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, she became the first big war with 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.
- A distraction from 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. Per short term 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 "Koreets" 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 engaged in 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. died most of teams, 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 headed 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.
One of the biggest confrontations is the Russian- japanese war 1904-1905. The reasons for it will be discussed in the article. As a result of the conflict, armadillo guns, long-range artillery, and destroyers were used.
The essence of this war was which of the two warring empires would dominate the Far East. Emperor of Russia Nicholas II considered it his primary task to strengthen the influence of his state in East Asia. At the same time, Emperor Meiji of Japan sought to gain complete control over Korea. War became inevitable.
Background of the conflict
It is clear that the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 (the reasons are connected with the Far East) did not start instantly. She had her prerequisites.
Russia has advanced Central Asia to the border with Afghanistan and Persia, which affected the interests of Great Britain. Unable to expand in this direction, the empire switched to the East. There was China, which, due to complete exhaustion in the opium wars, was forced to transfer part of the territory to Russia. So she got control of Primorye (the territory of modern Vladivostok), Kurile Islands, partially Sakhalin Island. To connect distant frontiers, the Trans-Siberian Railway was created, which, along the railway line, provided communication between Chelyabinsk and Vladivostok. In addition to the railroad, Russia planned to trade on the ice-free Yellow Sea through Port Arthur.
In Japan, at the same time, their transformations were taking place. Having come to power, Emperor Meiji ended the policy of self-isolation and began to modernize the state. All his reforms were so successful that a quarter of a century after they began, the empire was able to seriously think about military expansion to other states. Its first targets were China and Korea. The victory of Japan over China allowed her to get in 1895 the rights to Korea, the island of Taiwan and other lands.
A conflict was brewing between two strong empires for dominance in East Asia. The result was the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. The causes of the conflict should be considered in more detail.
The main causes of the war
It was extremely important for both powers to show their military achievements, so the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 unfolded. The reasons for this confrontation lie not only in the claims to the territory of China, but also in the internal political situations that had developed in both empires by that time. A successful campaign in war not only provides the victor with economic benefits, but also raises her status on the world stage and silences opponents of her existing power. What did both states count on in this conflict? What were the main causes of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905? The table below reveals the answers to these questions.
Precisely because both powers were striving for an armed solution to the conflict, all diplomatic negotiations did not bring results.
The balance of power on land
The causes of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 were both economic and political. The 23rd Artillery Brigade was sent to the Eastern Front from Russia. As for the numerical advantage of the armies, the leadership belonged to Russia. However, in the East, the army was limited to 150 thousand people. However, they were scattered over a wide area.
- Vladivostok - 45,000 people
- Manchuria - 28,000 people
- Port Arthur - 22,000 people
- Security of the Chinese Eastern Railway - 35,000 people.
- Artillery, engineering troops - up to 8000 people.
The biggest problem Russian army was remote from the European part. Communication was carried out by telegraph, and delivery was carried out by the CER line. However, a limited amount of cargo could be delivered by rail. In addition, the leadership did not have accurate maps of the area, which negatively affected the course of the war.
Japan before the war had an army of 375 thousand people. They studied the area well, had fairly accurate maps. The army has been upgraded English specialists, and the soldiers are devoted to their emperor to death.
The balance of power on the water
In addition to land, battles also took place on the water. Admiral Heihachiro Togo led the Japanese fleet. His task was to block the enemy squadron near Port Arthur. In another sea (Japanese) squadron of the Country rising sun counteracted the Vladivostok group of cruisers.
Understanding the causes of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, the Meiji state thoroughly prepared for battles on the water. The most important ships of her United Fleet were produced in England, France, Germany and were significantly superior to Russian ships.
Major events of the war
When in February 1904 the Japanese forces began to cross into Korea, the Russian command did not attach any importance to this, although they understood the reasons for the Russo-Japanese war of 1904-1905.
Briefly about the main events.
- 09.02.1904. The historical battle of the cruiser "Varyag" against the Japanese squadron near Chemulpo.
- 27.02.1904. The Japanese fleet attacked the Russian Port Arthur without declaring war. The Japanese used torpedoes for the first time and disabled 90% of the Pacific Fleet.
- April 1904. The clash of armies on land, which showed Russia's unpreparedness for war (inconsistency in form, lack of military maps, inability to fence). Due to the fact that Russian officers had white tunics, Japanese soldiers easily figured out and killed them.
- May 1904. Capture of the port of Dalniy by the Japanese.
- August 1904. Successful Russian defense of Port Arthur.
- January 1905. Surrender of Port Arthur by Stessel.
- May 1905. The naval battle near Tsushima destroyed the Russian squadron (one ship returned to Vladivostok), while not a single Japanese ship was injured.
- July 1905. Japanese invasion of Sakhalin.
The Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, the reasons for which were of an economic nature, led to the exhaustion of both powers. Japan began to look for ways to resolve the conflict. She resorted to the help of Great Britain and the United States.
Battle of Chemulpo
The famous battle took place on February 9, 1904 off the coast of Korea (the city of Chemulpo). Captain Vsevolod Rudnev commanded two Russian ships. These were the cruiser "Varyag" and the boat "Korean". The squadron of Japan under the command of Sotokichi Uriu consisted of 2 battleships, 4 cruisers, 8 destroyers. They blocked the Russian ships and forced them to join the battle.
In the morning, in clear weather, the Varyag and the Koreyets weighed anchor and tried to get out of the bay. In honor of the exit from the port, music began to play for them, but after only five minutes the alarm sounded on the deck. The battle flag went up.
The Japanese did not expect such actions and expected to destroy the Russian ships in the port. The enemy squadron in a hurry raised anchors, battle flags and began to prepare for battle. The battle began with a shot from the Asama. Then there was a battle with the use of armor-piercing and high-explosive shells from both sides.
In unequal forces, the Varyag was badly damaged, and Rudnev decided to turn back to the anchorage. There, the Japanese could not continue shelling because of the danger of damaging the ships of other states.
Having lowered the anchor, the Varyag team began to study the condition of the ship. Rudnev, meanwhile, went for permission to destroy the cruiser and transfer his team to neutral ships. Not all officers supported Rudnev's decision, but two hours later the team was evacuated. They decided to sink the Varyag by opening its floodgates. The bodies of the dead sailors were left on the cruiser.
It was decided to blow up the Korean boat, having evacuated the team before that. All things were left on the ship, and secret documents were burned.
The sailors were received by French, English and Italian ships. After all necessary procedures they were delivered to Odessa and Sevastopol, from where they were disbanded by the fleet. By agreement, they could not continue to participate in the Russo-Japanese conflict, so they were not allowed into the Pacific Fleet.
The results of the war
Japan agreed to sign the peace treaty with the complete surrender of Russia, in which the revolution had already begun. According to the Portsmouth Peace Treaty (08/23/1905), Russia was obliged to fulfill the following points:
- Relinquish claims to Manchuria.
- Renounce in favor of Japan from the Kuril Islands and half of Sakhalin Island.
- Recognize Japan's right to Korea.
- Transfer to Japan the right to lease Port Arthur.
- Pay Japan an indemnity for the "maintenance of prisoners."
In addition, the defeat in the war had for Russia Negative consequences in economic terms. Stagnation began in some industries, as their lending from foreign banks decreased. Living in the country has risen in price significantly. The industrialists insisted on the speedy conclusion of peace.
Even those countries that initially supported Japan (Great Britain and the United States) realized how difficult the situation in Russia was. The war had to be stopped in order to direct all forces to the fight against the revolution, which was equally feared by world states.
Mass movements began among workers and military personnel. A striking example is the uprising on the battleship Potemkin.
The causes and results of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 are clear. It remains to find out what were the losses in human terms. Russia lost 270 thousand, of which 50 thousand were killed. Japan lost the same number of soldiers, but more than 80,000 were killed.
Value judgments
The Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, the reasons for which were of an economic and political nature, showed serious problems inside Russian Empire. He also wrote about this. War revealed problems in the army, its weapons, command, as well as blunders in diplomacy.
Japan was not fully satisfied with the outcome of the negotiations. The state lost too much in the fight against the European enemy. She hoped to get more territory, but the United States did not support her in this. Discontent began to brew inside the country, and Japan continued the path of militarization.
The Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, the reasons for which were considered, brought many military tricks:
- use of spotlights;
- the use of wire fences under high voltage current;
- field kitchen;
- radiotelegraphy for the first time made it possible to control ships from a distance;
- switching to fuel oil, which produces no smoke and makes ships less visible;
- the appearance of ships - minelayers, which began to be produced with the spread of mine weapons;
- flamethrowers.
One of the heroic battles of the war with Japan is the battle of the Varyag cruiser at Chemulpo (1904). Together with the ship "Korean" they opposed the whole squadron of the enemy. The battle was obviously lost, but the sailors still made an attempt to break through. It turned out to be unsuccessful, and in order not to surrender, the crew led by Rudnev sank their ship. For courage and heroism, they were awarded the praise of Nicholas II. The Japanese were so impressed by the character and stamina of Rudnev and his sailors that in 1907 they awarded him the Order of the Rising Sun. The captain of the sunken cruiser accepted the award, but never wore it.
There is a version according to which Stessel surrendered Port Arthur to the Japanese for a fee. How true this version is, it is already impossible to verify. Be that as it may, because of his act, the campaign was doomed to failure. For this, the general was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in the fortress, but he was pardoned a year after imprisonment. He was deprived of all titles and awards, while leaving a pension.
Reasons for 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.
The desire of Japan 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 the Russian ships "Varyag" and "Koreets" near the port of Chemulpo (Incheon).
March 31, 1904 - the death of the battleship "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 of 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 more than 110 thousand (according to other sources 91 thousand) soldiers and officers, 15 warships sank, and 16 were destroyed.
August 1904 - Battle of 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 near the Shakhe 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 - The 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.
Russo-Japanese war briefly.
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 near the Tsushima Islands. The ships of Admiral Rozhdestvensky (30 combat, 6 transport and 2 hospital) traveled about 33 thousand km and immediately entered the battle. No one in the world could defeat 121 enemy ships on 38 ships! Only the cruiser Almaz, the destroyers Bravy 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. human and financial resources Japan were exhausted (old people and children were already being drafted into the army). Russia, from a position of strength, signed the Treaty of Portsmouth in August 1905.
The results of the war:
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.
Yet Russia lost this war. 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.
At the dawn of the twentieth century, a fierce clash occurred between the Russian and Japanese empires. In what year our country was expected to go to war with Japan. It began in the winter of 1904 and lasted more than 12 months until 1905, became a real blow to the whole world. It stood out not only as a subject of dispute between the two powers, but also with the latest weapons that were used in battles.
In contact with
Prerequisites
Main events unfolded in the Far East, in one of the most disputed regions of the world. At the same time, the Russian and Japanese empires claimed it, each had its own political strategies regarding this area, ambitions and plans. Specifically, it was about 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 only the strongest countries in the world, but also actively developing. Oddly enough, this was the first prerequisite for the Russo-Japanese War.
The Russian Empire was actively pushing its borders, touching Persia and Afghanistan in the southeast.
The interests of Great Britain were affected, so the Russian map continued to grow in the direction of the Far East.
China was the first to stand in the way, which became impoverished from numerous wars, was forced give Russia part of their territories in order to obtain support and funds. So, new lands came into the possession of our empire: Primorye, Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands.
The reasons also lay in the policy of Japan. The new emperor Meiji considered self-isolation a relic of the past and actively began to develop his country, promoting it in the international arena. 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 war in 1904 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 the prerequisites for future confrontation were hidden, since the interests of the two empires met, which contradicted each other. So, on January 27 (February 9), 1904, the war between Russia and Japan was officially started.
The reasons
The Russo-Japanese War was one of the most clear examples"cockfight". No racist, religious or ideological disputes were observed between the two warring countries. The essence of the conflict did not lie in the increase of its own territory for significant reasons. It's just that each state had a goal: to prove to itself and others that it is powerful, strong and invincible.
First consider Causes of the Russo-Japanese War within the Russian Empire:
- 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.
- It was possible once and for all to suppress the outbreak of the revolution, in which the peasants, workers and even the urban intelligentsia were drawn.
How this war could be useful to Japan, we will briefly consider. The Japanese had only one goal: to demonstrate their new weapons, which were improved. Should have tried the newest military equipment, and where can this be done, if not in battle.
Note! The participants in the armed confrontation, in case of victory, would have adjusted their internal political differences. The economy of the victorious country would have improved significantly and new lands would have been received into its possession - Manchuria, Korea and the whole Yellow Sea.
Military action on land
On the Eastern front at the beginning of 1904, the 23rd artillery brigade was sent from Russia.
The troops were distributed among strategically important objects - Vladivostok, Manchuria and Port Arthur. There was also a special engineering troops, and a very impressive number of people guarded the CER (railway).
The fact is that all provisions and ammunition were delivered to soldiers from the European part of the country by train, which is why they required additional protection.
By the way, this has become one of the reasons for the defeat of Russia. Distance from the industrial centers of our country to Far East 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 Russians. Moreover, having left their native and very small islands, they were literally scattered over a vast territory. But in the unfortunate 1904-1905 they were saved by military power. The latest weapons and armored vehicles, destroyers, improved artillery have done their job. It is worth noting the very tactics of warfare and combat, which the Japanese learned from the British. In a word, they took not quantity, but quality and cunning.
Naval battles
The Russo-Japanese War has become real fiasco for Russian fleet
.
Shipbuilding in the Far East region at that time was not too developed, and it was extremely difficult to deliver the "gifts" of the Black Sea to such a distance.
In the land of the rising sun, the fleet was always powerful, Meiji was well prepared, he knew very well weak sides the enemy, therefore he managed not only to hold back the onslaught of the enemy, but also to completely defeat our fleet.
He won the battle thanks to the same military tactics which he learned from the British.
Main events
Troops of the Russian Empire for a long time did not improve their potential, did not conduct tactical exercises. Their appearance on the Far Eastern front in 1904 made it clear that they simply were not ready to fight and fight. This is clearly seen in the chronology of the main events of the Russo-Japanese War. Let's consider them in order.
- February 9, 1904 - battle of Chemulpo. Russian cruiser"Varyag" and steamer "Korean", under the command of Vsevolod Rudnev, were surrounded by the Japanese squadron. In an unequal battle, both ships perished, and the remaining crew members were evacuated to Sevastopol and Odessa. In the future, they were forbidden to enter the service in the Pacific Fleet;
- On February 27 of the same year, with the help of the latest torpedoes, the Japanese disabled more than 90% of the Russian fleet by attacking it in Port Arthur;
- spring 1904 - the defeat of the Russian Empire in numerous battles on land. In addition to the difficulties in transporting ammunition and provisions, our soldiers simply did not have a normal map. The Russo-Japanese War had clear schemes, certain strategic objects. But without proper navigation, it was impossible to cope with the task;
- 1904, August - the Russians were able to defend Port Arthur;
- 1905, January - Admiral Stessel surrendered Port Arthur to the Japanese;
- May of the same year - another unequal sea battle. After the battle of Tsushima, one Russian ship returned to the port, but the entire Japanese squadron remained safe and sound;
- July 1905 - Japanese troops invaded the territory of Sakhalin.
Probably, the answer to the question of who won the war is obvious. But in fact, numerous battles on land and water have 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 was completely undermined and domestic politics both countries. 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 the revolution were in full swing. The enemy knew this, so he set a condition: Japan agreed to the signing of a peace treaty only on condition of complete surrender. At the same time, they had to comply 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 her enemy an indemnity for the maintenance of prisoners.
And these were not the only negative consequences of the Russo-Japanese War for our people. The economy began to stagnate for a long time, as factories and factories became impoverished.
Unemployment began in the country, prices for food and other goods rose. Russia began to be denied loans many foreign banks, during which business activities also stopped.
But there were also positive points. By signing the Portsmouth Peace Agreement, Russia received support from the European powers - England and France.
This was the seed of the birth of a new alliance called the Entente. It is worth noting that Europe was also frightened by the impending revolution, so it tried to provide all possible support to our country so that these events would not go beyond its borders, but 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 it all work out
Let us list the reasons for Russia's defeat in this armed confrontation.
- Significant distance from industrial centers. The railroad could not cope with the transportation of everything needed to the front.
- The lack of proper training and skill in the Russian army and navy. The Japanese had more advanced technology possession of weapons and combat.
- Our adversary developed a fundamentally new military equipment, which was difficult to cope with.
- betrayal by tsarist generals. For example, the surrender of Port Arthur, which was previously taken.
- The war was not popular among ordinary people, as well as many soldiers who were sent to the front, were not interested in victory. But japanese warriors were ready to die for the emperor.
Analysis of the Russo-Japanese War by historians
Russo-Japanese War, causes of defeat
Conclusion
After the defeat in the Russo-Japanese War, the old regime completely collapsed in Russia. Literally 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.
(1904-1905) - the war between Russia and Japan, which was fought for control of Manchuria, Korea and the ports of Port Arthur and Dalniy.
The most important object of the struggle for the final division of the world at the end of the 19th century was economically backward and militarily weak China. It was to the Far East that the center of gravity of the foreign policy activity of Russian diplomacy was shifted from the mid-1890s. The keen interest of the tsarist government in the affairs of this region was largely due to the appearance here of late XIX century of a strong and very aggressive neighbor in the face of Japan, which has embarked on the path of expansion.
After Japan acquired the Liaodong Peninsula as a result of victory in the war with China in 1894-1895 under a peace treaty, Russia, acting as a united front with France and Germany, forced Japan to abandon this part of Chinese territory. In 1896, a Russian-Chinese treaty on a defensive alliance against Japan was concluded. China granted Russia a concession to build a railway from Chita to Vladivostok through Manchuria (northeast China). The railway line, known as the Chinese Eastern Railway (CER), began to be built in 1897.
Japan, having established its influence in Korea after the war with China, was forced in 1896 to agree to the establishment of a joint Russian-Japanese protectorate over Korea with the actual predominance of Russia.
In 1898, Russia received from China on a long-term lease (for 25 years) the southern part of the Liaodong Peninsula, the so-called Kwantung Region, with the city of Luishun, which also had a European name - Port Arthur. Since March 1898, this ice-free port has become the base for the Pacific squadron of the Russian fleet, which led to a new aggravation of contradictions between Japan and Russia.
The tsarist government went to aggravate relations with its Far Eastern neighbor because it did not see Japan as a serious adversary and hoped to overcome the impending internal crisis that threatened revolution with a small but victorious war.
Japan, for its part, was actively preparing for an armed clash with Russia. True, in the summer of 1903 Russian-Japanese negotiations began on Manchuria and Korea, but the Japanese military machine, which had secured direct support from the United States and England, had already been launched. On February 6 (January 24, O.S.), 1904, the Japanese ambassador presented the Russian Foreign Minister Vladimir Lamzdorf with a note on the severance of diplomatic relations, and on the evening of February 8 (January 26, O.S.), 1904, the Japanese fleet attacked the port without declaring war - Arthurian squadron. The battleships "Retvizan" and "Tsesarevich", the cruiser "Pallada" were seriously damaged.
Military operations began. In early March, the Russian squadron in Port Arthur was led by an experienced naval commander, Vice Admiral Stepan Makarov, but already on April 13 (March 31, O.S.), 1904, he died when the flagship battleship Petropavlovsk hit a mine and sank. The command of the squadron passed to Rear Admiral Wilhelm Witgeft.
In March 1904, the Japanese army landed in Korea, and in April - in the south of Manchuria. Russian troops under the command of General Mikhail Zasulich could not withstand the onslaught of superior enemy forces and in May were forced to leave the Jinzhou position. Port Arthur, thus, was cut off from the Russian Manchurian army.
By decision of the Japanese commander-in-chief, Marshal Iwao Oyama, Maresuke Nogi's army began the siege of Port Arthur, while the 1st, 2nd and 4th armies, which landed at Dagushan, moved to Liaoyang from the southeast, south and southwest. In mid-June, Kuroki's army occupied the passes southeast of the city, and in July repulsed an attempted Russian counteroffensive. The army of Yasukata Oku, after the battle at Dashichao in July, captured the port of Yingkou, cutting off the connection of the Manchurian army with Port Arthur by sea. In the second half of July, three Japanese armies joined at Liaoyang; their total number was more than 120 thousand against 152 thousand Russians. In the battle of Liaoyang on August 24 - September 3, 1904 (August 11-21, O.S.), both sides suffered huge losses: the Russians lost more than 16 thousand killed, and the Japanese - 24 thousand. The Japanese were unable to encircle the army of Alexei Kuropatkin, which withdrew to Mukden in perfect order, but they captured Liaoyang and the Yantai coal mines.
The retreat to Mukden meant for the defenders of Port Arthur the collapse of hopes for any effective help from ground forces. The Japanese 3rd Army captured the Wolf Mountains and began an intense bombardment of the city and the internal raid. Despite this, several of her assaults in August were repulsed by the garrison under the command of Major General Roman Kondratenko; the besiegers lost 16,000 dead. At the same time, the Japanese succeeded at sea. An attempt to break through the Pacific Fleet to Vladivostok at the end of July failed, Rear Admiral Witgeft died. In August, the squadron of Vice Admiral Hikonojo Kamimura managed to overtake and defeat the cruiser detachment of Rear Admiral Jessen.
By the beginning of October 1904, thanks to reinforcements, the number of the Manchurian army reached 210 thousand, and the Japanese troops near Liaoyang - 170 thousand.
Fearing that in the event of the fall of Port Arthur, the Japanese forces would increase significantly due to the released 3rd Army, Kuropatkin launched an offensive to the south at the end of September, but was defeated in the battle on the Shahe River, losing 46 thousand killed (the enemy - only 16 thousand) and went on the defensive. The four-month "Shahei Sitting" began.
In September-November, the defenders of Port Arthur repulsed three Japanese assaults, but the 3rd Japanese Army managed to capture Mount Vysokaya, which dominated Port Arthur. On January 2, 1905 (December 20, 1904, O.S.), the head of the Kwantung Fortified Region, Lieutenant General Anatoly Stessel, without exhausting all possibilities for resistance, surrendered Port Arthur (in the spring of 1908, a military court sentenced him to death penalty commuted to ten years in prison).
The fall of Port Arthur sharply worsened the strategic position of the Russian troops and the command tried to turn the tide. However, the successfully launched offensive of the 2nd Manchurian army on the village of Sandepa was not supported by other armies. After joining the main forces of the Japanese 3rd Army
Feet their number was equal to the number of Russian troops. In February, Tamemoto Kuroki's army attacked the 1st Manchurian Army southeast of Mukden, and Noga's army began bypassing the Russian right flank. Kuroki's army broke through the front of Nikolai Linevich's army. On March 10 (February 25 O.S.), 1905, the Japanese occupied Mukden. Having lost more than 90 thousand killed and captured, the Russian troops retreated north to Telin in disarray. The largest defeat at Mukden meant the loss of the campaign in Manchuria by the Russian command, although he managed to save a significant part of the army.
Trying to achieve a turning point in the war, the Russian government sent the 2nd Pacific squadron of Admiral Zinovy Rozhdestvensky, created from part of the Baltic Fleet, to the Far East, but on May 27-28 (May 14-15, O.S.) Tsushima battle The Japanese fleet destroyed the Russian squadron. Only one cruiser and two destroyers reached Vladivostok. At the beginning of the summer, the Japanese completely ousted the Russian detachments from North Korea, and by July 8 (June 25, O.S.) they captured Sakhalin.
Despite the victories, Japan's forces were exhausted, and at the end of May, through the intermediary of US President Theodore Roosevelt, she invited Russia to enter into peace negotiations. Russia, which found itself in a difficult domestic political situation, agreed. On August 7 (July 25, O.S.), a diplomatic conference opened in Portsmouth (New Hampshire, USA), which ended on September 5 (August 23, O.S.), 1905, with the signing of the Treaty of Portsmouth. Under its terms, Russia ceded to Japan the southern part of Sakhalin, the rights to lease Port Arthur and the southern tip of the Liaodong Peninsula and the southern branch of the Chinese Eastern Railway from the Changchun station to Port Arthur, allowed its fishing fleet to fish off the coast of the Sea of Japan, the Sea of Okhotsk and the Bering Sea, recognized Korea as a zone of Japanese influence and renounced its political, military and trading advantages in Manchuria. At the same time, Russia was exempted from paying any indemnities.
Japan, which as a result of the victory took a leading place among the powers of the Far East, until the end of World War II celebrated the day of the victory at Mukden as the Day of the Ground Forces, and the date of the victory at Tsushima as the Day of the Naval Forces.
The Russo-Japanese War was the first major war of the 20th century. Russia lost about 270 thousand people (including over 50 thousand killed), Japan - 270 thousand people (including over 86 thousand killed).
In the Russo-Japanese War, for the first time, machine guns, rapid-firing artillery, mortars, hand grenades, a radiotelegraph, searchlights, barbed wire, including those under high voltage, naval mines and torpedoes, etc., were used on a large scale.
The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources