Russian-Japanese War 1904-1905 in brief. Main events of the Russian-Japanese war. Naval battle off the island of Tsushima and the final defeat of Russia

Main events of the RUSSIAN-JAPANESE War of 1904-1905 January 26 - 27, 1904 March 31, 1904 February 1904 April 1904 July 17, 1904 July 28, 1904 August 1904 August 11 - 21, 1904 September - October 1904 October BR 1904 December 20, 1904 February 1905 February 25, 1905 May 14 - 15, 1905 June 1905 August 23, 1905 Sudden attack of Japanese destroyers on the Russian squadron on the outer roadstead of Port Arthur. Mining approaches to the port → The Russian fleet cannot influence the course of military operations. Two Russian ships (the cruiser "Varyag" and the gunboat "Koreets") confronted 15 enemy warships near the port of Chemulpo (Korea). In an unequal battle, the commander of the cruiser V.F. Rudnev ordered to abandon the ship; “Varyag” was sunk, and “Koreets” was blown up. The flagship battleship “Petropavlovsk” hit a mine in battle: Vice Admiral S.O. Makarov, his staff (281 people) and V.V. were killed. Vereshchagin A series of defeats of the Russian army in unequal battles near the city of Tyurenchen → rus. The troops retreated to Laolian. Japan captured the port of Dalniy (Liaodong Peninsula) - a springboard for operations against Port Arthur. The Japanese siege of Port Arthur began. Rus. The military base was defended for 7 months under the leadership of General R.I. Kondratenko, having withstood 4 assaults, the Russian fleet, which tried to break into Vladivostok, was defeated. Japan launched a forced attack on Port Arthur, but met stubborn resistance → termination of the assault, siege of the fortress. Battle of Liaoyang: three Japanese armies attacked the Russians. positions, but encountered fierce resistance and suffered heavy losses. Commander of the Manchurian Army A.N. Kuropatkin, playing it safe, decided to retreat north to Mukden. Battles on the Shankha River (heavy losses on both sides) an attempt by the ground army to help the besieged Port Arthur → The battle on the Shah River ended unsuccessfully. The 2nd Pacific Squadron left the Baltic port of Libau under the command of Admiral Z.P. Rozhdestvensky to the rescue of Port Arthur (she had to go around Africa) Capitulation of Port Arthur (General A.M. Stessel surrendered, despite the decision of the Council of Defense of the fortress to continue resistance) Fighting near Mukden → threat of complete encirclement of the Russians. army → order (February 22) of Kuropatkin for immediate encirclement. The Japanese occupied Mukden. Battle of Tsushima: The Japanese fleet, which had superiority in strength, artillery and speed, defeated the 2nd Pacific squadron. The landing of two Japanese divisions on the island. Sakhalin → the unequal struggle of the militias from hard labor lasted two months Portsmouth m/d (through the mediation of US President T. Roosevelt; Portsmouth - USA; head of Russian delegation - S.Yu. Witte): - loss of Port Arthur and the southern part of Sakhalin Island; - evacuation of troops of both countries from Manchuria; - Russia’s refusal to claim; - the right to fish along the Russian coast.

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

Classmates

Reasons

Ended in 1856, it limited Russia's ability to move and expand south, so Nicholas I turned his attention to the Far East, which negatively affected relations with the Japanese power, which itself laid claim to 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 conflict by proposing an agreement under which it would have all rights to Korea. Russia agreed, but set conditions under which it demanded sole influence on the Kwantung Peninsula, as well as the right to protect the railway in Manchuria. The Japanese government was not happy with this, and it continued active preparations 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 capabilities. Thanks to the reforms carried out, by 1890 the economy was 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 sector, which was significantly strengthened thanks to Western exercises.

Japan decides to increase its influence on neighboring countries. Based on the geographic 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 the conflict, the Sino-Japanese War (1894−95), which ended in Japanese victory and eventual impact on Korea.

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

1. transferred to Japan territories that included the Liaodong Peninsula and Manchuria;
2. 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 took advantage of the return of Liaodong and in March 1898 signed a convention with China and received:

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

This negatively affected relations with Japan, which laid claim to these territories.

26.03 (08.04) 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. did not keep his promises, but demanded from China restrictions on trade with foreign countries. In response, England, the USA and Japan protested over the violation of the deadlines and advised not to accept the Russian conditions.

In mid-summer 1903, traffic on the Trans-Siberian Railway began. The route passed along the Chinese Eastern Railway, through Manchuria. Nicholas 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. 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 begin military operations against Russia, and soon an order was given to land Japanese armed forces in Korea and attack Russian ships in Port Arthur.

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

Main events

Battle of Chemulpo

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

Siege of Port Arthur

To block Russian ships inside the harbor, Japan tries to sink several old ships at the entrance. These actions were thwarted by "Retvizvan", who patrolled the water area near the fort.

In the early spring of 1904, Admiral Makarov and shipbuilder N.E. Kuteynikov arrived. At the same time, a large number of spare parts and equipment for ship repairs arrive.

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

On March 31, the Russian battleship Petropavlovsk sank 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 successful, Japan, having sank eight transport ships, locked the Russian squadrons for several days and immediately landed in Manchuria.

The cruisers “Russia”, “Gromoboy”, “Rurik” were the only ones that retained freedom of movement. They sank several ships with military personnel and weapons, including the Hi-tatsi Maru, which was transporting weapons for the siege of Port Arthur, due to which the capture lasted for several months.

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

04/22 (05/05) a Japanese army of 38.5 thousand people landed 100 km from the fortress.

27.04 (10.05) Japanese troops broke the railway connection between Manchuria and Port Arthur.

On May 2 (15), 2 Japanese ships were scuttled, thanks to the Amur minelayer, they fell into placed mines. In just five days in May (12-17.05), Japan lost 7 ships, and two went to the Japanese port for repairs.

Having successfully landed, the Japanese began to move towards Port Arthur to block it. The Russian command decided to meet the Japanese troops in fortified areas near Jinzhou.

On May 13 (26) a major battle took place. Russian squad(3.8 thousand people) and with 77 guns and 10 machine guns, they repulsed the enemy attack for more than 10 hours. And only the approaching Japanese gunboats, suppressing the left flag, broke through the defense. The Japanese lost 4,300 people, the Russians 1,500 people.

Thanks to the won battle 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 Wafangou, the 2nd Japanese Army defeated Russian troops under the command of General Stackelberg, who was sent to lift the Port Arthur blockade.

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

On July 30, the distant approaches to the fortress are occupied, and the defense begins. This is a bright historical moment. The defense lasted 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 commanded the fortress, Admiral Vitgeft commanded the fleet. It was difficult for them to come to a common opinion. But among the leadership there was a talented commander - General Kondratenko. Thanks to his oratorical and managerial qualities, his superiors 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 located in the fortress is about 53 thousand people, as well as 646 guns and 62 machine guns. The siege lasted 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 thousand people approached Liaoyang from the east and south. The Russian army at this time was replenished by soldiers arriving along the Trans-Siberian Railway and slowly retreated.

In August 11 (24) a general battle took place at Liaoyang. The Japanese, moving in a semicircle from the south and east, attacked Russian positions. In prolonged battles, the Japanese army led by Marshal I. Oyama suffered losses of 23,000, Russian troops led by Commander Kuropatkin also suffered losses - 16 (or 19, according to some sources) thousand killed and wounded.

The Russians successfully repelled attacks in the south of Laoyang for 3 days, but Kuropatkin, assuming that the Japanese could block the railway north of Liaoyang, ordered his troops to retreat to Mukden. The Russian army retreated without leaving a single gun.

In the fall, an armed clash occurs on the Shahe River. It began with an attack by 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.

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

Consequences

The negative impact of the war also affected the internal situation in Russia:

1. the economy is disrupted;
2. stagnation in industrial areas;
3. price increase.

Industry leaders pushed for a peace treaty. A similar opinion was shared by Great Britain and the United States, which initially supported Japan.

Military actions had to be stopped and forces directed toward extinguishing revolutionary trends, which were dangerous not only for Russia, but also for the world community.

On August 22 (9), 1905, negotiations began in Portsmouth with the mediation of the United States. 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 the indemnity, which Russia never paid, and not to give up the land. Due to 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:

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

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

The countries of Europe were satisfied with the agreement, as they hoped to take Russia as an ally against Germany. The United States 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. It 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. It had to mobilize 1.8% of its population, while Russia had to mobilize only 0.5%. Military actions 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.

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.

Causes of the war

The famous cruiser "Varyag"

At the beginning of the 20th century, Russia was an influential power with a significant territory. Nicholas II wanted to turn the country into a world colonial power. Particularly attractive were the territories providing year-round maritime communication.

In 1897, Russia leased Port Arthur and the Liaodong Peninsula from China. These areas are used as a naval base and provide access to the Pacific Ocean. Having begun construction of the railway in Manchuria in 1898, Russia stationed troops on Chinese territory under the pretext of ensuring the safety of its construction. In addition, Russia had plans for the territory of Korea.

The territories of China and Korea were also desirable for Japan. In 1894-1895, Japan won the war with China and laid claim to a number of its territories, including the Liaodong Peninsula and Manchuria; Korea was also supposed to fall under its influence. As a result of the intervention of Russia and a number of European countries, these plans were not implemented.

In 1903, countries tried to peacefully resolve disputes and delimit their zones of influence. Japan offered Russia to take control of the territories of northeastern China, but completely abandon claims to the territory of Korea. Russia was not happy with this. The Russian government was confident that Japan would not dare to start a war. They underestimated the enemy.

In 1904, Japan began a war against Russia by attacking ships in Port Arthur, officially declaring the start of the war on the same day.

Progress of the war (chronology of main events)

We present to your attention a brief table of the main events of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. with dates, progress and results.

Results and consequences of the war for Russia and Japan

Under the terms of the peace treaty, part of Sakhalin Island came under Japanese rule. Russia recognized Japan's right to dominate the territory of Korea. The lease rights for the territory of the Liaodong Peninsula and Port Arthur were transferred to Japan.
Japan was counting on monetary compensation and a larger territory; the country was dissatisfied with the peace treaty. For Russia, the negotiations ended in success and represented an agreement of equal parties. However, the Russo-Japanese War became one of the causes of popular discontent.

The Russo-Japanese War in brief.

Reasons for the outbreak of war with Japan.

During the period of 1904, Russia actively developed the lands of the Far East, developing trade and industry. The Land of the Rising Sun blocked access to these lands; at that time it occupied China and Korea. But the fact is that one of the territories of China, Manchuria, was under Russian jurisdiction. This is one of the main reasons for the start of the war. In addition, by decision of the Triple Alliance, Russia was given the Liaodong Peninsula, which once belonged to Japan. Thus, differences arose between Russia and Japan, and a struggle for dominance in the Far East arose.

The course of events of the Russo-Japanese War.

Using the effect of surprise, Japan attacked Russia at Port Arthur. After the landing of Japanese amphibious troops on the Kwantung Peninsula, Port Athrut remained cut off from the outside world, and therefore helpless. Within two months he was forced to resort to capitulation. Next, the Russian army loses the battle of Liaoyang and the battle of Mukden. Before the start of the First World War, these battles were considered the largest in the history of the Russian state.

After the Battle of Tsushima, almost the entire Soviet flotilla was destroyed. The events took place on the Yellow Sea. After another battle, Russia loses the Sakhalin Peninsula in an unequal battle. For some reason, General Kuropatkin, the leader of the Soviet army, used passive fighting tactics. In his opinion, it was necessary to wait until the enemy’s forces and supplies were running out. And the tsar at that time did not attach much importance to this, since a revolution began on Russian territory at that time.

When both sides of the hostilities were morally and materially exhausted, they agreed to sign a peace treaty in the American Portsmouth in 1905.

Results of the Russian-Japanese War.

Russia lost the southern part of its Sakhalin Peninsula. Manchuria was now neutral territory and all troops were withdrawn. Oddly enough, but the agreement was conducted on equal terms, and not as a winner with a loser.