Information about the Russo-Japanese War. Russo-Japanese War briefly

Today, February 9 (January 27), marks 112 years since the date of the legendary battle between the cruiser "Varyag" and the gunboat "Koreets" with the Japanese squadron. From that moment, the Russo-Japanese War broke out, which lasted more than a year and a half - until September 5 (August 23), 1905. In our selection - the most remarkable facts of this war.

The battle at Chemulpo and the feat of the cruiser "Varyag"

The armored cruiser "Varyag" and the gunboat "Korean" under the overall command of Captain 1st Rank Vsevolod Rudnev in Chemulpo Bay - a Korean port in the Yellow Sea - were opposed by two Japanese armored, four armored cruisers and three destroyers. Despite the desperate resistance of the Russian sailors, the forces were incomparable. Only after damage to the steering mechanisms and several guns, the Varyag was forced to return to Chemulpo, where it was flooded, and the gunboat Koreets was blown up.

The surviving sailors switched to ships of neutral countries, and after a while most of the crew was able to return to their homeland. The feat of the sailors of the cruiser was not forgotten many years later. In 1954, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the battle at Chemulpo, Commander-in-Chief of the USSR Navy N.G. Kuznetsov personally awarded 15 veterans with medals "For Courage".

Crew member of the cruiser Varyag Ivan Shutov with sailors of the Northern Fleet, 1950s

The difficult fate of the "Varyag"

But the Japanese cruiser "Varyag" was later able to raise from the bottom and even put it into service in their Navy under the name "Soya". In 1916, Russia bought it from Japan, which by that time was already an ally in the Entente. The cruiser made the transition from Vladivostok to Romanov-on-Murman (Murmansk). In February 1917, the ship went to the UK for repairs, where it was confiscated by the British. In 1925, while being towed, the cruiser got into a storm and sank off the coast in the Irish Sea. In 2003, the first Russian expedition to dive into the wreckage area took place - then some small details of the Varyag were raised. By the way, the grandson of Vsevolod Rudnev, who lives in France, took part in the dive.

Death of Makarov and Vereshchagin

On account of Mannerheim - the deblockade of the 3rd Infantry Division, which fell into the "bag". His dragoons, under the cover of fog, put the Japanese to flight. For skillful leadership and personal courage, the baron was awarded the rank of colonel.

He also conducted covert reconnaissance with a detachment of the “local police” in Mongolia: “My detachment is just hunghuzi, that is, local robbers from the main road ... These bandits ... know nothing but a Russian magazine rifle and cartridges ... There is no order in it, no unity ... although they cannot be reproached for lack of courage. They managed to break out of the encirclement where the Japanese cavalry drove us ... The army headquarters was very satisfied with our work - we managed to map about 400 miles and give information about Japanese positions throughout the territory of our activity, ”wrote Mannerheim.

The main reason for the war is the clash of interests between Russia and Japan in the Far East. Both powers sought dominance in China and Korea. In 1896, Russia began the construction of the Chinese Eastern Railway, which passed through the territory of Manchuria. In 1898, Witte agreed to lease the Liaodong Peninsula from China for 25 years. Here they began to build the naval base of Port Arthur. In 1900, Russian troops entered Manchuria.

The advance of Russia to the borders of Korea alarmed Japan. A clash between the two countries was becoming inevitable. Japan began to prepare for war. The tsarist government underestimated the enemy. The Russian army in the Far East numbered 98 thousand soldiers against the 150 thousandth Japanese army. The transportation of reserves was difficult due to the low capacity of the Siberian railway. The fortification of Vladivostok and Port Arthur was not completed. The Pacific squadron was inferior to the Japanese fleet. While Japan was helped by the largest states, Russia remained almost isolated.

On both sides, the war was unfair and predatory. Russia and Japan entered the struggle for the redivision of the world.

The Russo-Japanese War began on January 27, 1904, with the attack of the Japanese fleet on the Russian squadron in Port Arthur and the Korean port of Chemulpo. The first losses weakened the Russian fleet. The commander of the Pacific squadron, Admiral S.O. Makarov, began preparations for active operations at sea. Soon his battleship hit a mine and he died. Together with him, the artist V.V. Vereshchagin died. After that, the fleet switched to the defense of Port Arthur and abandoned offensive operations.

The commander of the ground forces, General A.N. Kuropatkin, chose defensive tactics. This put the Russian army at a disadvantage. Japanese troops landed in Korea and then in Manchuria. In May 1904, Port Arthur was cut off from the main army. At the end of August 1904, a battle took place near Liaoyang, which ended with the retreat of the Russians. Port Arthur was left to its own devices. In September-October 1904, the Russian army tried to go on the offensive, but was stopped after the battle near the Shakhe River.

Near Port Arthur, 50,000 Russians fettered the 200,000th Japanese army for almost 8 months. Only in December 1904 did General Stessel surrender the fortress to the enemy, although there were opportunities for further defense. Port Arthur squadron perished. The enemy fleet began to dominate the sea. The Japanese siege army was deployed against the main Russian forces.

In the decisive battle in February 1905 near Mukden, more than 660 thousand people participated on both sides. Russia suffered another defeat and retreated to the north.

In October 1904, the 2nd Pacific Squadron was sent to the Far East under the command of Admiral Z.P. Rozhdestvensky. In May 1905, a naval battle took place on the islands of Tsushima. The Russian squadron was destroyed. Only four ships broke through to Vladivostok.

Despite the shocks, the situation gradually changed. After the victory at Mushchvdazh and until the end of the war, the Japanese did not dare to undertake a new, "aggression. Japan has used up its reserves. Many military men predicted that by the autumn of 1905 a turning point would occur at the front. The continuation of the war was prevented by the first Russian revolution.

From the very first days, the war was unpopular in Russia and was perceived by the public as a senseless conflict. With the outbreak of war, the economic situation worsened. As news of defeats and losses began to arrive, hatred of the war became almost universal.

win the war in such environment was impossible. Peace negotiations began, mediated by US President T. Roosevelt. In August 1905, the Treaty of Portsmouth was signed. The Russian delegation at the talks was headed by S.Yu. Witte. He managed to achieve relatively mild peace conditions. Russia lost the southern part of Sakhalin Island, recognized Korea as a Japanese sphere of influence, returned Manchuria to China, transferred to Japan the right to lease the Kwantung Peninsula with Port Arthur, and paid the cost of maintaining Russian prisoners.

The reasons for the defeat were the unpopularity of the war, the underestimation of the enemy, the remoteness of the theater of operations, the weakness of the Pacific Fleet, the inept leadership of the army, and the unfavorable international situation. The first Russian revolution had a decisive influence on the outcome of the war.

Russo-Japanese war briefly.

Reasons for the start of the war with Japan.

In the period of 1904, Russia was actively developing 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 under the department of Russia was one of the territories of China - Manchuria. This is one of the main reasons for the start of the war. In addition, Russia, by decision of the Triple Alliance, was given the Liaodong Peninsula, which once belonged to Japan. Thus, disagreements arose between Russia and Japan, and a struggle arose for dominance in the Far East.

The course of events of the Russo-Japanese War.

Using the effect of surprise, Japan attacked Russia in the place of Port Arthur. After the landing of Japanese landing troops on the Kwantung Peninsula, Port Atrut remained cut off from the outside world, and therefore helpless. Within two months, he was forced to resort to capitulation. Further, 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. Events unfolded in the Yellow Sea. After another battle, Russia loses the Sakhalin Peninsula in an unequal battle. General Kuropatkin, the leader of the Soviet army, for some reason used passive tactics of struggle. 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 the territory of Russia at that time.

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

Results of the Russo-Japanese War.

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

Historical events about which we know insultingly little. The death of the Varyag, Tsushima, the heroic defense of Port Arthur - that, perhaps, is all that immediately pops up in our memory when we remember Russo-Japanese War which began on February 8, 1904. What did little Japan and huge Russia not share? What were the consequences of this? Are the echoes of past battles heard in today's relations between the two countries? Let's figure it out. The Deputy Director of the Institute of Russian History is with us Dmitry Pavlov and naval historian, member of the military historical society Nikolay Manvelov.

Dmitry Borisovich, briefly outline the political situation that preceded the conflict so that we understand its causes.

Relations between Japan and Russia were quite warm throughout the 19th century. They deteriorated after the Sino-Japanese War. Russia initiated pressure on Japan - in terms of revising the terms of peace following the results of this war. And it was very successful for Japan. These are the events of 1895. Since then, anti-Russian sentiment has been on the rise in Japan. But there have always been fears of the great northern neighbor in Japanese society. And in general, these events lay on fertile ground. The specific point of contention was the influence of Russia and Japan in Korea and Manchuria. The degree of influence of this or that empire was the ultimate cause of this war.

Could war have been avoided by fraternally dividing China and Korea? Korea - entirely Japan, Manchuria - Russian. And that was one of Japan's proposals.

- This is not entirely true. There were quite lengthy negotiations throughout half of 1903. In July they began, and at the beginning of 1904 they ended. Their meaning is trading about the degree of influence of countries: Japan in Korea and Russia in Korea and China. And in Manchuria. There is a point of view - and it is common among Japanese historians - that the parties overestimated each other's aggressiveness. It would be possible to agree peacefully. But around this there is a lot of speculation and a lot of mysteries that have not yet been solved.

Nikolai Vladimirovich, how did the forces of Japan and Russia compare in 1904 militarily and economically in the Far East? If you want, you can limit yourself to fleets.

If we consider the Far Eastern naval theater, then in terms of the number of battleships, Russia and Japan had equal forces. If we take cruising destroyer forces, then the Japanese were ahead. In addition, the Japanese had a big plus - there were construction facilities right in the theater of action. The Russians, after the Japanese surprise attack on Port Arthur, had to use the only dock that was in Port Arthur. The situation no longer allowed to drive ships to Vladivostok. To do this, it was necessary to pass the coast of Japan. That is why the Russians had to use the so-called caissons - something like wooden lining on the hulls, in order to be able not to dock the damaged ship.

Russia already had the Trans-Siberian Railway, a powerful army and 9,000 miles to the theater of operations, while Japan had a strong fleet and Manchuria was within easy reach. Who was in a better position?

- If we are talking about the Trans-Siberian Railway, then everything was not so simple with it. The fact is that this highway was single-track and allowed only a few pairs of trains to run per day. As for the Japanese, yes, they were nearby, but the very first raiding operations of the Vladivostok detachment of cruisers showed that Japan was extremely unprotected from cruising operations. There were cases when the captains and owners of passages, who delivered everything necessary to Japan, refused to go to sea because of the danger of stealth cruisers.

This is the historian Nikolai Manvelov. We are talking today about the Russo-Japanese War of 1904. Dmitry Pavlov, please, you obviously wanted to add something

Yes, I did. It was about the fleet, but nothing was said about the ground forces. The Trans-Siberian Railway came into operation in the midst of Russo-Japanese negotiations in the summer of 1903. Then the average speed along the Trans-Siberian Railway was 27-28 km/h. One way, lots of detours. Plus, by that time, by the beginning of the war, there was no Circum-Baikal Railway. Therefore, during the first wartime winter, trains were dragged right across the ice of Lake Baikal. And in the summer there was a ferry.

What was the international situation like? Preparing for the program, I once again became convinced that England was trying with all her might to set Japan against Russia. The US was on the same side. Germany at that moment was our ally, France occupied some intermediate position. What was the schedule?

France is Russia's closest ally, England has been in allied relations with Japan since January 1902. The Japanese-British treaty of 1902 provided for entry into the war only if a third party intervened in the war. I meant France. And France "mired" in Indochina - then she had colonies there. The likelihood of France entering the war was extremely small. Britain's position is roughly as follows: on the one hand, turn Japan into a shield against Russian expansion towards China, and on the other hand, do everything not to be drawn into hostilities. Germany was inciting Russia against Japan. That is the meaning of her policy. In general, this well-known legend about the "yellow threat" is a propaganda stamp of German origin.

Dmitry Borisovich, how did the Russian public react to the war? Is it true that the Russian liberal intelligentsia sent congratulatory telegrams to the Japanese Emperor after every Japanese victory?

I know nothing about congratulations from the liberal public. It is a fact that the students of several gymnasiums, inspired by the spirit of the liberal movement, sent such telegrams several times. The trouble was that the Japanese were successfully trying to finance the Russian revolutionary movement. This was done through Colonel Motojiro Akashi. Before the war, he was Japan's military attache in St. Petersburg, but from the beginning of hostilities, together with the Japanese diplomatic mission, he moved to Scandinavia, to Stockholm. From there, constantly moving around Europe, he managed to establish contacts with Russians and revolutionaries and liberals. The well-known Paris Peace Inter-Party Conference in September 1904 was held with Japanese money. But the main achievement of this man, this worst enemy of the Russian empire - that's how he can be called, if we talk about covert operations - was that he received a million yen from the Japanese General Staff. Then the yen was very heavy - 98 kopecks. And the then ruble is about one and a half thousand modern rubles. It is easy to calculate what kind of money we are talking about. This money went to the purchase of several ships, weapons and explosives. In the summer of 1905, when hostilities on the Manchurian front actually ceased, this steamer was sent to the St. Petersburg region to supply workers with these rifles to raise an armed uprising in Russia.

Nikolai Vladimirovich, a question for you: you are an expert on fleets, on weapons of that era. What happened in Tsushima with our squadron? The main question of that war and, probably, the most difficult. They name a variety of reasons: from crappy explosives and weak armor of our ships to the mediocrity of Admiral Rozhdestvensky. It was a complete rout.

Few people now remember that the long standing of our squadron in the Madagascar region - in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bNosy Be Bay - was connected with Rozhdestvensky's hope that after the fall of Port Arthur, the squadron would be turned back. Rozhdestvensky understood that he could not win the battle. I'm afraid he just had a desire to follow orders. And the order was to break through to Vladivostok. This is where he broke through.

Why did the Japanese win?

In my opinion, the Japanese in the Russo-Japanese War were always a little more lucky than the Russians. If we take the battles in the Yellow Sea - in July 1904, when the Russian squadron of Rear Admiral Witgeft fights with the Japanese squadron of Togo. Then the Russian squadron practically managed to break through, only the flagship was beaten to the point of impossibility - it hardly kept afloat. And at that moment, when the squadron practically broke through, its command was hit by a stray projectile. He got into a group of people standing on the upper bridge. Vitgeft died, several more people died - the squadron was left without leadership. What is it? That little bit of luck. It is quite possible that the same Rozhdestvensky could have been more lucky in this situation.

- Could be lucky and Makarov.

With Makarov, the story is very strange. He was on one of the patrol ships, he was informed that the Japanese were showing strange activity in the fairway. It looked like they were mining the passage in the very place where the squadron was supposed to go in the morning. Makarov was offered to delay the exit of the squadron, but Port Arthur has a very unpleasant feature: there is a fairly short tide, and the depth did not allow the entire squadron to quickly leave. That is, if they had lost time for trawling, they would have lost water, as they say. And Makarov ordered not to trawl the passage. How did it end? We know.

Yes, I ran into a bunch of mines. The Russo-Japanese War is called the dress rehearsal for the First World War. For the first time, hitherto unknown weapons were used, for the first time military-technical innovations of that era were massively applied. Can you elaborate on this?

This is the first use of submarines. Real submarines - not oared, as in the days ...

- Abraham Lincoln?

Yes. Plus a sixth mine. It was necessary to approach, lay a mine, have time to connect the electrical wires in the fuse and have time to run away. There was only one case known when the Som submarine launched an attack on Japanese destroyers. Considering that her speed was 6 knots, and the Japanese went about 30, the Japanese simply left. But it became clear that there is something to be afraid of. By the way, all the wunderwaffes of Port Arthur were somehow connected with the creative rethinking of naval weapons. For example, the Japanese could not even think that sea mines would be dropped on their heads from the mountains. They removed the galvanic shock fuses, attached a fuse cord, and then threw it down. In the Russian fleet there was a very peculiar type of weapon, which was called a throwing mine. This is something like a non-self-propelled torpedo, which was fired from the apparatus and flew about 40 meters through the air, then went through the water. By inertia. All this structure was dismantled from the ship, dragged to land. Then this cigar, in which up to 40 kg of dynamite was invested, was simply fired from a hill. And she flew down an inclined trajectory.

- What is the "Japanese shimosa" that burned through Russian armor?

In Russia, it was believed that the main weapon in the fight against an armadillo was artillery, which would fire armor-piercing shells. Russian shells had a delayed fuse that breaks through an unarmored side and explodes on impact with armor. But the problem is that the battleships of that time did not have the entire side armored. There are cases when, already during peace negotiations, Russian officers saw Japanese ships with clear patched up holes. It turns out that the shell pierced the ship through and through and did not explode. The Japanese main idea was that high-explosive explosives should work - the explosion comes from a blow. But the problem came to them later. Shimosa proved to be extremely unstable during storage. There were a lot of unexpected explosions both during and after the war. This substance required very delicate storage. By the way, this is how the Mikas flagship exploded, it happened already in 1906 or 1907.

Do I understand correctly that the submarines were not safe diesel, but were gasoline? Did they burn like matches?

They were not gasoline, they were kerosene. Moreover, several cases are known - people either lit a cigarette, or there was a spark, and the boat exploded. The first submarine "Dolphin" 2 or 3 times perished due to the explosion of kerosene vapor.

- Overalls for submariners, which the Empress allegedly invented?

Indeed, there were overalls sewn from squirrel fur. It was believed that it was cold and very high humidity on board. They stood in Vladivostok, and by order of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, squirrel fur overalls were sewn. It was the only submarine with this kind of uniform. Where these overalls later went and whether other submarines had such overalls is unknown.

Dmitry Pavlov, how do you assess the military gift of our land commander-in-chief Kuropatkin? The fact is that a lot has been said about this: about his mediocrity, his indecision and even about outright cowardice.

Defeat has few friends, but victory has plenty of them. Three villains are known - three mediocrities that pop up in memory when it comes to the Russo-Japanese War. These are Anatoly Mikhailovich Stessel, Alexei Nikolaevich Kuropatkin and Zinovy ​​Petrovich Rozhestvensky. All this is an absolute myth. None of them is a villain, mediocrity or a coward. Kuropatkin is a serious big staff officer, military administrator. But not a general. He wrote excellent analytical notes, was immersed in military reform, and was seriously engaged in personnel. But he was not a general.

Was there mutual hatred, Dmitry Borisovich? The Japanese treated our prisoners unusually well. You can remember and compare how cruel they were to the Americans during World War II. They admired the samurai feat of the "Varyag", looked after our graves. Where does this sentimentality, which is completely uncharacteristic of the Japanese, come from?

It is rather characteristic of them, if we talk about the Japanese of the XIX century. In general, the Russo-Japanese war in spirit, in this chivalry, with which most of the episodes of this war are saturated, is certainly not a war of the 20th century, but precisely of the 19th. By the way, the attitude towards prisoners of war was no less humane in Russia. In addition to the Japanese prisoners of war, there were incomparably fewer of them - only 2,500 people. They were kept in the Novgorod province, they were kept there together with pro-Japanese Koreans. The only serious concern of the camp administration was to prevent the Japanese and Koreans from meeting. They immediately started to fight. The regime was as free as that of Russian prisoners of war in Matsuyama and other cities where prisoner of war camps were located. They were dying of boredom, they learned Japanese, learned English, corresponded, walked around the city, had affairs with Japanese young ladies and sometimes complained of harassment. And the harassment was absolutely domestic kind.

At the beginning of our conversation, you said that the war is shrouded in secrets, myths and conjectures. Please name the most common. Confirm or debunk them.

Who fired the first shot in this war?

- The Japanese.

You see, it is also one of the stamps that we constantly replicate. Most of the English-speaking world, and the Japanese themselves, believe that the first shot was fired by the Russians. This was done by the gunboat "Koreets" on the afternoon of February 8, 1904, about 20 minutes sailing from the then Chemulpo, now Korean Incheon. This is the sea gate of Seoul. The second myth is that, in general, the parties could come to an agreement. If the last very benevolent government telegram had arrived in Tokyo on time, then there would have been no hostilities. The telegram was delayed by the Japanese telegraph, probably with intent. It went on for two days, although the usual transmission time is by no means more than a day. I have already mentioned the third myth - the myth of obvious villains or mediocrity on the Russian side in the person of the command. I can repeat: Rozhdestvensky, Stessel and Kuropatkin. Why did Russia not put the squeeze on Japan after all? Indeed, by the summer of 1905, in the Far East, through the increased exploitation of the Trans-Siberian Railway, it was possible to concentrate a group of about one million people. The commander was replaced, Linevich became instead of Kuropatkin. Around this, too, there is a lot of speculation. Few people here know that Japan was so dissatisfied with the terms of the Portsmouth Peace Treaty that in Tokyo - a rare case in Japanese history - a riot took place for two or three days. The well-known Tokyo Riot of early September 1905.

- They wanted money?

Not only money, they wanted all of Sakhalin. They wanted a serious indemnity, they wanted Russia's consent to Japan's exclusive influence on the Korean Peninsula. Russia could not guarantee this.

- Results and consequences of the Russian-Japanese war? Nikolay Vladimirovich.

If we take the fleet, then Russia completely loses the naval base in Port Arthur. Russia is experiencing a kind of shame associated with the heroic death of the Varyag. "Varyag" was really flooded in shallow water, it was set on fire. The Japanese will raise it a year later, after which it will join the Japanese fleet. In 1916, the ship will be sold to the Russian Empire. But the most interesting thing is different: when the Varyag enters service in 1907, the commander of the Varyag, Vsevolod Fedorovich Rudnev, will receive the Order of the Rising Sun from the Japanese Emperor. This will coincide with the fact that Rudnev will be removed from the fleet. And it is still unknown: did Nicholas II give him permission to wear this order?

- Did you receive the order after retirement or before?

- Dmitry Borisovich, what are your results of that war?

Russia is losing not only the Pacific Fleet, it is withdrawing from the Far East. The Minister of Foreign Affairs is changing, who is reorienting Russian policy towards the western and southern directions. The priority is not approval on the shores of the Pacific Ocean, but a breakthrough to the Black Sea. Fight for the Black Sea Straits. A completely different combination is emerging - the Entente - in which Russia enters the First World War. I would like to remind respected listeners that World War I was a time of unprecedentedly warm and trusting Russian-Japanese relations.

With us were: Deputy Director of the Institute of Russian History Dmitry Pavlov and fleet historian, member of the military historical society Nikolai Manvelov. We talked about the 1904 war between Russia and Japan. We complete the program to the sounds of the famous waltz "On the Hills of Manchuria". It was written by the composer Ilya Shatrov during the years of the Russo-Japanese War, the commander of the Music Company of the 214th Infantry Regiment. He dedicated this melody to his comrades who died near Mukden.

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905 was the result of a clash of interests between Russia and Japan in the Far East. Both countries, which experienced in the last decades of the XIX century. the processes of internal modernization, at about the same time, intensified foreign policy in this region. Russia was aimed at the development of economic expansion in Manchuria and Korea, which were nominally the possessions of China. However, here she ran into Japan, which was rapidly gaining strength, which was also eager to quickly join in the division of a weakened China.

Power rivalry in the Far East

The first major clash between St. Petersburg and Tokyo occurred when the Japanese, having defeated the Chinese in the war of 1894-1895, intended to impose extremely difficult peace conditions on them. The intervention of Russia, supported by France and Germany, forced them to moderate their appetites. But Petersburg, acting as the protector of China, strengthened its influence in this country. In 1896, an agreement was signed on the construction of the Chinese Eastern Railway (CER) through Manchuria, which shortened the route to Vladivostok by 800 km and made it possible to expand the Russian presence in the region. In 1898, Port Arthur was leased on the Liaodong Peninsula, which became Russia's main naval base in the Pacific Ocean. It had an advantageous strategic position and, unlike Vladivostok, did not freeze.

In 1900, during the suppression of the so-called Boxer uprising, Russian troops occupied Manchuria. It was Tokyo's turn to express its extreme displeasure. Proposals on the division of spheres of interest (Manchuria - Russia, Korea - Japan) were rejected by St. Petersburg. Emperor Nicholas II was increasingly influenced by adventurers from his entourage, who underestimated the strength of Japan. In addition, as Minister of the Interior V. K. Plehve said, “to keep the revolution ... a small victorious war is needed.” This opinion was supported by many at the top.

"Maxims" were adopted by the Russian army on May 28, 1895. In the Russo-Japanese war, they were used in two forms: with large wheels and a shield, or, as shown in the figure, on a tripod

Meanwhile, Japan was actively preparing for war, building up its military power. The Japanese army deployed for mobilization numbered over 375 thousand people, 1140 guns, 147 machine guns. The Japanese fleet consisted of 80 warships, including 6 squadron battleships, 8 armored ships and 12 light cruisers.

Russia initially kept about 100 thousand people in the Far East (about 10% of the entire army), 148 guns and 8 machine guns. There were 63 Russian warships in the Pacific Ocean, including 7 squadron battleships, 4 armored and 7 light cruisers. The remoteness of this region from the center and the difficulties of transportation along the Trans-Siberian Railway affected. In general, Russia was noticeably inferior to Japan in terms of readiness for war.

The move of the warriors

On January 24 (February 6, New Style), 1904, Japan broke off negotiations and severed diplomatic relations with Russia. Even before the official declaration of war, which followed on January 28 (February 10), 1904, Japanese destroyers on the night of January 26-27 (February 8-9) attacked the Russian squadron in Port Arthur and damaged two battleships and a cruiser. For the Russian sailors, the attack was sudden, although it was clear from the behavior of the Japanese that they were about to start a war. Nevertheless, the Russian ships stood on the outer road without mine nets, and two of them illuminated the road with searchlights (they were hit in the first place). True, the Japanese were not distinguished by accuracy either, although they fired almost point-blank: out of 16 torpedoes, only three hit the target.

Japanese sailors. 1905

On January 27 (February 9), 1904, six Japanese cruisers and eight destroyers blocked the Russian cruiser "Varyag" (commander - captain of the 1st rank V. F. Rudnev) and the gunboat "Koreets" in the Korean port of Chemulpo (now Incheon) and offered them to surrender. The Russian sailors made a breakthrough, but after an hour-long battle they returned to the port. The heavily damaged "Varyag" was flooded, and the "Korean" was blown up by his teams, who went on board the ships of neutral states.

The feat of the cruiser "Varyag" received a wide response in Russia and abroad. The sailors were solemnly welcomed at home, they were received by Nicholas II. Until now, the song "Varangian" is popular both in the fleet and among the people:

Upstairs you, comrades, All in places! The last parade is coming... Our proud "Varangian" does not surrender to the enemy, No one wants mercy.

Trouble at sea plagued the Russians. At the end of January, the Yenisei mine transport was blown up and sank on its own minefields, and then the Boyarin cruiser sent to help it. However, the Japanese were undermined by Russian mines more often. So, on May 2 (15), two Japanese battleships exploded at once.

At the end of February, a new squadron commander, Vice Admiral S.O. Makarov, a brave and active naval commander, arrived in Port Arthur. But he was not destined to defeat the Japanese. On March 31 (April 13), the flagship battleship Petropavlovsk, moving to help the ships attacked by the Japanese, ran into a mine and sank in a matter of minutes. Makarov, his personal friend, battle painter V.V. Vereshchagin, and almost the entire crew were killed. The command of the squadron was taken over by the uninitiative Rear Admiral V.K. Vitgeft. The Russians tried to break through to Vladivostok, but on July 28 (August 10) they were stopped by the Japanese in the battle in the Yellow Sea. In this battle, Vitgeft died, and the remnants of the Russian squadron returned to Port Arthur.

On land, things also turned out badly for Russia. In February 1904, Japanese troops landed in Korea and in April reached the border with Manchuria, where a large Russian detachment was defeated on the Yalu River. In April - May, the Japanese landed on the Liaodong Peninsula and interrupted Port Arthur's connection with the main army. In June, the Russian troops sent to help the fortress were defeated near Vafangou and retreated to the north. In July, the siege of Port Arthur began. In August, the Liaoyang battle took place with the participation of the main forces of both sides. The Russians, having a numerical advantage, successfully repulsed the attacks of the Japanese and could count on success, but the army commander A.N. Kuropatkin showed indecision and ordered a retreat. In September - October, the oncoming battle on the Shahe River ended inconclusively, and both sides, having suffered heavy losses, went on the defensive.

The epicenter of events has shifted to Port Arthur. For more than one month, this fortress withstood the siege, repelling several assaults. But in the end, the Japanese were able to capture the strategically important mountain Vysokaya. And after this, General R.I. Kondratenko, who was called the "soul of defense" of the fortress, died. On December 20, 1904 (January 21, 1905), Generals A. M. Stessel and A. V. Fock, contrary to the opinion of the military council, surrendered Port Arthur. Russia lost the main naval base, the remnants of the fleet and more than 30 thousand prisoners, and the Japanese released 100 thousand soldiers for operations in other directions.

In February 1905, the largest battle of Mukden in this war took place, in which more than half a million soldiers from both sides participated. Russian troops were defeated and retreated, after which active hostilities on land ceased.

Tsushima disaster

The final chord of the war was the Battle of Tsushima. As early as September 19 (October 2), 1904, a detachment of ships under the command of Vice Admiral 3. P. Rozhestvensky, called the 2nd Pacific Squadron, set off from the Baltic to the Far East (it was followed by the 3rd squadron under the command of Rear Admiral N I. Nebogatova). In their composition, in particular, there were 8 squadron battleships, 13 cruisers of various classes. Among them were both new ships, including those that had not yet been properly tested, as well as obsolete ones, unsuitable for ocean navigation and general battle. After the fall of Port Arthur, they had to go to Vladivostok. Having made an exhausting journey around Africa, the ships entered the Tsushima Strait (between Japan and Korea), where the main forces of the Japanese fleet (4 squadron battleships, 24 cruisers of various classes and other ships) were waiting for them. The Japanese attack was sudden. The battle began on May 14 (27), 1905 at 13:49. Within 40 minutes, the Russian squadron lost two battleships, and then new losses followed. Rozhdestvensky was wounded. After sunset, at 20:15, the remnants of the Russian squadron attacked dozens of Japanese destroyers. On May 15 (28), at 11 o'clock, the ships remaining afloat, surrounded by the Japanese fleet, lowered the St. Andrew's flags.

The defeat at Tsushima was the most difficult and shameful in the history of the Russian fleet. Only a few cruisers and destroyers managed to escape from the scene of the battle, but only the Almaz cruiser and two destroyers reached Vladivostok. More than 5 thousand sailors died, and over 6 thousand were captured. The Japanese lost only three destroyers and about 700 men killed and wounded.

There were many reasons for this disaster: miscalculations in planning and organizing the expedition, unpreparedness for battle, weak command, obvious shortcomings of Russian guns and shells, the diversity of ships, unsuccessful maneuvering in battle, communication problems, etc. The Russian fleet was clearly inferior to the Japanese in material and moral preparation, in military skill and stamina.

Peace of Portsmouth and the outcome of the war

After Tsushima, the last hopes for a favorable outcome for Russia collapsed, in which the Russian army and navy did not win a single major victory. In addition, a revolution began in Russia. But both sides were exhausted. Human losses amounted to approximately 270 thousand people. Therefore, both Japan and Russia readily accepted the mediation of US President T. Roosevelt.

On August 23 (September 5), 1905, a peace treaty was signed in the American city of Portsmouth. Russia gave Japan South Sakhalin and its rights to lease Port Arthur with adjacent territories. She also recognized Korea as a Japanese sphere of influence.

The Russo-Japanese War had a great impact on military and naval affairs. For the first time, machine guns and rapid-fire cannons were so widely used, light machine guns, mortars, and hand grenades appeared, and experience began to be accumulated in the use of radios, searchlights, balloons, wire obstacles with electric current in war. For the first time, submarines and new sea mines were used. Improved tactics and strategy. The defensive positions combined trenches, trenches, dugouts. Of particular importance was the achievement of fire superiority over the enemy and the close interaction of the combat arms on the battlefield, and at sea - the optimal combination of speed, fire power and armor protection.

In Russia, the defeat marked the beginning of a revolutionary crisis, culminating in the transformation of the autocracy into a constitutional monarchy. But the lessons of the Russo-Japanese War did not teach the ruling circles of the Russian Empire anything, and eight years later they pushed the country into a new, even more grandiose war - the First World War.