In 1904 a war broke out. Relationships of forces on water

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.

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Prerequisites

Basic events unfolded in the Far East, in one of the most contested regions in the world. At the same time, it was claimed by the Russian and Japanese empires, each with 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 on the international stage. After numerous successful reforms, the Japanese Empire 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 hidden 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 striking examples of “cockfighting”. There were no racist, religious or ideological disputes between the two warring countries. Nor did the essence of the conflict lie in increasing one’s own territory for 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 were 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

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

The troops were distributed among strategically important sites - Vladivostok, Manchuria and Port Arthur. There was also a special corral of 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. The distance from the industrial centers of 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 over a vast 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 land of the rising sun, the fleet was always powerful, Meiji was well prepared, knew the enemy’s weaknesses very well, and therefore managed not only to hold back the enemy’s onslaught, but also to completely defeat our fleet.

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

Main events

For a long time, the troops of the Russian Empire did not improve their potential and 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 naval 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 time of 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 these were not the only negative consequences of the 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 were also suspended.

But there were also positive moments. 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. The Russian army and navy lack 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, and many of the soldiers who were sent to the front were not interested in victory. But the Japanese soldiers 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 of a completely new country. And most importantly, many who died on the Far Eastern Front were not remembered for a long time.

The largest armed conflict of the late 19th - early 20th centuries. It was the result of the struggle of the great powers - the Russian Empire, Great Britain, Germany, France and Japan, which aspired to the role of the dominant regional power, for the colonial division of China and Korea.

Causes of the war

The reason for the Russo-Japanese War should be recognized as a clash of interests between Russia, which pursued an expansionist policy in the Far East, and Japan, which attempted to assert its influence in Asia. The Japanese Empire, which 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 systematically prepare for a new war on the continent, adopting in 1896 a 7-year program for the reorganization of the ground army. With the participation of Great Britain, a modern navy began to be created. In 1902, Great Britain and Japan entered into a treaty of alliance.

With the goal of economic penetration into Manchuria, the Russian-Chinese Bank was established in 1895, and the following year construction began on the Chinese Eastern 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 a logging concession on the Yalu River, and to prevent Japanese economic and political penetration into Manchuria. In the summer of 1903, a governorship headed by Admiral E.I. was established in the Far East. Alekseev. Negotiations held in the same year between Russia and Japan on delimiting spheres of interest in the region did not produce results. On January 24 (February 5), 1904, the Japanese side announced the termination of negotiations and broke off diplomatic relations with the Russian Empire, setting a course for starting a war.

Countries' readiness for war

By the start of hostilities, Japan had largely completed its armed forces modernization program. After mobilization, the Japanese army consisted of 13 infantry divisions and 13 reserve brigades (323 battalions, 99 squadrons, over 375 thousand people and 1140 field guns). The Japanese United Fleet consisted of 6 new and 1 old squadron battleship, 8 armored cruisers (two of them, acquired from Argentina, entered service after the start of the war), 12 light cruisers, 27 squadron and 19 small destroyers. Japan's war plan included a struggle for supremacy at sea, the landing of troops in Korea and Southern Manchuria, the capture of Port Arthur and the defeat of the main forces of the Russian army in the Liaoyang area. The general leadership of the Japanese troops was carried out by the Chief of the General Staff, later the Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces, Marshal I. Oyama. The United Fleet was commanded by Admiral H. Togo.

At the beginning of the twentieth century. The Russian Empire had the largest land army in the world, but in the Far East, as part of the Amur Military District and the troops of the Kwantung Region, it had extremely insignificant forces scattered over a vast territory. They consisted of the I and II Siberian Army Corps, 8 East Siberian Rifle Brigades, deployed into divisions at the beginning of the war, 68 infantry battalions, 35 squadrons and hundreds of cavalry, a total of about 98 thousand people, 148 field guns. Russia was not ready for war with Japan. The low capacity of the Siberian and East China Railways (as of February 1904 - 5 and 4 pairs of military trains, respectively) did not allow us to count on a quick reinforcement of troops in Manchuria with reinforcements from European Russia. The Russian Navy in the Far East had 7 squadron battleships, 4 armored cruisers, 7 light cruisers, 2 mine cruisers, 37 destroyers. The main forces were the Pacific squadron and were based in Port Arthur, 4 cruisers and 10 destroyers were in Vladivostok.

War plan

The Russian war plan was prepared at the temporary headquarters of His Imperial Majesty's governor in the Far East, Admiral E.I. Alekseev in September-October 1903 on the basis of plans developed independently of each other at the headquarters of the Amur Military District and at the headquarters of the Kwantung Region, and approved by Nicholas II on January 14 (27), 1904. It assumed the concentration of the main forces of Russian troops on the Mukden line -Liaoyang-Haichen and the defense of Port Arthur. With the beginning of mobilization, it was planned to send large reinforcements from European Russia to help the armed forces in the Far East - the X and XVII army corps and four reserve infantry divisions. Until reinforcements arrived, Russian troops had to adhere to a defensive course of action and only after creating numerical superiority could they go on the offensive. The fleet was required to fight for supremacy at sea and prevent the landing of Japanese troops. At the beginning of the war, the command of the armed forces in the Far East was entrusted to the viceroy, Admiral E.I. Alekseeva. Subordinate to him was the commander of the Manchurian Army, who became the Minister of War, Infantry General A.N. Kuropatkin (appointed on February 8 (21), 1904), and the commander of the Pacific squadron, Vice Admiral S.O. Makarov, who replaced the uninitiative Vice Admiral O.V. on February 24 (March 8). Stark.

The beginning of the war. Military operations at sea

Military operations opened on January 27 (February 9), 1904, with a sudden attack by Japanese destroyers on the Russian Pacific squadron, which was stationed without proper security measures on the outer roadstead of Port Arthur. As a result of the attack, two squadron battleships and one cruiser were disabled. On the same day, the Japanese detachment of Rear Admiral S. Uriu (6 cruisers and 8 destroyers) attacked the Russian cruiser “Varyag” and the gunboat “Koreets”, which were stationed in the Korean port of Chemulpo. The Varyag, which received heavy damage, was scuttled by the crew, and the Koreets was blown up. January 28 (February 10) Japan declared war on Russia.

After the attack by Japanese destroyers, the weakened Pacific squadron limited itself to defensive actions. Arriving in Port Arthur, Vice Admiral S.O. Makarov began 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). A cavalry detachment operated in North Korea under the command of Major General P.I. Mishchenko (22 hundreds) with the task of conducting reconnaissance beyond the Yalu River. On February 28 (March 12), based on the Eastern Vanguard, reinforced by the 6th East Siberian Rifle Division, the Eastern Detachment was formed, led by Lieutenant General M.I. Zasulich. He was faced with the task of making it difficult for the enemy to cross the Yala, but under no circumstances engaging in a decisive clash with the Japanese.

On April 18 (May 1), in the battle of Tyurencheng, the 1st Japanese Army defeated the Eastern Detachment, drove it back from Yalu and, having advanced to Fenghuangcheng, reached the flank of the Russian Manchurian Army. Thanks to the success at Tyurenchen, the enemy seized the strategic initiative and on April 22 (May 5) was able to begin the landing of the 2nd Army of General Y. Oku (about 35 thousand bayonets and sabers, 216 guns) on the Liaodong Peninsula near Bizivo. The southern branch of the Chinese Eastern Railway, leading from Liaoyang to Port Arthur, was cut off by the enemy. Following the 2nd Army, the 3rd Army of General M. Nogi was supposed to land, intended for the siege of Port Arthur. From the north, its deployment was ensured by the 2nd Army. In the Dagushan area, preparations were made for the landing of the 4th Army of General M. Nozu. It had the task, together with the 1st and 2nd armies, to act against the main forces of the Manchurian Army and ensure the success of the 3rd Army in the fight for Port Arthur.

On May 12 (25), 1904, the Oku army reached the positions of the Russian 5th East Siberian Rifle Regiment on the isthmus in the Jinzhou region, which covered the distant approaches to Port Arthur. The next day, at the cost of huge losses, the Japanese managed to push back the Russian troops from their positions, after which the path to the fortress was open. On May 14 (27), the enemy occupied the port of Dalniy without a fight, which became the base for further actions of the Japanese army and navy against Port Arthur. The landing of units of the 3rd Army immediately began in Dalny. The 4th Army began to land at the port of Takushan. Two divisions of the 2nd Army, which completed the assigned task, were sent north against the main forces of the Manchurian Army.

On May 23 (June 5), impressed by the results of the unsuccessful Jinzhou battle, E.I. Alekseev ordered A.N. Kuropatkin to send a detachment of at least four divisions to the rescue of Port Arthur. The commander of the Manchurian Army, who considered the transition to the offensive premature, sent only one reinforced I Siberian Army Corps, Lieutenant General G.K., against the Oku army (48 battalions, 216 guns). von Stackelberg (32 battalions, 98 guns). On June 1-2 (14-15), 1904, in the battle of Wafangou, von Stackelberg’s troops were defeated and were forced to retreat north. After failures at Jinzhou and Wafangou, Port Arthur found itself cut off.

By May 17 (30), the Japanese broke the resistance of Russian troops occupying intermediate positions on the distant approaches to Port Arthur, and approached the walls of the fortress, beginning its siege. Before the start of the war, the fortress was only 50% complete. As of mid-July 1904, the land front of the fortress consisted of 5 forts, 3 fortifications and 5 separate batteries. In the intervals between long-term fortifications, the defenders of the fortress equipped rifle trenches. There were 22 long-term batteries on the coastal front. The garrison of the fortress numbered 42 thousand people with 646 guns (514 of them on the land front) and 62 machine guns (47 of them on the land front). The general management of the defense of Port Arthur was carried out by the head of the Kwantung fortified area, Lieutenant General A.M. 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 made another attempt to capture Port Arthur, which again failed. In mid-September, in order to help the besieged fortress A.N. Kuropatkin decided to go on the offensive. From September 22 (October 5) to October 4 (17), 1904, the Manchurian Army (213 thousand people, 758 guns and 32 machine guns) carried out an operation against the Japanese armies (according to Russian intelligence - over 150 thousand people, 648 guns) on the Shahe River, which ended in vain. In October, instead of one Manchu Army, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Manchu armies were deployed. A.N. became the new commander-in-chief in the Far East. Kuropatkin, who replaced E.I. Alekseeva.

The fruitless attempts of Russian troops to defeat the Japanese in Southern Manchuria and break through to Port Arthur decided the fate of the fortress. On October 17-20 (October 30 - November 2) and November 13-23 (November 26 - December 6) the third and fourth assaults on Port Arthur took place, again repelled by the defenders. During the last assault, the enemy captured Mount Vysokaya dominating the area, thanks to which he was able to adjust the fire of siege artillery, including 11-inch howitzers, the shells of which accurately hit the ships of the Pacific squadron stationed in the inner roadstead and the defensive structures of Port Arthur. On December 2 (15), the chief of ground defense, Major General R.I., was killed during shelling. Kondratenko. With the fall of forts Nos. II and III, the position of the fortress became critical. December 20, 1904 (January 2, 1905) Lieutenant General A.M. Stessel gave the order to surrender the fortress. By the time Port Arthur surrendered, its garrison included 32 thousand people (of which 6 thousand were wounded and sick), 610 serviceable guns and 9 machine guns.

Despite the fall of Port Arthur, the Russian command continued to try to defeat the enemy. In the battle of Sandepu January 12-15 (25-28), 1905 A.N. Kuropatkin carried out a second offensive with the forces of the 2nd Manchurian Army between the Honghe and Shahe rivers, which again ended in failure.

Battle of Mukden

On February 6 (19) - February 25 (March 10), 1905, the largest battle of the Russian-Japanese War took place, which predetermined the outcome of the struggle on land - Mukden. During its course, the Japanese (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th armies, 270 thousand people, 1062 guns, 200 machine guns) attempted to bypass both flanks of the Russian troops (1st , 2nd and 3rd Manchu armies, 300 thousand people, 1386 guns, 56 machine guns). Despite the fact that the plan of the Japanese command was thwarted, the Russian side suffered a heavy defeat. The Manchu armies retreated to the Sypingai positions (160 km north of Mukden), where they remained until peace was concluded. After the Battle of Mukden A.N. Kuropatkin was removed from the post of commander in chief and replaced by infantry general N.P. Linevich. By the end of the war, the number of Russian troops in the Far East reached 942 thousand people, and Japanese, according to Russian intelligence, 750 thousand. In July 1905, a Japanese landing captured the island of Sakhalin.

Tsushima battle

The last major event of the Russo-Japanese War was the Tsushima naval battle on May 14-15 (27-28), in which the Japanese fleet completely destroyed the united Russian 2nd and 3rd Pacific squadrons under the command of Vice Admiral Z.P. Rozhestvensky, sent from the Baltic Sea to help the Port Arthur squadron.

Treaty of Portsmouth

In the summer of 1905, in North American Portsmouth, through the mediation of US President T. Roosevelt, negotiations began between the Russian Empire and Japan. Both sides were interested in a speedy conclusion of peace: despite military successes, Japan had completely exhausted its financial, material and human resources and could no longer wage further struggle, and the Revolution of 1905-1907 began in Russia. On August 23 (September 5), 1905, the Portsmouth Peace Treaty was signed, ending the Russo-Japanese War. According to its terms, Russia recognized Korea as a sphere of Japanese influence, transferred to Japan Russia's lease rights to the Kwantung region with Port Arthur and the southern branch of the Chinese Eastern Railway, as well as the southern part of Sakhalin.

Results

The Russo-Japanese War cost the participating countries great human and material losses. Russia lost about 52 thousand people killed, died from wounds and diseases, Japan - more than 80 thousand people. The conduct of military operations cost the Russian Empire 6.554 billion rubles, Japan - 1.7 billion yen. The defeat in the Far East undermined Russia's international authority and led to the end of Russian expansion in Asia. The Anglo-Russian agreement of 1907, which established the delimitation of spheres of interest in Persia (Iran), Afghanistan and Tibet, actually meant the defeat of the eastern policy of the government of Nicholas II. Japan, as a result of the war, established itself as the leading regional power in the Far East, strengthening itself in Northern China and annexing Korea in 1910.

The Russo-Japanese War had a great influence on the development of military art. It demonstrated the increased importance of artillery, rifle and machine gun fire. During the fighting, the struggle for fire dominance acquired a dominant role. Actions in close masses and the bayonet strike lost their former significance, and the main battle formation became the rifle chain. During the Russo-Japanese War, new positional forms of struggle arose. Compared to the wars of the 19th century. The duration and scale of battles increased, and they began to break up into separate army operations. Artillery firing from closed positions became widespread. Siege artillery began to be used not only for fighting under fortresses, but also in field battles. At sea during the Russo-Japanese War, torpedoes were widely used, and sea mines were also actively used. For the first time, the Russian command brought in submarines to defend Vladivostok. The experience of the war was actively used by the military-political leadership of the Russian Empire during the military reforms of 1905-1912.

Russo-Japanese War was a war fought between the Russian and Japanese Empires for control of Manchuria and Korea. After a break of several decades, it became the first big war using the latest weapons : long-range artillery, battleships, destroyers, wire barriers under high voltage current; as well as using spotlights and a field kitchen.

Causes of the war:

• Russia's lease of the Liaodong Peninsula and Port Arthur as a naval base.
• Construction of the Chinese Eastern Railway and Russian economic expansion in Manchuria.
• The struggle for spheres of influence in China and Korea.
• A means of distraction from the revolutionary movement in Russia (“small victorious war”)
• The strengthening of Russia's position in the Far East threatened the monopolies of England, the United States and the militaristic aspirations of Japan.

The nature of the war: unfair on both sides.

In 1902, England entered into a military alliance with Japan and, together with the United States, embarked on the path of its preparation for war with Russia. In a short period of time, Japan built an armored fleet at the shipyards of England, Italy, and the United States.

The bases of the Russian fleet in the Pacific Ocean - Port Arthur and Vladivostok - were 1,100 miles apart and were poorly equipped. By the beginning of the war, out of 1 million 50 thousand Russian soldiers, about 100 thousand were stationed in the Far East. The Far Eastern Army was removed from the main supply centers, the Siberian Railway had low capacity (3 trains per day).

COURSE OF EVENTS

January 27, 1904 Japanese attack on the Russian fleet. Death of the cruiser "Varangian" and the gunboat "Korean" in Chemulpo Bay off the coast of Korea. The Varyag and Koreets, blocked in Chemulpo, rejected the offer to surrender. Trying to break through to Port Arthur, two Russian ships under the command of Captain 1st Rank V.F. Rudnev entered into battle with 14 enemy ships.

January 27 - December 20, 1904. Defense of the naval fortress Port Arthur. During the siege, new types of weapons were used for the first time: rapid-fire howitzers, Maxim machine guns, hand grenades, and mortars.

Commander of the Pacific Fleet, Vice Admiral S. O. Makarov prepared for active operations at sea and the defense of Port Arthur. On March 31, he took his squadron to the outer roadstead to engage the enemy and lure his ships under the fire of coastal batteries. However, at the very beginning of the battle, his flagship Petropavlovsk hit a mine and sank within 2 minutes. Most of the team, the entire headquarters of S. O. Makarov, died. After this, the Russian fleet went on the defensive, since the commander-in-chief of the Far Eastern forces, Admiral E. I. Alekseev, abandoned active operations at sea.

The ground defense of Port Arthur was headed by the head of the Kwantung fortified area, General A. M. Stessel. The main struggle in November took place over Mount Vysoka. On December 2, the head of ground defense, its organizer and inspirer, General, died R. I. Kondratenko. Stoessel signed on December 20, 1904 surrender . The fortress withstood 6 assaults and was surrendered only as a result of the betrayal of the commandant, General A. M. Stessel. For Russia, the fall of Port Arthur meant the loss of access to the ice-free Yellow Sea, a worsening of the strategic situation in Manchuria and a significant aggravation of the internal political situation in the country.

October 1904 Defeat of Russian troops on the Shahe River.

February 25, 1905 Defeat of the Russian army near Mukden (Manchuria). The largest land battle in history before the First World War.

May 14-15, 1905 Battle of the Tsushima Strait. The defeat by the Japanese fleet of the 2nd Pacific squadron under the command of Vice Admiral Z.P. Rozhdestvensky, sent to the Far East from the Baltic Sea. In July, the Japanese occupied Sakhalin Island.

REASONS FOR RUSSIA'S DEFEAT

• Support for Japan from England and the USA.
• Russia's poor preparation for war. Military-technical superiority of Japan.
• Mistakes and ill-considered actions of the Russian command.
• Inability to quickly transfer reserves to the Far East.

Russo-Japanese War. RESULTS

• Korea was recognized as Japan's sphere of influence;
• Japan took possession of South Sakhalin;
• Japan received fishing rights along the Russian coast;
• Russia leased the Liaodong Peninsula and Port Arthur to Japan.

Russian commanders in this war: A.N. Kuropatkin, S.O. Makarov, A.M. Stessel.

Consequences of Russia's defeat in the war:

• weakening of Russia's position in the Far East;
• public discontent with the autocracy, which lost the war with Japan;
• destabilization of the political situation in Russia, the growth of the revolutionary struggle;
• active reform of the army, a significant increase in its combat effectiveness.

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

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

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

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

The most significant events of 1905 were:

The Battle of Mukden (February 5 – 24), which remained the largest land battle in human history until the outbreak of the First World War. It ended with the withdrawal of the Russian army, which lost 59 thousand killed. Japanese losses amounted to 80 thousand.

The Battle of Tsushima (May 27 - 28), in which the Japanese fleet, 6 times larger than the Russian one, almost completely destroyed the Russian Baltic squadron.

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

diplomatic isolation of the Russian Empire;

the unpreparedness of the Russian army for combat operations in difficult conditions;

outright betrayal of the interests of the fatherland or the mediocrity of many tsarist generals;

Japan's serious superiority in the military and economic spheres.

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

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 it continued active preparations for war.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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. I. did not withdraw Russian troops from the territory of Manchuria.

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

The moment of declaring war was chosen with maximum calculation, since by that time it had assembled a strong and modernly equipped army, weapons and navy. While the 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. At the same time, a large number of spare parts and equipment for ship repairs arrive.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Liaoyang and Shahe

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

In August 11 (24) a general battle took place at Liaoyang. The Japanese, moving in a semicircle from the south and east, attacked Russian positions. In prolonged battles, the Japanese army led by Marshal I. Oyama suffered 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

The negative impact of the war was also reflected in 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. The representative from the 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 respond to 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. It showed the internal problems of Russian governance and the 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.