human history until the outbreak of the First World War. It ended with the withdrawal of the Russian army, which lost 59 thousand killed. Japanese losses amounted to 80 thousand.
  • Battle of Tsushima (May 27 - 28), in which Japanese fleet, outnumbering the Russian 6 times, almost completely destroyed the Russian Baltic squadron.

The course of the war was clearly in Japan's favor. However, its economy was depleted by the war. This forced Japan to enter into peace negotiations. In Portsmouth, on August 9, participants in the Russo-Japanese War began a peace conference. It should be noted that these negotiations were a serious success for the Russian diplomatic delegation, headed by Witte. The concluded peace treaty sparked protests in Tokyo. But, nevertheless, the consequences of the Russian-Japanese War were very noticeable for the country. During the conflict, the Russian Pacific Fleet was practically destroyed. The war claimed more than 100 thousand lives of soldiers who heroically defended their country. Russia's expansion to the East was stopped. Also, the defeat showed the weakness of the tsarist policy, which to a certain extent contributed to the increase revolutionary sentiments and ultimately led to the revolution of 1905 - 1907. Among the reasons for Russia's defeat in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904 - 1905. the most important are the following:

  • diplomatic isolation of the Russian Empire;
  • the unpreparedness of the Russian army for combat operations in difficult conditions;
  • outright betrayal of the interests of the fatherland or the mediocrity of many tsarist generals;
  • Japan's serious superiority in the military and economic spheres.

Russo-Japanese War 1904 - 1905 Russo-Japanese War 1904‒1905, arose in the context of the intensified struggle of the imperialist powers for the division of semi-feudal China and Korea; was of an aggressive, unjust, imperialistic nature on both sides. In the unfolding rivalry between powers in the Far East, capitalist Japan played a particularly active role, striving to seize Korea and Northeast China (Manchuria). Having won a victory over China in Sino-Japanese War 1894‒1895, Japan by Treaty of Shimonoseki 1895 received the islands of Taiwan (Formosa), Penhuledao (Pescadores) and the Liaodong Peninsula, but under pressure from Russia, supported by France and Germany, it was forced to abandon the latter, after which a deterioration in Russian-Japanese relations began. In 1896, Russia received a concession from the Chinese government to build a railway through Manchuria, and in 1898 it leased the Kwantung Peninsula with Port Arthur from China ( Lushunem) with the right to create a naval base on it. During the suppression Yihetuan Uprising In China, tsarist troops occupied Manchuria in 1900. Japan began vigorous preparations for war with Russia, concluding in 1902 Anglo-Japanese alliance. The tsarist government, whose aggressive policy in the Far East was directed by adventurism "Bezobrazov clique", counted on an easy victory in the war with Japan, which would make it possible to overcome the worsening revolutionary crisis.

Economically and militarily, Japan was significantly weaker than Russia, but the remoteness of the Far Eastern theater of military operations from the center of Russia reduced the military capabilities of the latter. After mobilization, the Japanese army consisted of 13 infantry divisions and 13 reserve brigades (over 375 thousand people and 1140 field guns); In total, during the war the Japanese government mobilized about 1.2 million people. The Japanese Navy had 6 new and 1 old battleship, 8 armored cruisers (2 of them, built abroad, arrived after the start of the war), 17 light cruisers (including 3 old ones), 19 destroyers, 28 destroyers (only in composition of the so-called United Fleet), 11 gunboats etc.

Russia was not ready for war in the Far East. Having a personnel army of 1.1 million people. and a reserve of 3.5 million people, it had here by January 1904 only about 98 thousand people, 148 guns and 8 machine guns; The border guard numbered 24 thousand people. and 26 guns. These forces were scattered over a vast territory from Chita to Vladivostok and from Blagoveshchensk to Port Arthur. Capacity of the Siberian railway the highway was very low (initially only 3 pairs of military echelons per day). During the war, about 1.2 million people were sent to Manchuria. (most in 1905). The Russian Navy in the Far East had 7 battleships, 4 armored cruisers, 10 light cruisers (including 3 old ones), 2 mine cruisers, 3 destroyers (1 of them entered service after the start of the war), 7 gunboats: most of the ships were based at Port Arthur, 4 cruisers (including 3 armored ) and 10 destroyers - to Vladivostok. The defensive structures of Port Arthur (especially the land ones) were not completed. Carrying out an adventurist policy that was not backed by forces and means, the tsarist government considered Japan a weak adversary and allowed itself to be taken by surprise.

The Russian command assumed that the Japanese army would not be able to launch an offensive on land soon. Therefore, the troops in the Far East were tasked with holding back the enemy until large forces arrived from the center of Russia (in the 7th month of the war), then going on the offensive, throwing Japanese troops into the sea and landing troops in Japan. The fleet was supposed to fight for supremacy at sea and prevent the landing of Japanese troops.

From the beginning of the war until August 1904, active operations on the enemy’s sea communications were carried out by a Vladivostok detachment of cruisers, which destroyed 15 ships, including 4 military transports, and heroically fought with superior Japanese forces on August 1 (14) in a battle in Korea Strait. The last stage of R.-I. V. appeared Battle of Tsushima 1905. Russian 2nd and 3rd Pacific squadrons under the command of Vice Admiral Z.P. Rozhdestvensky made an 18,000-mile journey (32.5 thousand km) from the Baltic Sea around Africa and on May 14 (27) approached the Tsushima Strait, where they entered into battle with the main forces of the Japanese fleet. In a two-day naval battle the Russian squadron was completely defeated, which meant “... not only a military defeat, but a complete military collapse of the autocracy” (Lenin V.I., Complete collection of works, 5th ed., vol. 10, p. 252).

Despite the victory, Japan was exhausted by the war, anti-war sentiment was growing in it, Russia was engulfed in revolution, and the tsarist government sought to make peace as quickly as possible. On May 18 (31), 1905, the military government turned to US President T. Roosevelt with a request for mediation in peace negotiations, which began on July 27 (August 9) in the American city of Portsmouth. August 23 (September 5) was signed Treaty of Portsmouth 1905, according to which Russia recognized Korea as a sphere of Japanese influence, transferred to Japan Russia's lease rights to the Kwantung region with Port Arthur and the southern branch of the Chinese Eastern Railway, as well as southern part Sakhalin.

The root causes of Russia's defeat in R.-Ya. V. there was the reactionary and rottenness of tsarism, the inability of the high military command, the unpopularity of the war among the people, the low combat quality of the reinforcements, staffed by reservists, including older ones who did not have sufficient combat training, the poor preparedness of a significant part of the officer corps, insufficient logistics, poor knowledge of the theater of military operations, etc. Japan won the war with widespread support from Britain and the United States. From April 1904 to May 1905, she received 4 loans from them in the amount of 410 million dollars, which covered 40% of military expenses. The most important result of R.-I. V. was the establishment of Japanese imperialism in Korea and Southern Manchuria. Already on November 17, 1905, Japan imposed a protectorate agreement on Korea, and in 1910 incorporated it into the Japanese Empire. The strengthening of Japanese imperialism in the Far East changed the US attitude towards Japan, which became a more dangerous competitor for them than Russia.

The war had a great influence on the development of military art (see. Operational art). It was the first time that rapid-fire weapons (rifles, machine guns) were used on a mass scale. In defense, trenches replaced the complex fortifications of the past. The need for closer interaction between the branches of the military and wide application technical means communications. Indirect artillery shooting became widespread. Destroyers were used for the first time at sea. Based on the experience of the war in the Russian army, military reforms 1905‒12.

R.-I. V. brought the people of Russia and Japan a deterioration in their financial situation, an increase in taxes and prices. Japan's national debt increased 4 times, its losses amounted to 135 thousand killed and died from wounds and diseases and about 554 thousand wounded and sick. Russia spent 2,347 million rubles on the war, about 500 million rubles were lost in the form of property that went to Japan and sunk ships and vessels. Russia's losses amounted to 400 thousand killed, wounded, sick and prisoners. The Far Eastern adventure of tsarism, which led to heavy defeats accompanied by great casualties, aroused the indignation of the peoples of Russia and accelerated the beginning of the first bourgeois-democratic Revolution of 1905–07.

Lit.: Lenin V.I., To the Russian proletariat, Complete collection of works, 5th ed., vol. 8; his, First of May. Draft leaflet, ibid.; his, The Fall of Port Arthur, ibid., vol. 9; his, First of May, ibid., vol. 10; his, Defeat, ibid., vol. 10; Yaroslavsky E., The Russian-Japanese War and the attitude of the Bolsheviks towards it, M., 1939; Russo-Japanese War 1904‒1905 Work of the military historical commission on the description of the Russian-Japanese war, vol. 1‒9, St. Petersburg. 1910; Russo-Japanese War 1904‒1905. The work of the historical commission to describe the actions of the fleet in the war of 1904–1905. at the Naval General Staff, Prince. 1‒7, St. Petersburg, 1912‒18; Kuropatkin A.N., [Report...], vol. 1‒4, St. Petersburg - Warsaw, 1906; Svechin A., Russian-Japanese War 1904‒1905, Oranienbaum, 1910; Levitsky N. A., Russian-Japanese War 1904‒1905, 3rd ed., M., 1938; Romanov B. A., Essays on the diplomatic history of the Russo-Japanese War. 1895‒1907, 2nd ed., M. - L., 1955; Sorokin A.I., Russian-Japanese War of 1904‒1905, M., 1956: Luchinin V., Russian-Japanese War of 1904‒1905. Bibliographical index, M., 1939.

Big Soviet encyclopedia. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia. 1969-1978 .

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On February 8, the Japanese fleet attacked Russian warships that were in Port Arthur. As a result of such an unexpected move on the part of the Japanese army, the most powerful and strong ships Russian fleet. After this, Japan officially declared war. The military announcement was made on February 10. According to historical data from Japan, the main reason 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 decent 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 out further, 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 good consequence war: thanks to previous mistakes discovered 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, under which a state was formed that was officially recognized as existing: real 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 that he wrote "Shi Ji" - a historical chronicle from the mythical centuries to his time, fled the capital five times, but was returned 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 Heaven 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 a holy sanctuary. 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. Started new era 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 receptions foreign ministers and ambassadors, presentation of awards, visits to 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. So, the ruler of Great Britain has been a participant and user of such social networks, like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and even YouTube.

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 clearly 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 greatly value and respect her, which accurately assures her of her good-natured and hospitable character traits, which were so loved by all her royal subjects.

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

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

Prerequisites for the conflict

It is clear that the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905 (the reasons are related to the Far East) did not begin instantly. She had her own reasons.

Russia 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 gained control of Primorye (the territory of modern Vladivostok), the Kuril Islands, and partly the island of Sakhalin. To connect distant borders, the Trans-Siberian Railway was created, which provided communication between Chelyabinsk and Vladivostok along the railway line. In addition to the railway, Russia planned to trade along the ice-free Yellow Sea through Port Arthur.

Japan was undergoing its own transformations at the same time. Having come to power, Emperor Meiji stopped the policy of self-isolation and began modernizing the state. All his reforms were so successful that a quarter of a century after they began, 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 it to gain rights to Korea, the island of Taiwan and other lands in 1895.

A conflict was brewing between two powerful empires for dominance in East Asia. The result was the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. The causes of the conflict are worth considering in more detail.

Main causes of war

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

It was precisely because both powers sought an armed solution to the conflict that all diplomatic negotiations did not bring results.

Balance of forces on land

The causes of 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 advantage 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.
  • Security of the CER - 35,000 people.
  • Artillery, engineering troops - up to 8000 people.

The biggest problem Russian army there was a distance from the European part. Communication was carried out by telegraph, and delivery was carried out by the CER line. However, a limited amount of cargo could be transported 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 and had fairly accurate maps. The army was modernized by English specialists, and the soldiers were loyal to their emperor to death.

Relationships of forces on water

In addition to land, battles also took place on water. The Japanese fleet was led by Admiral Heihachiro Togo. His task was to block the enemy squadron near Port Arthur. In another 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 power thoroughly prepared for battles on the water. The most important ships of its United Fleet were produced in England, France, Germany and were significantly superior to Russian ships.

Main events of the war

When Japanese forces began to move to Korea in February 1904, 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 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. A clash of armies on land, which showed Russia's unpreparedness for war (inconsistency of uniform, lack of military maps, inability to fencing). Because Russian officers had white jackets, Japanese soldiers easily identified and killed them.
  • May 1904. Capture of the port of Dalny by the Japanese.
  • August 1904. Successful Russian defense of Port Arthur.
  • January 1905. Surrender of Port Arthur by Stessel.
  • May 1905. The naval battle near Tsushima destroyed the Russian squadron (one ship returned to Vladivostok), while not a single Japanese ship was damaged.
  • July 1905. Invasion of Japanese troops on Sakhalin.

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

Battle of Chemulpo

The famous battle took place on 02/09/1904 off the coast of Korea (the city of Chemulpo). The two Russian ships were commanded by Captain Vsevolod Rudnev. 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 Russian ships and forced them into battle.

In the morning, in clear weather, the “Varyag” and the “Koreyets” weighed anchor and tried to leave the bay. Music played for them in honor of leaving the port, but after only five minutes the alarm sounded on deck. The battle flag went up.

The Japanese did not expect such actions and hoped to destroy the Russian ships in the port. The enemy squadron hastily raised anchors and battle flags and began to prepare for battle. The battle began with a shot from the Asama. Then there was a battle using 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 due to the danger of damaging the ships of other countries.

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

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

The sailors were received by French, English and Italian ships. After all necessary procedures they were delivered to Odessa and Sevastopol, from where they were disbanded by the fleet. According to the agreement, they could not continue to participate in the Russian-Japanese conflict, so they were not allowed into 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 (08/23/1905), Russia was obliged to fulfill the following points:

  1. Give up 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 Japan an indemnity for the “maintenance of prisoners.”

In addition, defeat in the war meant for Russia negative consequences V economically. Stagnation began in some industries as their lending from foreign banks decreased. Life in the country has become significantly more expensive. Industrialists insisted on a speedy conclusion of peace.

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

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

The causes and results of the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905 are clear. It remains to be seen what the losses were in human equivalent. 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 causes of which were economic and political in nature, showed serious problems inside the Russian Empire. He also wrote about this. The war revealed problems in the army, its weapons, command, as well as mistakes in diplomacy.

Japan was not in to the fullest satisfied with the outcome of the negotiations. The state has lost too much in the fight against the European enemy. She expected to get more territory, however, the United States did not support her in this. Discontent began to brew within the country, and Japan continued on the path of militarization.

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

  • use of spotlights;
  • use of wire fences under high voltage current;
  • field kitchen;
  • radio telegraphy made it possible for the first time to control ships from a distance;
  • switching to petroleum fuel, which produces no smoke and makes ships less visible;
  • the appearance of mine-layer 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 "Korean" they confronted an entire squadron of the enemy. The battle was obviously lost, but the sailors still 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 praised by 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 Rising Sun. The captain of the sunken cruiser accepted the award, but never wore it.

There is a version according to which Stoessel surrendered Port Arthur to the Japanese for a reward. It is no longer possible to verify how true this version is. Be that as it may, because of his action, 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, leaving him with a pension.

At the end of the 19th century - the beginning of the 20th century, relations between Japan and Russia, aggravated due to the ownership of China and Korea, led to a major military conflict between the countries. After a long break, this became the first to use newest weapons.

Reasons

Ended in 1856, it limited Russia's ability to move and expand south, so Nicholas I turned his attention to the Far East, which negatively affected relations with the Japanese power, which itself laid claim to Korea and Northern China.

The tense situation no longer had a peaceful solution. Despite the fact that in 1903, Japan made an attempt to avoid a conflict by proposing an agreement under which it would have all rights to Korea. Russia agreed, but set conditions under which it demanded sole influence on the Kwantung Peninsula, as well as the right to protect the railway in Manchuria. The Japanese government was not happy with this, and it continued active preparations for war.

The Meiji Restoration, which ended in Japan in 1868, led to the fact that the new government began to pursue a policy of expansion and decided to improve the country's capabilities. Thanks to the reforms carried out, by 1890 the economy was modernized: modern industries appeared, electrical equipment and machine tools were produced, and coal was exported. The changes affected not only industry, but also the military industry, which increased significantly thanks to Western teachings.

Japan decides to increase influence on neighboring countries. Based on the geographic proximity of Korean territory, she decides to take control of the country and prevent European influence. Having put pressure on Korea in 1876, an agreement on trade relations with Japan is signed, providing free access to the ports.

These actions led to the conflict, the Sino-Japanese War (1894−95), which ended in Japanese victory and eventual impact on Korea.

According to the Treaty of Shimonoseki, signed as a result of the war, China:

  1. transferred to Japan territories that included the Liaodong Peninsula and Manchuria;
  2. renounced rights to Korea.

For European countries: Germany, France and Russia, this was unacceptable. As a result of the Triple Intervention, Japan, unable to resist the pressure, was obliged to abandon the Liaodong Peninsula.

Russia immediately took advantage of the return of Liaodong and in March 1898 signed a convention with China and received:

  1. lease rights for 25 years to the Liaodong Peninsula;
  2. fortresses of Port Arthur and Dalniy;
  3. obtaining permission to build a railway passing through Chinese territory.

This negatively affected relations with Japan, which laid claim to these territories.

03.26 (04.08) 1902 Nicholas I. I. signs an agreement with China, according to which Russia needs to withdraw Russian troops from the territory of Manchuria within one year and six months. Nicholas I. did not keep his promises, but demanded from China restrictions on trade with foreign countries. In response, England, the USA and Japan protested over the violation of the deadlines and advised not to accept the Russian conditions.

In mid-summer 1903, traffic on the Trans-Siberian Railway began. The route passed along the Chinese Eastern Railway, through Manchuria. Nicholas I. I. begins to redeploy his troops to the Far East, arguing this with testing bandwidth, built railway communication.

At the end of the agreement between China and Russia, Nicholas I. did not withdraw Russian troops from the territory of Manchuria.

In the winter of 1904, at a meeting of the Privy Council and the Cabinet of Ministers of Japan, a decision was made to begin military operations against Russia, and soon an order was given to land Japanese armed forces in Korea and attack Russian ships in Port Arthur.

The moment of declaring war was chosen with maximum calculation, since by that time it had assembled a strong and modernly equipped army, weapons and navy. While the Russians armed forces were very scattered.

Main events

Battle of Chemulpo

Significant for the chronicle of the war was the battle in 1904 at Chemulpo of the cruisers “Varyag” and “Koreets”, under the command of V. Rudnev. In the morning, leaving the port to the accompaniment of music, they tried to leave the bay, but less than ten minutes had passed before the alarm sounded and the battle flag rose above the deck. Together they resisted the Japanese squadron that attacked them, entering into an unequal battle. The Varyag was severely damaged and was forced to turn back to port. Rudnev decided to destroy the ship; a few hours later the sailors were evacuated and the ship was sunk. The ship "Korean" was blown up, and the crew was previously evacuated.

Siege of Port Arthur

To block Russian ships inside the harbor, Japan tries to sink several old ships at the entrance. These actions were thwarted by "Retvizvan" who was patrolling body of water near the fort.

In the early spring of 1904, Admiral Makarov and shipbuilder N.E. Kuteynikov arrived. At the same time, a large number of spare parts and equipment for ship repairs arrive.

At the end of March, the Japanese flotilla again tried to block the entrance to the fortress by blowing up four transport ships filled with stones, but sank them too far away.

On March 31, the Russian battleship Petropavlovsk sank after hitting three mines. The ship disappeared in three minutes, killing 635 people, among them were Admiral Makarov and the artist Vereshchagin.

3rd attempt to block the harbor entrance, was successful, Japan, having sank eight transport ships, locked the Russian squadrons for several days and immediately landed in Manchuria.

The cruisers “Russia”, “Gromoboy”, “Rurik” were the only ones that retained freedom of movement. They sank several ships with military personnel and weapons, including the Hi-tatsi Maru, which was transporting weapons for the siege of Port Arthur, due to which the capture lasted for several months.

18.04 (01.05) 1st Japanese Army consisting of 45 thousand people. approached the river Yalu and entered into battle with an 18,000-strong Russian detachment led by M.I. Zasulich. The battle ended in defeat for the Russians and marked the beginning of the Japanese invasion of Manchurian territories.

04/22 (05/05) a Japanese army of 38.5 thousand people landed 100 km from the fortress.

27.04 (10.05) Japanese troops broke the railway connection between Manchuria and Port Arthur.

On May 2 (15), 2 Japanese ships were scuttled, thanks to the Amur minelayer, they fell into placed mines. In just five days in May (12-17.05), Japan lost 7 ships, and two went to the Japanese port for repairs.

Having successfully landed, the Japanese began to move towards Port Arthur to block it. The Russian command decided to meet the Japanese troops in fortified areas near Jinzhou.

On May 13 (26) a major battle took place. Russian squad(3.8 thousand people) and with 77 guns and 10 machine guns, they repulsed the enemy attack for more than 10 hours. And only the approaching Japanese gunboats, suppressing the left flag, broke through the defense. The Japanese lost 4,300 people, the Russians 1,500 people.

Thanks to the victory in the battle of Jinzhou, the Japanese overcame a natural barrier on the way to the fortress.

At the end of May, Japan captured the port of Dalniy without a fight, practically intact, which significantly helped them in the future.

On June 1-2 (14-15), in the battle of Wafangou, the 2nd Japanese Army defeated Russian troops under the command of General Stackelberg, who was sent to lift the Port Arthur blockade.

July 13 (26) The Japanese 3rd Army broke through the defenses Russian troops“at the passes” formed after the defeat at Jinzhou.

On July 30, the distant approaches to the fortress are occupied, and the defense begins. This is a bright historical moment. The defense lasted until January 2, 1905. In the fortress and adjacent areas, the Russian army did not have a single authority. General Stessel commanded the troops, General Smironov commanded the fortress, Admiral Vitgeft commanded the fleet. It was difficult for them to come to a common opinion. But among the leadership there was a talented commander - General Kondratenko. Thanks to his oratorical and managerial qualities, his superiors found a compromise.

Kondratenko earned the fame of the hero of the Port Arthur events; he died at the end of the siege of the fortress.

The number of troops located in the fortress is about 53 thousand people, as well as 646 guns and 62 machine guns. The siege lasted for 5 months. The Japanese army lost 92 thousand people, Russia - 28 thousand people.

Liaoyang and Shahe

During the summer of 1904, a Japanese army of 120 thousand people approached Liaoyang from the east and south. The Russian army at this time was replenished by soldiers arriving along the Trans-Siberian Railway and slowly retreated.

In August 11 (24) a general battle took place at Liaoyang. The Japanese, moving in a semicircle from the south and east, attacked Russian positions. In prolonged battles, the Japanese army led by Marshal I. Oyama suffered losses of 23,000, Russian troops led by Commander Kuropatkin also suffered losses - 16 (or 19, according to some sources) thousand killed and wounded.

The Russians successfully repelled attacks in the south of Laoyang for 3 days, but Kuropatkin, assuming that the Japanese could block the railway north of Liaoyang, ordered his troops to retreat to Mukden. The Russian army retreated without leaving a single gun.

In the fall, an armed clash occurs on the Shahe River. It began with an attack by Russian troops, and a week later the Japanese launched a counterattack. Russia's losses amounted to about 40 thousand people, the Japanese side - 30 thousand people. The completed operation on the river. Shahe set a time of calm at the front.

On May 14-15 (27-28), the Japanese fleet in the Battle of Tsushima defeated the Russian squadron, which was redeployed from the Baltic, commanded by Vice Admiral Z. P. Rozhestvensky.

The last major battle takes place on July 7 - Japanese invasion of Sakhalin. The 14 thousand strong Japanese army was resisted by 6 thousand Russians - these were mostly convicts and exiles who joined the army to acquire benefits and therefore did not have strong combat skills. By the end of July, Russian resistance was suppressed, more than 3 thousand people were captured.

Consequences

Negative influence The war also affected the internal situation in Russia:

  1. the economy is disrupted;
  2. stagnation in industrial areas;
  3. price increase.

Industry leaders pushed for a peace treaty. A similar opinion was shared by Great Britain and the United States, which initially supported Japan.

Military actions had to be stopped and forces directed toward extinguishing revolutionary trends, which were dangerous not only for Russia, but also for the world community.

On August 22 (9), 1905, negotiations began in Portsmouth with the mediation of the United States. Representative from Russian Empire was S.Yu. Witte. At a meeting with Nicholas I. I. he received clear instructions: not to agree to the indemnity, which Russia never paid, and not to give up the land. Due to Japan's territorial and monetary demands, such instructions were not easy for Witte, who was already pessimistic and considered losses inevitable.

As a result of the negotiations, on September 5 (August 23), 1905, a peace treaty was signed. According to the document:

  1. The Japanese side received the Liaodong Peninsula, a section of the Chinese Eastern Railway (from Port Arthur to Changchun), as well as Southern Sakhalin.
  2. Russia recognized Korea as a zone of Japanese influence and concluded a fishing convention.
  3. Both sides of the conflict had to withdraw their troops from the territory of Manchuria.

The peace treaty did not fully address Japan's claims and was much closer to Russian conditions, as a result of which it was not accepted by the Japanese people - waves of discontent swept across the country.

The countries of Europe were satisfied with the agreement, as they hoped to take Russia as an ally against Germany. The United States believed that their goals had been achieved; they had significantly weakened the Russian and Japanese powers.

Results

War between Russia and Japan 1904−1905. had economic and political reasons. She showed internal problems Russian governance and diplomatic mistakes made by Russia. Russia's losses amounted to 270 thousand people, of which 50,000 were killed. Japan's losses were similar, but there were more killed - 80,000 people.

For Japan, the war turned out to be much more intense than for Russia. It had to mobilize 1.8% of its population, while Russia had to mobilize only 0.5%. Military actions quadrupled the external debt of Japan, Russia - by 1/3. The ended war influenced the development of military art in general, showing the importance of weapons equipment.