Russo-Japanese War arose due to ambitions to expand Manchuria and Korea. The parties were preparing for war, realizing that sooner or later they would move on to battles to resolve the “Far Eastern issue” between the countries.
Causes of the war
The main reason for the war was the clash of colonial interests between Japan, which dominated the region, and Russia, which aspired to the role of a world power.
After the Meiji Revolution in the Empire Rising Sun Westernization proceeded at an accelerated pace, and at the same time, Japan grew increasingly territorially and politically in its region. Having won the war with China in 1894-1895, Japan received part of Manchuria and Taiwan, and also tried to turn economically backward Korea into its colony.
In Russia, in 1894, Nicholas II ascended the throne, whose authority among the people after Khodynka was not at its best. He needed a "small victorious war"to win the love of the people again. There were no states in Europe where he could easily win, and Japan, with its ambitions, was ideal for this role.
The Liaodong Peninsula was leased from China, a naval base was built in Port Arthur, and a railway line was built to the city. Attempts through negotiations to delimit spheres of influence with Japan did not yield results. It was clear that things were heading towards war.
TOP 5 articleswho are reading along with this
Plans and objectives of the parties
At the beginning of the twentieth century, Russia had a powerful ground army, but its main forces were stationed west of the Urals. Directly in the proposed theater of operations there was a small Pacific Fleet and about 100,000 soldiers.
The Japanese fleet was built with the help of the British, and personnel training was also carried out with the mentoring of European specialists. The Japanese army consisted of about 375,000 soldiers.
Russian troops developed a plan for a defensive war before the immediate transfer of additional military units from the European part of Russia. After creating numerical superiority, the army had to go on the offensive. Admiral E.I. Alekseev was appointed commander-in-chief. Subordinate to him were the commander of the Manchurian Army, General A. N. Kuropatkin, and Vice Admiral S. O. Makarov, who accepted the position in February 1904.
The Japanese headquarters hoped to use the advantage in manpower to eliminate the Russian naval base in Port Arthur and transfer military operations to Russian territory.
The course of the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905.
Hostilities began on January 27, 1904. The Japanese squadron attacked the Russian Pacific Fleet, which was stationed without special security in the Port Arthur roadstead.
On the same day, the cruiser Varyag and the gunboat Koreets were attacked in the port of Chemulpo. The ships refused to surrender and took the fight against 14 Japanese ships. The enemy showed honor to the heroes who accomplished the feat and refused to give up their ship to the joy of their enemies.
Rice. 1. The death of the cruiser Varyag.
The attack on Russian ships stirred up the broad masses of the people, in which “shap-throwing” sentiments had already been formed. Processions were held in many cities, and even the opposition ceased its activities during the war.
In February-March 1904, General Kuroki's army landed in Korea. The Russian army met her in Manchuria with the task of detaining the enemy without accepting a general battle. However, on April 18, in the battle of Tyurechen, the eastern part of the army was defeated and there was a threat of encirclement of the Russian army by the Japanese. Meanwhile, the Japanese, having an advantage at sea, transferred military forces to the mainland and besieged Port Arthur.
Rice. 2. Poster The enemy is terrible, but God is merciful.
The First Pacific Squadron, blocked in Port Arthur, took the battle three times, but Admiral Togo did not accept the general battle. He was probably wary of Vice Admiral Makarov, who was the first to use the new “stick over T” naval battle tactics.
The death of Vice Admiral Makarov was a great tragedy for Russian sailors. His ship hit a mine. After the death of the commander, the First Pacific Squadron ceased to conduct active operations at sea.
Soon the Japanese managed to pull large artillery under the city and bring up fresh forces in the amount of 50,000 people. Last hope there remained the Manchurian army, which could lift the siege. In August 1904, it was defeated at the Battle of Liaoyang, and it looked quite real. The Kuban Cossacks posed a great threat to the Japanese army. Their constant forays and fearless participation in battles harmed communications and manpower.
The Japanese command began to talk about the impossibility of further waging war. If the Russian army had gone on the offensive, this would have happened, but Commander Kropotkin gave an absolutely stupid order to retreat. The Russian army continued to have many chances to develop an offensive and win a general battle, but Kropotkin retreated every time, giving the enemy time to regroup.
In December 1904, the commander of the fortress, R.I. Kondratenko, died and, contrary to the opinion of soldiers and officers, Port Arthur was surrendered.
In the 1905 campaign, the Japanese outpaced the Russian advance, defeating them at Mukden. Public sentiment began to express dissatisfaction with the war, and unrest began.
Rice. 3. Battle of Mukden.
In May 1905, the Second and Third Pacific Squadrons, formed in St. Petersburg, entered Japanese waters. During Battle of Tsushima both squadrons were destroyed. The Japanese used new types of shells filled with “shimoza”, which melted the side of the ship rather than piercing it.
After this battle, the participants in the war decided to sit down at the negotiating table.
To summarize, let’s put into the table “Events and dates of the Russian- Japanese war”, noting what battles took place in the Russo-Japanese War.
The latest defeats of the Russian troops had grave consequences, resulting in the First Russian Revolution. She's not in chronological table, but it was precisely this factor that provoked the signing of peace against Japan, exhausted by the war.
Results
During the war years in Russia, a huge amount of money was stolen. Embezzlement on Far East flourished, which created problems with the supply of the army. In the American city of Portsmouth, through the mediation of US President T. Roosevelt, a peace treaty was signed, according to which Russia transferred southern Sakhalin and Port Arthur to Japan. Russia also recognized Japan's dominance in Korea.
Russia's defeat in the war was of great importance for the future political system in Russia, where the power of the emperor will be limited for the first time in several hundred years.
What have we learned?
Speaking briefly about the Russian-Japanese War, it should be noted that if Nicholas II had recognized Korea as the Japanese, there would have been no war. However, the race for colonies gave rise to a clash between the two countries, although even in the 19th century, the Japanese had a generally more positive attitude towards Russians than towards many other Europeans.
Test on the topic
Evaluation of the report
Average rating: 3.9. Total ratings received: 490.
The Russian-Chinese rapprochement and the construction of the Chinese Eastern Railway intensified the expansionist actions of other states. Germany captured the port of Qingdao on the Shandong Peninsula in 1897. Russia decided to take advantage of the precedent and get an ice-free port in the Yellow Sea. Russian ships entered Port Arthur, and on March 15 (27), 1898, an agreement was imposed on China on the free lease of the Liaodong Peninsula by Russia for 25 years, according to which Port Arthur became the base of the Pacific Fleet.
In July 1903, Japan invited Russia to sign an agreement on the delimitation of mutual interests. Negotiations on the Russian side were not conducted energetically enough. Accusing St. Petersburg of unwillingness to negotiate, the Japanese government broke off diplomatic relations with Russia on January 24 (February 6), 1904.
Start of hostilities
Note 1
Russian troops in the Far East then numbered about 100 thousand people. The plan of the Russian command provided for maintaining defensive tactics in Manchuria until the numerical superiority of the Russian army over the Japanese army was created.
The Japanese army numbered 150 thousand people. The Japanese command envisioned a gradual landing in Korea, and then on the Liaodong Peninsula, followed by the capture of Port Arthur and going on the offensive against a group of Russian troops in Manchuria. It was impossible for the Japanese military to conduct land operations without gaining supremacy at sea. To solve this problem, Japan was able to implement a fleet strengthening program in less than ten years, resulting in the creation of a naval force that consisted of 6 battleships and 20 cruisers.
- On the night of January 27 (February 9), 1904, Japanese ships without official announcement war fired at the Russian squadron on the roadstead of Port Arthur. Three Russian ships were damaged: the battleships Tsesarevich and Retvizan and the cruiser Pallada.
- On the morning of January 27, in the Korean port of Chemulpo, a Japanese squadron (6 cruisers and 8 destroyers) attacked the cruiser Varyag and the gunboat Koreets. The forces were unequal, but one Japanese cruiser was sunk. Russian ships were seriously damaged. "Korean" was blown up, and "Varyag" was sunk. The sailors were rescued by the English, French and American ships, who were on the roadstead of Chemulpo.
The new commander of the Pacific Fleet, Vice Admiral S. Makarov, who replaced Vice Admiral A. Stark, began preparing a squadron for a general naval battle. On March 31 (April 13), his flagship Petropavlovsk hit a mine. The majority of the crew, the entire headquarters of S. Makarov (647 officers and sailors with 727 crew members), as well as the famous battle painter V. Vereshchagin, who was on the ship, died. After the death of S. Makarov, the Russian fleet went on the defensive because the commander of the Far Eastern forces, Admiral Alekseev, abandoned active operations at sea.
Fighting in the summer and autumn of 1904
In the summer, the Japanese army launched an offensive in two directions - against the main forces of the Russian army in Manchuria and on the Liaodong Peninsula (in the area of the Port Arthur fortress). At the beginning of July 1904, three Japanese armies under the overall command of Marshal I. Oyama launched an offensive against the concentrated in Liaoyang Russian army, headed by the commander of the ground forces in Manchuria, General A. Kuropatkin. During the August battles, Russian troops repulsed all Japanese attacks and defended their positions along the entire front.
Favorable conditions were created for a counter-offensive of the Russian army, but Kuropatkin, fearing attacks from the flanks, issued an order to retreat. On September 22 (October 5), the Russian army, having a numerical advantage, began offensive operation on the river Shahe. During the 14-day battle, which took place in difficult mountainous conditions and with enormous loss of life, neither side was able to achieve success. The armies went on the defensive. The so-called “shahey seat” began, which lasted three months.
Assault on Port Arthur
By mid-July, the Japanese had concentrated 50 thousand soldiers and about 400 guns on the Liaodong Peninsula. They were opposed by the forty thousand-strong garrison of Port Arthur, which was armed with 650 guns. The crew of the Pacific squadron, based in Port Arthur, consisted of 12 thousand officers and sailors. At the end of July, the Japanese army approached directly the defense line of Port Arthur, which was 29 km. The general command of the garrison was exercised by the head of the Kwantung fortified area, Lieutenant General A. Stessel, and ground forces the fortress was headed by Major General G. Kondratenko (after his death - Major General A. Fok).
On August 6 (19), the first general assault on the fortress began, which lasted 6 days and led to heavy losses on both sides. After the fourth assault in November 1904, the Japanese captured Mount Vysokaya, from which they could conduct targeted fire on the fortifications and ships of the Pacific squadron. After the destruction of these ships, Port Arthur held out for several more weeks.
The last, sixth, assault on Port Arthur ended on December 20, 1904 (January 2, 1905) with the signing of the act of surrender. The garrison did not run out of ammunition and food. Most of them were destroyed the night before the surrender. At the same time, the remains of the squadron were sunk, with the exception of several destroyers that managed to break through to the Chinese ports.
Note 2
Under the terms of surrender, the entire garrison of the fortress was captured (23,000 officers and lower ranks), forts, fortifications, ships, weapons and ammunition were to go to the Japanese.
After the war, Stoessel, who surrendered Port Arthur, was sentenced to death, but was later commuted to imprisonment in a fortress. Nicholas II pardoned him.
Offensive actions of the Russian army in Manchuria
The new commander-in-chief of the armed forces in the Far East, A. Kuropatkin (Alekseev was eliminated in mid-October 1904), decided to move on to active offensive operations in Manchuria. He and his staff developed an offensive against the Japanese armies concentrated on the approaches to Mukden.
From February 5 (18) to February 25 (March 10), 1905, the largest battle at that time in the history of war continued, in which more than 660 thousand people and 2,500 guns took part on both sides on a 100-kilometer front. After there was a threat of encirclement by three Russian armies, Kuropatkin gave the order to retreat. The Russian armies retreated 180 km north of Mukden. The Japanese did not pursue them. Both sides suffered heavy losses.
Naval battle off the island of Tsushima and the final defeat of Russia
The last significant event during the war was the naval battle of May 14-15 (27-28), 1905, off the island of Tsushima in the Sea of Japan. Back in the spring of 1904, it was decided to send the Baltic squadron to the Far East under the command of the Chief of the Main Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Z. Rozhdestvensky. Preparations for the departure of the squadron dragged on for almost six months. In October 1904, the squadron, which was called the Second Pacific, consisting of 8 battleships, 11 cruisers and 9 destroyers, left Libau.
In December the squadron reached Madagascar. By that time, Port Arthur had been surrendered, and the First Pacific Squadron ceased to exist. The campaign to the Far East lost its meaning, because Rozhdestvensky’s squadron was significantly weaker than the Japanese fleet. Then, in February 1905, the Third Pacific Squadron of Rear Admiral M. Nebogatov, which was formed from low-speed coastal defense battleships, was sent after her from Lyubava. At the end of April, Nebogatov caught up with Rozhestvensky off the coast of Vietnam, and on May 14 (27) the combined squadron entered the Tsushima Strait and headed for Vladivostok. Here the Russian ships met with the main forces of the Japanese fleet under the command of Admiral X. Togo.
Note 3
The Japanese squadron prevailed over the Russian one both in the number of ships and in the quantity and quality of weapons.
During a fierce battle, of the 33 ships of Rozhdestvensky’s squadron, 19 were sunk, 8 were captured by the enemy, 3 managed to retreat to Manila, where they were interned, and only the cruiser Almaz, the destroyers Bravo and Grozny managed to break through to Vladivostok. Of the 14 thousand crew members, more than 5 thousand died, almost 800 were wounded, 5 thousand people were captured.
Many serious works and no less frivolous fiction have been written about the Russian-Japanese battles. However, even today, more than a century later, researchers argue: what was the main reason for the shameful and fatal defeat of Russia? Is the huge, disorganized empire completely unprepared for decisive military action, or is it the mediocrity of its commanders? Or maybe the mistakes of politicians?
Zheltorossiya: an unfulfilled project
In 1896, the actual state councilor Alexander Bezobrazov provided the emperor with a report in which he proposed colonizing China, Korea and Mongolia. The “Yellow Russia” project caused lively debate in court circles... And a nervous resonance in Japan, which, in need of resources, laid claim to dominance in the Pacific region. Britain played the role of catalyst in the conflict, as it did not want Russia to turn into a gigantic colonial power. Diplomats recalled that at all Russian-Japanese negotiations that took place on the eve of the war, the British were present as advisers and consultants to the Japanese side.
Nevertheless, Russia was gaining a foothold on the east coast: the viceroyalty of the Far East was established, Russian troops occupied part of Manchuria, the resettlement to Harbin and the strengthening of Port Arthur, which was called the gateway to Beijing, began... Moreover, preparations for the inclusion of Korea in Russian Empire. The latter became the proverbial straw that overflowed the cup of the Japanese.
One minute before the attack
Actually, war was expected in Russia. Both the “Bezobrazov clique” (the so-called name for those who financially supported Mr. Bezobrazov’s projects) and Nicholas II soberly believed that military competition for the region, alas, was inevitable. Was it possible to bypass it? Yes, but at too high a price - at the cost of the Russian crown abandoning not only its colonial ambitions, but the Far Eastern territories as a whole.
The Russian government foresaw the war and even prepared for it: roads were built, ports were strengthened. Diplomats did not sit idly by: relations with Austria, Germany and France improved, which should have provided Russia with, if not support, then at least non-interference from Europe.
However, Russian politicians still hoped: Japan would not take risks. And even then, when the guns roared, confusion reigned in the country: really, what kind of Japan is compared to the huge, mighty Russia? Yes, we will defeat the adversary in a matter of days!
However, was Russia really that powerful? The Japanese, for example, had three times as many destroyers. And the battleships built in England and France were superior to Russian ships in a number of the most important indicators. Japanese naval artillery also had an undoubted advantage. As for the ground forces, the number of Russian troops beyond Lake Baikal was, including border guards and security various objects, 150 thousand military personnel, while the Japanese army, after the announced mobilization, exceeded 440 thousand bayonets.
Intelligence informed the king about the superiority of the enemy. She asserts: Japan is fully prepared for a skirmish and is waiting for an opportunity. But it seems Russian Emperor I forgot Suvorov’s precept that delay is like death. The Russian elite hesitated and hesitated...
The feat of ships and the fall of Port Arthur
War broke out without declaration. On the night of January 27, 1904, an armada of Japanese warships attacked a Russian flotilla stationed in a roadstead near Port Arthur. The Mikado warriors struck the second blow near Seoul: there, in Chemulpo Bay, the cruiser Varyag and the gunboat Koreets, guarding the Russian mission in Korea, took on an unequal battle. Since ships from Britain, the United States, Italy and France were nearby, the duel, one might say, took place before the eyes of the world. Having sunk several enemy ships,
“Varyag” and “Koreyets” preferred the seabed to Japanese captivity:
We did not lower ourselves before the enemy
Glorious St. Andrew's flag,
No, we blew up "Korean"
We sunk the Varyag...
By the way, a year later the Japanese were not too lazy to raise the legendary cruiser from the bottom to make it a training craft. Remembering the defenders of the Varyag, they left the ship its honorable name, adding on board: “Here we will teach you how to love your Fatherland.”
The heirs of the bushi failed to take Port Arthur. The fortress withstood four assaults, but remained unshakable. During the siege, the Japanese lost 50 thousand soldiers, however, Russia’s losses were extremely noticeable: 20 thousand killed soldiers. Would Port Arthur survive? Perhaps, but in December, unexpectedly for many, General Stessel decided to surrender the citadel along with the garrison.
Mukden meat grinder and Tsushima defeat
The battle near Mukden broke the record for military crowds: over half a million people on both sides. The battle lasted 19 days almost without a break. As a result, General Kuropatkin’s army was completely defeated: 60 thousand Russian soldiers died a heroic death. Historians are unanimous: the disaster was caused by the narrow-mindedness and negligence of the commanders (the headquarters gave conflicting orders), their underestimation of the enemy’s forces and blatant sloppiness, which had a detrimental effect on the supply of material and technical means to the army.
The “control” blow for Russia was the Battle of Tsushima. On May 14, 1905, 120 brand new battleships and cruisers flying Japanese flags surrounded the Russian squadron arriving from the Baltic. Only three ships - including the Aurora, which played special role years later - they managed to escape from the deadly ring. 20 Russian battleships were sunk. Seven more were boarded. More than 11 thousand sailors became prisoners.
In the deep Tsushima Strait,
Far from my native land,
At the bottom, in the deep ocean
There are forgotten ships
Russian admirals sleep there
And the sailors are dozing around,
They are sprouting corals
Between the fingers of outstretched hands...
The Russian army was crushed, the Japanese army was so exhausted that the proud descendants of the samurai agreed to negotiate. Peace was concluded in August, in Portsmouth, America - according to the agreement, Russia ceded Port Arthur and part of Sakhalin to the Japanese, and also abandoned attempts to colonize Korea and China. However, unsuccessful military campaign put an end not only to Russia’s expansion to the East, but, as it turned out later, to the monarchy in general. “Little victorious war” that I so hoped for Russian elite, overturned the throne forever.
Noble Enemies
Newspapers of that time are replete with photographs from Japanese captivity. In them, high-cheeked and narrow-eyed doctors, nurses, military personnel and even members of the Japanese imperial family willingly pose with Russian officers and privates. It’s hard to imagine something like this later, during the war with the Germans...
The attitude of the Japanese towards prisoners of war became the standard on the basis of which many years later were created. international conventions. “All wars are based on political differences between states,” said the Japanese military department, “therefore, hatred of the people should not be inflamed.”
In 28 camps opened in Japan, 71,947 Russian sailors, soldiers, and officers were kept. Of course, they were treated differently, especially since becoming a prisoner of war for a Japanese means tarnishing his honor, but on the whole the humane policy of the War Ministry was observed. The Japanese spent 30 sen on the maintenance of a Russian captive soldier (twice as much for an officer), while only 16 sen were spent on their own Japanese warrior. The prisoners' meals consisted of breakfast, lunch, dinner, and tea, and, as eyewitnesses noted, the menu was varied, and the officers had the opportunity to hire a personal chef.
Heroes and traitors
More than 100 thousand privates and officers were put into graves by the war. And the memory of many is still alive.
Let's say, the commander of the Varyag, Vsevolod Rudnev. Having received an ultimatum from Admiral Uriu, the captain of the cruiser decided to make a breakthrough, which he informed the crew about. During the battle, the crippled and bullet-ridden Varyag managed to fire 1,105 shells at the enemy. And only after that the captain, having transferred the remnants of the crew to foreign ships, gave the order to open the kingstons. The courage of the “Varyag” impressed the Japanese so much that later Vsevolod Rudnev received from them the prestigious Order of the Rising Sun. True, he never wore this award.
Vasily Zverev, the mechanic of the destroyer “Silny”, did something completely unprecedented: he closed the hole with himself, allowing the ship, broken by the enemy, to return to port and save the crew. All foreign newspapers, without exception, reported about this unthinkable act.
Of course, among the many heroes there were also ordinary ones. The Japanese, who value duty above all else, were delighted by the resilience of intelligence officer Vasily Ryabov. During interrogation, the captured Russian spy did not answer a single question and was sentenced to death. However, even under gunpoint, Vasily Ryabov behaved, according to the Japanese, as befits a samurai - with honor.
As for criminals, such public opinion announced Adjutant General Baron Stoessel. After the war, the investigation accused him of ignoring orders from above, not taking measures to provide Port Arthur with food, lying in reports about his personal, heroic participation in battles, misleading the sovereign, handing out awards to senior officers who did not deserve them... And finally surrendered Port Arthur on conditions humiliating for the Motherland. Moreover, the cowardly baron did not share the hardships of captivity with the garrison. However, Stoessel did not suffer any special punishment: after serving a year and a half in home confinement, he was pardoned by royal decree.
The indecision of military bureaucrats, their unwillingness to take risks, their inability to act in the field and their reluctance to see obvious things is what pushed Russia into the abyss of defeat and into the abyss of cataclysms that occurred after the war.
1 ratings, average: 5,00 out of 5)In order to rate a post, you must be a registered user of the site.
Russo-Japanese War 1904–1905 - this is an imperialist war for the seizure of colonies, for the establishment of monopoly rights in the Far Eastern market; at the same time, this war was an attempt to resolve the imperialist contradictions between a number of powers seeking to divide China.
The pursuit of super-profits by Russian military-feudal imperialism caused the expansion of Russian capital to the East; however, here the aggressive policy of the autocracy came into conflict with the imperialist interests of Japanese capital. The imperialist aspirations of Russian and Japanese capital in the Far East found their resolution in the war.
Your way to war royal Russia and Japan went through a stage of joint participation, with Germany, England, Italy, France, the USA and other countries, in the international punitive expedition that suppressed the popular uprising in China. The punitive expedition was undertaken in order to prepare for the further division of China; This once again confirms that at a certain stage of development of contradictions between imperialists, the latter can temporarily combine their efforts for joint seizures.
The Russo-Japanese War is an important stage in the development of military art. Such new phenomena as mass armies, smokeless gunpowder, rapid-fire artillery, repeating rifles, and new means of communication also led to new forms of war. Mass armies lead to an expansion of the front of the struggle. New fire weapons make a frontal attack more difficult and encourage efforts to envelop and envelop, which in turn further expands the battle front. The need to use the power of fire in order to force the enemy to turn around, as well as the need to deploy at a considerable distance from the enemy with an increased width of the front, lead to an increase in the duration of the battle, which was discovered for the first time in the Russian-Japanese War. http://www.hrono.ru/libris/lib_l/levic00.html
The cause of the war was Russian expansion in Manchuria. In May 1896, Russia obtained a concession from China for the construction and operation of the Chinese Eastern railway(CER) from Harbin to Port Arthur, and in March 1898 - lease of the southern part of the Liaodong Peninsula (Kwantung) 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 encountered opposition from Japan, Great Britain and the United States, which did not want to strengthen Russian influence in Northern China. In January 1902, Japan and Great Britain signed an alliance treaty directed against Russia. In this situation, Russia was forced to conclude an agreement with China in March 1902, undertaking to withdraw its troops from Manchuria within eighteen months, but delayed its implementation in every possible way, which led to a sharp deterioration in 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, with the support of Japan and Great Britain, refused. In July 1903, Japan proposed to Russia a plan for dividing spheres of influence in Northern China, but subsequent negotiations were unsuccessful. January 23 (February 5), 1904 Japan broke off diplomatic relations with Russia. http://www.krugosvet.ru/enc/istoriya/RUSSKO-YAPONSKAYA_VONA.html
The main reasons for the start of the Russo-Japanese War were:
- an attempt to capture foreign markets for the developing domestic economy;
- clash of Russian and Japanese interests in the Far East;
- the desire to enrich the wealth of Korea and China, Russia and Japan;
- Russian imperial expansion to the East;
- the desire of the tsarist government to distract the people from revolutionary uprisings.
Largest armed conflict late XIX- beginning of the twentieth century. It was the result of the struggle of the great powers - the Russian Empire, Great Britain, Germany, France and Japan, which aspired to the role of the dominant regional power, for the colonial division of China and Korea.
Causes of the war
The reason for the Russo-Japanese War should be recognized as a clash of interests between Russia, which pursued an expansionist policy in the Far East, and Japan, which attempted to assert its influence in Asia. The Japanese Empire, which carried out modernization social order and armed forces during the Meiji Revolution, sought to turn economically backward Korea into its colony and take part in the division of China. As a result of the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895. The Chinese army and navy were quickly defeated, Japan occupied the island of Taiwan (Formosa) and part of Southern Manchuria. Under the Peace Treaty of Shimonoseki, Japan acquired the islands of Taiwan, Penghuledao (Pescadores) and the Liaodong Peninsula.
In response to Japan's aggressive actions in China, the Russian government, led by Emperor Nicholas II, who ascended the throne in 1894 and a supporter of expansion in this part of Asia, intensified its own Far Eastern policy. In May 1895, Russia forced Japan to reconsider the terms of the Shimonoseki Peace Treaty and abandon the acquisition of the Liaodong Peninsula. From that moment on, an armed confrontation between the Russian Empire and Japan became inevitable: the latter began to systematically prepare for a new war on the continent, adopting in 1896 a 7-year program for the reorganization of the ground army. With the participation of Great Britain, a modern navy began to be created. In 1902, Great Britain and Japan entered into a treaty of alliance.
With the aim of economic penetration into Manchuria, the Russian-Chinese Bank was established in 1895, and in next year construction began on the Chinese Eastern Railway through Chinese province Heilongjiang and designed to connect Chita with Vladivostok along the shortest route. These measures were carried out to the detriment of the development of the poorly populated and economically developed Russian Amur region. In 1898, Russia received a 25-year lease from China for the southern part of the Liaodong Peninsula with Port Arthur, where it was decided to create a naval base and fortress. In 1900, under the pretext of suppressing the “Yihetuan uprising,” Russian troops occupied all of Manchuria.
Far Eastern policy of Russia at the beginning of the 20th century
Since the beginning of the twentieth century. The Far Eastern policy of the Russian Empire began to be determined by an adventuristic court group led by State Secretary A.M. Bezobrazov. She sought to expand Russian influence in Korea, using a logging concession on the Yalu River, and to prevent Japanese economic and political penetration into Manchuria. In the summer of 1903, a governorship headed by Admiral E.I. was established in the Far East. Alekseev. Negotiations held in the same year between Russia and Japan on delimiting spheres of interest in the region did not produce results. On January 24 (February 5), 1904, the Japanese side announced the termination of negotiations and broke off diplomatic relations with the Russian Empire, setting a course for starting a war.
Countries' readiness for war
By the start of hostilities, Japan had largely completed its armed forces modernization program. After mobilization, the Japanese army consisted of 13 infantry divisions and 13 reserve brigades (323 battalions, 99 squadrons, over 375 thousand people and 1140 field guns). The Japanese United Fleet consisted of 6 new and 1 old squadron battleship, 8 armored cruisers (two of them, acquired from Argentina, entered service after the start of the war), 12 light cruisers, 27 squadron and 19 small destroyers. Japan's war plan included a struggle for supremacy at sea, the landing of troops in Korea and Southern Manchuria, the capture of Port Arthur and the defeat of the main forces of the Russian army in the Liaoyang area. The general leadership of the Japanese troops was carried out by the Chief of the General Staff, later the Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces, Marshal I. Oyama. The United Fleet was commanded by Admiral H. Togo.
At the beginning of the twentieth century. The Russian Empire had the largest land army in the world, but in the Far East, as part of the Amur Military District and the troops of the Kwantung Region, it had extremely insignificant forces scattered over a vast territory. They consisted of the I and II Siberian Army Corps, 8 East Siberian Rifle Brigades, deployed into divisions at the beginning of the war, 68 infantry battalions, 35 squadrons and hundreds of cavalry, a total of about 98 thousand people, 148 field guns. Russia was not ready for war with Japan. The low capacity of the Siberian and East China Railways (as of February 1904 - 5 and 4 pairs of military trains, respectively) did not allow us to count on a quick reinforcement of troops in Manchuria with reinforcements from European Russia. The Russian Navy in the Far East had 7 squadron battleships, 4 armored cruisers, 7 light cruisers, 2 mine cruisers, 37 destroyers. The main forces were the Pacific squadron and were based in Port Arthur, 4 cruisers and 10 destroyers were in Vladivostok.
War plan
The Russian war plan was prepared at the temporary headquarters of His Imperial Majesty's governor in the Far East, Admiral E.I. Alekseev in September-October 1903 on the basis of plans developed independently of each other at the headquarters of the Amur Military District and at the headquarters of the Kwantung Region, and approved by Nicholas II on January 14 (27), 1904. It assumed the concentration of the main forces of Russian troops on the Mukden line -Liaoyang-Haichen and the defense of Port Arthur. With the beginning of mobilization, it was planned to send large reinforcements from European Russia to help the armed forces in the Far East - the X and XVII army corps and four reserve infantry divisions. Until reinforcements arrived, Russian troops had to adhere to a defensive course of action and only after creating numerical superiority could they go on the offensive. The fleet was required to fight for supremacy at sea and prevent the landing of Japanese troops. At the beginning of the war, the command of the armed forces in the Far East was entrusted to the viceroy, Admiral E.I. Alekseeva. Subordinate to him was the commander of the Manchurian Army, who became the Minister of War, Infantry General A.N. Kuropatkin (appointed on February 8 (21), 1904), and the commander of the Pacific squadron, Vice Admiral S.O. Makarov, who replaced the uninitiative Vice Admiral O.V. on February 24 (March 8). Stark.
The beginning of the war. Military operations at sea
Military operations opened on January 27 (February 9), 1904, with a sudden attack by Japanese destroyers on the Russian Pacific squadron, which was stationed without proper security measures on the outer roadstead of Port Arthur. As a result of the attack, two squadron battleships and one cruiser were disabled. On the same day, the Japanese detachment of Rear Admiral S. Uriu (6 cruisers and 8 destroyers) attacked the Russian cruiser “Varyag” and the gunboat “Koreets”, which were stationed in the Korean port of Chemulpo. The Varyag, which received heavy damage, was scuttled by the crew, and the Koreets was blown up. January 28 (February 10) Japan declared war on Russia.
After the attack by Japanese destroyers, the weakened Pacific squadron limited itself to defensive actions. Arriving in Port Arthur, Vice Admiral S.O. Makarov began preparing the squadron for active actions, but on March 31 (April 13) he died on the squadron battleship Petropavlovsk, which was blown up by mines. Rear Admiral V.K., who took command of the naval forces. Vitgeft abandoned the struggle for supremacy at sea, focusing on the defense of Port Arthur and support ground forces. During the fighting near Port Arthur, the Japanese also suffered significant losses: on May 2 (15), the squadron battleships Hatsuse and Yashima were killed by mines.
Military operations on land
In February-March 1904, the 1st Japanese Army of General T. Kuroki landed in Korea (about 35 thousand bayonets and sabers, 128 guns), which by mid-April approached the border with China on the Yalu River. By early March, the Russian Manchurian Army had completed its deployment. It consisted of two vanguards - Southern (18 infantry battalions, 6 squadrons and 54 guns, Yingkou-Gaizhou-Senyuchen area) and Eastern (8 battalions, 38 guns, Yalu River) and a general reserve (28.5 infantry battalions, 10 hundreds, 60 guns, Liaoyang-Mukden area). A cavalry detachment operated in North Korea under the command of Major General P.I. Mishchenko (22 hundreds) with the task of conducting reconnaissance beyond the Yalu River. On February 28 (March 12), based on the Eastern Vanguard, reinforced by the 6th East Siberian Rifle Division, the Eastern Detachment was formed, led by Lieutenant General M.I. Zasulich. He was faced with the task of making it difficult for the enemy to cross the Yala, but under no circumstances engaging in a decisive clash with the Japanese.
On April 18 (May 1), in the battle of Tyurencheng, the 1st Japanese Army defeated the Eastern Detachment, drove it back from Yalu and, having advanced to Fenghuangcheng, reached the flank of the Russian Manchurian Army. Thanks to the success at Tyurenchen, the enemy seized the strategic initiative and on April 22 (May 5) was able to begin the landing of the 2nd Army of General Y. Oku (about 35 thousand bayonets and sabers, 216 guns) on the Liaodong Peninsula near Bizivo. The southern branch of the Chinese Eastern Railway, leading from Liaoyang to Port Arthur, was cut off by the enemy. Following the 2nd Army, the 3rd Army of General M. Nogi was supposed to land, intended for the siege of Port Arthur. From the north, its deployment was ensured by the 2nd Army. In the Dagushan area, preparations were made for the landing of the 4th Army of General M. Nozu. It had the task, together with the 1st and 2nd armies, to act against the main forces of the Manchurian Army and ensure the success of the 3rd Army in the fight for Port Arthur.
On May 12 (25), 1904, the Oku army reached the positions of the Russian 5th East Siberian Rifle Regiment on the isthmus in the Jinzhou region, which covered the distant approaches to Port Arthur. The next day, at the cost of huge losses, the Japanese managed to push back the Russian troops from their positions, after which the path to the fortress was open. On May 14 (27), the enemy occupied the port of Dalniy without a fight, which became the base for further actions of the Japanese army and navy against Port Arthur. The landing of units of the 3rd Army immediately began in Dalny. The 4th Army began to land at the port of Takushan. Two divisions of the 2nd Army, which completed the assigned task, were sent north against the main forces of the Manchurian Army.
On May 23 (June 5), impressed by the results of the unsuccessful Jinzhou battle, E.I. Alekseev ordered A.N. Kuropatkin to send a detachment of at least four divisions to the rescue of Port Arthur. The commander of the Manchurian Army, who considered the transition to the offensive premature, sent only one reinforced I Siberian Army Corps, Lieutenant General G.K., against the Oku army (48 battalions, 216 guns). von Stackelberg (32 battalions, 98 guns). On June 1-2 (14-15), 1904, in the battle of Wafangou, von Stackelberg’s troops were defeated and were forced to retreat north. After failures at Jinzhou and Wafangou, Port Arthur found itself cut off.
By May 17 (30), the Japanese broke the resistance of Russian troops occupying intermediate positions on the distant approaches to Port Arthur, and approached the walls of the fortress, beginning its siege. Before the start of the war, the fortress was only 50% complete. As of mid-July 1904, the land front of the fortress consisted of 5 forts, 3 fortifications and 5 separate batteries. In the intervals between long-term fortifications, the defenders of the fortress equipped rifle trenches. There were 22 long-term batteries on the coastal front. The garrison of the fortress numbered 42 thousand people with 646 guns (514 of them on the land front) and 62 machine guns (47 of them on the land front). The general management of the defense of Port Arthur was carried out by the head of the Kwantung fortified area, Lieutenant General A.M. Stoessel. The ground defense of the fortress was headed by the head of the 7th East Siberian Rifle Division, Major General R.I. Kondratenko. The 3rd Japanese Army consisted of 80 thousand people, 474 guns, 72 machine guns.
In connection with the beginning of the siege of Port Arthur, the Russian command decided to save the Pacific squadron and take it to Vladivostok, but in the battle in the Yellow Sea on July 28 (August 10), the Russian fleet failed and was forced to return. In this battle, the commander of the squadron, Rear Admiral V.K., was killed. Vitgeft. On August 6-11 (19-24), the Japanese carried out an assault on Port Arthur, which was repulsed with heavy losses for the attackers. An important role in the beginning of the defense of the fortress was played by the Vladivostok detachment of cruisers, which operated on the enemy’s sea communications and destroyed 15 steamships, including 4 military transports.
At this time, the Russian Manchurian Army (149 thousand people, 673 guns), reinforced by troops of the X and XVII Army Corps, took up defensive positions on the distant approaches to Liaoyang in early August 1904. In the Battle of Liaoyang on August 13-21 (August 26 - September 3), the Russian command was unable to use its numerical superiority over the 1st, 2nd and 4th Japanese armies (109 thousand people, 484 guns) and, despite the fact that all enemy attacks were repulsed with heavy losses, he ordered the troops to be withdrawn to the north.
The fate of Port Arthur
On September 6-9 (19-22), the enemy made another attempt to capture Port Arthur, which again failed. In mid-September, in order to help the besieged fortress A.N. Kuropatkin decided to go on the offensive. From September 22 (October 5) to October 4 (17), 1904, the Manchurian Army (213 thousand people, 758 guns and 32 machine guns) carried out an operation against the Japanese armies (according to Russian intelligence - over 150 thousand people, 648 guns) on the Shahe River, which ended in vain. In October, instead of one Manchu Army, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Manchu armies were deployed. A.N. became the new commander-in-chief in the Far East. Kuropatkin, who replaced E.I. Alekseeva.
The fruitless attempts of Russian troops to defeat the Japanese in Southern Manchuria and break through to Port Arthur decided the fate of the fortress. On October 17-20 (October 30 - November 2) and November 13-23 (November 26 - December 6) the third and fourth assaults on Port Arthur took place, again repelled by the defenders. During the last assault, the enemy captured Mount Vysokaya dominating the area, thanks to which he was able to adjust the fire of siege artillery, including 11-inch howitzers, the shells of which accurately hit the ships of the Pacific squadron stationed in the inner roadstead and the defensive structures of Port Arthur. On December 2 (15), the chief of ground defense, Major General R.I., was killed during shelling. Kondratenko. With the fall of forts Nos. II and III, the position of the fortress became critical. December 20, 1904 (January 2, 1905) Lieutenant General A.M. Stessel gave the order to surrender the fortress. By the time Port Arthur surrendered, its garrison included 32 thousand people (of which 6 thousand were wounded and sick), 610 serviceable guns and 9 machine guns.
Despite the fall of Port Arthur, the Russian command continued to try to defeat the enemy. In the battle of Sandepu January 12-15 (25-28), 1905 A.N. Kuropatkin carried out a second offensive with the forces of the 2nd Manchurian Army between the Honghe and Shahe rivers, which again ended in failure.
Battle of Mukden
On February 6 (19) - February 25 (March 10), 1905, the largest battle of the Russian-Japanese War took place, which predetermined the outcome of the struggle on land - Mukden. During its course, the Japanese (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th armies, 270 thousand people, 1062 guns, 200 machine guns) attempted to bypass both flanks of the Russian troops (1st , 2nd and 3rd Manchu armies, 300 thousand people, 1386 guns, 56 machine guns). Despite the fact that the plan of the Japanese command was thwarted, the Russian side suffered a heavy defeat. The Manchu armies retreated to the Sypingai positions (160 km north of Mukden), where they remained until peace was concluded. After the Battle of Mukden A.N. Kuropatkin was removed from the post of commander in chief and replaced by infantry general N.P. Linevich. By the end of the war, the number of Russian troops in the Far East reached 942 thousand people, and Japanese, according to Russian intelligence, 750 thousand. In July 1905, a Japanese landing captured the island of Sakhalin.
Tsushima battle
The last major event of the Russo-Japanese War was the Tsushima naval battle on May 14-15 (27-28), in which the Japanese fleet completely destroyed the united Russian 2nd and 3rd Pacific squadrons under the command of Vice Admiral Z.P. Rozhestvensky, sent from the Baltic Sea to help the Port Arthur squadron.
Treaty of Portsmouth
In the summer of 1905, in North American Portsmouth, through the mediation of US President T. Roosevelt, negotiations began between the Russian Empire and Japan. Both sides were interested in a speedy conclusion of peace: despite military successes, Japan had completely exhausted its financial, material and human resources and could no longer wage further struggle, and the Revolution of 1905-1907 began in Russia. On August 23 (September 5), 1905, the Portsmouth Peace Treaty was signed, ending the Russo-Japanese War. According to its terms, 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 the southern part of Sakhalin.
Results
The Russo-Japanese War cost the participating countries great human and material losses. Russia lost about 52 thousand people killed, died from wounds and diseases, Japan - more than 80 thousand people. The conduct of military operations cost the Russian Empire 6.554 billion rubles, Japan - 1.7 billion yen. The defeat in the Far East undermined Russia's international authority and led to the end of Russian expansion in Asia. The Anglo-Russian agreement of 1907, which established the delimitation of spheres of interest in Persia (Iran), Afghanistan and Tibet, actually meant the defeat of the eastern policy of the government of Nicholas II. Japan, as a result of the war, established itself as the leading regional power in the Far East, strengthening itself in Northern China and annexing Korea in 1910.
The Russo-Japanese War had a great influence on the development of military art. It demonstrated the increased importance of artillery, rifle and machine gun fire. During the fighting, the struggle for fire dominance acquired a dominant role. Actions in close masses and the bayonet strike lost their former significance, and the main battle formation became the rifle chain. During the Russo-Japanese War, new positional forms of struggle arose. Compared to the wars of the 19th century. The duration and scale of battles increased, and they began to break up into separate army operations. Artillery firing from closed positions became widespread. Siege artillery began to be used not only for fighting under fortresses, but also in field battles. At sea during the Russo-Japanese War, torpedoes were widely used, and sea mines were also actively used. For the first time, the Russian command brought in submarines to defend Vladivostok. The experience of the war was actively used by the military-political leadership of the Russian Empire during the military reforms of 1905-1912.
