At the end of the 19th century - the beginning of the 20th century, relations between Japan and Russia, aggravated due to the right to own China and Korea, led to a major military conflict between the countries. After a long break, this was the first to use the latest weapons.
In contact with
The reasons
Completed in 1856, it limited Russia's ability to move and expand south, so Nicholas I. I. turned his eyes to the Far East, which negatively affected relations with the Japanese state, which itself claimed Korea and Northern China.
The tense situation no longer had a peaceful solution. Despite the fact that in 1903 Japan made an attempt to avoid a collision by proposing an agreement under which she would lose all rights to Korea. Russia agreed, but put forward conditions that demanded sole influence on the Kwantung Peninsula, as well as the right to protect the railway in Manchuria. The Japanese government did not like this, and it continued to actively prepare for war.
The Meiji Restoration, which ended in Japan in 1868, led to the fact that the new government began to pursue a policy of expansion and decided to improve the country's capacities. Thanks to the reforms carried out, by 1890 the economy was being modernized: modern industries appeared, electrical equipment and machine tools were produced, and coal was exported. The changes affected not only industry, but also the military industry, which has significantly increased thanks to Western exercises.
Japan decides to increase influence on neighboring countries. Based on the geographical proximity of Korean territory, she decides to take control of the country and prevent European influence. Having put pressure on Korea in 1876, an agreement on trade relations with Japan was signed, providing free access to ports.
These actions led to a conflict - the Sino-Japanese War (1894−95), which ended with the victory of Japan, and the final influence on Korea.
According to the Treaty of Shimonoseki signed as a result of the war, China:
- transferred to Japan territories, which included the Liaodong Peninsula and Manchuria;
- renounced rights to Korea.
For European countries: Germany, France and Russia, this was unacceptable. As a result of the Triple Intervention, Japan, unable to resist the pressure, was obliged to abandon the Liaodong Peninsula.
Russia immediately takes advantage of the return of Liaodong and in March 1898 signs a convention with China and receives:
- lease rights for 25 years on the Liaodong Peninsula;
- the fortresses of Port Arthur and Dalniy;
- obtaining permission to build a railway passing through Chinese territory.
This had a negative impact on relations with Japan, which claimed these territories.
March 26 (April 8), 1902, Nicholas I. I. signs an agreement with China, according to which Russia needs to withdraw Russian troops from the territory of Manchuria within one year and six months. Nicholas I.I. did not keep his promises, but demanded that China restrict trade with foreign countries. In response, England, the USA and Japan protested against the violation of the deadlines and advised against accepting the Russian conditions.
In the middle of the summer of 1903, the movement along the Trans-Siberian Railway begins. The path passed along the Chinese Eastern Railway, through Manchuria. Nicholas I. I. begins to redeploy his troops to the Far East, arguing this by testing the capacity of the built railway connection.
At the end of the agreement between China and Russia, Nicholas I. I. did not withdraw Russian troops from the territory of Manchuria.
In the winter of 1904, at a meeting of the Privy Council and the Cabinet of Ministers of Japan, a decision was made to start hostilities against Russia, and soon an order was given to land the Japanese armed forces in Korea and attack Russian ships in Port Arthur.
The moment of the declaration of war was chosen with the maximum calculation, since by that time she had assembled a strong and modernly equipped army, weapons and navy. While the Russian armed forces were heavily scattered.
Main events
Battle of Chemulpo
Significant for the annals of the war was the battle in 1904 at Chemulpo of the cruisers "Varyag" and "Korean", under the command of V. Rudnev. In the morning, leaving the port to the accompaniment of music, they tried to get out of the bay, but less than ten minutes later, an alarm sounded and a battle flag was raised above the deck. Together they resisted the Japanese squadron that attacked them, engaging in an unequal battle. The Varyag was severely damaged and was forced to turn back to port. Rudnev decided to destroy the ship, a few hours later the sailors were evacuated, and the ship was flooded. The ship "Koreets" was blown up, and the crew was previously evacuated.
Blockade of Port Arthur
To block the Russian ships inside the harbor, Japan is trying to sink several old ships at the entrance. These actions were thwarted by Retvizvan who patrolled the waters near the fort.
In the early spring of 1904, Admiral Makarov and the shipbuilder N. E. Kuteinikov arrived. At the same time, a large number of spare parts and equipment for the repair of ships arrive.
At the end of March, the Japanese flotilla again tries to block the entrance to the fortress, blowing up four transport ships filled with stones, but sinking them too far.
On March 31, the Russian battleship Petropavlovsk sinks after hitting three mines. The ship disappeared in three minutes, killing 635 people, among them were Admiral Makarov and the artist Vereshchagin.
3rd attempt to block the harbor entrance, was crowned with success, Japan, having sunk eight transport workers, locks up the Russian squadrons for several days and immediately lands in Manchuria.
The cruisers "Russia", "Gromoboy", "Rurik" were the only ones who retained freedom of movement. They sank several ships with military personnel and weapons, including the "Khi-tatsi Maru", which transported weapons for the siege of Port Arthur, due to which the capture dragged on for several months.
18.04 (01.05) The 1st Japanese Army, consisting of 45 thousand people. approached the river Yalu and entered the battle with an 18,000-strong Russian detachment led by M. I. Zasulich. The battle ended with the defeat of the Russians and was marked by the beginning of the Japanese invasion of the Manchurian territories.
On 22.04 (05.05), a Japanese army consisting of 38.5 thousand people landed 100 km from the fortress.
On 27.04 (10.05) Japanese detachments broke the railway communication between Manchuria and Port Arthur.
On May 2 (15), 2 Japanese ships were sunk, which, thanks to the Amur minelayer, fell into the placed mines. In just five May days (May 12-17), Japan lost 7 ships, and two went to the Japanese port for repairs.
Having successfully landed, the Japanese began to move towards Port Arthur in order to block it. To meet the Japanese detachments, the Russian command decided on fortified areas near Jinzhou.
On May 13 (26) a major battle took place. Russian detachment(3.8 thousand people) and in the presence of 77 guns and 10 machine guns, more than 10 hours repulsed the enemy attack. And only the approaching Japanese gunboats, having suppressed the left flag, broke through the defenses. The Japanese lost - 4,300 people, the Russians - 1,500 people.
Thanks to the battle won at Jinzhou, the Japanese overcame a natural barrier on the way to the fortress.
At the end of May, Japan captured the port of Dalniy without a fight, practically intact, which significantly helped them in the future.
On June 1-2 (14-15) in the battle of Vafangou, the 2nd Japanese Army defeats the Russian detachments under the command of General Stackelberg, who was sent to lift the blockade of Port Arthur.
On July 13 (26), the Japanese 3rd Army broke through the defenses of the Russian troops "on the passes" formed after the defeat at Jinzhou.
On July 30, the distant approaches to the fortress are engaged, and the defense begins.. This is a bright historical moment. The defense was carried out until January 2, 1905. In the fortress and adjacent areas, the Russian army did not have a single authority. General Stessel - commanded the troops, General Smironov - commander of the fortress, Admiral Vitgeft - commanded the fleet. It was difficult for them to come to a consensus. But among the leadership was a talented commander - General Kondratenko. Thanks to his oratory and managerial qualities, the authorities found a compromise.
Kondratenko earned the fame of the hero of the Port Arthur events, he died at the end of the siege of the fortress.
The number of troops in the fortress is about 53 thousand people, as well as 646 guns and 62 machine guns. The siege went on for 5 months. The Japanese army lost 92 thousand people, Russia - 28 thousand people.
Liaoyang and Shahe
During the summer of 1904, a Japanese army of 120,000 men approached Liaoyang from the east and south. The Russian army at that time was replenished with soldiers arriving along the Trans-Siberian Railway and slowly retreated.
On August 11 (24) there was a general battle at Liaoyang. The Japanese, moving in a semicircle from the south and east, attacked the Russian positions. In prolonged battles, the Japanese army, led by Marshal I. Oyama, suffered 23,000 losses, Russian troops, led by Commander Kuropatkin, also suffered losses - 16 (or 19, according to some sources) thousand killed and wounded.
The Russians successfully repelled attacks in the south of Laoyang for 3 days, but Kuropatkin, assuming that the Japanese could block the railway north of Liaoyang, ordered his troops to retreat to Mukden. The Russian army retreated without leaving a single gun.
Armed clashes take place on the Shahe River in autumn. The beginning was the attack of the Russian troops, and a week later the Japanese launched a counterattack. Russia's losses amounted to about 40 thousand people, the Japanese side - 30 thousand people. The completed operation on the river. Shahe set a time of calm at the front.
On May 14-15 (27-28), the Japanese fleet in the Battle of Tsushima defeated the Russian squadron, which was redeployed from the Baltic, commanded by Vice Admiral Z. P. Rozhestvensky.
July 7 is the last major battle - Japanese invasion of Sakhalin. The 14,000th Japanese army was resisted by 6,000 Russians - they were mostly convicts and exiles who joined the army in order to acquire benefits and therefore did not have strong combat skills. By the end of July, Russian resistance was crushed, more than 3 thousand people were captured.
Effects
The negative impact of the war was also reflected in the internal situation in Russia:
- the economy is undermined;
- stagnation in industrial areas;
- price increase.
Industry leaders pushed for a peace treaty. A similar opinion was shared by Great Britain and the United States, which initially supported Japan.
Hostilities had to be stopped and forces should be directed to extinguish the revolutionary trends that were dangerous not only for Russia, but also for the world community.
On August 22 (9), 1905, with the mediation of the United States, negotiations begin in Portsmouth. The representative from the Russian Empire was S. Yu. Witte. At a meeting with Nicholas I. I., he received clear instructions: not to agree to an indemnity, which Russia never paid, and not to give up land. In view of Japan's territorial and monetary demands, such instructions were not easy for Witte, who was already pessimistic and considered losses inevitable.
As a result of the negotiations, on September 5 (August 23), 1905, a peace treaty was signed. According to the document:
- The Japanese side received the Liaodong Peninsula, a section of the Chinese Eastern Railway (from Port Arthur to Changchun), as well as South Sakhalin.
- Russia recognized Korea as a zone of influence of Japan and concluded a fishing convention.
- Both sides of the conflict had to withdraw their troops from the territory of Manchuria.
The peace treaty did not fully respond to the claims of Japan and was much closer to Russian conditions, as a result of which it was not accepted by the Japanese people - waves of discontent swept through the country.
The countries of Europe were satisfied with the agreement, as they expected to take Russia as an ally against Germany. The United States, on the other hand, believed that their goals had been achieved, they had significantly weakened the Russian and Japanese powers.
Results
War between Russia and Japan 1904−1905 had economic and political reasons. She showed the internal problems of Russian governance and the diplomatic mistakes made by Russia. Russia's losses amounted to 270 thousand people, of which 50,000 were killed. Japan's losses were similar, but there were more killed - 80,000 people.
For Japan, the war turned out to be much more intense. than for Russia. She had to mobilize 1.8% of her population, while Russia - only 0.5%. Military operations quadrupled the external debt of Japan, Russia - by 1/3. The ended war influenced the development of military art in general, showing the importance of weapons equipment.
In Russia, the situation was heating up. The tragic events of 1904-1905 - the Russo-Japanese War, Bloody Sunday, which caused a wave of indignation everywhere - could not but affect the cultural life of the capital and other cities of the country. The tsarist government in the period immediately preceding the first Russian revolution tried to limit as much as possible all public gatherings, even such as the Rubinstein dinners of Moscow musicians.
Especially after the St. Petersburg newspaper Nasha Zhizn (January 18, 1905) in the Chronicle section under the title "Artists' Lunch" published a letter composed at this dinner by the greatest masters of Russian fine art, headed by Ivan Bilibin. It expressed solidarity with those representatives of Russian society "who courageously and steadfastly fight for the liberation of Russia ..."
Following the artists, the musicians raised their voices. Their letter-declaration, compiled, judging by Taneyev's diary entry, at a Rubinstein dinner in the Hermitage, which Gliere was also present, was published on February 3, 1905 in the newspaper Our Days, and three days later in Russkiye Vedomosti. It said: “When there is neither freedom of thought and conscience, nor freedom of speech and the press in a country, when obstacles are placed to all living creative undertakings of the people, artistic creativity withers. Then the title of a free artist sounds like a bitter mockery. We are not free artists, but the same disenfranchised victims of today's abnormal social and legal conditions, like the rest of Russian citizens, and there is only one way out of these conditions, in our opinion: Russia must finally embark on the path of fundamental reforms... » Among the signatories of this letter - and there were the names of Taneyev, Rachmaninov, Kashkin, Kastalsky, Grechaninov, Chaliapin - was Glier.
Gliere also signed a letter from a large group of cultural figures to the directorate of the St. Petersburg branch of the Russian Musical Society in defense of N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, who was dismissed from the professorship of the St. Petersburg Conservatory because he opposed the expulsion and arrest of students involved in clashes with the police. As you know, as a result of numerous performances by public groups, unions, associations, Rimsky-Korsakov was returned to the St. Petersburg Conservatory. But all this created a nervous, oppressive atmosphere, and a great effort of will was required for normal work. Despite the alarming news brought literally every day, Gliere during this period carefully finished the Second Sextet dedicated to Ippolitov-Ivanov, completed work on the Third Sextet - a tribute to the memory of M. P. Belyaev - and the Second Quartet dedicated to N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov . These three chamber ensembles, in comparison with the previous ones, naturally reveal a greater maturity and independence of composer's thinking, they are much more technically complex, which presents a certain difficulty for performance. But their form is even more clear, precise. They are instrumented with inventiveness and expressiveness, but the character of the music is still the same, saturated with the intonations of Russian folk songs. With the exception, however, of the finale of the Second Quartet, which is written, according to the author's designation, "in the oriental style" and well conveys the character of oriental music. This is typical "Russian music about the East", rooted in the work of Glinka, then developed by Borodin, Rimsky-Korsakov and other Russian classics.
In addition, Gliere worked a lot on piano pieces, combining them into cycles of two, three, five, six or more miniatures. He continued to write romances, in particular, during this period the romance "Blacksmiths", dedicated to Chaliapin, was written.
In June 1905, the composer had two twin daughters, Nina and Leah. Despite this, or maybe that's why (Liya was very weak and was sick all the time), Glier and his family left for Germany at the beginning of winter, having agreed with A. T. Grechaninov that during his absence he would teach lessons from the Gnesins by harmony.
1. The first period of hostilities from January 27 to April 18, 1904; a period of predominantly naval operations and preparatory land operations. Hostilities began on January 27, 1904. The Japanese squadron sailed to the harbor of Port Arthur and on the night of January 27 launched a mine attack on the Russian squadron, as a result of which the battleships "Retvisan" and "Tsesarevich" and the cruiser "Pallada" received holes that need to be repaired , in the absence of a good dock in Port Arthur, was possible only by May. The answer to this attack was the Supreme Manifesto on January 27, with the declaration of war. Troops were mobilized first in Siberia, then in several military districts of European Russia. In a government report on February 5, the treachery of Japan was emphasized and it was indicated that due to the peculiarities of this war, no quick successes could be expected. "The whole situation of the war makes us patiently wait for news of the successes of our weapons, which may not affect before the start of decisive actions of the Russian army ... Let Russian society patiently await future events, quite confident that our army will make us pay a hundredfold for the challenge thrown to us" . On the afternoon of January 27, the Japanese squadron bombarded the fortress of Port Arthur and the Russian squadron; both answered. As a result, several Russian ships received light holes, which were soon repaired. On the same day, 27 Jan. a Japanese squadron of several cruisers, under the command of Admiral Uriu, having entered the Chemulpo harbor, announced to Captain Rudnev, commander of the Varyag cruiser, the opening of hostilities and offered to leave the harbor; a battle began, after which the cruiser "Varyag" and the gunboat "Koreets" were destroyed by the Russians themselves; the team, with the exception of 34 killed, moved to foreign ships stationed there. Damage to Japanese ships in this battle has not been clarified with certainty (the Japanese deny them). Jan 29 mine transport "Yenisei", placing mines in the harbor, stumbled upon one of them and died, with 96 people. Around the same time, the cruiser II rank "Boyarin" died from a similar accident.
In the photographs: January 27 (February 9), 1904. At 11:20 a.m., the Varyag cruiser and the Koreets gunboat weigh anchor and leave the neutral Korean port of Chemulpo to engage the Japanese squadron. Explosion "Korean".
So unfortunate for us began the naval campaign: Port Arthur was blocked from the sea by the squadron of Togo, the Russian squadron was locked in its harbor and could not go to a distant space from the coast, because in the open sea, outside the protection of the mighty coastal batteries of Port Arthur, it was significantly weaker than the Japanese; another squadron, cap. Reizenstein, located in Vladivostok, was cut off from Port Arthur. Throughout February, Togo incessantly began bombarding Port Arthur and the Port Arthur squadron, but without noticeable results, since he did not dare to approach the fortress for fear of land batteries. Several times he also made attempts to block the entrance to the Port Arthur raid, directing his fireships there and drowning them in a shallow and narrow strait; but if he sometimes succeeded in achieving his goal, it was far from complete and for a very short time. Only once, precisely on April 20, did this bring very significant benefits to the Japanese, facilitating the possibility of landing in Bizwo. Of the significant number of skirmishes and naval battles near Port Arthur in February and March, which ended without significant results, it is necessary to note the battle of February 26, in which one Japanese destroyer and one Russian ("Guarding") were killed, and the crew of the latter was partly killed, partly was taken prisoner. In March, after the arrival of Vice Admiral Makarov in Port Arthur, the Russian squadron began to go to sea further from the coast. On March 31, a significant battle took place, in which the Russian destroyer Terrible was killed with almost the entire crew. The admiral's battleship "Petropavlovsk" stumbled upon a mine (judging by all the data - a Japanese one, set by the Japanese two days before the battle, and not a Russian one, as they thought at first), exploded and sank in two minutes. It killed Vice Adm. Makarov, the famous artist V.V. Vereshchagin and about 700 people. crew; rescued led. book. Kirill Vladimirovich. Another battleship, "Victory", received a strong hole in the starboard side from a torpedo, which it repaired only a few months later. Vice Adm. Skrydlov. The Russian Port Arthur squadron, weakened by this event (in Port Arthur there were 3 battleships capable of active operations, with a tonnage of 34,000 and 179 guns, against 7 Japanese ones, with a tonnage of 93,000 and 392 guns), was deprived of the ability for active operations for the whole of April . The Vladivostok squadron of Jessen went to sea several times and on 12 April. sank off the east. coast of Korea near the city of Genzan, the Japanese military transport "Kinshiyu Maru", having previously removed 20 officers from it, 17 lower. officials and non-military who surrendered; the rest (significant) of the crew refused to surrender and preferred to die. At the same time, as in their other excursions, the Vladivostok squadron sank Japanese merchant ships, thereby harming its trade. But this squadron was too weak to prevent the landing of Japanese troops in Korea, mainly in Chemulpo (the nearest harbor to Manchuria, which was already ice-free at the end of January). The landing was carried out under the protection of the powerful squadron of Adm. Togo, with complete safety for the Japanese. Throughout February, March, and perhaps April, the landing of the Japanese army (under the command of General Kuroki), consisting of 5 divisions, including one guards and one reserve (about 128,000 people, with 294 guns), gradually took place. These forces were concentrated in Korea, which thus became the scene of hostilities. The Russians concentrated one corps under the command of Gen. Zasulich on the right (Manchurian) bank of the Yalu River. Only the Cossack brigade under the command of Gen. Mishchenko, who performed more intelligence than military service. Some of its detachments had numerous, but minor skirmishes with the Japanese. The largest of them took place on March 15 at Chonju (in the northwest of Korea) between 600 Cossacks and a somewhat large Japanese force; after several hours of skirmishing, the Cossacks retreated to the north, with the loss of 4 people. killed and 14 wounded (Japanese losses, according to Japanese reports, are approximately the same). On April 12, the Japanese began, under the protection of several gunboats, crossing the Yala near its mouth. For almost a week there was a crossing, accompanied by battles; 18 Apr. it ended in a big battle between the Zasulich corps and the Japanese forces, which were significantly superior to its forces, on the right bank of the river. Yalu, near Tyurenchen. The battle was taken by Gen. Zasulich because, due to an accidental interruption of the telegraph message, he did not receive the order of the gene in a timely manner. Kuropatkin about the retreat. After stubborn resistance, the Russians retreated to Fynhuanchen, leaving officers on the battlefield. according to 26 officers and 564 lower ranks killed, about 700 missing (most of them were probably captured) and more than 1000 people. the wounded; the total amount of losses - 2394 people. According to Japanese reports, Japanese losses did not exceed 1,000 people. killed and wounded. This battle opened the land war, and its theater was transferred from Korea to Manchuria and, almost simultaneously, to Liaodong.
2. The second period of the war, mainly on land, the struggle for the Liaodong Peninsula. April 18 - June 25, 1904 The victory at Tyurenchen gave the Japanese the opportunity to: 1) move west, towards the line of the East China Railway (section Gaizhou - Haicheng - Liaoyang - Mukden); 2) to land on the Liaodong Peninsula itself. Naval operations took a backseat, although, in contrast to the first period of Japanese success at sea, the second was marked by several serious setbacks. After the Battle of Tyurenchen, the Russians gave the city of Fynhuanchen to the Japanese without a fight, which became the main apartment of General Kuroki. The landing on the Liaodong Peninsula began on April 21 at Biziwo (east coast); the 2nd Army landed under the command of Gen. Oku; later the 3rd (Nozu) was landed near Dakushan (NE), still later the 4th, commanded, I think, by General Nogi; but Marshal Oyama, who was appointed commander-in-chief, soon arrived to her, who directed her actions more than the actions of other armies. The Oku army moved southwest. On April 29, she occupied the Pulandyan railway station and thus cut off the south of the Liaodong Peninsula from Manchuria, with its tip at Kwangtung and the fortress of Port Arthur located on it. Anticipating the beginning of the siege of Port Arthur, Adjutant General Alekseev, a few days before, moved his main apartment to Mukden. A long and stubborn siege of Port Arthur began from land, accompanied by a blockade from the sea. There were no wireless telegraph machines or aeronautical park in Port Arthur, so at first only occasionally came news from it through the officers and soldiers making their way past the Japanese outposts. On May 1-2, events occurred that weakened the naval blockade. May 1 Japanese cruiser II rank "Miako", catching near the mountains. Distant mines, stumbled upon one of them and died (the crew was saved). On May 2, the battleship Hatsuse, in the vicinity of Port Arthur, also died, having stumbled upon an underwater mine; the cruiser "Yoshino" received a hole, colliding in the fog with the Japanese ship "Kassuga", and also sank; 768 people drowned on both. The battleship "Yashima" received a hole and was out of action for a long time. On the same day, May 2, the Russian cruiser "Bogatyr" (of the Vladivostok squadron) landed on a reef, from which it was removed only two months later, and the hole has not been repaired to date (August 20). Since by May, with the exception of the Bogatyr, all Russian ships that had suffered on January 27 or March 31 were repaired, from May the forces of both fleets were almost equal; the blockade of Port Arthur became so weak that the Russian squadron under the command of Rear Admiral Witgeft could go far into the sea, and the destroyer Lieutenant Burakov traveled from Port Arthur to Yingkou and back, bringing information about the situation of the besieged fortress and delivering military personnel to it supplies. The squadron of Admiral Kamimura, which was supposed to monitor the activities of the Vladivostok squadron, was probably weakened by the fact that several ships were taken from it to reinforce Togo, and therefore turned out to be completely at the height of its task; she did not notice the Vladivostok squadron when it passed close to her, could not keep up with her, or simply did not dare to engage in battle with her. Meanwhile, the Vladivostok squadron, especially since the arrival of Admiral Skrydlov (May 9), who, due to the impossibility of getting into Port Arthur, arrived in Vladivostok and raised his flag on the cruiser Rossiya, discovered extraordinary energy. She repeatedly went to sea under the command of Rear Admiral Bezobrazov and made bold raids to the very shores of Japan, where she sank merchant ships and military transports. Of greatest importance is the sinking of three transports by her on June 2 near Iki Island (near Kiu Siu): "Itsutsi-maru", "Hitachi-maru", "Sado-maru" with heavy guns for the siege of Port Arthur, with military supplies, with several thousand soldiers, with several millions of money. On land at this time, the Japanese were moving forward towards Port Arthur. May 13, after a stubborn battle that lasted 5 days, Gen. Oku, having at his disposal 3 divisions, took the strong fortification of Jin-Chou, where there was one Russian division of General Fock. Japanese losses - about 3500 people killed and wounded, Russian - over 500 people, 68 guns, 10 machine guns. The capture of Jing Zhou - on the narrow isthmus connecting the Kwantung Peninsula with Liaodong and the mainland - made the taxation of Port Arthur complete. On May 17, the Japanese occupied Talienvan and Dalniy, left by the Russians, without a fight. Since then, the 4th Army, landed on Kwantung under the personal command of Commander-in-Chief Oyama (its number is determined very differently according to various sources, probably about 80,000 people), has been conducting a regular siege of Port Arthur for many months. Meanwhile, Gen. Oku (3 divisions, 8,100 men, 306 guns) gradually moved north, occupying the Liaodong Peninsula. At first, the Russians retreated without a fight, but later Gen. Kuropatkin sent a corps of Gen. Stackelberg, who on June 2 collided with Gen. Oku, who outnumbered him, at Vafangou, and after a stubborn battle was forced to retreat, losing several thousand people. and a large number of guns. The movement of the Japanese to the north, slowed down by this battle, continued, and on June 25, after a not particularly strong battle, they occupied the city of Gaizhou (Gaiping). Thus the occupation of the Liaodong Peninsula ended; only one Port Arthur held out, successfully repelling attacks from land and sea. In Manchuria, at the same time, the armies of Kuroki (5 divisions, 128,000 men, 294 guns) and Nozu (4 divisions, 9,200 men, 182 guns) slowly, withstanding a series of battles, moved towards the railway line. On June 12-14, Kuroki quite easily occupied the Fynshuilinsky, Modulinsky and Motienlinsky mountain passes, which lie on the roads to Liaoyang, Haichen and Mukden; On June 21 and 22, he successfully repelled Russian attacks on them. He also occupied the cities of Samadzy and Xiaosyr. Xuyan occupied Nozu. Thus, the three Japanese armies, having contact with each other, occupied the entire Liaodong and the entire south-east of Manchuria. The number of forces at the disposal of the gene. Kuropatkin, unknown.
3. The third period of the war. The struggle for the valley Liaohe and beyond Port Arthur, starting from June 26, 1904. On July 4, the Russians (Count Keller) made an attack on the Motienlin Pass, but were repulsed, with a loss of over 1000 people; after a stubborn battle on July 5-6, in which the Russians also lost at least 1000 people, the Japanese captured the city of Siheyan. On July 10 - 11, a very important battle took place between Gaizhou and Dashiqiao, the most significant since the beginning of the war in terms of the number of forces participating in it (according to Japanese reports - 5 Russian divisions, 3 Japanese divisions, according to Russian news - less), surpassing in this respect the previous three the main battles (Turenchen, Jing-Chou, Wafangou). Huge losses on both sides are defined differently. As a result, the Russians cleared Dashiqiao. The days of July 12 - 19 were a continuous battle, spreading from the south (Dashiqiao - Haicheng) to the east (passes) of the Manchu theater of military operations and back. Russian losses are estimated at several thousand people killed; Japanese losses are somewhat less. The Russians lost several guns. On July 18, c. Keller. As a result of these battles, the Japanese occupied Newzhuang and Yingkou. The occupation of the port of Yingkou gave a very important naval base, much closer to the active army than Biziwo and Dagushan, and therefore facilitated their movement to Liaoyang. On July 19, Haichen was occupied by the Japanese. In the naval battle on July 13 near Port Arthur, in which 4 of our cruisers of the 1st rank took part against 3 Japanese cruisers of the 1st rank and two of the 2nd, one of our cruisers ("Bayan") and two Japanese ones ("Itsuku- ima" and "Chyoda"; the first of them was repaired within a week). On July 13 - 15, the Japanese stormed some of the forts of Port Arthur, repulsed with great damage to them. At the end of July, they managed to occupy the Wolf Mountains (Longwangtian), Green Mountain and some forts; in August, several forts were taken, and in mid-August the Japanese were only 1.5 versts from the fortress itself. Nevertheless, the garrison of the fortress under the command of Gen. Stessel, despite heavy losses, courageously repulsed all the assaults of the Japanese. The possible fall of Port Arthur, which would inevitably have been followed by the death of our squadron if it had remained in the raid, made the Russians think about saving it. On July 28, the entire squadron capable of active operations under the command of Adm. Vitgeft, consisting of 6 battleships, 4 cruisers (with the exception of the Bayan, badly damaged on July 13), 8 destroyers and several auxiliary ships, went to sea, intending to break through the enemy ring and join the Vladivostok squadron. The goal, however, was not achieved, since in the battle that followed on the very day of July 28, the squadron was defeated, and the adm. Witgeft is killed. Five battleships, the cruiser "Pallada" and 3 destroyers were forced to return to Port Arthur. The rest of the ships, badly damaged, broke through, but had to take refuge in neutral harbors: the German Kiao Chau, the Chinese Vuzun (near Shanghai), the French Saigon (Indo-China), where they were forced to disarm; the disarmed crew is settled until the end of the war on the territory of neutral states. The Novik cruiser successfully made its way, but on August 8 it was overtaken by Japanese cruisers off Sakhalin Island and sunk; another destroyer was killed. The counter-destroyer "Resolute", independently of the rest of the squadron, arrived in Chifu on July 28 with important dispatches; due to the readiness of the Japanese to attack him, even in a neutral harbor, he was blown up by the Russians, however, he did not sink, and was captured by the Japanese in a spoiled form. This case sparked a dispute between Russia and Japan about the violation of international law. On August 1, the Vladivostok squadron, which came out as part of three cruisers, under the command of Rear Admiral Jessen, towards the Port Arthur squadron, collided off the coast of Korea with a squadron of adm. Kamimura (6 cruisers). As a result of a stubborn battle, the Rurik cruiser sank, and two other cruisers with severe holes and damaged cars and pipes took refuge in Vladivostok. Thus, the entire Pacific squadron (with the exception of two surviving, albeit with damage, from the death of the cruisers Rossiya and Gromoboy in this battle and the even earlier damaged cruiser Bogatyr) either died altogether or was disarmed and, therefore, died for real war. The death of the squadron made it easier for the Japanese to storm Port Arthur. On August 11-15, a whole series of serious battles took place in the east and south of Liaoyang, as a result of which the Japanese occupied Anping, Anipanjan, Liandyansyan and thus pulled together a semi-circle that surrounded Liaoyang from the west, south and east. On August 16, a battle began near Liaoyang itself, in which 6 corps of General Kuropatkin (about 250 thousand people) were concentrated. It was attacked from three sides by three armies (Kuroki, Oku and Nozu), probably numbering about 250,000. After a series of bloody battles on August 17-20, Gen.-Ad. Kuropatkin Aug 21 cleared Liaoyang, occupied 22 Aug. the Japanese. The cleansing of Liaoyang by the Russians was caused by the transition from August 16 of the Kuroka army to the right bank of the river. Taidzykhe in order to bypass the left flank of the Russians and cut off the retreat to Mukden. By 23 Aug. the entire army of General Kuropatkin gathered between Mukden and Telin, having against them from the south and southwest the armies of Oka and Nozu, from the east and northeast - the army of Kuroka. After the battle of Liaoyang, there was a lull in the Manchu theater of war. September 19, Gen. Kuropatkin gave the order to advance and on September 23-26. moved with the main forces to Yantai, at the same time sending a strong detachment to the SE through the river. Taidzyhe bypassing the right flank of the Japanese. September 27 - October 3, a series of fierce and bloody battles took place, waged with varying happiness. At first, the advantage was on the side of the Japanese, who managed to shoot down several regiments on the Russian right flank, capture several batteries and break through the Russian center. On September 30, the Russians retreated to the north. bank of the river Shah; bypassing the right flank of the Japanese by the Russian eastern detachment was not successful. In the battles of October 1-3, the Russians managed to push back the Japanese center, take two batteries and fortify partly on the southern bank of the Shah, after which there was a lull again. Russian losses on 23 Sept. - 3 October ca. 40 thousand, the Japanese - a little less. In early September, the formation of the 2nd Manchurian Army under the command of Gen. Grippenberg.
Oct 12 General Kuropatkin was appointed commander-in-chief of all Russian land and sea forces in the Far East instead of Alekseev. After the Battle of Shahe, there was a prolonged lull in the northern theater of operations; the Japanese did not dare to go on the offensive, so there was no need for the Russians to retreat. The whole world followed the struggle near Port Arthur with great attention. Almost deprived of the support of the fleet (ships locked in its bay were mostly damaged and, in any case, could not operate) and unable to count on help from the north, besieged from land and sea by the strong land army of Gen. Feet and a strong fleet adm. Moreover, this fortress was doomed to surrender, but resisted stubbornly. In Russia and in Europe the merit of this defense was attributed to General Stessel; but later, after the capture of the fortress, it turned out that it was the gene. Stessel is responsible for the complete unpreparedness of the fortress for defense (see Stessel and Port Arthur), and for the disorder that prevailed in it. In December 1904, the military council in Port Arthur decided to surrender the fortress. According to reports, this decision was taken by General Stessel himself and carried through the military council with the help of strong pressure on the officers, but not without protests. On December 20, the surrender was signed. By virtue of this surrender, the entire composition of the garrison of Port Arthur and the entire crew of the squadron landed on land were recognized as prisoners of war; the officers were allowed to return to Russia under the condition of an obligation not to participate in the war; all batteries, surviving ships, ammunition, horses, all government buildings were handed over to the Japanese. The number of prisoners taken was 70,000 people (of which half were wounded and sick), including 8 generals and 4 admirals. The Japanese also took a significant amount of coal, provisions and military supplies. As for the fleet, only the most miserable remnants of it fell into the hands of the Japanese, since most of the ships that were in the bay and escaped the Japanese cannonade were sunk in a timely manner by the Russians themselves. Some of them were subsequently raised from the bottom of the bay by the Japanese, repaired and became part of the Japanese navy. The capture of Port Arthur ended the third period of the war. During the first year of the war, up to 200,000 people left the Russian army killed, wounded and captured, in addition, about 25,000 were sick; lost 720 guns and almost the entire first Pacific squadron. The Japanese casualties were no less, but the Japanese fleet was almost not injured, the artillery was strengthened by the capture of Russian guns.
From the point of view of military technology, the first six months of the Japanese-Russian war revealed the following phenomena: 1) the general opinion was that improved weapons of destruction would make the war especially bloody. This expectation was not justified: not a single battle in terms of bloodshed resembled Austerlitz, Borodino, Leipzig, Waterloo, Solferino, etc. Battles are fought too far away, and defensive means have improved in proportion to the attackers. 2) The wounds produced by improved guns heal easily, at least with good care, in any case better than the wounds inflicted by the old gun bullets. This is due to the small caliber of bullets and the terrible speed of their flight (700 meters per second). Bullet wounds received at a farther distance are more dangerous than wounds received at close range. On the contrary, the action of cannon grenades is deadly. 3) Submarines have not yet been used in a real war.
The war in July was complicated by several important episodes. The ships of the Russian Volunteer Fleet, leaving the Black Sea and passing under the commercial flag of the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles in the Mediterranean Sea, armed themselves and arrived in the Red Sea as military ships. There they began to ensure that military contraband was not brought to Japan, and in the form of supervision they detained the English ship Malacca (later released) and several other English and German ships. On the night of October 8, the 2nd Pacific Squadron collided in the North Sea with an English fishing flotilla from Hull. Some of the ships that were among this flotilla seemed suspicious. The squadron opened fire and sank two ships. This incident caused great excitement in English society. The danger of a rupture between Russia and England was eliminated through diplomacy; The British government accepted the proposal of the Russian government to appoint an international commission of inquiry, on the basis of the Hague Convention, to clarify the circumstances surrounding the incident in the North Sea.
One of the largest confrontations is the Russo-Japanese War of 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 power 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 advanced in 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 received control of Primorye (the territory of modern Vladivostok), the Kuril Islands, and partly 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 a war not only gives the victor an economic advantage, 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 of the Russian army was the remoteness 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 modernized by 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), the squadron of the Land of the 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 (mismatch of 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 carrying out all the 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 negative consequences for Russia in economic terms. Stagnation began in some industries, as their lending from foreign banks declined. 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 fight the revolution, which world states equally feared.
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 within the 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.
(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 close interest of the tsarist government in the affairs of this region was largely due to the appearance here by the end of the 19th century of a strong and very aggressive neighbor in the face of Japan, which had embarked on the path of expansion.
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 near 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 surround 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 the 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 repelled three Japanese assaults, but the 3rd Japanese Army managed to capture Mount Vysokaya, which dominates 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, replaced by ten years imprisonment).
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 Nogi'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 near 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 Rozhestvensky, created from part of the Baltic Fleet, to the Far East, but on May 27-28 (May 14-15, O.S.) in the Battle of Tsushima, 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.) 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. According to 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 gave up its political, military and trade advantages in Manchuria. At the same time, Russia was exempted from paying any indemnities.
Japan, which as a result of the victory took the 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