The Russian-Chinese rapprochement and the construction of the Chinese Eastern Railway intensified the expansionist actions of other states. Germany in 1897 captured the port of Qingdao on the Shandong Peninsula. Russia decided to use the precedent and get an ice-free port in the Yellow Sea. Russian ships entered Port Arthur, and on March 15 (27), 1898, an agreement was imposed on China on a gratuitous lease by Russia for 25 years of the Liaodong Peninsula, according to which Port Arthur became the base of the Pacific Fleet.
In July 1903, Japan offered Russia to sign an agreement on the delimitation of mutual interests. Negotiations on the Russian side were not vigorous enough. Accusing St. Petersburg of unwillingness to negotiate, the government of Japan severed diplomatic relations with Russia on January 24 (February 6), 1904.
Start of hostilities
Remark 1
Russian troops in the Far East then numbered about 100 thousand people. The plan of the Russian command provided for adhering to defensive tactics in Manchuria until the numerical superiority of the Russian army over the Japanese was created.
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The Japanese army numbered 150 thousand people. The Japanese command assumed its phased landing in Korea, and then on the Liaodong Peninsula, followed by the capture of Port Arthur and the transition to the offensive against the grouping of Russian troops in Manchuria. It was unrealistic for the Japanese military to conduct land operations without gaining dominance at sea. To solve this problem, Japan was able to implement a program to strengthen the fleet in less than ten years, as a result of which a naval force was created, which consisted of 6 battleships and 20 cruisers.
- On the night of January 27 (February 9), 1904, Japanese ships fired on the Russian squadron on the Port Arthur roadstead without an official declaration of war. Three Russian ships were damaged - the battleships "Tsesarevich" and "Retvizan" and the cruiser "Pallada".
- On the morning of January 27, in the Korean port of Chemulpo, the Japanese squadron (6 cruisers and 8 destroyers) attacked the Varyag cruiser and the Korean gunboat. The forces were unequal, but one Japanese cruiser was sunk. Russian ships were seriously damaged. "Korean" was blown up, and "Varyag" was flooded. The sailors were saved by English, French and American ships that were on the roadstead of Chemulpo.
The new commander of the Pacific Fleet, Vice Admiral S. Makarov, who replaced Vice Admiral A. Stark, began preparing a squadron for a general naval battle. March 31 (April 13) his flagship "Petropavlovsk" hit a mine. Most of the crew died, the entire staff of S. Makarov (647 officers and sailors with 727 crew members), as well as the famous battle painter V. Vereshchagin, who was on the ship. After the death of S. Makarov, the Russian fleet went on the defensive, because the commander of the Far Eastern forces, Admiral Alekseev, refused active operations at sea.
Fighting in the summer and autumn of 1904
In the summer, the Japanese army launched an offensive in two directions - against the main forces of the Russian army in Manchuria and on the Liaodong Peninsula (near the Port Arthur fortress). In early July 1904, three Japanese armies under the overall command of Marshal I. Oyama launched an offensive against the Russian army concentrated in the city of Liaoyang, led by the commander of the ground forces in Manchuria, General A. Kuropatkin. During the August battles, Russian troops repulsed all Japanese attacks and defended their positions along the entire front.
Favorable conditions were created for the counteroffensive of the Russian army, but Kuropatkin, fearing attacks from the flanks, issued an order to retreat. On September 22 (October 5), the Russian army, having a numerical advantage, began offensive operation on the river Shah. During the 14-day battle, which took place in difficult conditions of mountainous terrain and with huge human losses, neither side was able to achieve success. The armies went on the defensive. The so-called "Shahee seat" began, which lasted three months.
Assault on Port Arthur
By mid-July, the Japanese had concentrated 50,000 soldiers and about 400 guns on the Liaodong Peninsula. They were opposed by the forty thousandth garrison of Port Arthur, which was armed with 650 guns. The crew of the Pacific squadron, based in Port Arthur, consisted of 12 thousand officers and sailors. At the end of July, the Japanese army approached directly the defense line of Port Arthur, which was 29 km. The general command of the garrison was carried out by the head of the Kwantung Fortified Region, Lieutenant General A. Stessel, and the ground forces of the fortress were led by Major General G. Kondratenko (after his death, Major General A. Fok).
On August 6 (19), the first general assault on the fortress began, which lasted 6 days and led to heavy losses on both sides. After the fourth assault in November 1904, the Japanese captured Mount Vysokaya, from which they could conduct aimed fire at the fortifications of the fortress and the ships of the Pacific squadron. After the destruction of these ships, Port Arthur held out for several more weeks.
The last, sixth, assault on Port Arthur ended on December 20, 1904 (January 2, 1905) with the signing of the act of surrender. The garrison did not run out of ammunition and food. Most of them were destroyed on the night before the surrender. At the same time, the remnants of the squadron were sunk, with the exception of several destroyers that managed to break into Chinese ports.
Remark 2
Under the terms of surrender, the entire garrison of the fortress was captured (23,000 officers and lower ranks), forts, fortifications, ships, weapons and ammunition were to go to the Japanese.
After the war, Stessel, who surrendered Port Arthur, was sentenced to death, but later commuted to imprisonment in a fortress. He was pardoned by Nicholas II.
Offensive actions of the Russian army in Manchuria
The new commander-in-chief of the armed forces in the Far East, A. Kuropatkin (Alekseev was eliminated in mid-October 1904), decided to move on to active offensive operations in Manchuria. He and his staff developed an offensive against the Japanese armies concentrated on the approaches to Mukden.
From February 5 (18) to February 25 (March 10), 1905, the largest battle in the history of wars at that time continued, in which more than 660 thousand people and 2500 guns participated on both sides on a 100-kilometer front. After the threat of encirclement of the three Russian armies arose, Kuropatkin gave the order to retreat. The Russian armies retreated 180 km north of Mukden. The Japanese did not pursue them. Both sides suffered heavy losses.
Naval battle off the island of Tsushima and the final defeat of Russia
The last significant event in the course of the war was the naval battle of 14-15 (27-28) May 1905 near Tsushima Island in the Sea of Japan. Back in the spring of 1904, it was decided to send the Baltic squadron to the Far East under the command of Rear Admiral Z. Rozhdestvensky, Chief of the Naval Staff. Preparations for the dispatch of the squadron dragged on for almost six months. In October 1904, the squadron, which was called the Second Pacific, consisting of 8 battleships, 11 cruisers and 9 destroyers left Libau.
In December, the squadron reached Madagascar. By that time, Port Arthur had surrendered, and the First Pacific Squadron had ceased to exist. The campaign to the Far East lost its meaning, because Rozhdestvensky's squadron was much weaker than the Japanese fleet. Then in February 1905, the Third Pacific Squadron of Rear Admiral M. Nebogatov, which was formed from low-speed battleships of coastal defense, was sent after her from Lyubava. At the end of April, Nebogatov caught up with Rozhdestvensky off the coast of Vietnam, and on May 14 (27) the combined squadron entered the Tsushima Strait and headed for Vladivostok. Here the Russian ships met with the main forces of the Japanese fleet under the command of Admiral X. Togo.
Remark 3
The Japanese squadron prevailed over the Russian one both in the number of ships and in the quantity and quality of weapons.
During a fierce battle, out of 33 ships of the Rozhdestvensky squadron, 19 were flooded, 8 were captured by the enemy, 3 managed to withdraw to Manila, where they were interned, and only the Almaz cruiser, the destroyers Bravo and Grozny managed to break through to Vladivostok. Of the 14 thousand people of the team, more than 5 thousand died, almost 800 were injured, 5 thousand people were captured.
The Russo-Japanese War showed the failure of Russia not only in foreign policy but also in the military sphere. A series of defeats caused irreparable damage to the authority of the authorities. Japan did not achieve a complete victory, having exhausted its resources, it was content with small concessions.
How was the Russo-Japanese War and its main stages? Russian soldiers showed courage, but could not defeat Japan in any way.
Earlier in the article we talked about some problems. In this article, we will consider the general course and results of the war.
Causes of the war
- Russia's desire to gain a foothold on the "non-freezing seas" of China and Korea;
- the desire of the leading powers to prevent the strengthening of Russia in the Far East. US and UK support for Japan;
- Japan's desire to oust the Russian army from China and capture Korea;
- Arms race in Japan. Increasing taxes for the sake of military production;
- Japan's plans were to seize Russian territory from Primorsky Krai to the Urals.
The course of the war
January 27, 1904- near Port Arthur 3 Russian ships were pierced by Japanese torpedoes, which did not sink due to the heroism of the crews. The feat of Russian ships Varangian" And " Korean» near the port of Chemulpo (Incheon).
March 31, 1904- the death of an armadillo " Petropavlovsk"With the headquarters of Admiral Makarov and a crew of more than 630 people. The Pacific Fleet was beheaded.
May - December 1904 – heroic defense Fortress Port Arthur. The 50 thousandth Russian garrison, having 646 guns and 62 machine guns, repelled the attacks of the 200 thousandth army of the enemy. After the surrender of the fortress, about 32 thousand Russian soldiers were captured by the Japanese. The Japanese lost over 110,000 (according to other sources 91 thousand) soldiers and officers, 15 warships sank and 16 were destroyed.
August 1904- battle under Liaoyang. The Japanese lost more than 23 thousand soldiers, the Russians - more than 16 thousand. Uncertain outcome of the battle. General Kuropatkin gave the order to retreat, fearing encirclement.
September 1904- battle at Shahe river. The Japanese lost more than 30 thousand soldiers, the Russians - more than 40 thousand. Uncertain outcome of the battle. After that, a positional war was waged in Manchuria. In January 1905, a revolution raged in Russia, which made it difficult to wage a war to victory.
February 1905 - Battle of Mukden stretched for 100 km along the front and lasted 3 weeks. The Japanese launched an offensive earlier and confused the plans of the Russian command. Russian troops retreated, avoiding encirclement and losing more than 90 thousand. The Japanese lost over 72,000.
Other events of the Russo-Japanese War
The Japanese command recognized the underestimation of the strength of the enemy. Soldiers with weapons and provisions continued to arrive from Russia by rail. The war again took on a positional character.
May 1905- the tragedy of the Russian fleet off the Tsushima Islands. Admiral's ships Rozhdestvensky (30 combat, 6 transport and 2 hospital) traveled about 33 thousand km and immediately entered the battle. Nobody in the world could not defeat 121 enemy ships on 38 ships! Only the cruiser "Almaz", the destroyers "Brave" and "Grozny" broke through to Vladivostok (according to other sources, 4 ships were saved), the crews of the rest died as heroes or were captured. The Japanese were badly damaged 10 and 3 ships sank.
Until now, Russians, passing by the Tsushima Islands, lay wreaths on the water in memory of 5,000 dead Russian sailors.
The war was ending. The Russian army in Manchuria was growing and could continue the war for a long time. Japan's human and financial resources were depleted (old people and children have already been drafted into the army). Russia signed from a position of strength Treaty of Portsmouth in August 1905.
Russia withdrew troops from Manchuria, handed over to Japan the Liaodong Peninsula, the southern part of Sakhalin Island and money for the maintenance of prisoners. This failure of Japanese diplomacy caused riots in Tokyo.
After the war, Japan's external public debt grew 4 times, Russia's by 1/3.
Japan lost more than 85 thousand killed, Russia more than 50 thousand.
More than 38 thousand soldiers died from wounds in Japan, more than 17 thousand in Russia.
The Russo-Japanese War was lost by Russia. The reasons were economic and military backwardness, weakness of intelligence and command, the great remoteness and stretching of the theater of operations, poor supply, and weak interaction between the army and navy. In addition, the Russian people did not understand why it was necessary to fight in distant Manchuria. The revolution of 1905-1907 further weakened Russia.
Will the right conclusions be drawn? To be continued.
The main events of the RUSSIAN-JAPANESE war of 1904-1905 January 26 - 27, 1904 March 31, 1904 February 1904 April 1904 July 17, 1904 July 28, 1904 August 1904 August 11 - 21, 1904 September - October 1904 October 1904 December 20, 1904 February 1905 February 25, 1905 May 14-15, 1905 June 1905 August 23, 1905 Sudden attack by Japanese destroyers on the Russian squadron on the outer roads of Port Arthur. Mining approaches to the port → The Russian fleet cannot influence the course of hostilities. Two Russian ships (the cruiser "Varyag" and the gunboat "Koreets") opposed 15 enemy warships near the port of Chemulpo (Korea). In an unequal battle, the commander of the cruiser V.F. Rudnev ordered to leave the ship; "Varyag" was sunk, and "Koreets" was blown up. The flagship battleship "Petropavlovsk" ran into a mine in battle: Vice Admiral S.O. Makarov, his headquarters (281 people) and V.V. Vereshchagin A series of defeats of the Russian army in unequal battles near the town of Tyurenchen → rus. troops retreated to Laoliang. Japan captured the port of Dalniy (Liaodong Peninsula) - a springboard for operations against Port Arthur. The beginning of the Japanese siege of Port Arthur. Rus. the military base was defended for 7 months under the leadership of General R.I. Kondratenko, having withstood 4 assaults The Russian fleet, which tried to break through to Vladivostok, is defeated Japan launched a forced attack on Port Arthur, but met stubborn resistance → cessation of the assault, siege of the fortress. Liaoyang battle: three Japanese armies attacked the Rus. positions, but faced fierce resistance and suffered heavy losses. Commander of the Manchurian army A.N. Kuropatkin, playing it safe, decided to retreat north to Mukden. Battles on the Shankh River (heavy losses on both sides) an attempt by the land army to help the besieged Port Arthur → The battle on the Shakh River ended unsuccessfully The 2nd Pacific squadron left the Baltic port of Libava under the command of Admiral Z.P. Rozhdestvensky to the rescue of Port Arthur (she had to go around Africa) Capitulation of Port Arthur (Surrendered by General A.M. Stessel, despite the decision of the Fortress Defense Council to continue resistance) Fighting near Mukden → threat of complete encirclement рус. army → order (February 22) of Kuropatkin about the immediate encirclement The Japanese occupied Mukden Tsushima battle: the Japanese fleet, which had superiority in strength, artillery and speed, defeated the 2nd Pacific squadron Landing of two Japanese divisions on about. Sakhalin → the unequal struggle of the militias from hard labor lasted two months Portsmouth m / d (through the mediation of US President T. Roosevelt; Portsmouth - USA; head of the Russian delegations - S.Yu. Witte): - loss of Port Arthur and the southern part of Sakhalin Island; - evacuation of troops of both countries from Manchuria; - refusal of Russia from claims; - the right to fish along the Russian shores.
1904-1905, the causes of which are known to every schoolchild, had a great influence on the development of Russia in the future. Although it is now very easy to “sort out” the prerequisites, causes and consequences, in 1904 it was difficult to assume such an outcome.
Start
The Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, the causes of which will be discussed below, began in January. The enemy fleet, without warning and obvious reasons, attacked the ships of Russian sailors. This happened for no apparent reason, but the consequences were great: the powerful ships of the Russian squadron became unnecessary broken garbage. Of course, Russia could not ignore such an event, and on February 10 war was declared.
Causes of the war
Despite the unpleasant episode with the ships, which dealt a significant blow, the official and main reason the war was something else. It was all about the expansion of Russia to the east. This is the underlying cause of the outbreak of war, but it began under a different pretext. The reason for the fury is the annexation of the Liaodong Peninsula, which previously belonged to Japan.
Reaction
How did the Russian people react to such an unexpected outbreak of war? This clearly outraged them, because how could Japan dare such a challenge? But the reaction of other countries was different. The USA and England determined their position and took the side of Japan. The press reports, which were very numerous in all countries, clearly indicated a negative reaction to the actions of the Russians. France declared a neutral position, as it needed the support of Russia, but soon she concluded an agreement with England, which worsened relations with Russia. In turn, Germany also declared neutrality, but Russia's actions were approved in the press.
Developments
At the beginning of the war, the Japanese took a very active position. The course of the Russian Japanese war 1904-1905 could change dramatically from one extreme to another. The Japanese failed to conquer Port Arthur, but made many attempts. An army of 45 thousand soldiers was used for the assault. The army met strong resistance from Russian soldiers and lost almost half of its employees. It was not possible to hold the fortress. The reason for the defeat was the death of General Kondratenko in December 1904. If the general had not died, it would have been possible to keep the fortress for another 2 months. Despite this, Reis and Stessel signed the act, and the Russian fleet was destroyed. More than 30 thousand Russian soldiers were taken prisoner.
Only two battles of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 were really significant. The Mukden land battle took place in February 1905. It was rightfully considered the largest in history. It ended badly for both sides.
The second most important battle is Tsushima. It happened at the end of May 1905. Unfortunately, for the Russian army it was a defeat. The Japanese fleet was 6 times larger than the Russian one in terms of numbers. This could not but affect the course of the battle, so the Russian Baltic squadron was completely destroyed.
The Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, the causes of which we analyzed above, was in favor of Japan. Despite this, the country had to pay dearly for its leadership, because its economy was exhausted to the point of impossibility. It was this that prompted Japan to be the first to propose the terms of a peace treaty. In August, peace negotiations began in the city of Portsmouth. The Russian delegation was headed by Witte. The conference was a great diplomatic breakthrough for the domestic side. Despite the fact that everything was moving towards peace, violent protests took place in Tokyo. The people did not want to make peace with the enemy. However, peace was still concluded. At the same time, Russia suffered significant losses during the war.
What is worth only the fact that the Pacific Fleet was completely destroyed, and thousands of people sacrificed their lives for the Motherland. And yet, Russian expansion in the East was stopped. Of course, the people could not but discuss this topic, because it was clearly clear that the tsarist policy no longer had such power and power. Perhaps this was what caused revolutionary sentiments to spread in the country, which eventually led to the well-known events of 1905-1907.
Defeat
We already know the results of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. And yet, why did Russia fail and fail to defend its policy? Researchers and historians believe that there are four reasons for this outcome. Firstly, the Russian Empire was very isolated from the world stage diplomatically. That is why a few supported her policy. If Russia had the support of the world, it would be easier to fight. Secondly, the Russian soldiers were not ready for war, especially in difficult conditions. The effect of surprise, which played into the hands of the Japanese, cannot be underestimated. The third reason is very banal and sad. It consists in multiple betrayals of the Motherland, betrayal, as well as in the complete mediocrity and helplessness of many generals.
The results of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 turned out to be losing also because Japan was much more developed in the economic and military spheres. This is what helped Japan gain a clear advantage. The Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, the reasons for which we have examined, was a negative event for Russia, which exposed all weaknesses.
Russo-Japanese War- This is a war that was 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, armadillos, destroyers, wire fences under high voltage; as well as using spotlights and a field kitchen.
Reasons for the war:
- Lease by Russia of the Liaodong Peninsula and Port Arthur as a naval base.
- Construction of the CER and Russian economic expansion in Manchuria.
- The struggle for spheres of influence in China and Kopee.
- Means of distraction from the revolutionary movement in Russia ("small victorious war")
- The strengthening of Russia's positions in the Far East threatened the monopolies of England and the USA and the militaristic aspirations of Japan.
The nature of 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 time, Japan built an armored fleet at the shipyards of England, Italy, and the USA.
bases of the Russian fleet pacific ocean- Port Arthur and Vladivostok - separated from each other by 1100 miles and were poorly equipped. By the beginning of the war, out of 1 million 50 thousand Russian soldiers, about 100 thousand were deployed in the Far East. The Far Eastern army was removed from the main supply centers, the Siberian railway had a low throughput(3 trains per day).
COURSE OF EVENTS
January 27, 1904 Japanese attack on the Russian fleet. The death of the cruiser "Varangian" and the gunboat "Korean" in Chemulpo Bay off the coast of Korea. Blocked in Chemulpo "Varyag" and "Korean" 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: quick-firing howitzers, Maxim machine guns, hand grenades, 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 led his squadron to the outer roadstead in order to engage the enemy and lure his ships under fire from 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 died, the entire headquarters of S. O. Makarov. After that, the Russian fleet went on the defensive, as the commander-in-chief of the Far Eastern forces, Admiral E. I. Alekseev, refused active operations at sea.
The ground defense of Port Arthur was led by the head of the Kwantung Fortified Region, General A. M. Stessel. The main struggle in November unfolded over Mount Vysokaya. On December 2, the head of the land defense, its organizer and inspirer, General R. I. Kondratenko. Stessel December 20, 1904 signed capitulation . 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 non-freezing Yellow Sea, the deterioration of the strategic situation in Manchuria and a significant aggravation of the domestic political situation in the country.
October 1904 The defeat of Russian troops on the Shahe River.
February 25, 1905 The defeat of the Russian army near Mukden (Manchuria). The largest land battle in history before the First World War.
May 14-15, 1905 Battle in 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 Baltic Sea. In July, the Japanese occupied Sakhalin Island.
REASONS FOR THE DEFEAT OF RUSSIA
- Support for Japan from Britain and the United States.
- Weak preparation of Russia for war. Military-technical superiority of Japan.
- Mistakes and ill-conceived actions of the Russian command.
- The inability to quickly transfer reserves to the Far East.
Russo-Japanese War. RESULTS
- Korea was recognized as a sphere of influence of Japan;
- Japan took possession of South Sakhalin;
- Japan received the right to fish 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 positions in the Far East;
- public dissatisfaction 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 capability.
Summary of the lesson on the History of Russia "Russian-Japanese War (1904-1905)".
