Battles of the Russian-Japanese War 1904 1905. Russo-Japanese War

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

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Prerequisites

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Causes

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

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

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

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

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

Military operations on land

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

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

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

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

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

Naval battles

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

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

In the land of the rising sun, the fleet was always powerful, Meiji was well prepared, knew the enemy’s weaknesses very well, and therefore managed not only to hold back the enemy’s onslaught, but also to completely defeat our fleet.

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

Main events

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

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

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

Outcome of hostilities

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

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

And these were not the only negative consequences of the Russian-Japanese War for our people. The economy began to stagnate for a long time, as factories and factories became impoverished.

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

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

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

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

Why did everything turn out this way?

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

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

Analysis of the Russo-Japanese War by historians

Russo-Japanese War, reasons for defeat

Conclusion

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

Introduction

Conclusion

Bibliography

Application

Introduction

At the end of the 19th century, the struggle between two great powers intensified in the Far East: Japan and Russia. Tsarist Russia showed increased interest in Korea. The Romanovs were personally interested in the enormous “riches” of Korea, which they wanted to turn to their benefit. Russia's diplomatic activity towards China led to the conclusion of an alliance agreement, according to which Russia received the right to build the Chinese-Eastern Railway. By doing this, Russia strengthened its position in China. In addition, Russia leased the Kwantung Peninsula with Port Arthur from China for a period of 25 years. This becomes the main base of the Russian navy.

Japan reacted negatively to Russian penetration into the Chinese and Korean economies. The largest Japanese concerns considered China and Korea their sales markets. Being an economically developed country, Japan was active in the Far East.

Japan fought for the redivision of the world. Russia contradicted the interests of Japan, and Japan began intensively preparing for war with the help of England and the United States, who were afraid of the strengthening of Russia. And Russia treated Japan arrogantly.

The relevance of the work is determined by the similarity of the transition period that developed in Russia at the beginning of the 20th and 21st centuries. At this time, many researchers, scientific efforts and interest in Russian history, since without knowledge of the history of one’s country, stable development of the state is impossible.

The purpose of this work is an attempt to analyze the significance and features of the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905. in order to identify its influence on the further development of Russian statehood.

To achieve this goal, it is necessary to consider the following tasks:

· consider the reasons and prerequisites for the outbreak of war;

· analyze the course of military operations during the war;

· find out why Russia was defeated in the war with Japan.

The object of study of this course work is the consequences of the policy pursued by the country, which led to the loss of the war.

The subject of research in this work is the key events of the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905, their role and place in the history of Russia.

In this course work, many sources on this topic were used, such as: Zolotukhin A.P. "History of the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905." - from this source the beginning of the war was taken, for what purposes it began and the course of military operations during the war; Shirokrad A.B. "The Fall of Port Arthur" - this book helped to find out how Japan was preparing for war. Article by Balakin V.I. "Causes and consequences of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905." - with the help of this article, the reasons for Russia’s defeat and the further state of Russia after the war were clarified.

The practical significance of this course work lies in the fact that these materials can be used both in theoretical and practical classes in the discipline: "History".

The work structure includes:

Introduction, 3 sections, conclusion, bibliography, appendices. The total volume of work was 23 pages.

Russian Japanese War treaty

1. Reasons and prerequisites for the start of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905.

1.1 The balance of forces between the parties before the start of the war

The words of the Russian Minister of Internal Affairs V.K. are widely known. Plehve: “To hold the revolution, we need a small, victorious war.” There was some truth in these words: the revolution in Russia had been brewing for a long time and a victorious war could hold back the revolution and bring defeat in the war closer. But the situation developed differently than the autocracy would have liked. The unsuccessful Russo-Japanese War spurred the revolution, and in turn the revolution accelerated the defeat of Russia.

Japan was ready for war, had everything it needed to attack Russia first and win the war. For Russia, this was an unexpected step on the part of the Japanese, and naturally it was not initially ready for war.

1.2 Japan's preparations for war

In 1895, the Japanese government, immediately after the end of the war with China, adopted the first program to strengthen its fleet. Japan planned to begin building ships of all classes, and primarily squadron battleships, armored cruisers and destroyers designed to conduct active offensive operations. Since the Japanese shipbuilding industry was not yet sufficiently developed, the government placed orders for the construction of ships provided for in the 1895 program abroad.

In 1896, the Japanese government, considering the shipbuilding program of 1895 insufficient, additionally adopted a 10-year program that provided for the construction of mainly cruisers and a significant number of destroyers, as well as the equipment of naval bases and ports designed to support the combat activities of the Japanese fleet in the Yellow and Sea of ​​Japan.

The third shipbuilding program was adopted at a special meeting of the Japanese Diet in June 1903. February 2, 1904, i.e. literally before the start of the war, the Japanese government entered into contracts in London with the Vickers and Amstrong firms for the supply of 2 squadron battleships "Kashima" and "Katori" with a displacement of 16,400 tons each.

Kashima was laid down on February 29, 1904 at the Amstrong shipyard in Elswyn, and Katori on February 27, 1904 at the Vickers shipyard in Barrow. The battleships were launched on March 22, 1905 and July 4, 1905, respectively. They entered service at the same time - May 23, 1906.

As we see, neutral England did not give a damn about all international laws and agreements and literally at a frantic pace, in less than a year and a half, commissioned two powerful battleships.

In 1900-1904. The power of the Japanese army increased significantly. It was staffed on the basis of the law on universal military service, which applied to persons aged 17 to 40 years. The service of Japanese citizens was divided into active, first-class reserve, second-class reserve (territorial troops) and militia. Since in peacetime the conscription contingent exceeded the need, recruitment into the army was carried out by drawing lots. Active service in the army lasted three years, and in the navy - four. Then the soldier was enlisted in the reserve of the first category, after four years and four months - in the reserve of the second category, and after another five years - in the militia.

Much attention in Japan was paid to officer training. The officers, continuing the samurai traditions, considered themselves as the main stronghold of the empire, as the bearer of the idea of ​​“great Japan”, the “exclusivity” of the Japanese nation.

According to the imperial rescript, the officer directly carries out the will of the emperor in the army, treats his subordinates in the same way as the emperor treats his people, and his order is an imperial order, and disobedience is regarded as disobedience to the will of the emperor.

The Japanese soldier was brought up on the principle of complete submission to the will of the commander and strict execution of the officer's orders. This type of fanatic soldier was glorified by the Japanese press, his valor was glorified, and service in the army was considered a great honor, not compared with any profession. As a rule, speeches by leading Japanese statesmen, throne or anniversary speeches by representatives of the imperial house were not complete without praise to the army and navy. No holiday was celebrated more magnificently than Army and Navy Day; no one was seen off as solemnly as soldiers going to the front. Songs were written about officers and generals, and they were given the most honorable places at religious and secular ceremonies.

In order to create the appearance of social closeness between soldiers and officers, the promotion and appointment to officer positions of middle and especially lower-ranking soldiers - peasants who had distinguished themselves in service - were allowed.

The highest tactical unit of the Japanese army was the division. The creation of an army in wartime was envisaged. Before the start of the Russo-Japanese War, three armies appeared in Japan.

The division consisted of two infantry brigades of two regiments each, a regiment of three battalions, and a battalion of four companies. The division had one cavalry regiment of three squadrons and an artillery regiment of two divisions (each division had three six-gun batteries). The division also had engineer and supply battalions.

The Guards and First Capital divisions were organized in a special way. Each of them included a cavalry brigade, the brigade had two regiments of five squadrons each, and an artillery brigade, composed of three regiments of two divisions each (each division had three six-gun batteries). Army artillery was formed from allocated divisions and batteries included in the divisions. In wartime, each division was given reinforcement units. The wartime company had a staff of 217 people, an engineer company - 220 people, a field battery - six 75-mm guns, 150 soldiers and officers.

Even on the eve of the war, Japan began deploying its army according to a wartime plan. At the same time, to strengthen the active troops with wartime personnel, it was planned to form 52 reserve infantry battalions and 52 reserve batteries (312 guns), and to make up for the loss in the active artillery - 19 spare batteries (114 guns) of field artillery.

Conclusion: From the above, we can conclude that Japan was ready for war earlier and had all the necessary weapons, it was helped by developed countries such as England and the USA.

1.3 Russia's preparation for war

The gradual concentration of Russian troops in the Far East began long before the war. The predatory policy of England in the Far East, which contradicted the interests of Russian capital, forced the tsarist government back in 1885 to strengthen its troops in the border Siberian districts. Further strengthening followed in 1887 in connection with the then brewing conflict between Japan and China. This strengthening was considered necessary “in order not to remain a passive spectator of events and to be able to defend one’s interests.”

At the same time, the “defense” of their interests was conceived in the form of the seizure of Northern Manchuria. At the same time, it was recognized as necessary to strengthen the Pacific Fleet. Large amounts of money were allocated to strengthen armaments in the Far East.

The tsarist troops stationed in the Far East were brought to wartime states, and by the beginning of the Sino-Japanese War their numbers had increased to 30,500 men and 74 guns. The bulk of the troops were Cossack cavalry.

In anticipation of intervention in the Treaty of Shimonoseki, the border districts were reinforced with various formations and mainly with artillery. The Amur Governor-General Dukhovsky was instructed to carry out a number of activities that boiled down to strengthening local formations and strengthening Vladivostok, Nikolaevsk and Sakhalin. At the same time, Dukhovskoy especially insisted on forming units in European Russia from old-serving soldiers, since the recruitment of units in Siberia could be done mainly through recruits, who, in Dukhovsky’s opinion, were “the most dangerous politically.”

Due to the difficult financial situation, Russia was able to fully implement measures to strengthen troops in the Far East only in relation to the Amur District. The remaining activities were spread over several years, and large sums were allocated for fortification work and the development of engineering defense of the Pacific coast in the last years before the war.

The slowness in preparing for war in the Far East is partly explained by the tsarist government's confidence that the Far Eastern problem would find its solution in a war on the western border. The attention of tsarism was not promptly switched from West to East, as a result of which by 1898 the number of troops in the Far East reached only 60,000 people and 126 guns.

The difficult financial condition of Tsarist Russia, the rudimentary state of engineering preparation for the theater of war, the sparse population and lack of roads in the region, as well as the lack of barracks premises delayed the concentration of troops in the Far East. Japan accelerated the pace of its armaments and was in a hurry to start a war before the Russians completed the construction of the Circum-Baikal railway line.

In 1898, when, with Russia’s seizure of the Kwantung Peninsula, relations between Russia and Japan became even more strained, a plan was drawn up to strengthen the Russian army in the Far East, providing for the accumulation of 90,000 people and 184 guns by 1903, while the Japanese army by this time , according to the initial assumptions of the Russians, should have increased to 394,000 people and 1014 guns.

The tsarist government was forced to think about accelerating the rate of accumulation of troops in the Far East. This was facilitated by the war against the Chinese popular uprising in 1900-1901, which caused significant transfers of troops from European Russia, as well as the creation of a number of new formations and the reorganization of units located in the Far East.

The tense situation in the Far East required further strengthening of the Russian army, and Governor Alekseev from the center was ordered to “in the shortest possible time and without stopping at the necessary expenses, put our combat readiness in the Far East in complete balance with our political and economic tasks.” This order required the creation of two new corps with a total strength of at least 50,000 people, with their concentration in the area of ​​​​the proposed Japanese landing. Strengthening was achieved not by sending organized units from European Russia, but by reforming local troops with the inclusion of separate groups of soldiers sent from European Russia.

It was decided to transfer two divisions and one brigade to the Kwantung District, as well as to strengthen Port Arthur and Vladivostok. Port Arthur received fortress infantry and fortress artillery. Under the pretext of testing the Siberian railway in 1903, two infantry brigades (10th and 17th corps) with artillery were transferred to the Far East. These brigades were not supplied with sufficient supplies, and therefore turned out to be not fully capable of campaigns. The troops on Sakhalin Island were also reinforced. The cavalry was kept in European Russia in case of war in the West and the suppression of the revolution. In addition, it was recognized as impossible to use large horse masses in the mountainous areas of Manchuria. It was decided to confine Manchuria to Cossack cavalry located in the border areas.

Thus, by the beginning of the war, Russia had 98,000 people and 272 guns in the Far East, in addition to 24,000 people and 48 guns of security guards.

The war found the troops in a period of reorganization: two-battalion regiments were deployed into three-battalion regiments, and brigades were deployed into divisions.

The engineering preparation of the theater proceeded just as slowly.

The question of strengthening the proposed theater of war was raised only when the inevitability of the imminent outbreak of war with Japan became obvious. The main attention was paid to strengthening the fortresses of Port Arthur and Vladivostok, as well as to the construction of some fortifications in possible operational directions of the future enemy. The isolated position of Port Arthur required its serious strengthening, which would give the fortress the opportunity to hold out for a more or less long time while awaiting revenue.

The Port Arthur fortification project of the first stage provided for a two-year construction period, but various circumstances (the Chinese popular uprising of 1900, during which Chinese workers fled, a cholera epidemic) slowed down the start of work. The work that had begun progressed sluggishly.

Since 1903, the work was carried out more successfully, but it was already too late: the program for the construction of the Port Arthur fortress was not completed, just like the program for the construction of fortifications on the Jinzhou Isthmus.

As for Vladivostok, by the beginning of the war it was to some extent protected from an accelerated attack.

Within the country, tsarism was unable to provide itself with strong support. Dissatisfaction with the autocratic regime grew.

In the field of foreign policy, the tsarist government managed to achieve some success. By strengthening the alliance with France, Russia achieved partial rearmament of its artillery with the best types of guns, but absolutely nothing was done to organize the production of machine guns. The trade agreement with Germany gave tsarism a free hand and allowed troops to be transferred from the western border to the east. China declared its neutrality. However, the presence of troops of Chinese generals Yuan Shi-kai and Ma beyond the Pechili border required the Russians to strengthen the right flank of the deployment to the detriment of the group in the most important eastern sector of the theater.

Regarding occupied Manchuria, it must be said that the police regime and the brutal exploitation of the Chinese population aroused a hostile attitude on the part of the latter, which also affected the actions of the Russian army.

Conclusion: Thus, neither militarily nor politically, tsarist Russia was ready for war.

2. The course of military operations during the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905.

2.1 The course of military operations during the Russo-Japanese War in 1904

On the eve of the war, Japan had a relatively small, but well-trained army and navy equipped with the latest weapons. Russia kept only 100 thousand people in the Far East. on the territory from Lake Baikal to Port Arthur. The Russian fleet had 63 ships, many of which were outdated.

The Russian war plan was based on the idea of ​​gaining time to concentrate and deploy forces in the Liaoyang region. To do this, it was assumed that part of the troops would hold back the advance of the Japanese army, gradually retreating to the north, and also hold the Port Arthur fortress. Subsequently, it was planned to go on a general offensive, defeat the Japanese army and land on the Japanese Islands. The fleet was tasked with seizing supremacy at sea and preventing Japanese troops from landing on the mainland.

The Japanese strategic plan provided for seizing supremacy at sea with a surprise attack and destruction of the Port Arthur squadron, then landing troops in Korea and Southern Manchuria, capturing Port Arthur and defeating the main forces of the Russian army in the Liaoyang area. In the future, it was planned to occupy Manchuria, the Ussuri and Primorsky territories.

Japan, despite concessions to Russia, broke off diplomatic relations on January 24, 1904. On the night of January 27, Japanese destroyers, taking advantage of the carelessness of the Russian command, suddenly attacked the Russian squadron stationed on the outer roadstead of Port Arthur. Japan declared war on Russia.

In the afternoon of the same date, a large group of Japanese cruisers and destroyers blocked the Russian cruiser "Varyag" and the gunboat "Koreets" in the Korean port . Our ships, in battle with superior enemy forces, were still unable to make their way into the ocean. Not wanting to surrender to the enemy, the cruiser "Varyag" was sunk, and "Korean" was blown up.

Only with the arrival in Port Arthur of Admiral S.O. in February 1904. Makarov's defense of the naval base was thoroughly strengthened, and the remaining ships of the squadron greatly increased their combat effectiveness. But, on March 31, the battleship Petropavlovsk , on which S.O. Makarov was located, was blown up by a mine and sank in a matter of minutes. The fleet remaining in Port Arthur switched to passive defense.

In early February, units of the 60,000-strong Japanese 1st Army landed in Korea and in mid-April began fighting in southern Manchuria with the Russian 20,000-strong eastern detachment of the Manchurian Army. Under the pressure of superior enemy forces, our troops retreated, which gave the Japanese the opportunity, having landed another landing force, already in southern Manchuria, to attack Russian fortifications and capture Jingzhou, thereby cutting off Port Arthur from the ground army. And in mid-May, the 3rd Japanese Army, created to capture Port Arthur, landed in Talienwan Bay.

Sent to help Port Arthur, the 1st Siberian Corps, after an unsuccessful battle at Wafangou with superior forces of the 2nd Japanese Army, was forced to retreat north.

In July, the Russian squadron attempted a breakthrough from Port Arthur to Vladivostok. In the Yellow Sea, a battle took place with the squadron of Admiral Togo. Both squadrons suffered serious damage. During the battle, Rear Admiral Witteft and almost his entire staff were killed. As a result of the ensuing confusion of orders, Russian ships retreated in disorder, some broke through to the ports of foreign states and were interned there.

The ships of the Vladivostok squadron were active throughout the war, making daring raids on the shores of Japan, sinking ships with strategic military cargo. The cruisers of the Vladivostok detachment were sent to meet the breaking through 1st Pacific squadron, but in the Korea Strait they entered into battle with the squadron of Admiral Kamimura. The cruiser Rurik was sunk in a fierce battle.

The Japanese Navy completed its task and secured supremacy at sea and the unimpeded transfer of troops to the mainland.

In August 1904, General Kuropatkin began to pull his attack units back to Liaoyang - where the 3 Japanese armies advancing from the coast, Wyfangou and from Korea were supposed to meet. On August 25, 1904, a major battle began at Liaoyang, which was notable for its particular bloodshed. The forces of the Japanese army were 125 thousand against 158 ​​thousand Russians. Ultimately, no decisive results were achieved; The Japanese lost 23 thousand, and the Russians - 19 thousand people, and despite the successful actions of the Russian troops, Kuropatkin considered himself defeated and began a systematic, well-organized retreat north to the Shahe River.

Having increased his army to 200 thousand people, General Kuropatkin, without a clear enough plan of action, launched an offensive against the 170 thousand troops of Marshal Oyama. On October 5-17, 1904, a counter battle took place on the Shakhe River, which ended inconclusively. Both sides suffered heavy losses and, having exhausted their offensive capabilities, went on the defensive. Here, for the first time, a continuous front over 60 km formed.

Strategically, Oyama won the decisive operation, thwarting the last Russian attempt to relieve Port Arthur. But still, the balance of forces began to develop in favor of the Russians and the position of the Japanese army became difficult. In this regard, the Japanese made attempts to capture Port Arthur as soon as possible.

The struggle for Port Arthur began at the end of July 1904, when the Japanese army, having landed on the Liaodong Peninsula, approached the outer contours of the fortress. On August 6, the first assault began, lasting 5 days, ending in the defeat of the Japanese. The Japanese army was forced to move on to a long-term siege of the fortress. Until September, when the second assault began, siege work was carried out and the enemy artillery regiment was replenished with siege howitzers. In turn, the defenders of Port Arthur improved their defensive structures.

A stubborn struggle unfolded for the dominant heights, which were important in the defense system of the fortress. After fierce fighting, the Japanese managed to capture Mount Long. The attacks on Mount Vysoka ended in vain. This completed the second assault on the fortress. On October 17, after a 3-day artillery preparation, the Japanese carried out a third assault on the fortress, which lasted 3 days. All enemy attacks were repulsed by Russian troops with huge losses. On November 13, Japanese troops (over 50 thousand people) launched a fourth assault. They were bravely resisted by the Russian garrison, which by this time numbered 18 thousand people. Particularly heavy fighting took place over Mount Vysokaya, which fell on November 22. Having occupied Mount Vysokaya, the enemy began shelling the city and harbor with howitzers. In November, most of the battleships and cruisers sank.

The siege of the fortress lasted almost eight months. Combat-ready units still held the defense, 610 guns could fire, there were enough shells and food, out of 59 fortified units of the fortress, no more than 20 were lost. But the general strategic situation in other sectors of the front by this time was clearly not in favor of the Russian troops. And due to the cowardice of General Stessel and the new chief of ground defense, General A.V. Foka On December 20, 1904, Port Arthur was surrendered to the Japanese.

Conclusion: Following the results of the Russo-Japanese War in 1904, Port Arthur was surrendered to the Japanese.

2.2 The course of military operations during the Russo-Japanese War in 1905

The year was not successful for the Russian army; Russia lost the Port Arthur military base.

Taking advantage of the provided respite in the battles, Kuropatkin A.R. reorganized the troops and increased the total number of his troops to 300 thousand and on January 25-28, 1905 launched a new offensive, trying to crush all 3 armies of Marshal Oyama (total number 220 thousand). The most stubborn fighting took place in the area of ​​the village of Sandepu. The offensive was carried out by units of only the 2nd Russian Army, the Japanese command brought up reserves, and as a result, the advance of the Russian troops was stopped. Private successes were not developed and the armies retreated to their original lines.

And on February 19, 1905, the Japanese army itself launched a counteroffensive. The battle of Mukden, known in history, unfolded and lasted until February 25. And although the forces of the Russian troops amounted to 330 thousand people against 270 thousand Japanese, the Russian troops could not achieve victory in the battle. Both military groups, having dug in, met each other on a line 65 km long. And although Japanese soldiers entered Mukden after two weeks of fierce battles, Oyama’s attempt to encircle the Russians was unsuccessful. During the battle, the Russian right flank was thrown back so far that Kuropatkin had no choice but to leave the battle and retreat to the Sypin positions, defeated, but not put to flight.

The Russian army had not experienced such a defeat for a long time, although during the fighting it inflicted quite significant damage on the Japanese army and bled it so dry that they were unable to organize the pursuit of the Russian troops.

The operation near Mukden ended the fighting on the Manchurian front. As a result of the entire land campaign, Japan was able to retain almost the entire southern part of Manchuria. The Japanese victory was significant, but not so impressive as to force Russia to immediately make peace.

The last headquarters of the tsarist government were the newly formed 2nd and 3rd Pacific squadrons sent from the Baltic to the Far East in October 1904. Rozhdestvensky's 2nd Pacific Squadron reached the Korean Strait in 7 months of a voyage unprecedented for that time, covering over 18,000 miles in May 1905. In its narrowest part, between the islands of Tsushima and Iki, the squadron was already waiting for the Japanese ships deployed for battle under the command of Admiral Togo.

The Battle of Tsushima began on May 27, 1905. The Japanese concentrated all their firepower on the lead Russian battleships. The Russian ships fought back bravely, causing significant damage to the Japanese ships. Admiral Rozhdestvensky was seriously wounded. The forces were not equal and the Russian squadron lost control, the formation broke up and the battle broke up into duels between individual Russian ships and superior enemy forces. The battle continued even after sunset. At night, the attacks of Japanese destroyers caused especially heavy damage to the Russian squadron. As a result of day and night battles, the Russian squadron ceased to exist as an organized, combat-ready force. Most of the squadron's ships were sunk. Some were forced to surrender to superior enemy forces. 1 destroyer and 3 cruisers went to foreign ports and were interned there. Only 1 cruiser and 2 destroyers broke through to Vladivostok.

As a result of the Battle of Tsushima, the Russian squadron lost over 5 thousand people killed. 27 warships were sunk, surrendered and interned. The Japanese squadron also suffered losses, but they were much smaller.

In the land theater of operations, after Mukden, there were practically no active combat operations.

Conclusion: In 1905 there was the Battle of Mukden, in which Russian troops were defeated. Russia was in no hurry to make peace with Japan, because it still relied on the strength of its army.

3. Treaty of Portsmouth

3.1 Results and significance of the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905.

During the armed struggle in the land and sea theaters, Japan achieved major successes. But despite the victories won, the morale of the Japanese troops gradually weakened. Immediately after the Battle of Tsushima, Japan turned to the United States with a request for mediation to the world. The American ambassador in St. Petersburg received instructions to persuade Russia to negotiate.

On July 1905, a peace conference opened in Portsmouth (USA). Negotiations began under favorable conditions for Japan. Before the opening of the conference, the Anglo-American imperialists agreed with Japan on delimiting spheres of influence in the Far East. Only the firm position of the delegation forced Japan to moderate its demands. Due to the depletion of its resources, Japan was afraid of a resumption of hostilities and therefore was forced to refuse indemnity and be content with the southern part of Sakhalin.

The peace treaty signed on August 23, 1905 recognized Korea as a sphere of Japanese interests. Both sides pledged to withdraw their troops from Manchuria, Russia ceded Port Arthur and the railway to Changchun station. Part of Sakhalin south of the 50th parallel passed into Japanese possession. Russia pledged to grant the Japanese fishing rights along the Russian coasts in the Seas of Japan, Okhotsk and Bering Seas.

The bitter experience of the Russian-Japanese War was taken into account in the reorganization of the army and navy, which was carried out in 1908-1910.

The war brought the people of Russia and Japan a deterioration in their financial situation, an increase in taxes and prices. Japan's national 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 2,347 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 prisoners.

And yet, victory in the war with Russia brought significant economic benefits to Japan. After the Russo-Japanese War, when Japan became the de facto master of Southern Manchuria, having captured the Chinese region developed through Russian efforts, the Chinese population in this area experienced all the “delights” of the occupation regime, turning into “second-class” people and cheap labor on their own land . However, despite the defeat in the war, Russia remained a serious military-political force that was difficult for the Japanese government to ignore. But victory in the war inflamed the ambitions of the then Japanese elite and, as a result, led Japan to a crushing defeat and national disaster, but in the Second World War.

From the perspective of today, the sophisticated propaganda of the then Japanese government, about the desire to “save China from enslavement by Western powers,” looks especially cynical, but in fact, it was hatching strategic plans to destroy the existing infrastructure of Russian support for the integrity of the Chinese state. In practice, immediately after, under the terms of the Portsmouth Peace Treaty, Japan introduced a strict colonial regime and began to create a military springboard for the occupation of all of Manchuria and the further seizure of the internal provinces of China.

For Russia, historically more significant than the economic and human losses was the outbreak of the first Russian revolution, the onset of which accelerated the defeat in the war. The main result was that the war pushed Russia onto the path of transformation and further revolutionary changes, exacerbating many problems and contradictions inherent in autocratic power.

Reasons for Russia's defeat:

All the numerous reasons for Russia's defeat in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. can be reduced to three main groups:

reasons emanating from the general state system and the situation within the country;

reasons depending on the low level of military organization;

additional reasons.

Internal situation in the country

Russia had enough strength and means to win the war even after the disasters of Port Arthur, Mukden and Tsushima. The country's military and material resources were enormous, especially since only towards the end of the war the rusty state and military mechanism was rebuilt on a military scale. If the war had continued for another year or two, then Russia would have had the opportunity to reduce the war to at least a draw. However, the tsarist government was interested in concluding peace as quickly as possible. The main reason for this was the revolution that had begun in the country. Therefore, the State Council decided to conclude peace as quickly as possible, even in such unfavorable conditions, in order to free the hands of the government to fight the first bourgeois-democratic revolution of 1905-07 that had begun.

When peasant unrest, protests by the proletariat occur in the country, anti-government sentiments grow in the army and throughout society, and even armed uprisings occur in cities, in such conditions the government can have no other choice but to end the external war as soon as possible and direct all efforts to resolving the situation inside the country.

In 1905, Russia was a knot of contradictions. In the field of social-class relations, the most acute ones were the agrarian question, the position of the working class, and the national question of the peoples of the empire. In the political field, there is a contradiction between the authorities and the emerging civil society. Russia remained the only major capitalist power in which there was no parliament, no legal political parties, no legal freedoms of citizens. Russia's defeat in the Russo-Japanese War exposed its technical and economic backwardness compared to advanced countries, and in the context of growing confrontation between factions of imperialist states, such a lag was fraught with the most serious consequences.

Most researchers on the topic of the Russian-Japanese War, starting with V.I. Lenin, who characterized the defeat in the war as the military collapse of tsarism, saw the root cause of the defeat in the political system, in the Russian autocracy. Indeed, tsarism created bad generals, destroyed the army, and managed foreign and domestic policies. But the centuries-old history of autocracy in Rus' also saw brilliant victories.5

Conclusion: Thus, the contradiction between the needs of the country’s development and the inability to provide it under the conditions of autocratic Russia became increasingly irreconcilable. In the autumn-winter of 1905, the whole society was in motion. At this time, various streams of the revolutionary and liberal movement merged. The first Russian revolution of 1905-07 began.

Conclusion

The course work examined many of the reasons that led to Russia's defeat in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05. The root causes were the reactionary and incapacitated nature of tsarism and the high military command, the unpopularity of the war among the people, the poor preparedness of the army for military action, insufficient logistics, etc.

There are many reasons. These are purely military, and economic, and political, and social. And each of these reasons individually, and even as a group, would not have led Russia to that tragedy. The history of our country knows many cases when victories were won with “stupid” generals, and with unusable weapons, and with the opposition of many countries, and in times of revolutions and crises. In any difficult and unfavorable conditions, victory was still possible. But during that war, a huge variety of factors came together like a mosaic into a single picture. But then the question arises: why did all these factors develop in one place and at one time? A simple listing of historical facts and even their analysis does not give us an answer. Was this a fatal coincidence, an accident? Or some kind of pattern can be traced in that chain of events. And one pattern is striking - all events led to defeat, and everything conducive to victory was destroyed, be it the death of progressive commanders or problems with weapons, the worsening of the foreign policy situation or the heating up of the situation within the country. And there is only one conclusion - if events lead to defeat, then this defeat is necessary. What happened in Russia in the national consciousness at the beginning of the 20th century? Despite the fact that both culture and society continued to live and develop, something important began to disappear from the national consciousness, something that is more significant than culture and education - a certain system of values, spirituality began to degenerate. And it was precisely the internal degradation of the people that created the autocratic system, a weak king, stupid generals, an inert system of power, oppression of the people, etc. And no reforms could help or fundamentally change anything here. That’s why Stolypin’s reforms failed, the revolutionary situation escalated, military defeats took place, all this happened in order to cause a shock to the entire society, so that something would change in self-awareness. Development does not always go straight upward; very often, to realize something important, shocks, crises, and disasters are needed.

So, the events of 1904-1905. only links in a large chain of events in the history of our country. Russia was defeated in the Russo-Japanese War because... this was necessary for the whole country to emerge from the state of decline in national consciousness in which Russia found itself at the beginning of the 20th century.

Bibliography

1. Balakin V.I. Causes and consequences of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. // "New and Contemporary History" 2004 N 6

Vinogradsky A.N. Japanese-Russian War. Causes, theater of war and means of the parties. St. Petersburg, 1904, p.3.

Zolotukhin A.P. History of the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905. M. 1980

Levitsky N.A. Russian-Japanese War 1904-1905. M., 2003

International relations in the Far East. M., Politizdat. 1991

Minutes of the Portsmouth Peace Conference and the text of the treaty between Russia and Japan, concluded in Portsmouth on August 23 (September 5), 1905. St. Petersburg, 1906, pp. 101-104.

Fedorov A. History of Russia XIX beginning of XX I.M., 1975

Shirokorad A.B. Fall of Port Arthur. Publishing house AS Moscow 2003 ERMAK, p. 184-191.

Application

Appendix A

Table the balance of forces between the parties before the start of the war.

Russian Pacific squadron in Port Arthur Japanese United Fleet Squadron battleships 7 6 Armored cruisers 1 6 Large armored cruisers (over 4000 tons) 4 4 Small armored cruisers 2 4 Mine cruisers (advice notices and minelayers) 4 2 Seaworthy gunboats 7 2 Fighters (destroyers) 22 19 Destroyers - 16 Artillery: 12" 20 24 10" 8 - 8" 10* 30 6" 136 184 120 mm 13 43

* Including 4 9" (229mm) guns on gunboats

Appendix B

Tables of ships, rifles and cannons of the Japanese army.

Ships built for Japan overseas

Ship class Quantity Place of construction Squadron battleships 4 England Armored cruisers 1st class 6 England, France Unarmored cruisers 5 England, USA Mine cruisers 3 Japan Mine fighters (destroyers) 11 England Destroyers with a displacement of more than 100 tons 23 France, Germany Destroyers with a displacement of more than 800 tons 31 France, Germany Minonoski35Japan

Rifle comparisons

Data on riflesMurata (model 1889) Arisaka (model 1897) Mosin (model 1891) Caliber, mm86,57,62Rifle length, mm with bayonet149016601734 without bayonet121012701306Barrel length, mm750800800Rifle weight, kg. with bayonet...4.34 without bayonet 3.913.94.3 Number of cartridges in magazine 855 Initial speed, m/s. ...704860Sighting range, m. ...24002200

Japanese gun data

Gun data Field Mountain Caliber, mm 7575 Barrel length, mm/club 2200/29.31000/13.3 Length of the rifled part, mm 1857800 Weight of the barrel with bolt, mm 32799 Angle VN, deg. -5; +28-140; +33 Angle GN, degrees. Both guns do not have a rotating mechanism. Height of the firing line, mm. 700500Stroke width, mm1300700Wheel diameter, mm14001000System weight, kg in combat position880328 in stowed position with limber1640360Rate of fire, rds. /min. 33

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One of the largest military conflicts of the early 20th century is the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905. Its result was the first victory in modern history of an Asian state over a European one in a full-scale armed conflict. The Russian Empire entered the war expecting an easy victory, but the enemy turned out to be underestimated.

In the mid-19th century, Emperor Mutsuhio carried out a series of reforms, after which Japan became a powerful state with a modern army and navy. The country has emerged from self-isolation; its claims to dominance in East Asia intensified. But another colonial power also sought to gain a foothold in this region -.

Causes of the war and the balance of power

The cause of the war was the clash in the Far East of the geopolitical interests of two empires - modernized Japan and Tsarist Russia.

Japan, having established itself in Korea and Manchuria, was forced to make concessions under pressure from the European powers. Russia was given the Liaodong Peninsula, captured by the island empire during the war with China. But both sides understood that a military conflict could not be avoided and were preparing for military action.

By the time hostilities began, the opponents had concentrated significant forces in the conflict zone. Japan could field 375-420 thousand people. and 16 heavy warships. Russia had 150 thousand people located in Eastern Siberia and 18 heavy ships (battleships, armored cruisers, etc.).

Progress of hostilities

The beginning of the war. Defeat of Russian naval forces in the Pacific Ocean

The Japanese attacked before war was declared, on January 27, 1904. The strikes were carried out in various directions, which allowed the fleet to neutralize the threat of opposition from Russian ships on sea lanes, and units of the Japanese Imperial Army to land in Korea. By February 21, they occupied the capital Pyongyang, and by the beginning of May they blocked the Port Arthur squadron. This allowed the Japanese 2nd Army to land in Manchuria. Thus, the first stage of hostilities ended in Japanese victory. The defeat of the Russian fleet allowed the Asian empire to invade the mainland with land units and ensure their supplies.

Campaign of 1904. Defense of Port Arthur

The Russian command hoped to take revenge on land. However, the very first battles showed the superiority of the Japanese in the land theater of operations. The 2nd Army defeated the Russians opposing it and was divided into two parts. One of them began to advance on the Kwantung Peninsula, the other on Manchuria. Near Liaoyang (Manchuria), the first major battle took place between the ground units of the opposing sides. The Japanese continuously attacked, and the Russian command, previously confident of victory over the Asians, lost control of the battle. The battle was lost.

Having put his army in order, General Kuropatkin went on the offensive and tried to unblock the Kwantung fortified area, which was cut off from his own. A major battle unfolded in the valley of the Shahe River: there were more Russians, but Japanese Marshal Oyama managed to hold back the onslaught. Port Arthur was doomed.

1905 Campaign

This sea fortress had a strong garrison and was fortified on land. Under conditions of complete blockade, the fortress garrison repelled four assaults, inflicting significant losses on the enemy; During the defense, various technical innovations were tested. The Japanese kept between 150 and 200 thousand bayonets under the walls of the fortified area. However, after almost a year of siege, the fortress fell. Almost a third of Russian soldiers and officers captured were wounded.

For Russia, the fall of Port Arthur was a severe blow to the prestige of the empire.

The last chance to turn the tide of the war for the Russian army was the battle of Mukden in February 1905. However, the Japanese were no longer opposed by the formidable force of a great power, but by units suppressed by continuous defeats and located far from their native land. After 18 days, the left flank of the Russian army wavered, and the command gave the order to retreat. The forces of both sides were exhausted: a positional war began, the outcome of which could only be changed by the victory of Admiral Rozhdestvensky’s squadron. After long months on the road, she approached the island of Tsushima.

Tsushima. Final Japanese victory

By the time of the Battle of Tsushima, the Japanese fleet had an advantage in ships, experience in defeating Russian admirals and high morale. Having lost only 3 ships, the Japanese completely defeated the enemy fleet, scattering its remnants. Russia's maritime borders were left unprotected; a few weeks later the first amphibious landings landed on Sakhalin and Kamchatka.

Peace treaty. Results of the war

In the summer of 1905, both sides were extremely exhausted. Japan had undeniable military superiority, but its supplies were running low. Russia, on the contrary, could use its advantage in resources, but to do this, it was necessary to rebuild the economy and political life to suit military needs. The outbreak of the 1905 revolution excluded this possibility. Under these conditions, both sides agreed to sign a peace treaty.

According to the Treaty of Portsmouth, Russia lost the southern part of Sakhalin, the Liaodong Peninsula, and the railway to Port Arthur. The Empire was forced to withdraw from Manchuria and Korea, which became de facto protectorates of Japan. The defeat hastened the collapse of the autocracy and the subsequent disintegration of the Russian Empire. Its enemy, Japan, on the contrary, has significantly strengthened its position, becoming one of the leading world powers.

The Land of the Rising Sun consistently increased its expansion, becoming one of the largest geopolitical players, and remained so until 1945.

Table: chronology of events

Strengths and weaknesses of opponents

Military-political reasons for Russia's defeat

The negative factors that determined the military defeat of the Russian army and navy were: distance from the theater of military operations, serious shortcomings in the supply of troops and ineffective military leadership.

The political leadership of the Russian Empire, with a general understanding of the inevitability of a collision, did not purposefully prepare for war in the Far East.

The defeat hastened the collapse of the autocracy and the subsequent disintegration of the Russian Empire. Its enemy, Japan, on the contrary, has significantly strengthened its position, becoming one of the leading world powers. The Land of the Rising Sun consistently increased its expansion, becoming the largest geopolitical player and remained so until 1945.

Other factors

• Economic and military-technical backwardness of Russia
• Imperfection of management structures
• Poor development of the Far Eastern region
• Embezzlement and bribery in the army
• Underestimation of the Japanese Armed Forces

Results of the Russo-Japanese War

In conclusion, it is worth noting the importance of defeat in the Russo-Japanese War for the continued existence of the autocratic system in Russia. The inept and ill-conceived actions of the government, which caused the death of thousands of soldiers who faithfully defended it, actually led to the beginning of the first revolution in the history of our country. The prisoners and wounded returning from Manchuria could not hide their indignation. Their evidence, combined with visible economic, military and political backwardness, led to a sharp surge of indignation, primarily in the lower and middle strata of Russian society. In fact, the Russo-Japanese War exposed long-hidden contradictions between the people and the government, and this exposure happened so quickly and imperceptibly that it baffled not only the government, but also the participants in the revolution themselves. Many historical publications indicate that Japan managed to win the war due to betrayal on the part of the socialists and the nascent Bolshevik Party, but in fact such statements are far from the truth, since it was the failures of the Japanese War that provoked a surge of revolutionary ideas. Thus, the Russo-Japanese War became a turning point in history, a period that forever changed its further course.

“It was not the Russian people,” Lenin wrote, “but the Russian autocracy that started this colonial war, which turned into a war between the new and old bourgeois world. It was not the Russian people, but the autocracy that came to a shameful defeat. The Russian people benefited from the defeat of the autocracy. The capitulation of Port Arthur is the prologue to the capitulation of tsarism.”

Map: Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905.

Russo-Japanese War. Minimum for the Unified State Exam.

The article briefly talks about the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905. This war became one of the most shameful in Russian history. The expectation of a “small victorious war” turned into a disaster.

1. Introduction
2. Progress of the Russo-Japanese War
3. Results of the Russo-Japanese War

Causes of the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905.

• The main prerequisite for the outbreak of the war was the growth of imperialist contradictions at the turn of the century. European powers sought to divide China. Russia, which did not have colonies in other parts of the world, was interested in maximizing the penetration of its capital into China and Korea. This desire ran counter to Japan's plans. The rapidly developing Japanese industry also required the seizure of new territories to allocate capital.
• The Russian government did not take into account the increased combat effectiveness of the Japanese army. In the event of a quick and decisive victory, it was planned to significantly reduce revolutionary sentiment in the country. The Japanese elite relied on chauvinistic sentiments in society. It was planned to create Greater Japan through territorial conquests.

Progress of the Russo-Japanese War

• At the end of January 1904, the Japanese, without declaring war, attacked Russian ships based in Port Arthur. And already in June, the successful actions of the Japanese led to the complete defeat of the Russian Pacific squadron. The Baltic Fleet (2nd Squadron) sent to help, after a six-month journey, was completely defeated by Japan in the Battle of Tsushima (May 1905). Sending the 3rd squadron was becoming pointless. Russia has lost its main trump card in its strategic plans. The defeat was a consequence of underestimating the Japanese fleet, which consisted of the latest warships. The reasons were insufficient training of Russian sailors, Russian warships that were outdated at that time, and defective ammunition.
• In military operations on land, Russia also showed a significant lag in many respects. The General Staff did not take into account the experience of recent wars. Military science adhered to outdated concepts and principles of the Napoleonic Wars era. It was assumed that the main forces would gather together followed by a massive strike. Japanese strategy, under the guidance of foreign advisers, relied on the development of maneuver operations.
• The Russian command under the leadership of General Kuropatkin acted passively and indecisively. The Russian army suffered its first defeat near Liaoyang. By June 1904, Port Arthur was surrounded. The defense lasted for six months, which can be regarded as the only success of the Russians in the entire war. In December the port was handed over to the Japanese. The decisive battle on land was the so-called “Mukden Meat Grinder” (February 1905), as a result of which the Russian army was practically surrounded, but at the cost of heavy losses it managed to retreat. Russian losses amounted to about 120 thousand people. This failure, coupled with the Tsushima tragedy, showed the futility of further military action. The situation was complicated by the fact that the “victorious war” caused a revolution in Russia itself.
• It was the outbreak of the revolution and the unpopularity of the war in society that forced Russia to enter into peace negotiations. The Japanese economy was significantly damaged as a result of the war. Japan was inferior to Russia both in the number of armed forces and in material capabilities. Even a successful continuation of the war would have led Japan to an economic crisis. Therefore, Japan, having won a number of spectacular victories, was content with this and also sought to conclude a peace treaty.

Results of the Russo-Japanese War

• In August 1905, the Portsmouth Peace Treaty was concluded, containing humiliating conditions for Russia. Japan included South Sakhalin, Korea, and Port Arthur. The Japanese gained control of Manchuria. Russia's authority on the world stage was greatly undermined. Japan has demonstrated that its army is combat-ready and armed with the latest technology.
• In general, Russia was forced to abandon active actions in the Far East.

1904-1905, the reasons for which are known to every schoolchild, had a great influence on the development of Russia in the future. Despite the fact that now it is very easy to “sort out” the prerequisites, causes and consequences, in 1904 it was difficult to imagine 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 or 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 for the war was different. It was all about Russia's expansion to the east. This is the underlying reason for the outbreak of war, but it began under a different pretext. The reason for the fury was the annexation of the Liaodong Peninsula, which previously belonged to Japan.

Reaction

How did the Russian people react to such an unexpected start to the war? This clearly outraged them, because how could Japan dare to take on such a challenge? But the reaction of other countries was different. The USA and England determined their position and sided with Japan. Press reports, which were numerous in all countries, clearly indicated a negative reaction to the actions of the Russians. France declared a neutral position, as it needed Russian support, but soon it entered into an agreement with England, which worsened relations with Russia. In turn, Germany also declared neutrality, but Russia’s actions were approved in the press.

Events

At the beginning of the war, the Japanese took a very active position. The course of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 could change dramatically from one extreme to the other. The Japanese were unable 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 cause of the defeat was the death of General Kondratenko in December 1904. If the general had not died, the fortress could have been held for another 2 months. Despite this, Reis and Stoessel signed the act, and the Russian fleet was destroyed. More than 30 thousand Russian soldiers were captured.

Only two battles of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 were truly significant. The Mukden land battle took place in February 1905. It was rightfully considered the largest in history. It ended disastrously 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 fleet. 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, benefited Japan. Despite this, the country had to pay dearly for its leadership, because its economy was depleted to the point of impossibility. This is what 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 became a big 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.

Just look at the fact that the Pacific Fleet was completely destroyed, and thousands of people sacrificed their lives for the sake of their Motherland. And yet, Russian expansion in the East was stopped. Of course, the people could not help but discuss this topic, because it was clearly clear that the tsarist policy no longer had such power and might. Perhaps this is what caused revolutionary sentiments to spread in the country, which ultimately led to the well-known events of 1905-1907.

Defeat

The results of the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905 are already known to us. And yet, why did Russia fail and could not 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 only a few supported her policy. If Russia had support in the world, it would be easier to fight. Secondly, 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 of multiple betrayals of the Motherland, betrayal, as well as the complete mediocrity and helplessness of many generals.

The results of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 were also losing 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 causes of which we examined, was a negative event for Russia, which exposed all its weaknesses.