The last Russian-Japanese war. Russo-Japanese War

During 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 attache Yoshida cut 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 Far East General Alekseev did not consider it necessary to inform Port Arthur and forbade publication of the news in newspapers, citing his 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 landing unhindered 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 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 Pacific navy Russia as an organized force ceased to exist. 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: industrial, human and resource potential Russia, if assessed from a long-term perspective, was significantly higher. Statesmen Japan, most distinguished by its 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 to the proposal American President positive, but slow in parts practical implementation into the life of the negotiation 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, fighting were stopped during 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 led 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 already in next year call. 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. Making sure that Western states can 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 with service staff, said pleasantries to journalists, flirted with the anti-Russian Jewish community and tried not to show that Russia needed peace. He argued that there is no winner in this war, 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 reduce the Russian navy by 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. Russian government stated that it renounces special rights and preferences in Manchuria that are 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 just in case Japanese soldiers. 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 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.

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

F. M. Dostoevsky

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

Prerequisites for the war

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

In 1896, the government of Nicholas 2 signed a friendship treaty with China. As a result, China allows Russia to build a railway to Vladivostok through Northern Manchuria (China Eastern Railway).

In 1898, Russia, as part of a friendship agreement with China, leased the Liaodong Peninsula from the latter for 25 years. This move drew sharp criticism from Japan, which also laid claim to these lands. But this did not lead to serious consequences at that time. In 1902 tsarist army enters Manchuria. Formally, Japan was ready to recognize this territory as Russia if the latter recognized Japanese dominance in Korea. But the Russian government made a mistake. They did not take Japan seriously, and did not even think about entering into negotiations with it.

Causes and nature of the war

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

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

The nature of hostilities can be defined as follows

• Russia planned to defend itself and raise reserves. The transfer of troops was planned to be completed in August 1904, after which it was planned to go on the offensive, right up to the landing of troops in Japan.
• Japan planned to wage an offensive war. The first strike was planned at sea with the destruction of the Russian fleet, so that nothing would interfere with the transfer of troops. The plans included the capture of Manchuria, Ussuri and Primorsky Territories.

Balance of forces at the beginning of the war

Japan could field about 175 thousand people in the war (another 100 thousand in reserve) and 1140 field guns. The Russian army consisted of 1 million people and 3.5 million in reserve (reserve). But in the Far East, Russia had 100 thousand people and 148 field guns. Also at the disposal of the Russian army were border guards, of whom there were 24 thousand people with 26 guns. The problem was that these forces, inferior in number to the Japanese, were widely scattered geographically: from Chita to Vladivostok and from Blagoveshchensk to Port Arthur. During 1904-1905, Russia carried out 9 mobilizations, calling for military service about 1 million people.

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

It is obvious that the Russian- Japanese war 1904 – 1905 began with clear Japanese superiority on land and sea.

Progress of hostilities

Map of military operations

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

Events of 1904

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

Russia began to transfer its army to the Far East, but this happened very slowly. A distance of 8 thousand kilometers and an unfinished section of the Siberian Railway - all this interfered with the transfer of the army. The road capacity was 3 trains per day, which is extremely low.

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

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

Fall of Port Arthur

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

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

Subsequently, under public pressure, General Stoessel was put on trial and he was sentenced to death penalty. The sentence was not carried out. Nicholas 2 pardoned the general.

Historical reference

Port Arthur defense map

rice. 2 - Port Arthur defense map

Events of 1905

The Russian command demanded active action from Kuropatkin. The decision was made to launch the offensive in February. But the Japanese forestalled him by launching an attack on Mukden (Shenyang) on ​​February 5, 1905. From February 6 to 25, the largest battle of the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905 continued. On the Russian side, 280 thousand people took part in it, on the Japanese side - 270 thousand people. There are many interpretations of the Battle of Mukden in terms of who won it. In fact it was a draw. The Russian army lost 90 thousand soldiers, the Japanese - 70 thousand. Fewer losses on the part of Japan is a frequent argument in favor of its victory, but this battle did not give the Japanese army any advantage or gain. Moreover, the losses were so severe that Japan made no further attempts to organize large land battles until the end of the war.

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

• Kuropatkin factor
• Factor of the 1905 revolution

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

Kuropatkin factor

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

Of course, it is impossible to answer this question directly, but a number of historians put forward the following opinion (I cite it because it is well-reasoned and extremely similar to the truth). Kuropatkin was closely associated with Witte, who, let me remind you, by the time of the war had been removed from the post of prime minister by Nicholas 2. Kuropatkin's plan was to create conditions under which the Tsar would return Witte. The latter was considered an excellent negotiator, so it was necessary to bring the war with Japan to a stage where the parties would sit down at the negotiating table. To achieve this, the war could not be ended with the help of the army (the defeat of Japan was a direct surrender without any negotiations). Therefore, the commander did everything to reduce the war to a draw. He successfully completed this task, and indeed Nicholas 2 called on Witte towards the end of the war.

Revolution factor

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

• The peak of the revolution and movement occurred at the Battle of Tsushima. Nicholas 2 needed an army to fight the revolution and he decided to start peace negotiations with Japan.
• Immediately after the signing of the Portsmouth Peace, the revolution in Russia began to decline.

Reasons for Russia's defeat

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

• The weakness of the grouping of Russian troops in the Far East.
• The unfinished Trans-Siberian Railway, which did not allow the full transfer of troops.
• Errors army command. I already wrote above about the Kuropatkin factor.
• Japan's superiority in military-technical equipment.

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

Portsmouth World

To conclude peace between the countries, Japan demanded that Theodore Roosevelt, President of the United States, act as a mediator. Negotiations began and the Russian delegation was headed by Witte. Nicholas 2 returned him to his post and entrusted him with negotiations, knowing the talents of this man. And Witte really took a very tough position, not allowing Japan to gain significant gains from the war.

The terms of the Portsmouth Peace were as follows:

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

Consequences of the war

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

An important fact that many people ignore is that it was after the Russo-Japanese War that the Entente (Russia, France and England) and Triple Alliance(Germany, Italy and Austria-Hungary). The fact of the formation of the Entente is noteworthy. Before the war in Europe there was an alliance between Russia and France. The latter did not want its expansion. But the events of Russia's war against Japan showed that the Russian army had many problems (this really was the case), so France signed agreements with England.

Positions of world powers during the war

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

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

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

The end of the war is also seen as the complete defeat of the Russian army on land and in the navy. If at sea the situation was really close to defeat, then on land Japan stood on the brink of an abyss, since they no longer had the human resources to continue the war. I suggest looking at this question even a little more broadly. How did the wars of that era end after the unconditional defeat (and this is what Soviet historians often talked about) of one of the sides? Large indemnities, large territorial concessions, partial economic and political dependence loser from the winner. But in Portsmouth world there is nothing like it. Russia paid nothing, lost only the southern part of Sakhalin (a small territory) and abandoned the lands leased from China. The argument is often made that Japan won the struggle for dominance in Korea. But Russia never seriously fought for this territory. She was only interested in Manchuria. And if we return to the origins of the war, we will see that the Japanese government would never have started the war if Nicholas 2 had recognized Japan’s dominance in Korea, just as the Japanese government would have recognized Russia’s position in Manchuria. Therefore, at the end of the war, Russia did what it should have done back in 1903, without bringing the matter to war. But this is a question about the personality of Nicholas 2, who today is extremely fashionable to call a martyr and hero of Russia, but it was his actions that provoked the war.

At the dawn of the twentieth century, a fierce clash occurred between the Russian and Japanese empires. In what year did war with Japan await our country? It began in the winter of 1904 and lasted more than 12 months until 1905, becoming a real a blow to the whole world. It stood out not only as a subject of dispute between the two powers, but also as the latest weapon used in battles.

In contact with

Prerequisites

Basic events unfolded in the Far East, in one of the most contested regions in the world. At the same time, the Russian and Japanese empires laid claim to it, each having its own political strategies regarding this area, ambitions and plans. Specifically, there was talk of establishing control over the Chinese region of Manchuria, as well as over Korea and the Yellow Sea.

Note! At the beginning of the twentieth century, Russia and Japan were not just the strongest countries in the world, but also actively developing. Oddly enough, this became the first prerequisite for the Russo-Japanese War.

The Russian Empire actively expanded its borders, touching Persia and Afghanistan in the southeast.

British interests were affected, so the Russian map continued to expand in the Far East.

The first to stand in the way was China, which had become impoverished from numerous wars and was forced give Russia part of its territories in order to gain support and funds. Thus, new lands came into the possession of our empire: Primorye, Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands.

The reasons also lay in Japanese politics. The new Emperor Meiji considered self-isolation a relic of the past and actively began to develop his country, promoting it to international arena. After numerous successful reforms Empire of Japan reached a new, modernized level. The next step was the expansion of other states.

Even before the start of the 1904 war Meiji conquered China, which gave him the right to dispose of Korean lands. Later, the island of Taiwan and other nearby territories were conquered. Here were the prerequisites for future confrontation, since the interests of two empires that contradicted each other met. So, on January 27 (February 9), 1904, the war between Russia and Japan officially began.

Causes

The Russo-Japanese War became one of the most bright examples"cockfight" There were no racist, religious or ideological disputes between the two warring countries. Nor did the essence of the conflict lie in the increase own territory By significant reasons. It’s just that each state had a goal: to prove to itself and others that it was powerful, strong and invincible.

Let's first consider reasons for the emergence of the Russo-Japanese War within the Russian Empire:

1. The king wanted to assert himself through victory and show all his people that his army and military power- the strongest in the world.
2. It was possible to suppress once and for all the revolution that broke out, into which peasants, workers and even the urban intelligentsia were drawn.

Let us briefly consider how this war could be useful to Japan. The Japanese had only one goal: to demonstrate their new weapons, which had been improved. It was necessary to test the latest military equipment, and where could this be done if not in battle.

Note! If the participants in the armed confrontation had won, they would have settled their internal political differences. The economy of the victorious country would have improved significantly and new lands would have been acquired - Manchuria, Korea and the entire Yellow Sea.

Military operations on land

On Eastern front At the beginning of 1904, the 23rd artillery brigade was sent from Russia.

The troops were distributed among strategically important sites - Vladivostok, Manchuria and Port Arthur. There was also a special corral engineering troops, and a very impressive number of people guarded the CER (railway).

The fact is that all food and ammunition were delivered to the soldiers from the European part of the country by train, which is why they required additional protection.

By the way, this became one of the reasons for Russia's defeat. Distance from industrial centers our country to the Far East is unrealistically large. It took a lot of time to deliver everything necessary, and it was not possible to transport much.

As for the Japanese troops, they were outnumbered by the Russian ones. Moreover, having left their native and very small islands, they found themselves literally scattered across huge territory. But in the ill-fated 1904-1905 they were saved by military power. The latest weapons and armored vehicles, destroyers, and improved artillery have done their job. It is worth noting the very tactics of warfare and combat that the Japanese learned from the British. In a word, they took it not by quantity, but by quality and cunning.

Naval battles

The Russo-Japanese War became real fiasco for the Russian fleet.

Shipbuilding in the Far Eastern region at that time was not very developed, and delivering the “gifts” of the Black Sea to such a distance was extremely difficult.

In the country rising sun the fleet was always powerful, Meiji was well prepared, knew very well weak sides enemy, therefore he managed not only to hold back the enemy’s onslaught, but also to completely destroy our fleet.

He won the battle thanks to the same military tactics, which he learned from the British.

Main events

Troops of the Russian Empire for a long time did not improve their potential, did not conduct tactical exercises. Their entry to the Far Eastern front in 1904 made it clear that they were simply not ready to fight and fight. This can be clearly seen in the chronology of the main events of the Russo-Japanese War. Let's look at them in order.

• February 9, 1904 – Battle of Chemulpo. The Russian cruiser "Varyag" and the steamer "Koreets", under the command of Vsevolod Rudnev, were surrounded by a Japanese squadron. In an unequal battle, both ships were lost, and the remaining crew members were evacuated to Sevastopol and Odessa. In the future, they were prohibited from enlisting in the Pacific Fleet;
• On February 27 of the same year, using the latest torpedoes, the Japanese disabled more than 90% of the Russian fleet by attacking it in Port Arthur;
• spring 1904 - defeat of the Russian Empire in numerous battles on land. In addition to difficulties with transporting ammunition and supplies, our soldiers simply did not have a normal map. The Russo-Japanese War had clear patterns and certain strategic objects. But without proper navigation it was impossible to cope with the task;
• 1904, August – The Russians were able to defend Port Arthur;
• 1905, January - Admiral Stessel surrendered Port Arthur to the Japanese;
• May of the same year – another unequal sea ​​battle. After the battle of Tsushima, one Russian ship returned to the port, but the entire Japanese squadron remained safe and sound;
• July 1905 - Japanese troops invaded Sakhalin.

Probably the answer to the question of who won the war is obvious. But in fact, numerous battles on land and water caused the exhaustion of both countries. Japan, although considered the winner, was forced to enlist the support of countries such as Great Britain. The results were disappointing: the economy and domestic politics of both countries were completely undermined. The countries signed a peace treaty, and the whole world began to help them.

Outcome of hostilities

At the end of hostilities in the Russian Empire, preparations for revolution were in full swing. The enemy knew this, so he set a condition: Japan agreed to sign a peace treaty only on condition of complete surrender. At the same time, it had to be observed the following items:

• half of the island of Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands were to pass into the possession of the land of the rising sun;
• renunciation of claims to Manchuria;
• Japan was to have the right to lease Port Arthur;
• the Japanese get all the rights to Korea;
• Russia had to pay its enemy an indemnity for the maintenance of prisoners.

And they weren't the only ones Negative consequences Russian-Japanese War for our people. The economy began to stagnate for a long time, as factories and factories became impoverished.

Unemployment began in the country, prices for food and other goods rose. Russia began to be denied loans many foreign banks, during which business activities also came to a halt.

But there were also positive points. By signing the Portsmouth Peace Agreement, Russia received support from the European powers - England and France.

This became the seed for the emergence of a new alliance called the Entente. It is worth noting that Europe was also frightened by the brewing revolution, so it tried to provide all possible support to our country so that these events would not go beyond its borders, but would only subside. But, as we know, it was not possible to restrain the people, and the revolution became a vivid protest of the population against the current government.

But in Japan, despite numerous losses, things got better. The Land of the Rising Sun proved to the whole world that it can defeat the Europeans. The victory brought this state to the international level.

Why did everything turn out this way?

Let us list the reasons for Russia's defeat in this armed confrontation.

1. Considerable distance from industrial centers. The railway could not cope with transporting everything necessary to the front.
2. Lack of Russian army and a fleet of proper training and skill. The Japanese had more advanced technology possession of weapons and combat.
3. Our enemy developed fundamentally new military equipment, which was difficult to cope with.
4. Betrayal by the tsarist generals. For example, the surrender of Port Arthur, which had previously been taken.
5. The war was not popular among ordinary people, as well as many soldiers who were sent to the front, were not interested in victory. And here Japanese warriors were ready to die for the sake of the emperor.

Analysis of the Russo-Japanese War by historians

Russo-Japanese War, reasons for defeat

Conclusion

After the defeat in the Russo-Japanese War, the old regime completely collapsed in Russia. Just a few years later, our ancestors became citizens completely new country. And most importantly, many who died on the Far Eastern Front were not remembered for a long time.

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

Causes

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

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

26.03 (08.04) 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 privy council and the Cabinet of Ministers of Japan, a decision is made to begin military operations against Russia, and soon an order is 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 Russian armed forces were widely 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 a large number of 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 Manchu 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.

2 (15) May flooded 2 Japanese ship, who, thanks to the Amur minelayer, fell into placed mines. In just five May days (12−17.05), Japan lost 7 ships, and two went to Japanese port for repairs.

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

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

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

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

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

On July 13 (26), the Japanese 3rd Army broke through the defenses of 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.

On August 11 (24) happened general battle 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 governance and diplomatic mistakes made by Russia. Russia's losses amounted to 270 thousand people, of which 50,000 were killed. Japan's losses were similar, but there were more killed - 80,000 people.

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

Economic recovery of Russia, construction railways, the expansive policy of developing the provinces led to the strengthening of Russia’s position in the Far East. The tsarist government had the opportunity to extend its influence to Korea and China. For this purpose, the tsarist government in 1898 leased the Liaodong Peninsula from China for a period of 25 years.

In 1900, Russia, together with other great powers, took part in suppressing the uprising in China and sent its troops into Manchuria under the pretext of ensuring the protection of the Chinese Eastern Railway. China was given a condition - the withdrawal of troops from the occupied territories in exchange for the concession of Manchuria. However, the international situation was unfavorable, and Russia was forced to withdraw its troops without satisfying the claims. Unhappy with growth Russian influence In the Far East, supported by England and the USA, Japan entered into the struggle for a leading role in Southeast Asia. Both powers were preparing for a military conflict.

The balance of power in the Pacific region was not in favor Tsarist Russia. It was significantly inferior in the number of ground forces (a group of 98 thousand soldiers was concentrated in the Port Arthur area against the 150 thousand Japanese army). Japan was significantly superior to Russia in military equipment(the Japanese Navy had twice as many cruisers and three times the number of destroyers of the Russian fleet). The theater of military operations was located at a considerable distance from the center of Russia, which made it difficult to supply ammunition and food. The situation was aggravated by the low capacity of the railways. Despite this, the tsarist government continued its aggressive policy in the Far East. In the desire to distract people from social problems The government decided to raise the prestige of the autocracy with a “victorious war.”

On January 27, 1904, without declaring war, Japanese troops attacked the Russian squadron stationed in the Port Arthur roadstead.

As a result, several Russian warships were damaged. The Russian cruiser Varyag and the gunboat Koreets were blocked in the Korean port of Chemulpo. The crews were offered surrender. Rejecting this proposal, the Russian sailors took the ships to the outer roadstead and took on the Japanese squadron.

Despite heroic resistance, they failed to break through to Port Arthur. The surviving sailors sank the ships without surrendering to the enemy.

The defense of Port Arthur was tragic. On March 31, 1904, while withdrawing the squadron to the outer roadstead, the flagship cruiser Petropavlovsk was blown up by a mine, killing the outstanding military leader and organizer of the defense of Port Arthur, Admiral S.O. Makarov. The command of the ground forces did not take the proper actions and allowed Port Arthur to be encircled. Cut off from the rest of the army, the 50,000-strong garrison repelled six massive attacks by Japanese troops from August to December 1904.

Port Arthur fell at the end of December 1904. The loss of the main base of Russian troops predetermined the outcome of the war. Major defeat The Russian army suffered at Mukden. In October 1904, the second Pacific squadron came to the aid of besieged Port Arthur. Near Fr. Tsushima in the Sea of ​​Japan, she was met and defeated by the Japanese Navy.

In August 1905, in Portsmund, Russia and Japan signed an agreement according to which the southern part of the island was ceded to Japan. Sakhalin and Port Arthur. The Japanese were given the right to freely fish in Russian territorial waters. Russia and Japan pledged to withdraw their troops from Manchuria. Korea was recognized as a sphere of Japanese interests.

The Russo-Japanese War placed a heavy economic burden on the shoulders of the people. War expenses amounted to 3 billion rubles from external loans. Russia lost 400 thousand people killed, wounded and captured. The defeat showed the weakness of Tsarist Russia and increased discontent in society existing system authorities, brought the beginning closer.