Conclusion of the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905 briefly. Progress of the war

Russo-Japanese War showed the failure of Russia not only in foreign policy, but also in the military sphere. A series of defeats caused irreparable damage to the authority's authority. Japan did not achieve complete victory, having exhausted its resources, it was content with small concessions.

Epigraph: Russian soldiers showed heroism both on land and at sea, but their commanders were unable to lead them to victory over Japan.

In previous articles “Causes of the Russo-Japanese War 1904 - 1905”, “The feat of the “Varyag” and the “Korean” in 1904”, “The beginning of the Russo-Japanese War” We touched on some issues. In this article we will consider the general course and results of the war.

Causes of the war

Russia’s desire to gain a foothold on the “non-freezing seas” of China and Korea.

The desire of the leading powers to prevent Russia from strengthening in the Far East. Support for Japan from the USA and Great Britain.

Japan's desire to oust the Russian army from China and seize Korea.

Arms race in Japan. Raising taxes for the sake of military production.

Japan's plans were to seize Russian territory from the Primorsky Territory to the Urals.

Progress of the war

January 27, 1904- near Port Arthur 3 Russian ships were hit by Japanese torpedoes, which did not sink thanks to the heroism of the crews. The feat of Russian ships " Varangian" And " Korean» near the port of Chemulpo (Incheon).

March 31, 1904- death of the battleship " Petropavlovsk"with the headquarters of Admiral Makarov and a crew of more than 630 people. The Pacific Fleet was decapitated.

May–December 1904– heroic defense of the Port Arthur fortress. The 50,000-strong Russian garrison, with 646 guns and 62 machine guns, repelled the attacks of the 200,000-strong enemy army. After the surrender of the fortress, about 32 thousand Russian soldiers were captured by the Japanese. The Japanese lost more than 110 thousand (according to other sources 91 thousand) soldiers and officers, 15 warships sank and 16 were destroyed.

August 1904- battle under Liaoyang. The Japanese lost more than 23 thousand soldiers, the Russians - more than 16 thousand. Uncertain outcome of the battle. General Kuropatkin gave the order to retreat, fearing encirclement.

September 1904- battle at Shahe River. The Japanese lost more than 30 thousand soldiers, the Russians - more than 40 thousand. Uncertain outcome of the battle. After this, a positional war was fought in Manchuria. In January 1905, revolution raged in Russia, making it difficult to wage the war to victory.

February 1905 – Battle of Mukden stretched over 100 km along the front and lasted 3 weeks. The Japanese launched their offensive earlier and confused the plans of the Russian command. Russian troops retreated, avoiding encirclement and losing more than 90 thousand. The Japanese lost more than 72 thousand.

The Japanese command admitted underestimating the enemy's strength. Soldiers with weapons and provisions continued to arrive from Russia by rail. The war again took on a positional character.

May 1905- tragedy of the Russian fleet off the Tsushima Islands. Admiral's ships Rozhestvensky (30 combat, 6 transport and 2 hospital) They covered about 33 thousand km and immediately entered into battle. No one in the world I couldn’t defeat 121 enemy ships with 38 ships! Only the cruiser Almaz and the destroyers Bravy and Grozny broke through to Vladivostok (according to other sources, 4 ships were saved), the crews of the rest died heroes or were captured. The Japanese suffered 10 severe damage and 3 sank.

Until now, Russians, passing by the Tsushima Islands, lay wreaths on the water in memory of the 5 thousand dead Russian sailors.

The war was ending. The Russian army in Manchuria was growing and could continue the war for a long time. Japan's human and financial resources were depleted (elderly people and children have already been drafted into the army). Russia signed from a position of strength Treaty of Portsmouth in August 1905.

Results of the war

Russia withdrew troops from Manchuria, transferred to Japan the Liaodong Peninsula, the southern part of Sakhalin Island and money for the maintenance of prisoners. This failure of Japanese diplomacy caused widespread unrest in Tokyo.

After the war, Japan's external public debt increased 4 times, and Russia's by 1/3.

Japan lost more than 85 thousand killed, Russia more than 50 thousand.

More than 38 thousand soldiers died from wounds in Japan, and more than 17 thousand in Russia.

Still, Russia lost this war. The reasons were economic and military backwardness, weakness of intelligence and command, the great remoteness and extension of the theater of military operations, poor supplies, and weak interaction between the army and navy. In addition, the Russian people did not understand why they needed to fight in distant Manchuria. The revolution of 1905–1907 further weakened Russia.

Will the right conclusions be drawn? To be continued.

In 1903, negotiations were held between both states, at which the Japanese side offered Russia to carry out a mutually beneficial exchange: Russia would recognize Korea as a sphere of interest for Japan, and in exchange it would receive freedom of action in Manchuria. However, Russia did not want to give up its Korean ambitions.

The Japanese decided to break off the negotiations. On February 4, 1904, in the presence of Emperor Meiji, a meeting of senior statesmen was held, at which it was decided to start a war. Only the Secretary of the Privy Council, Ito Hirobumi, spoke out against it, but the decision was made by an absolute majority of votes. Just a month before many were talking about an imminent and even inevitable war, Nicholas II did not believe in it. The main argument: “They won’t dare.” However, Japan dared.

On February 5, naval attaché Yoshida cut the telegraph line north of Seoul. On February 6, the Japanese envoy in St. Petersburg, Chicken, announced the severance of diplomatic relations, but due to a damaged telegraph line Russian diplomats and the military in Korea and Manchuria did not find out about this in time. Even after receiving this message, the governor in the Far East, General Alekseev, did not consider it necessary to inform Port Arthur and forbade publication of the news in newspapers, citing a reluctance to “disturb society.”

February 8-9 Russian fleet was first blocked and then destroyed by Japanese naval forces in Chimulpo Bay and on the outer roadstead of Port Arthur. Despite ample evidence that war was approaching, the attack took the Russian fleet by surprise. After the defeat of the Russian fleet, Japanese troops began unhindered landings in Manchuria and Korea. Some time before, the Korean court asked Russia to send two thousand soldiers to Korea. Ironically, instead of Russian soldiers Japanese troops arrived.

War was officially declared only the day after the attack; newspapers reported this already on February 11.

The Meiji Decree declaring war noted: Russia is going to annex Manchuria, although it has promised to withdraw its troops from there, it poses a threat to Korea and to the entire Far East. There was a lot of truth in this statement, but this does not change the fact that it was Japan that first attacked Russia. Trying to whitewash itself in the eyes of the world community, the Japanese government considered that the war began on the day of the announcement of the severance of diplomatic relations. From this point of view, it turns out that the attack on Port Arthur cannot be considered treacherous. But to be fair, it should be noted that the formal rules of war (its advance declaration and notification of neutral states) were adopted only in 1907, at the Second Peace Conference in The Hague. Already on February 12, the Russian representative Baron Rosen left Japan.

This was the second time in a row last decade when Japan first declared war. Even after Japan broke off diplomatic relations with Russia, few in the Russian government believed that it would dare to attack the European superpower. The opinions of clear-headed politicians and military experts who noted that because of Russia's weakness in the Far East, Japan should make decisive concessions were ignored.

The war began with terrible defeats for the Russian army both on land and at sea. After the naval battles in Chimulpo Bay and the Tsushima Battle, the Russian Pacific Navy ceased to exist as an organized force. On land, the war was not conducted so successfully by the Japanese. Despite some successes in the battles of Liaoyang (August 1904) and Mukden (February 1905), the Japanese army suffered significant losses in killed and wounded. The fierce defense of Port Arthur by Russian troops had a great influence on the course of the war; approximately half of the losses of the Japanese army occurred in the battles to capture the fortress. On January 2, 1905, Port Arthur capitulated.

However, despite all the victories, the immediate future seemed very vague to the Japanese command. It clearly understood: the industrial, human and resource potential of Russia, if assessed from a long-term perspective, was much higher. The Japanese statesmen, who were most distinguished by their sober mind, understood from the very beginning of the war that the country could only withstand one year of hostilities. The country was not ready for a long war. Neither materially nor psychologically - the Japanese had historical experience waging long wars. Japan was the first to start a war, and the first to seek peace. Russia Japan Manchuria Korea

At the request of Japanese Foreign Minister Komura Jutaro, American President Theodore Roosevelt initiated peace negotiations. Preparing the ground for his initiative, Roosevelt in Berlin focused on the Russian danger, and in London on the Japanese one, adding that if not for the position of the United States and England, Germany and France would have already intervened on Russia’s side. Berlin supported him as a mediator, fearing claims to this role from England and France.

On June 10, 1905, the Japanese government agreed to negotiations, although public opinion and met this decision with bayonets.

Although Russian patriots demanded war to a victorious end, the war was not popular in the country. There were many cases of mass surrender. Russia hasn't won a single one great battle. Revolutionary movement undermined the strength of the empire. Therefore, the voices of supporters of a speedy conclusion of peace became increasingly louder among the Russian elite. On June 12, Russia responded positively to the American president’s proposal, but hesitated in terms of the practical implementation of the negotiating idea. The final argument in favor of an early conclusion of peace was the Japanese occupation of Sakhalin. Most researchers believe that Roosevelt pushed Japan to take this step in order to make Russia more willing to negotiate.

Advance elements of the 13th Division landed on the island on July 7. There were almost no regular troops on Sakhalin; the convicts had to be armed. Despite the promise to write off a year of imprisonment for each month of participation in the defense, the vigilantes seemed to number in the hundreds. There was no single leadership; initially the focus was on guerrilla warfare.

Sakhalin was captured by Japanese troops in just a few days. Among the defenders of the island, 800 people died, about 4.5 thousand were captured. The Japanese army lost 39 soldiers.

Peace negotiations were to take place in the small American city of Portsmouth. A huge crowd saw off the Japanese delegation, led by Japanese Foreign Minister Baron Komura YUTAR Yusammi, at the port of Yokohama. Ordinary Japanese were confident that he would be able to extract huge concessions from Russia. But Komura himself knew that this was not so. Already anticipating the reaction of the people to the outcome of the upcoming negotiations, Komura quietly said: “When I return, these people will turn into a rebellious crowd and will greet me with clods of dirt or shooting. Therefore, now it is better to enjoy their cries of “Banzai!”

The Portsmouth Conference began on August 9, 1905. Negotiations proceeded at a rapid pace. Nobody wanted to fight. Both sides have demonstrated a penchant for compromise. The level of the Russian delegation was higher - it was headed by the Emperor's Secretary of State and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Russian Empire S.Yu. Witte. Although a truce was not formally declared, hostilities ceased during the negotiations

Few people in the public expected that Witte, and with him the whole of Russia, would be able to achieve a “favorable” peace. And only experts understood: yes, Japan won, but it was no less drained of blood than Russia. Since Japan waged a predominantly offensive war, its human losses were heavier than in Russia (50 thousand killed in Russia and 86 thousand in Japan). Hospitals were filled with the wounded and sick. The ranks of soldiers continued to be mowed down by beriberi. A quarter of Japanese losses at Port Arthur were caused by this disease. Reservists began to be drafted into the army in the next year of conscription. In total, during the war, 1 million 125 thousand people were mobilized - 2 percent of the population. The soldiers were tired, morale was falling, prices and taxes were rising in the metropolis, and the external debt was increasing.

Roosevelt considered it beneficial for America that as a result of the signing of a peace treaty, neither side would receive a decisive advantage. And then, after the end of the war, both countries will continue their confrontation, and American interests in Asia will not be threatened - there is no “yellow” or “Slavic” danger. Japan's victory had already dealt the first blow to American interests. Convinced that Western states could be resisted, the Chinese became emboldened and began to boycott American goods.

The sympathies of American society were inclined in favor of Russia. Not even so much for Russia itself, but in favor of Witte himself. Komura was short, sickly and ugly. In Japan he was nicknamed "mouse". Gloomy and uncommunicative, Komura was not perceived by most Americans. These impressions were superimposed on the anti-Japanese sentiments that were quite widespread among ordinary “Americans.” More than 100 thousand Japanese emigrants were already living in America at that time. The majority believed that by agreeing to low wages, the Japanese were leaving them without jobs. Trade unions demanded that the Japanese be expelled from the country.

In this sense, the choice of America as a place for negotiations was perhaps not the most pleasant for the Japanese delegation. However, anti-Japanese emotions had no influence on the actual course of the negotiations. Ordinary Americans did not yet know that America had already concluded a secret agreement with Japan: Roosevelt recognized the Japanese protectorate over Korea, and Japan agreed to America's control of the Philippines.

Witte tried to adapt to the Americans. He shook hands service personnel, spoke pleasantries to journalists, flirted with the anti-Russian Jewish community and tried not to show that Russia needed peace. He argued that in this war there is no winner, and if there is no winner, then there is no loser. As a result, he "save face" and rejected some of Komura's demands. So Russia refused to pay the indemnity. Witte also rejected demands to hand over Russian warships interned in neutral waters to Japan, which was contrary to international law. He also did not agree to the reduction of the Russian military fleet in the Pacific Ocean. For the Russian state consciousness, this was an unheard of condition that could not be fulfilled. However, Japanese diplomats were well aware that Russia would never agree to these conditions, and they put forward them only in order to later, by abandoning them, demonstrate the flexibility of their position.

The peace agreement between Japan and Russia was signed on August 23, 1905 and consisted of 15 articles. Russia recognized Korea as a sphere of Japanese interests on the condition that Russian subjects would enjoy the same privileges as subjects of other foreign countries.

Both states agreed to completely and simultaneously evacuate all military formations that were in Manchuria and return it to Chinese control. The Russian government stated that it was renouncing special rights and preferences in Manchuria that were incompatible with the principle of equality.

Russia ceded in favor of Japan its rights to lease Port Arthur, Talien and adjacent territories and territorial waters, as well as all rights, benefits and concessions associated with this lease. Russia also gave Japan the railway that connected Chang Chun and Port Arthur, as well as all the coal mines that belonged to this road.

Komura also managed to achieve a territorial concession: Japan received part of the already occupied Sakhalin. Of course, Sakhalin did not then have of great importance, neither geopolitical nor economic, but as another symbol of space, expanding, it was not at all superfluous. The border was established along the 50th parallel. Sakhalin was officially declared a demilitarized zone and both states agreed not to build any military facilities on it. The La Perouse and Tatar straits were declared a free navigation zone.

In essence, Japan's leaders got everything they sought. Finally, they wanted recognition of their “special” interests in Korea and partly in China. Everything else can be considered as an optional application. The instructions that Komura received before the start of negotiations talked about the “optionality” of indemnity and annexations of Sakhalin. Komura was bluffing when he demanded the entire island at the beginning of the negotiations. Having received half of it, he achieved unconditional success. Japan beat Russia not only on the battlefield, but also in the diplomatic game. In the future, Witte spoke about the treaty in Portsmouth as his personal success (he received the title of count for this), but in reality there was no success. Yamagata Aritomo claimed that Witte's tongue was worth 100 thousand soldiers. However, Komura managed to talk him down. But he did not receive any title.

In November 1905, a Japanese-Korean agreement was concluded to establish a protectorate over Korea. The palace where the negotiations took place was surrounded by Japanese soldiers just in case. The text of the agreement belonged to Ito Hirobumi. He was considered an opponent of this war, but this did not prevent him from being among those who took advantage of its fruits with the greatest success. According to the terms of the agreement, Korea did not have the right, without the consent of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to conclude international treaties. Ito Hirobumi was appointed Governor General of Korea. The dreams of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Saigo Takamori finally came true: Korea was finally punished for not recognizing itself as a vassal of Japan for several centuries.

Assessing the results of the conference as a whole, they should be recognized as quite realistic for both Japan and Russia - they coincided with the results of the war. Ten years ago, after the victorious war with China, the coalition European countries did not recognize Japan's encroachment on the role of Far Eastern hegemon. Now everything was different: they accepted Japan into their closed club, which determined the fate of countries and peoples. Striving for parity with the West and literally winning this equality, Japan took another decisive step away from the will of its ancestors, who lived only in the interests of their archipelago. As the subsequent events of the brutal 20th century showed, this departure from the traditional way of thinking led the country to disaster.

One of the largest military conflicts of the early 20th century is the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905. Its result was the first, in modern history, the victory of an Asian state over a European one, in a full-scale armed conflict. The Russian Empire entered the war expecting an easy victory, but the enemy turned out to be underestimated.

IN mid-19th century century, Emperor Mutsuhio carried out a series of reforms, after which Japan turned into a powerful state with modern army and the fleet. The country has emerged from self-isolation; its claims to dominance in East Asia intensified. But another colonial power, the Russian Empire, also sought to gain a foothold in this region.

Causes of the war and the balance of power

The cause of the war was the clash in the Far East of the geopolitical interests of two empires - modernized Japan and Tsarist Russia.

Japan, having established itself in Korea and Manchuria, was forced to make concessions under pressure from the European powers. Russia was given the Liaodong Peninsula, captured by the island empire during the war with China. But both sides understood that a military conflict could not be avoided and were preparing for military action.

By the time hostilities began, the opponents had concentrated significant forces in the conflict zone. Japan could field 375-420 thousand people. and 16 heavy warships. Russia had 150 thousand people who were in Eastern Siberia and 18 heavy ships (battleships, armored cruisers, etc.).

Progress of hostilities

The beginning of the war. Defeat of Russian naval forces in the Pacific Ocean

The Japanese attacked before war was declared, on January 27, 1904. The blows were struck on various directions, which allowed the fleet to neutralize the threat of opposition from Russian ships on sea lanes, and units of the Imperial Japanese Army to land in Korea. By February 21, they occupied the capital Pyongyang, and by the beginning of May they blocked the Port Arthur squadron. This allowed the Japanese 2nd Army to land in Manchuria. Thus, the first stage of hostilities ended in Japanese victory. The defeat of the Russian fleet allowed the Asian empire to invade the mainland with land units and ensure their supplies.

Campaign of 1904. Defense of Port Arthur

The Russian command hoped to take revenge on land. However, the very first battles showed the superiority of the Japanese in the land theater of operations. The 2nd Army defeated the Russians opposing it and was divided into two parts. One of them began to advance on the Kwantung Peninsula, the other on Manchuria. Near Liaoyang (Manchuria), the first major battle took place between the ground units of the opposing sides. The Japanese continuously attacked, and the Russian command, previously confident of victory over the Asians, lost control of the battle. The battle was lost.

Having put his army in order, General Kuropatkin went on the offensive and tried to unblock the Kwantung fortified area, which was cut off from his own. A major battle unfolded in the valley of the Shahe River: there were more Russians, but the Japanese Marshal Oyama managed to hold back the onslaught. Port Arthur was doomed.

1905 Campaign

This sea fortress had a strong garrison and was fortified on land. Under conditions of complete blockade, the fortress garrison repelled four assaults, inflicting significant losses on the enemy; During the defense, various technical innovations were tested. The Japanese kept between 150 and 200 thousand bayonets under the walls of the fortified area. However, after almost a year of siege, the fortress fell. Almost a third of Russian soldiers and officers captured were wounded.

For Russia, the fall of Port Arthur was a severe blow to the prestige of the empire.

The last chance to turn the tide of the war for the Russian army was the battle of Mukden in February 1905. However, the Japanese were no longer opposed by the formidable force of a great power, but by units suppressed by continuous defeats, located far from native land. After 18 days, the left flank of the Russian army wavered, and the command gave the order to retreat. The forces of both sides were exhausted: a positional war began, the outcome of which could only be changed by the victory of Admiral Rozhdestvensky’s squadron. After long months on the road, she approached the island of Tsushima.

Tsushima. Final Japanese victory

By the time of the Battle of Tsushima, the Japanese fleet had an advantage in ships, experience in defeating Russian admirals and high morale. Having lost only 3 ships, the Japanese completely defeated the enemy fleet, scattering its remnants. Russia's maritime borders were left unprotected; a few weeks later the first amphibious landings landed on Sakhalin and Kamchatka.

Peace treaty. Results of the war

In the summer of 1905, both sides were extremely exhausted. Japan had undeniable military superiority, but its supplies were running low. Russia, on the contrary, could use its advantage in resources, but for this it was necessary to rebuild the economy and political life for military needs. The outbreak of the 1905 revolution excluded this possibility. Under these conditions, both sides agreed to sign a peace treaty.

According to the Treaty of Portsmouth, Russia lost the southern part of Sakhalin, the Liaodong Peninsula, and the railway to Port Arthur. The Empire was forced to withdraw from Manchuria and Korea, which became de facto protectorates of Japan. The defeat hastened the collapse of the autocracy and the subsequent disintegration of the Russian Empire. Its enemy, Japan, on the contrary, has significantly strengthened its position, becoming one of the leading world powers.

Country rising sun consistently increased its expansion, becoming one of the largest geopolitical players, and remained so until 1945.

Table: chronology of events

Strengths and weaknesses of opponents

Military-political reasons for Russia's defeat

The negative factors that determined the military defeat of the Russian army and navy were: distance from the theater of military operations, serious shortcomings in the supply of troops and ineffective military leadership.

The political leadership of the Russian Empire, with a general understanding of the inevitability of a collision, did not purposefully prepare for war in the Far East.

The defeat hastened the collapse of the autocracy and the subsequent disintegration of the Russian Empire. Its enemy, Japan, on the contrary, has significantly strengthened its position, becoming one of the leading world powers. The Land of the Rising Sun consistently increased its expansion, becoming the largest geopolitical player and remained so until 1945.

Other factors

• Economic and military-technical backwardness of Russia
• Imperfection of management structures
• Poor development of the Far Eastern region
• Embezzlement and bribery in the army
• Underestimation of the Japanese Armed Forces

Results of the Russo-Japanese War

In conclusion, it is worth noting the importance of defeat in the Russo-Japanese War for the continued existence of the autocratic system in Russia. The inept and ill-conceived actions of the government, which caused the death of thousands of soldiers who faithfully defended it, actually led to the beginning of the first revolution in the history of our country. The prisoners and wounded returning from Manchuria could not hide their indignation. Their evidence, combined with visible economic, military and political backwardness, led to a sharp surge of indignation, primarily in the lower and middle strata Russian society. In fact, the Russo-Japanese War exposed long-hidden contradictions between the people and the government, and this exposure happened so quickly and imperceptibly that it baffled not only the government, but also the participants in the revolution themselves. In many historical printed publications There is an indication that Japan managed to win the war due to betrayal on the part of the socialists and the nascent Bolshevik Party, but in fact such statements are far from the truth, since it was the failures of the Japanese War that provoked a surge of revolutionary ideas. Thus, the Russo-Japanese War became a turning point in history, a period that forever changed its further course.

“It was not the Russian people,” Lenin wrote, “but the Russian autocracy that started this colonial war, which turned into a war between the new and old bourgeois world. It was not the Russian people, but the autocracy that came to a shameful defeat. The Russian people benefited from the defeat of the autocracy. The capitulation of Port Arthur is the prologue to the capitulation of tsarism.”

1904-1905, the reasons for which are known to every schoolchild, had a great influence on the development of Russia in the future. Despite the fact that now it is very easy to “sort out” the prerequisites, causes and consequences, in 1904 it was difficult to imagine such an outcome.

Start

The Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, the causes of which will be discussed below, began in January. The enemy fleet, without warning or obvious reasons, attacked the ships of Russian sailors. This happened for no apparent reason, but the consequences were great: the powerful ships of the Russian squadron became unnecessary broken garbage. Of course, Russia could not ignore such an event and on February 10 war was declared.

Causes of the war

Despite the unpleasant episode with the ships, which caused a significant blow, the official and main reason the war was different. It was all about Russia's expansion to the east. This is the underlying reason for the outbreak of war, but it began under a different pretext. The reason for the fury was the annexation of the Liaodong Peninsula, which previously belonged to Japan.

Reaction

How did the Russian people react to such an unexpected start to the war? This clearly outraged them, because how could Japan dare to take on such a challenge? But the reaction of other countries was different. The USA and England determined their position and sided with Japan. Press reports, which were numerous in all countries, clearly indicated negative reaction on the actions of the Russians. France declared a neutral position, as it needed Russian support, but soon it entered into an agreement with England, which worsened relations with Russia. In turn, Germany also declared neutrality, but Russia’s actions were approved in the press.

Events

At the beginning of the war, the Japanese occupied a very active position. The course of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 could change dramatically from one extreme to the other. The Japanese were unable to conquer Port Arthur, but made many attempts. An army of 45 thousand soldiers was used for the assault. The army met strong resistance from Russian soldiers and lost almost half of its employees. It was not possible to hold the fortress. The cause of the defeat was the death of General Kondratenko in December 1904. If the general had not died, the fortress could have been held for another 2 months. Despite this, Reis and Stoessel signed the act, and the Russian fleet was destroyed. More than 30 thousand Russian soldiers were captured.

Only two battles of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 were truly significant. The Mukden land battle took place in February 1905. It was rightfully considered the largest in history. It ended disastrously for both sides.

The second most important battle is Tsushima. It happened at the end of May 1905. Unfortunately, for the Russian army it was a defeat. The Japanese fleet was 6 times larger than the Russian fleet. This could not but affect the course of the battle, so the Russian Baltic squadron was completely destroyed.

The Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, the causes of which we analyzed above, benefited Japan. Despite this, the country had to pay dearly for its leadership, because its economy was depleted to the point of impossibility. This is what prompted Japan to be the first to propose the terms of a peace treaty. In August, peace negotiations began in the city of Portsmouth. The Russian delegation was headed by Witte. The conference became a big diplomatic breakthrough for the domestic side. Despite the fact that everything was moving towards peace, violent protests took place in Tokyo. The people did not want to make peace with the enemy. However, peace was still concluded. At the same time, Russia suffered significant losses during the war.

Just look at the fact that the Pacific Fleet was completely destroyed, and thousands of people sacrificed their lives for the sake of their Motherland. And yet, Russian expansion in the East was stopped. Of course, the people could not help but discuss this topic, because it was clearly clear that the tsarist policy no longer had such power and might. Perhaps this is what caused revolutionary sentiments to spread in the country, which ultimately led to the well-known events of 1905-1907.

Defeat

The results of the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905 are already known to us. And yet, why did Russia fail and could not defend its policy? Researchers and historians believe that there are four reasons for this outcome. Firstly, the Russian Empire was very isolated from the world stage diplomatically. That is why only a few supported her policy. If Russia had support in the world, it would be easier to fight. Secondly, Russian soldiers were not ready for war, especially in difficult conditions. The effect of surprise, which played into the hands of the Japanese, cannot be underestimated. The third reason is very banal and sad. It consists of multiple betrayals of the Motherland, betrayal, as well as the complete mediocrity and helplessness of many generals.

The results of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 were also losing because Japan was much more developed in the economic and military spheres. This is what helped Japan gain a clear advantage. The Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, the causes of which we examined, was a negative event for Russia, which exposed everything weaknesses.

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 was the first to use the latest weapons.

Reasons

Ended in 1856, it limited Russia's ability to move and expand south, so Nicholas I. turned his attention to 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 sector, which was significantly strengthened thanks to Western exercises.

Japan decides to increase its 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 was signed, providing free access to 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. begins to redeploy his troops to the Far East, arguing this by testing the capacity of the built railway connection.

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 patrolled the water area near the fort.

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

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 May days (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 defenses. 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 undamaged, 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. It's 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 23,000 losses, 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 administration 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.