Russian-Japanese War 1904-1905 battles. Russo-Japanese War: results and consequences

25.09.2019

Largest armed conflict late XIX- beginning of the twentieth century. Was the result of the struggle of the great powers - 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 outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War should be recognized as a clash of interests of Russia, which pursued an expansionist policy in Far East, and Japan, which was making attempts to assert its influence in Asia. The Japanese Empire, which modernized the social system 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 carry out systematic preparations 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. In 1902, Great Britain and Japan entered into a treaty of alliance.

With the goal of economic penetration into Manchuria, the Russian-Chinese Bank was established in 1895, and the construction of the Chinese Eastern Bank began the following year. railway, laid through the Chinese province of 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 the 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. Since the beginning of the war, the command in chief 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 to prepare the squadron for active operations, 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 supporting 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). IN North Korea a cavalry detachment operated 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 a base further actions 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 fortress garrison 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. Stessel. 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 took another attempt capture Port Arthur, which failed again. 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 of the surrender of Port Arthur, 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

February 6 (19) - February 25 (March 10), 1905, the most major battle of the Russian-Japanese War, which predetermined the outcome of the struggle on land - Mukdenskoye. 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 Baltic Sea to the aid of 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

Russian- 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.

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 have lost their previous value, 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.

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 aggressive policy 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.
On their way to war, Tsarist Russia and Japan went through the stage of joint participation, with Germany, England, Italy, France, the USA and other countries, in an 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 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 Russo-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 from China a concession for the construction and operation of the Chinese Eastern Railway (CER) from Harbin to Port Arthur, and in March 1898, a lease for 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:
- attempt to capture foreign markets for a 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.

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 envisaged its gradual landing in Korea, and then on the Liaodong Peninsula, followed by the capture of Port Arthur and going on the offensive against the group 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 an official declaration of war, fired at the Russian squadron in the Port Arthur roadstead. 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 English, French and American ships that were in the Chemulpo roadstead.

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 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 by 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 an 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 the ground forces of the fortress were 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 penalty, but was later replaced by imprisonment in the 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. Rozhestvensky. 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 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, out of 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.

The Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 is one of the imperialist ones, when the mighty of the world this, under the guise of national and state interests, they solve their own narrowly selfish problems, but they suffer, die, lose their health ordinary people. If you asked the Russians and Japanese a few years after that war why they killed and slaughtered each other, you wouldn’t be able to answer

Causes of the Russo-Japanese War

- The struggle of European great powers for influence in China and Korea
- Confrontation between Russia and Japan in the Far East
- Japanese government militarism
- Economic expansion of Russia in Manchuria

Events leading up to the Russo-Japanese War

1874 - Japan captured Formosa (Taiwan), but under pressure from England was forced to leave the island
1870s - the beginning of the struggle between China and Japan for influence in Korea
1885 - Sino-Japanese Treaty on the presence of foreign troops in Korea
1885 - In Russia, the question arose about the construction of a railway to the Far East for the rapid transfer, if necessary, of troops
1891 - Russian construction of the Siberian Railway begins
1892, November 18 - Russian Finance Minister Witte submitted a memo to the Tsar on the development of the Far East and Siberia
1894 - popular uprising in Korea. China and Japan sent in their troops to suppress it
1894, July 25 - Beginning of the Sino-Japanese War over Korea. China was soon defeated
1895, April 17 - The Simonsek Peace Treaty was signed between China and Japan with very difficult conditions for China
1895, spring - Plan of Russian Foreign Minister Lobanov-Rostovsky on cooperation with Japan in the division of China
1895, April 16 - Change in Russia's plans regarding Japan in connection with the statement of Germany and France to limit Japanese conquests
1895, April 23 - Demand from Russia, France and Germany to Japan that the latter renounce the Liaodong Peninsula
1895, May 10 - Japan returned the Liaodong Peninsula to China
1896, May 22 - Russia and China entered into a defensive alliance against Japan
1897, August 27 -
1897, November 14 - Germany forcibly captured Qiao Chao Bay in East China on the shores of the Yellow Sea, in which Russia had an anchorage
1897, December - The Russian squadron moved to Port Arthur
1898, January - England offered Russia the division of China and the Ottoman Empire. Russia rejected the offer
1898, March 6 - China leased Qiao Chao Bay to Germany for 99 years
1898, March 27 - Russia leased from China the lands of the Kwatung region (a region in southern Manchuria, on the Kwantung Peninsula in the southwestern tip of the Liaodong Peninsula) and two ice-free ports on the southeastern tip of the Liaodong Peninsula - Port Arthur (Lüshun) and Dalniy (Dalian) )
1898, April 13 - Russian-Japanese treaty recognizing Japanese interests in Korea
1899, April - an agreement was reached on the delimitation of spheres of railway communication in China between Russia, England and Germany

Thus, by the end of the 90s, the division of a significant part of China into spheres of influence was completed. England retained under its influence the richest part of China - the Yangtze Valley. Russia acquired Manchuria and to some extent other areas of walled China, Germany - Shandong, France - Yuyanan. Japan regained predominant influence in Korea in 1898

1900, May - the beginning of a popular uprising in China, called the Boxer Uprising
1900, July - Boxers attacked CER facilities, Russia sent troops to Manchuria
1900, August - international armed forces under the command of Russian General Linevich suppressed the uprising
1900, August 25 - Russian Foreign Minister Lamsdorff said that Russia would withdraw troops from Manchuria when order was restored there
1900, October 16 - Anglo-German agreement on the territorial integrity of China. The territory of Manchuria was not included in the treaty
1900, November 9 - Russian protectorate established over the Chinese Governor-General of Manchuria
1901, February - protest of Japan, England, USA against Russian influence in Manchuria

Manchuria is a region in northeastern China, about 939,280 km², the main city of Mukden

1901, November 3 - construction of the Great Siberian Railway (Trans-Siberian) was completed
1902, April 8 - Russian-Chinese agreement on the evacuation of Russian troops from Manchuria
1902, end of summer - Japan invited Russia to recognize the Japanese protectorate over Korea in exchange for Japan's recognition of Russia's freedom of action in Manchuria in the sense of protecting Russian railways there. Russia refused

“At this time, Nicholas II began to be greatly influenced by a court group led by Bezobrazov, which convinced the tsar not to leave Manchuria contrary to the agreement concluded with China; Moreover, not content with Manchuria, the tsar was incited to penetrate into Korea, where since 1898 Russia had actually tolerated the predominant influence of Japan. The Bezobrazov clique acquired a private forest concession in Korea. The concession territory covered the basins of two rivers: the Yalu and the Tuman and stretched for 800 kilometers along the Sino-Korean and Russian-Korean borders from the Korean Gulf to the Sea of Japan, occupying the entire border zone. Formally, the concession was acquired by a private joint stock company. In fact, behind him stood the tsarist government, which, under the guise of forest guards, sent troops to the concession. Trying to penetrate Korea, it delayed the evacuation of Manchuria, although the deadlines established by the agreement on April 8, 1902 had already passed.”

1903, August - resumption of negotiations between Russia and Japan on Korea and Manchuria. The Japanese demanded that the object of the Russian-Japanese agreement be the position of Russia and Japan not only in Korea, but also in Manchuria. The Russians demanded that Japan recognize Manchuria as an area "in all respects outside the sphere of its interests."
1903, December 23 - The Japanese government, in terms reminiscent of an ultimatum, announced that it “feels forced to ask the Imperial Russian government to reconsider its proposal in this sense.” The Russian government made concessions.
1904, January 13 - Japan strengthened its demands. Russia was about to concede again, but hesitated to formulate

The course of the Russo-Japanese War. Briefly

1904, February 6 - Japan broke off diplomatic relations with Russia
1904, February 8 - The Japanese fleet attacked the Russian in the roadsteads of Port Athrur. Beginning of the Russo-Japanese War
1904, March 31 - While leaving Port Athrur, the battleship Petropavlovsk hit mines and sank. 650 people died, including the famous shipbuilder and scientist Admiral Makarov and the famous battle painter Vereshchagin
1904, April 6 - formation of the 1st and 2nd Pacific squadrons
1904, May 1 - defeat of a detachment under the command of M. Zasulich numbering about 18 thousand people from the Japanese in the battle on the Yalu River. Beginning of the Japanese invasion of Manchuria
1904, May 5 - Japanese landing on the Liaondong Peninsula
1904, May 10 - railway communication between Manchuria and Port Arthur was interrupted
1904, May 29 - the distant port is occupied by the Japanese
1904, August 9 - beginning of the defense of Port Arthur
1904, August 24 - Battle of Liaoyang. Russian troops retreated to Mukden
1904, October 5 - Battle of the Shah River
1905, January 2 - Port Arthur was commissioned
1905, January - beginning
1905, January 25 - an attempt at a Russian counter-offensive, the battle of Sandepu, lasted 4 days
1905, late February-early March - battle of Mukden
1905, May 28 - In the Tsushima Strait (between the Korean Peninsula and the islands of the Japanese archipelago of Iki, Kyushu and the southwestern tip of Honshu), the Japanese squadron defeated the Russian 2nd squadron of the Russian fleet under the command of Vice Admiral Rozhestvensky
1905, July 7 - the beginning of the Japanese invasion of Sakhalin
1905, July 29 - Sakhalin is captured by the Japanese
1905, August 9 - peace negotiations between Russia and Japan began in Portsmouth (USA) through the mediation of US President Roosevelt.
1905, September 5 - Peace of Portsmouth

His article No. 2 read: “The Russian imperial government, recognizing Japan’s predominant political, military and economic interests in Korea, undertakes not to interfere with those measures of leadership, patronage and supervision that the imperial Japanese government might consider necessary to take in Korea.” According to Article 5, Russia ceded to Japan lease rights to the Liaodong Peninsula with Port Arthur and Dalny, and under Article 6 - the South Manchurian Railway from Port Arthur to Kuan Cheng Tzu station, somewhat south of Harbin. Thus, Southern Manchuria became Japan's sphere of influence. Russia ceded the southern part of Sakhalin to Japan. According to Article 12, Japan imposed on Russia the conclusion of a fishing convention: “Russia undertakes to enter into an agreement with Japan in the form of granting Japanese subjects the rights to fishing along the shores of Russian possessions in the Seas of Japan, Okhotsk and Bering. It is agreed that such an obligation will not affect the rights already owned by Russian or foreign subjects in these parts.” Article 7 of the Treaty of Portsmouth stated: “Russia and Japan undertake to operate the railways belonging to them in Manchuria solely for commercial and industrial purposes, and in no way for strategic purposes.”

Results of the Russian-Japanese War 1904-1905

“The military observer, Chief of the German General Staff, Count Schlieffen, who carefully studied the experience of the war, noted that Russia could easily continue the war; her resources were barely touched, and she could field if not new fleet, That new army, and was able to succeed. It was only necessary to better mobilize the country's forces. But tsarism was not up to this task. “It is not the Russian people,” Lenin wrote, “but Russian autocracy the beginning of this colonial war, which turned into a war between the old and new bourgeois world. It was not the Russian people, but the autocracy that came to a shameful defeat.” “It was not Russia that was defeated by the Japanese, not the Russian army, but our order,” the famous Russian statesman S. Yu. Witte admitted in his memoirs” (“History of Diplomacy. Volume 2”)

The confrontation between Russia and Japan for control of Manchuria, Korea, and the ports of Port Arthur and Dalny were main reason the beginning of a tragic war for Russia.

The fighting began with an attack by the Japanese fleet, which on the night of February 9, 1904, without declaring war, launched a surprise attack on the Russian squadron near the Port Arthur naval base.

In March 1904, the Japanese army landed in Korea, and in April - in southern Manchuria. Under the blows of superior enemy forces, Russian troops abandoned the Jinzhou position in May and blocked Port Arthur 3 by the Japanese army. In the battle of June 14-15 at Wafangou, the Russian army retreated.

In early August, the Japanese landed on the Liaodong Peninsula and besieged the Port Arthur fortress. On August 10, 1904, the Russian squadron undertook unsuccessful attempt breakthrough from Port Arthur, as a result, individual ships that escaped were interned in neutral ports, and the cruiser Novik near Kamchatka died in an unequal battle.

The siege of Port Arthur lasted from May 1904 and fell on January 2, 1905. Japan's main goal was achieved. The battles in Northern Manchuria were of an auxiliary nature, because the Japanese did not have the strength and means to occupy it and the entire Russian Far East.

The first major land battle near Liaoyang (August 24 - September 3, 1904) led to the retreat of Russian troops to Mukden. The oncoming battle on October 5-17 on the Shahe River and the attempt of Russian troops to advance on January 24, 1905 in the Sandepu area were unsuccessful.

After the largest Battle of Mukden (February 19 - March 10, 1905), Russian troops retreated to Telin, and then to Sypingai positions 175 km north of Mukden. Here they met the end of the war.

Formed after the death of the Russian fleet in Port Arthur, 2 Pacific made a six-month transition to the Far East. However, in the many-hour battle at Fr. Tsushima (May 27, 1905) it was fragmented and destroyed by superior enemy forces.

Russian military losses, according to official data, amounted to 31,630 killed, 5,514 died from wounds and 1,643 died in captivity. Russian sources estimated Japanese losses to be more significant: 47,387 people were killed, 173,425 were wounded, 11,425 died from wounds and 27,192 from disease.

According to foreign sources, the losses in killed, wounded and sick in Japan and Russia are comparable, and there were several times more Russian prisoners than Japanese prisoners.

Results of the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905.

For Russia . She ceded the Liaodong Peninsula to Japan along with a branch of the South Manchurian Railway and the southern half of the island. Sakhalin. Russian troops were withdrawn from Manchuria, and Korea was recognized as Japan's sphere of influence.

Russia's positions in China and throughout the Far East were undermined. The country lost its position as one of the largest maritime powers, abandoned the “oceanic” strategy and returned to the “continental” strategy. Russia has reduced international trade and tightened domestic policies.

The main reason for Russia's defeat in this war is the weakness of the fleet and poor logistics support.

Defeat in the war led to military reforms and a noticeable improvement in combat training. The troops, especially the command staff, gained combat experience, which later showed itself in the First World War.

Losing the war became the catalyst for the first Russian revolution. Despite its suppression by 1907, the Russian empire did not recover from this blow and ceased to exist.

For Japan . Psychologically and politically, Japan's victory demonstrated to Asia that it was possible to defeat the Europeans. Japan has become a great power at the European level of development. It became dominant in Korea and coastal China, began active naval construction, and by the end of the First World War had become the third naval power in the world.

Geopolitical. All of Russia's positions in the Pacific region were practically lost; it abandoned the eastern (southeastern) direction of expansion and turned its attention to Europe, the Middle East and the Straits area.

Relations with England improved and an agreement was signed on the delimitation of spheres of influence in Afghanistan. The Anglo-Franco-Russian alliance “Entente” finally took shape. The balance of power in Europe temporarily shifted in favor of the Central Powers.

Anatoly Sokolov