The results of the Japanese war of 1904 1905. Russo-Japanese war

25.09.2019

Russo-Japanese War 1904 - 1905 Russo-Japanese War 1904‒1905, arose in the context of the intensified struggle of the imperialist powers for the division of semi-feudal China and Korea; was predatory, unjust, imperialistic in nature on both sides. In the unfolding rivalry of powers in the Far East, capitalist Japan played a particularly active role, striving to capture Korea and Northeast China (Manchuria). Defeated China in Japanese-Chinese war 1894‒1895, Japan by Treaty of Shimonoseki 1895 received the islands of Taiwan (Formosa), Penghuledao (Pescadores) and the Liaodong Peninsula, but under pressure from Russia, supported by France and Germany, she was forced to abandon the latter, after which an aggravation began Russo-Japanese relations. In 1896, Russia received from the Chinese government a concession to build a railway through Manchuria, and in 1898 leased the Kwantung Peninsula from China with Port Arthur ( Luishunem) with the right to create a naval base on it. During suppression Yihetuan uprising in China, tsarist troops occupied Manchuria in 1900. Japan began energetic preparations for war with Russia, signing in 1902 Anglo-Japanese alliance. The tsarist government, whose aggressive policy in the Far East was directed by adventurist "bezobrazovskaya clique", counted on an easy victory in the war with Japan, which would make it possible to overcome the worsening revolutionary crisis.

In economic and military terms, Japan was much weaker than Russia, but the remoteness of the Far Eastern theater of operations from the center of Russia reduced the military capabilities of the latter. After mobilization, the Japanese army consisted of 13 infantry divisions and 13 reserve brigades (over 375 thousand people and 1140 field guns); in total, the Japanese government mobilized about 1.2 million people during the war. The Japanese Navy had 6 new and 1 old battleship, 8 armored cruisers (2 of them, built abroad, arrived after the start of the war), 17 light cruisers (including 3 old ones), 19 destroyers, 28 destroyers (only in part of the so-called United Fleet), 11 gunboats, etc.

Russia was not ready for a war in the Far East. With a personnel army of 1.1 million people. and a reserve of 3.5 million people, by January 1904 it had here only about 98 thousand people, 148 guns and 8 machine guns; the border guard numbered 24 thousand people. and 26 guns. These forces were scattered over a vast territory from Chita to Vladivostok and from Blagoveshchensk to Port Arthur. Throughput capacity of the Siberian railway. the highway was very low (at first, only 3 pairs of military echelons per day). During the war, about 1.2 million people were sent to Manchuria. (most in 1905). The Russian Navy in the Far East had 7 battleships, 4 armored cruisers, 10 light cruisers (including 3 old ones), 2 mine cruisers, 3 destroyers (1 of them entered service after the start of the war), 7 gunboats: most of the ships were based on Port Arthur, 4 cruisers (including 3 armored ones) and 10 destroyers - to Vladivostok. The defensive structures of Port Arthur (especially the land ones) were not completed. Pursuing an adventurist policy unsecured by forces and means, the tsarist government considered Japan a weak adversary and allowed itself to be taken by surprise.

The Russian command assumed that the Japanese army would not be able to launch an offensive on land soon. Therefore, the troops in the Far East were tasked with holding back the enemy until the arrival of large forces from the center of Russia (in the 7th month of the war), then going on the offensive, throwing Japanese troops into the sea and landing troops in Japan. The fleet was supposed to fight for supremacy at sea and prevent the landing of Japanese troops.

From the beginning of the war until August 1904, the Vladivostok detachment of cruisers conducted active operations on the enemy’s sea lanes, destroying 15 steamships, including 4 military transports, and heroically fighting the superior forces of the Japanese on August 1 (14) in a battle in Korea Strait. R.'s last stage - I. v. appeared Battle of Tsushima 1905. Russian 2nd and 3rd Pacific squadrons under the command of Vice Admiral Z. P. Rozhestvensky, they made an 18,000-mile transition (32.5 thousand km) from the Baltic Sea around Africa and on May 14 (27) approached the Tsushima Strait, where they entered into battle with the main forces of the Japanese fleet. In a two-day naval battle, the Russian squadron was completely defeated, which meant "... not only a military defeat, but a complete military collapse of the autocracy" (V. I. Lenin, Poln. sobr. soch., 5th ed., vol. 10, p. 252 ).

Despite the victory, Japan was exhausted by the war, anti-war sentiment was growing in it, Russia was engulfed in revolution, and the tsarist government sought to make peace as soon as possible. On May 18 (31), 1905, the military government turned to US President T. Roosevelt with a request for mediation in peace negotiations, which began on July 27 (August 9) in the American city of Portsmouth. August 23 (September 5) was signed Treaty of Portsmouth 1905, according to which Russia recognized Korea as a sphere of Japanese influence, transferred to Japan the lease rights of Russia to the Kwantung region with Port Arthur and the southern branch of the Chinese Eastern Railway, as well as the southern part of Sakhalin.

The root causes of Russia's defeat in R.-I. v. were the reactionary and rotten tsarism, the inability of the high military command, the unpopularity of the war among the people, the low combat quality of the replacements manned by the storekeepers, including the older ages, who did not have sufficient combat training, the poor preparedness of a significant part of the officer corps, insufficient material and technical support, poor knowledge of the theater of operations, etc. Japan won the war with widespread support from Britain and the United States. From April 1904 to May 1905, she received 4 loans from them in the amount of 410 million dollars, which covered 40% of military expenses. The most important result of R.-I. v. was the establishment of Japanese imperialism in Korea and South Manchuria. Already on November 17, 1905, Japan imposed a protectorate agreement on Korea, and in 1910 included it in the Japanese Empire. The strengthening of Japanese imperialism in the Far East changed the attitude of the United States towards Japan, which became a more dangerous competitor for them than Russia.

The war had a great influence on the development of military art (see. operational art). It was the first time that rapid-fire weapons (rifles, machine guns) were used on a mass scale. In defense, trenches have replaced the complex fortifications of the past. The need for closer interaction between the branches of the armed forces and the widespread use of technical means connections. Artillery firing from closed positions became widespread. Destroyers were used for the first time at sea. Based on the experience of the war in the Russian army, military reforms 1905‒12.

R.-i. v. brought the peoples of Russia and Japan a deterioration in their financial situation, an increase in taxes and prices. Japan's public debt increased 4 times, its losses amounted to 135 thousand killed and died from wounds and diseases and about 554 thousand wounded and sick. Russia spent 2347 million rubles on the war, about 500 million rubles were lost in the form of property that went to Japan and sunk ships and vessels. Russia's losses amounted to 400 thousand killed, wounded, sick and captured. The Far Eastern adventure of tsarism, which led to heavy defeats accompanied by heavy casualties, aroused the indignation of the peoples of Russia and hastened the beginning of the first bourgeois-democratic Revolution of 1905–07.

Lit .: Lenin V.I., To the Russian proletariat, Complete collection soch., 5th ed., vol. 8; his same, First of May. Draft leaflet, ibid.; his, The Fall of Port Arthur, ibid., vol. 9; his, First of May, ibid., vol. 10; his own, Rout, ibid., vol. 10; Yaroslavsky E., Russo-Japanese War and the attitude of the Bolsheviks towards it, M., 1939; Russo-Japanese War 1904‒1905 The work of the military-historical commission on the description of Russian- Japanese war, vol. 1–9, St. Petersburg. 1910; Russo-Japanese War 1904‒1905. The work of the historical commission on the description of the actions of the fleet in the war of 1904‒1905. at the Naval General Staff, Prince. 1–7, St. Petersburg, 1912–18; Kuropatkin A.N., [Report...], vol. 1‒4, St. Petersburg - Warsaw, 1906; Svechin A., Russo-Japanese War 1904‒1905, Oranienbaum, 1910; Levitsky N. A., Russo-Japanese War of 1904‒1905, 3rd ed., M., 1938; Romanov B. A., Essays on the diplomatic history of the Russo-Japanese war. 1895‒1907, 2nd ed., M. ‒ L., 1955; Sorokin A.I., The Russo-Japanese War of 1904‒1905, M., 1956: Luchinin V., The Russo-Japanese War of 1904‒1905 Bibliographic index, M., 1939.

Great Soviet Encyclopedia. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia. 1969-1978 .

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At the end of the 19th century - the beginning of the 20th century, relations between Japan and Russia, aggravated due to the right to own 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

Completed in 1856, it limited Russia's ability to move and expand south, so Nicholas I. I. turned his eyes to the Far East, which negatively affected relations with the Japanese state, which itself claimed 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 collision by proposing an agreement under which she would lose all rights to Korea. Russia agreed, but put forward conditions that demanded sole influence on the Kwantung Peninsula, as well as the right to protect the railway in Manchuria. The Japanese government did not like this, and it continued to actively prepare 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 capacities. Thanks to the reforms carried out, by 1890 the economy was being 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 industry, which has significantly increased thanks to Western exercises.

Japan decides to increase 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 is signed, providing free access to ports.

These actions led to a conflict - the Sino-Japanese War (1894−95), which ended with the victory of Japan, and the final influence on Korea.

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

transferred to Japan territories, which included the Liaodong Peninsula and Manchuria;
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 takes advantage of the return of Liaodong and in March 1898 signs a convention with China and receives:

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

This had a negative impact on relations with Japan, which claimed these territories.

March 26 (April 8), 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.I. did not keep his promises, but demanded that China restrict trade with foreign countries. In response, England, the USA and Japan protested against the violation of the deadlines and advised against accepting the Russian conditions.

In the middle of the summer of 1903, the movement along the Trans-Siberian Railway begins. The path passed along the Chinese Eastern Railway, through Manchuria. Nicholas I. 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 start hostilities against Russia, and soon an order was given to land the Japanese armed forces in Korea and attack Russian ships in Port Arthur.

The moment of the declaration of war was chosen with the maximum calculation, since by that time she had assembled a strong and modernly equipped army, weapons and navy. While the Russian armed forces were heavily scattered.

Main events

Battle of Chemulpo

Significant for the annals of the war was the battle in 1904 at Chemulpo of the cruisers "Varyag" and "Korean", under the command of V. Rudnev. In the morning, leaving the port to the accompaniment of music, they tried to get out of the bay, but less than ten minutes had passed before the alarm sounded and a battle flag was raised above the deck. Together they resisted the Japanese squadron that attacked them, engaging in 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 flooded. The ship "Koreets" was blown up, and the crew was previously evacuated.

Blockade of Port Arthur

To block the Russian ships inside the harbor, Japan is trying to sink several old ships at the entrance. These actions were thwarted by Retvizvan who patrolled the waters near the fort.

In the early spring of 1904, Admiral Makarov and the shipbuilder N. E. Kuteinikov arrived. Come at the same time a large number of spare parts and equipment for ship repair.

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

On March 31, the Russian battleship Petropavlovsk sinks 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 crowned with success, Japan, having sunk eight transport workers, locks up the Russian squadrons for several days and immediately lands in Manchuria.

The cruisers "Russia", "Gromoboy", "Rurik" were the only ones who retained freedom of movement. They sank several ships with military personnel and weapons, including the "Khi-tatsi Maru", which transported weapons for the siege of Port Arthur, due to which the capture dragged on for several months.

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

On 22.04 (05.05), a Japanese army consisting of 38.5 thousand people landed 100 km from the fortress.

On 27.04 (10.05) Japanese detachments broke the railway communication between Manchuria and Port Arthur.

On May 2 (15), 2 Japanese ships were sunk, which, thanks to the Amur minelayer, fell into the 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 in order to block it. To meet the Japanese detachments, the Russian command decided on fortified areas near Jinzhou.

On May 13 (26) a major battle took place. Russian detachment(3.8 thousand people) and in the presence of 77 guns and 10 machine guns, more than 10 hours repulsed the enemy attack. And only the approaching Japanese gunboats, having suppressed the left flag, broke through the defenses. The Japanese lost - 4,300 people, the Russians - 1,500 people.

Thanks to the battle won at 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 Vafangou, the 2nd Japanese Army defeats the Russian detachments under the command of General Stackelberg, who was sent to lift the blockade of Port Arthur.

On July 13 (26), the Japanese 3rd Army broke through the defenses of the Russian troops "on the passes" formed after the defeat at Jinzhou.

On July 30, the distant approaches to the fortress are engaged, and the defense begins.. This is a bright historical moment. The defense was carried out 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 - commander of the fortress, Admiral Vitgeft - commanded the fleet. It was difficult for them to come to a consensus. But among management team was a talented commander - General Kondratenko. Thanks to his oratory and managerial qualities, the authorities 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 in the fortress is about 53 thousand people, as well as 646 guns and 62 machine guns. The siege went on 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 120,000 men approached Liaoyang from the east and south. The Russian army at that time was replenished with soldiers arriving along the Trans-Siberian Railway and slowly retreated.

On August 11 (24) there was a general battle at Liaoyang. The Japanese, moving in a semicircle from the south and east, attacked the Russian positions. In prolonged battles, the Japanese army, led by Marshal I. Oyama, suffered losses of 23,000, 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.

Armed clashes take place on the Shahe River in autumn. The beginning was the attack of the 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.

14-15 (27-28) May, the Japanese fleet in Tsushima battle defeated the Russian squadron, which was redeployed from the Baltic, commanded by Vice Admiral Z. P. Rozhestvensky.

July 7 is the last major battle - Japanese invasion of Sakhalin. The 14,000th Japanese army was resisted by 6,000 Russians - they were mostly convicts and exiles who joined the army in order to acquire benefits and therefore did not have strong combat skills. By the end of July, Russian resistance was crushed, more than 3 thousand people were captured.

Consequences

Negative influence The war also affected the internal situation in Russia:

the economy is undermined;
stagnation in industrial areas;
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 operations had to be stopped and forces should be directed to extinguish the revolutionary trends that were dangerous not only for Russia, but also for the world community.

On August 22 (9), 1905, with the mediation of the United States, negotiations begin in Portsmouth. The representative of the Russian Empire was S. Yu. Witte. At a meeting with Nicholas I. I., he received clear instructions: not to agree to an indemnity that Russia never paid, and not to give up land. In view of Japan's territorial and monetary demands, such instructions were not easy for Witte, who was already pessimistic and considered losses inevitable.

Following the results of the negotiations, on September 5 (August 23), 1905, a peace treaty was signed. According to the document:

The Japanese side received the Liaodong Peninsula, a section of the Chinese Eastern Railway (from Port Arthur to Changchun), as well as South Sakhalin.
Russia recognized Korea as a zone of influence of Japan and concluded a fishing convention.
Both sides of the conflict had to withdraw their troops from the territory of Manchuria.

The peace treaty did not fully respond to the claims of Japan and was much closer to Russian conditions, as a result of which it was not accepted by the Japanese people - waves of discontent swept through the country.

The countries of Europe were satisfied with the agreement, as they expected to take Russia as an ally against Germany. The United States, on the other hand, 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 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. She had to mobilize 1.8% of her population, while Russia - only 0.5%. Military operations 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.

During 1903, negotiations were held between the two 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 would receive freedom of action in Manchuria. However, Russia did not want to give up its Korean ambitions.

The Japanese decided to break off 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. Main argument: "They wouldn't dare." However, Japan dared.

On February 5, Naval Attache Yoshida cut the telegraph line north of Seoul. On February 6, the Japanese envoy in St. Petersburg Kurinoy announced the severance of diplomatic relations, but due to a damaged telegraph line, Russian diplomats and the military in Korea and Manchuria did not learn about it in time. Even having received this message, the governor in the Far East, General Alekseev, did not consider it necessary to inform Port Arthur and forbade publishing the news in the newspapers, citing his unwillingness to "disturb society."

On February 8-9, the Russian fleet was first blocked and then destroyed by the Japanese naval forces in Chimulpo Bay and in the outer roadstead of Port Arthur. Despite much evidence that war was coming, the attack took the Russian fleet by surprise. After the defeat of the Russian fleet, Japanese troops began their landings in Manchuria and Korea without hindrance. Some time before, the Korean court had asked Russia to send two thousand soldiers to Korea. By the irony of history, Japanese troops arrived instead of Russian soldiers.

War was not officially declared until the day after the attack, and the newspapers reported it on February 11th.

The Meiji decree declaring war noted: Russia is going to annex Manchuria, although she promised to withdraw her troops from there, she is a threat to Korea and the entire Far East. There was a lot of justice 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 it announced the severance of diplomatic relations. From this point of view, it turns out that the attack on Port Arthur cannot be considered treacherous. But for fairness, it should be noted that the formal rules for the conduct of war (its advance declaration and the announcement 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 decade that Japan had been the first to declare war. Even after Japan severed diplomatic relations with Russia, few in the Russian government believed that it would dare to attack the European superpower. Opinions of politicians and military experts with a sober mind, who noted that due to the weakness of Russia in the Far East, Japan should make decisive concessions, were ignored.

The war began with terrible defeats for the Russian army, both on land and at sea. After the naval battles in Chimulpo Bay and the Tsushima battle, the Russian Pacific Fleet ceased to exist as an organized force. On land, the war was conducted by the Japanese not so successfully. Despite certain successes in the battles near Liaoyang (August 1904) and Mukden (February 1905), the Japanese army suffered significant losses in killed and wounded. Big influence during the course of the war, the Russian troops carried out a fierce defense of Port Arthur, about half of the losses of the Japanese army fell on the battles for capturing the fortress. January 2, 1905 Port Arthur capitulated.

However, despite all the victories, the immediate future seemed very vague to the Japanese command. It clearly understood: the industrial, human and resource potential of Russia, if we evaluate it from the point of view of long term, was significantly higher. statesmen Japan, the most distinguished by a sober mind, understood from the very beginning of the war that the country was able to withstand only one year of hostilities. The country was not ready for a long war. Neither materially nor psychologically, the Japanese had no historical experience of waging long wars. Japan was the first to start a war, it was the first to seek peace. russia japan manchuria korea

At the request of Japanese Foreign Minister Komura Jutaro, American President Theodore Roosevelt acted as the initiator of the peace talks. Paving the way for his initiative, Roosevelt in Berlin focused on the Russian danger, and in London on the Japanese, adding that if it were not for the position of the United States and England, then Germany and France would have already intervened on the side of Russia. Berlin supported him as an intermediary, fearing claims to this role from Britain and France.

On June 10, 1905, the Japanese government agreed to negotiations, although public opinion greeted this decision with hostility.

Although Russian patriots demanded a war to a victorious end, the war was not popular in the country. There were many cases of mass surrender. Russia won none great battle. The revolutionary movement undermined the strength of the empire. Therefore, the voices of supporters of the early conclusion of peace were becoming louder and louder in the Russian elite. On June 12, Russia responded positively to the proposal of the American president, but hesitated in terms of the practical implementation of the negotiating idea. The last argument in favor of an early conclusion of peace was the Japanese occupation of Sakhalin. Most researchers believe that this move was pushed by Roosevelt in order to make Russia more willing to negotiate.

The advance units of the 13th Division landed on the island on 7 July. There were almost no regular troops on Sakhalin, and convicts had to be armed. Despite the promise to write off a year of sharpening for each month of participation in the defense, the combatants seemed to be hundreds. There was no unified leadership; initially, the bet was made 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 be held in the small American city of Portsmouth. A huge crowd saw off the Japanese delegation, headed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Baron Komura YUTAR Yusammi, in the port of Yokohama. Ordinary Japanese were confident that he would be able to get huge concessions from Russia. But Komura himself knew that this was not the case. Already anticipating the people's reaction to the outcome of the upcoming negotiations, Komura quietly said, "When I return, these people will turn into a rebellious crowd and greet me with clods of dirt or gunfire. So now it's better to enjoy their shouts of "Banzai!"

The Portsmouth Conference began on August 9, 1905. Negotiations proceeded at a rapid pace. Nobody wanted to fight. Both sides showed a willingness to compromise. The level of the Russian delegation was higher - it was headed by the state secretary of the emperor and the chairman of the council of ministers Russian Empire S.Yu. Witte. Although a formal truce has not been declared, fighting during the negotiations were terminated

Few people expected from the public that Witte, and together with him all of Russia, would be able to achieve a "favorable" peace. And only experts understood: so, Japan won, but it was drained of blood no less than Russia. Since Japan waged a predominantly offensive war, its casualties were heavier than in Russia (50,000 killed in Russia and 86,000 in Japan). The hospitals were filled with the wounded and sick. The ranks of soldiers continued to mow beriberi. A quarter of the Japanese losses at Port Arthur were caused by this particular disease. The army began to call up reservists 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 external debt was increasing.

Roosevelt considered it beneficial for America that neither side would gain a decisive advantage as a result of the signing of the peace treaty. And then, after the end of the war, both countries will continue the confrontation, and American interests in Asia will not be in danger - there is no "yellow" or "Slavic" one. The Japanese victory had already dealt the first blow to American interests. Convinced that Western states could be resisted, the Chinese "embarrassed" and began to boycott American goods.

The sympathies of American society leaned in favor of Russia. Not even so much Russia itself, as in favor of Witte himself. Komura was short, sickly and ugly. In Japan, he had the nickname "mouse". Gloomy and closed to communication, Komura was not perceived by most Americans. These impressions were superimposed on anti-Japanese sentiments, which were quite common among ordinary "Americans". More than 100 thousand Japanese emigrants already lived in America at that time. Most believed that by accepting low wages, the Japanese were leaving them without jobs. Trade unions demanded to expel the Japanese 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 effect on the actual course of the negotiations. Ordinary Americans did not yet know that America had already managed to conclude a secret treaty with Japan: Roosevelt recognized the Japanese protectorate over Korea, and Japan agreed to America's control of the Philippines.

Witte tried to fit in with the Americans. He shook hands with attendants, spoke courtesies to journalists, flirted with the anti-Russian Jewish community and tried not to show that Russia needed peace. He argued that in this war there is no winner, and if there is no winner, then there is no loser. As a result, he "saved face" and rejected some of Komura's demands. So Russia refused to pay indemnity. Witte also rejected the demand to transfer Russian warships interned in neutral waters to Japan, which was contrary to international law. Nor did he agree to the reduction of the Russian navy in the Pacific. 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 put forward them only in order to later, by refusing 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 enjoy the same privileges as subjects of other foreign states.

Both states agreed to completely and simultaneously evacuate all military formations that were in Manchuria and return it to Chinese control. Russian government declared that he renounces special rights and preferences in Manchuria, which are incompatible with the principle of equal rights.

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 was not of great importance then, neither geopolitical nor economic, but as another symbol of space, expanding, it was not superfluous at all. The border was established along the 50th parallel. Sakhalin was officially declared a demilitarized zone and both states agreed not to build any military installations on it. The La Perouse and Tatar Straits were declared free navigation zones.

In fact, the leaders of Japan got everything they wanted. Finally, they wanted recognition of their "special" interests in Korea and partly in China. Everything else can be considered as an optional application. In the instructions that Komura received before the start of negotiations, it was about the "optional" indemnity and annexations of Sakhalin. Komura was bluffing when the entire island demanded at the beginning of 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 of the treaty at Portsmouth as his personal success (he received the title of earl for this), but in fact there was no success. Yamagata Aritomo claimed that Witte's tongue was worth 100,000 soldiers. However, Komura managed to talk him through. But he did not receive any title.

In November 1905, a Japanese-Korean agreement was signed to establish a protectorate over Korea. The palace where the negotiations took place was surrounded by Japanese soldiers just in case. The text of the treaty 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. Under the terms of the treaty, Korea did not have the right, without the consent of the Japanese Foreign Ministry, 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, one should recognize them 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 of European states 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 cruel 20th century showed, this departure from the traditional way of thinking led the country to disaster.

At the beginning of the 20th century, active development of new lands was going on in the Far East, which provoked a war with Japan. Let's figure out what are the reasons for the Russo-Japanese war of 1904-1905.

Background and causes of the war

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Japan experienced a period of powerful development. Contacts with England and the USA allowed her to raise the economy by new level, reform the army, build a new modern fleet. The "Meiji Revolution" made the Rising Sun Empire a leading regional power.

At this time, Nicholas II came to power in Russia. His reign began with a crush on the Khodynka field, which left a negative imprint on his authority among his subjects.

Rice. 1. Portrait of Nicholas II.

To raise the authority needed a "small victorious war" or new territorial expansion to demonstrate the greatness of Russia. Crimean War outlined the territorial claims of Russia in Europe. In Central Asia, Russia ran into India, and conflict with Britain had to be avoided. Nicholas II turned his attention to China, weakened by wars and European colonization. There were also long-term plans for Korea.

In 1898, Russia leased the Liaodong Peninsula with the fortress of Port Arthur from China, and the construction of the Chinese Eastern Railway (CER) began. The development of the territories of Manchuria by Russian colonists was actively going on.

The course of the war and the results

The war began with the active actions of the Japanese army and navy. First, Russian ships were attacked in Chemulpo and Port Arthur, and then the landing force was landed in Korea and on the Liaodong Peninsula.

Rice. 3. The death of the cruiser Varyag.

Russia was actively defending, waiting for the approach of reserves from Europe. However, poor infrastructure and supplies prevented Russia from turning the tide of the war. Nevertheless, the prolonged defense of Port Arthur and the victory of the Russian troops at Liaoyang could bring Russia victory in the war, since the Japanese had practically exhausted their economic and human reserves. But General Kuropatkin each time, instead of attacking and defeating the enemy army, gave orders to retreat. First, Port Arthur was lost, then the battle of Mukden took place, the Russian Second and Third Pacific squadrons were defeated. The defeat was obvious and the parties moved on to peace negotiations.

The consequence of the defeat in the war was an even greater deterioration in the authority of the king among the people. This resulted in the First Russian Revolution, which lasted until 1907 and limited the power of the tsar through the creation of the State Duma. 4.6. Total ratings received: 165.

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905 was of great historical importance, although many thought that it was absolutely meaningless.

But this war played a significant role in the formation of a new government.

Briefly about the causes of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905.

At the beginning of the last century, the interests of the Russian and Japanese powers clashed in securing China on the seas.

The main reason was the foreign political activity of states:

Russia's desire to gain a foothold in the Far East region;
the desire of Japan and Western states to prevent this;
Japan's desire to take over Korea;
the construction of military installations by the Russians on the leased Chinese territory.

Japan also tried to acquire superiority in the field of armed forces.

Map of military operations of the Russo-Japanese War

The map shows the main points and course of the war.

On the night of January 27, the Japanese attacked the Russian flotilla in Port Arthur without warning. Then followed the blocking of the port of Chemulpo in Korea by the rest of the Japanese ships. On the map, these actions are shown by blue arrows in the area of the Yellow Sea. On land, blue arrows show the movement of the Japanese army on land.

A year later, in February 1905, one of the main battles took place on land near Mukden (Shenyang). This is marked on the map.

In May 1905, the 2nd Russian flotilla lost the battle near Tsushima Island.

The red dotted lines indicate the breakthrough of the 2nd Russian squadron to Vladivostok.

The beginning of the Japanese war with Russia

The Russo-Japanese War was not a surprise. The conduct of policy on the territory of China assumed such a development of events. Near Port Arthur, Russian ships were on duty to prevent possible attacks.

At night, 8 Japanese destroyers smashed the Russian ships at Port Arthur. Already in the morning, another Japanese flotilla attacked Russian ships near the port of Chemulpo. After that, the landing of the Japanese on land began.

Chronological table of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905.

Events unfolded on land and sea. The main stages of the war:

On the sea	On the land
Jan 26-27 (8-9 Feb.) 1904 - Japanese attack on Port Arthur.	Feb. – Apr. 1904 - landing of Japanese troops in China.
Jan 27 (Feb. 9) 1904 - attack by the Japanese squadron of 2 Russian ships and their destruction.	May 1904 - the Japanese cut off the fortress of Port Arthur from the Russian troops.
May 31 (April 13), 1904 - an attempt by Vice Admiral Makarov to leave the harbor of Port Arthur. The ship, on board of which the admiral was, fell on one of the mines placed by the Japanese. Makarov died with almost the entire crew. But the Vice Admiral remained a hero of the Russo-Japanese War.	Aug. 1904 - battle near the city of Liaoyang with General Kuropatkin at the head of the troops. It was unsuccessful for both sides.
May 14-15 (according to other sources May 27-28) 1905 - the largest battle near the island of Tsushima, in which the Japanese won. Almost all ships were destroyed. Only three broke through to Vladivostok. It was one of the decisive battles.	Sept. – Oct. 1904 - battles on the Shahe River.
	Aug. – Dec. 1904 - the siege of Port Arthur.
	Dec 20 1904 (January 2, 1905) - surrender of the fortress.
	Jan. 1905 - the resumption of defense by Russian troops on the Shahe.
	Feb. 1905 - Japanese victory near the city of Mukden (Shenyang).

The nature of the Russo-Japanese war of 1904-1905.

The war had an aggressive character. The opposition of the 2 empires was carried out for dominance in the Far East.

Japan's goal was to capture Korea, but Russia began to develop infrastructure in the leased territories. This thwarted Japan's aspirations and she took drastic action.

Reasons for the defeat of Russia

Why did Russia lose - because of the wrong steps of the Russian army, or did the Japanese initially have all the conditions for victory?

Russian delegation in Portsmouth

Reasons for the defeat of Russia:

the unstable situation in the state and the interest of the government in the rapid conclusion of peace;
a large reserve of troops from Japan;
it took about 3 days to transfer the Japanese army, and Russia could do it in about a month;
Japan had better weapons and ships than Russia.

Western countries supported Japan and assisted her. In 1904, England provided Japan with machine guns, which the latter had not previously had.

Outcomes, consequences and results

In 1905, a revolution began in the country. Anti-government sentiment demanded an end to the war with Japan, even on unfavorable terms.

All forces had to be thrown at settling the situation in the state.

Although Russia had enough resources and capabilities to win. If the war had lasted a few more months, Russia could have won, as the Japanese forces began to weaken. But Japan asked the United States to influence Russia and persuade her to negotiate.

Both countries were withdrawing their armies from the region of Manchuria.
Russia gave Port Arthur and part of the railway.
Korea remained in the sphere of interests of the Japanese state.
Part of Sakhalin now belonged to the Japanese state.
Japan also gained access to fishing along the coast of Russia.

In both countries, the war had a negative impact on the financial situation. There was an increase in prices and taxes. In addition, the debt of the Japanese state has grown significantly.

Russia drew conclusions from the loss. At the end of the decade, the army and navy were reorganized.

Significance of the Russo-Japanese War

The Russo-Japanese War acted as an impetus for the revolution. She opened up many problems of the current government. Many did not understand why this war was needed at all. As a result, anti-government sentiment only intensified.