Beginning of the Russian-Japanese War 1904 1905. Russo-Japanese War: results and consequences

Russo-Japanese War 1904 - 1905 Russo-Japanese War 1904‒1905, arose in the context of the intensified struggle of the imperialist powers for the division of semi-feudal China and Korea; was of an aggressive, unjust, imperialistic nature on both sides. In the unfolding rivalry between powers in the Far East, capitalist Japan played a particularly active role, striving to seize Korea and Northeast China (Manchuria). Having won a victory over China in Sino-Japanese War 1894‒1895, Japan by Treaty of Shimonoseki 1895 received the islands of Taiwan (Formosa), Penhuledao (Pescadores) and the Liaodong Peninsula, but under pressure from Russia, supported by France and Germany, was forced to abandon the latter, after which a deterioration in Russian-Japanese relations began. In 1896, Russia received a concession from the Chinese government to build a railway through Manchuria, and in 1898 it leased the Kwantung Peninsula with Port Arthur from China ( Lushunem) with the right to create a naval base on it. During the suppression Yihetuan Uprising In China, tsarist troops occupied Manchuria in 1900. Japan began vigorous preparations for war with Russia, concluding in 1902 Anglo-Japanese alliance. The tsarist government, whose aggressive policy in the Far East was directed by adventurism "Bezobrazov clique", counted on an easy victory in the war with Japan, which would make it possible to overcome the worsening revolutionary crisis.

Economically and militarily, Japan was significantly weaker than Russia, but the remoteness of the Far Eastern theater of military operations from the center of Russia reduced the military capabilities of the latter. After mobilization, the Japanese army consisted of 13 infantry divisions and 13 reserve brigades (over 375 thousand people and 1140 field guns); In total, during the war the Japanese government mobilized about 1.2 million people. The Japanese Navy had 6 new and 1 old battleship, 8 armored cruisers (2 of them, built abroad, arrived after the start of the war), 17 light cruisers (including 3 old ones), 19 destroyers, 28 destroyers (only in composition of the so-called United Fleet), 11 gunboats, etc.

Russia was not ready for war in the Far East. Having a personnel army of 1.1 million people. and a reserve of 3.5 million people, it had here by January 1904 only about 98 thousand people, 148 guns and 8 machine guns; The border guard numbered 24 thousand people. and 26 guns. These forces were scattered over a vast territory from Chita to Vladivostok and from Blagoveshchensk to Port Arthur. Capacity of the Siberian railway the highway was very low (initially only 3 pairs of military echelons per day). During the war, about 1.2 million people were sent to Manchuria. ( most of in 1905). The Russian Navy in the Far East had 7 battleships, 4 armored cruisers, 10 light cruisers (including 3 old ones), 2 mine cruisers, 3 destroyers (1 of them entered service after the start of the war), 7 gunboats: most of the ships were based on Port Arthur, 4 cruisers (including 3 armored ones) and 10 destroyers - to Vladivostok. The defensive structures of Port Arthur (especially the land ones) were not completed. Carrying out an adventurist policy that was not backed by forces and means, the tsarist government considered Japan a weak adversary and allowed itself to be taken by surprise.

The Russian command assumed that the Japanese army would not be able to launch an offensive on land soon. Therefore, the troops in the Far East were tasked with holding back the enemy until large forces arrived from the center of Russia (in the 7th month of the war), then going on the offensive, throwing Japanese troops into the sea and landing troops in Japan. The fleet was supposed to fight for supremacy at sea and prevent the landing of Japanese troops.

From the beginning of the war until August 1904, active operations on the enemy’s sea communications were carried out by a Vladivostok detachment of cruisers, which destroyed 15 ships, including 4 military transports, and heroically fought with superior Japanese forces on August 1 (14) in a battle in Korea Strait. The last stage of R.-I. V. appeared Battle of Tsushima 1905. Russian 2nd and 3rd Pacific squadrons under the command of Vice Admiral Z.P. Rozhdestvensky made an 18,000-mile journey (32.5 thousand km) from the Baltic Sea around Africa and on May 14 (27) approached the Tsushima Strait, where they entered into battle with the main forces of the Japanese fleet. In a two-day naval battle, the Russian squadron was completely defeated, which meant “... not only a military defeat, but a complete military collapse of the autocracy” (Lenin V.I., Complete collection of works, 5th ed., vol. 10, p. 252 ).

Despite the victory, Japan was exhausted by the war, anti-war sentiment was growing in it, Russia was engulfed in revolution, and the tsarist government sought to make peace as quickly as possible. On May 18 (31), 1905, the military government turned to US President T. Roosevelt with a request for mediation in peace negotiations, which began on July 27 (August 9) in the American city of Portsmouth. August 23 (September 5) was signed Treaty of Portsmouth 1905, according to which Russia recognized Korea as a sphere of Japanese influence, transferred to Japan Russia's lease rights to the Kwantung region with Port Arthur and the southern branch of the Chinese Eastern Railway, as well as the southern part of Sakhalin.

The root causes of Russia's defeat in R.-Ya. V. there was the reactionary and rottenness of tsarism, the inability of the high military command, the unpopularity of the war among the people, the low combat quality of the reinforcements, staffed by reservists, including older ones who did not have sufficient combat training, the poor preparedness of a significant part of the officer corps, insufficient logistics, poor knowledge of the theater of military operations, etc. Japan won the war with widespread support from Britain and the United States. From April 1904 to May 1905, she received 4 loans from them in the amount of 410 million dollars, which covered 40% of military expenses. The most important result of R.-I. V. was the establishment of Japanese imperialism in Korea and Southern Manchuria. Already on November 17, 1905, Japan imposed a protectorate agreement on Korea, and in 1910 incorporated it into the Japanese Empire. The strengthening of Japanese imperialism in the Far East changed the US attitude towards Japan, which became a more dangerous competitor for them than Russia.

The war had big influence for the development of military art (see Operational art). It was the first time that rapid-fire weapons (rifles, machine guns) were used on a mass scale. In defense, trenches replaced the complex fortifications of the past. The need for closer interaction between the branches of the military and wide application technical means communications. Indirect artillery shooting became widespread. Destroyers were used for the first time at sea. Based on the experience of the war in the Russian army, military reforms 1905‒12.

R.-I. V. brought the people of Russia and Japan a deterioration in their financial situation, an increase in taxes and prices. Japan's national debt increased 4 times, its losses amounted to 135 thousand killed and died from wounds and diseases and about 554 thousand wounded and sick. Russia spent 2,347 million rubles on the war, about 500 million rubles were lost in the form of property that went to Japan and sunk ships and vessels. Russia's losses amounted to 400 thousand killed, wounded, sick and prisoners. The Far Eastern adventure of tsarism, which led to heavy defeats accompanied by great casualties, aroused the indignation of the peoples of Russia and accelerated the beginning of the first bourgeois-democratic Revolution of 1905–07.

Lit.: Lenin V.I., To the Russian proletariat, Complete collection of works, 5th ed., vol. 8; his, First of May. Draft leaflet, ibid.; his, The Fall of Port Arthur, ibid., vol. 9; his, First of May, ibid., vol. 10; his, Defeat, ibid., vol. 10; Yaroslavsky E., The Russian-Japanese War and the attitude of the Bolsheviks towards it, M., 1939; Russo-Japanese War 1904‒1905 The work of the military historical commission to describe the Russian- Japanese war, vol. 1‒9, St. Petersburg. 1910; Russo-Japanese War 1904‒1905. The work of the historical commission to describe the actions of the fleet in the war of 1904–1905. at Morskoye General Staff, book 1‒7, St. Petersburg, 1912‒18; Kuropatkin A.N., [Report...], vol. 1‒4, St. Petersburg - Warsaw, 1906; Svechin A., Russian-Japanese War 1904‒1905, Oranienbaum, 1910; Levitsky N. A., Russian-Japanese War 1904‒1905, 3rd ed., M., 1938; Romanov B. A., Essays on the diplomatic history of the Russian-Japanese War. 1895‒1907, 2nd ed., M. - L., 1955; Sorokin A.I., Russian-Japanese War of 1904‒1905, M., 1956: Luchinin V., Russian-Japanese War of 1904‒1905. Bibliographical index, M., 1939.

Big Soviet encyclopedia. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia. 1969-1978 .

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Russo-Japanese War was a war fought between the Russian and Japanese Empires for control of Manchuria and Korea. After a break of several decades, she became the first big war using the latest weapons : long-range artillery, battleships, destroyers, high-voltage wire barriers; as well as using spotlights and a field kitchen.

Causes of the war:

Russia's lease of the Liaodong Peninsula and Port Arthur as a naval base.
Construction of the Chinese Eastern Railway and Russian economic expansion in Manchuria.
The struggle for spheres of influence in China and Korea.
A means of distraction from the revolutionary movement in Russia (“small victorious war”)
The strengthening of Russia's position in the Far East threatened the monopolies of England, the United States and the militaristic aspirations of Japan.

The nature of the war: unfair on both sides.

In 1902, England entered into a military alliance with Japan and, together with the United States, embarked on the path of its preparation for war with Russia. Behind short term Japan built an armored fleet at the shipyards of England, Italy, and the United States.

The bases of the Russian fleet in the Pacific Ocean - Port Arthur and Vladivostok - were 1,100 miles apart and were poorly equipped. By the beginning of the war, out of 1 million 50 thousand Russian soldiers, about 100 thousand were stationed in the Far East. The Far Eastern Army was removed from the main supply centers, the Siberian Railway had low capacity (3 trains per day).

COURSE OF EVENTS

January 27, 1904 Japanese attack on the Russian fleet. Death of the cruiser "Varangian" and the gunboat "Korean" in Chemulpo Bay off the coast of Korea. The Varyag and Koreets, blocked in Chemulpo, rejected the offer to surrender. Trying to break through to Port Arthur, two Russian ships under the command of Captain 1st Rank V.F. Rudnev entered into battle with 14 enemy ships.

January 27 - December 20, 1904. Defense naval fortress Port Arthur. During the siege, new types of weapons were used for the first time: rapid-fire howitzers, Maxim machine guns, hand grenades, and mortars.

Commander of the Pacific Fleet, Vice Admiral S. O. Makarov prepared for active operations at sea and the defense of Port Arthur. On March 31, he took his squadron to the outer roadstead to engage the enemy and lure his ships under the fire of coastal batteries. However, at the very beginning of the battle, his flagship Petropavlovsk hit a mine and sank within 2 minutes. Most of the team, the entire headquarters of S. O. Makarov, died. After this, the Russian fleet went on the defensive, since the commander-in-chief of the Far Eastern forces, Admiral E. I. Alekseev, refused active actions on the sea.

The ground defense of Port Arthur was headed by the head of the Kwantung fortified area, General A. M. Stessel. The main struggle in November took place over Mount Vysoka. On December 2, the head of ground defense, its organizer and inspirer, General, died R. I. Kondratenko. Stoessel signed on December 20, 1904 surrender . The fortress withstood 6 assaults and was surrendered only as a result of the betrayal of the commandant, General A. M. Stessel. For Russia, the fall of Port Arthur meant the loss of access to the ice-free Yellow Sea, a worsening of the strategic situation in Manchuria and a significant aggravation of the internal political situation in the country.

October 1904 Defeat of Russian troops on the Shahe River.

February 25, 1905 Defeat of the Russian army near Mukden (Manchuria). The largest land battle in history before the First World War.

May 14-15, 1905 Battle of the Tsushima Strait. The defeat by the Japanese fleet of the 2nd Pacific squadron under the command of Vice Admiral Z.P. Rozhdestvensky, sent to the Far East from the Baltic Sea. In July, the Japanese occupied Sakhalin Island.

REASONS FOR RUSSIA'S DEFEAT

Support for Japan from England and the USA.
Russia's poor preparation for war. Military-technical superiority of Japan.
Mistakes and ill-considered actions of the Russian command.
Inability to quickly transfer reserves to the Far East.

Russo-Japanese War. RESULTS

Korea was recognized as Japan's sphere of influence;
Japan took possession of South Sakhalin;
Japan received fishing rights along the Russian coast;
Russia leased the Liaodong Peninsula and Port Arthur to Japan.

Russian commanders in this war: A.N. Kuropatkin, S.O. Makarov, A.M. Stessel.

Consequences of Russia's defeat in the war:

weakening of Russia's position in the Far East;
public discontent with the autocracy, which lost the war with Japan;
destabilization of the political situation in Russia, the growth of the revolutionary struggle;
active reform of the army, a significant increase in its combat effectiveness.

One of the largest confrontations is the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905. The reasons for this will be discussed in the article. As a result of the conflict, guns from battleships, 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 Nicholas II of Russia 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 of Korea. War became inevitable.

Prerequisites for the conflict

It is clear that the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905 (the reasons are related to the Far East) did not begin instantly. She had her own reasons.

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 its territory to Russia. So she gained control of Primorye (the territory of modern Vladivostok), the Kuril Islands, and partly the island of Sakhalin. To connect distant borders, the Trans-Siberian Railway was created, which provided communication between Chelyabinsk and Vladivostok along the railway line. In addition to the railway, Russia planned to trade along the ice-free Yellow Sea through Port Arthur.

Japan was undergoing its own transformations at the same time. Having come to power, Emperor Meiji stopped the policy of self-isolation and began modernizing 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. Japan's victory over China allowed it to gain rights to Korea, the island of Taiwan and other lands in 1895.

A conflict was brewing between two powerful empires for dominance in East Asia. The result was the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. The causes of the conflict are worth considering in more detail.

Main causes of war

It was extremely important for both powers to show their military achievements, so the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905 unfolded. The reasons for this confrontation lie not only in claims to the territory of China, but also in the internal political situations that had developed by this time in both empires. A successful campaign in war not only provides the winner with economic benefits, but also increases its status on the world stage and silences opponents of the existing government. 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.

It was precisely because both powers sought an armed solution to the conflict that all diplomatic negotiations did not bring results.

Balance of forces on land

The causes of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 were both economic and political. On Eastern front The 23rd artillery brigade was sent 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. Moreover, they were scattered over a vast territory.

Vladivostok - 45,000 people.
Manchuria - 28,000 people.
Port Arthur - 22,000 people.
Security of the CER - 35,000 people.
Artillery, engineering troops - up to 8000 people.

The biggest problem Russian army there was a distance from the European part. Communication was carried out by telegraph, and delivery was carried out by the CER line. However, according to railway a limited amount of cargo could be delivered. 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 and had fairly accurate maps. The army was modernized by English specialists, and the soldiers were loyal to their emperor to death.

Relationships of forces on water

In addition to land, battles also took place on water. The Japanese fleet was led by Admiral Heihachiro Togo. His task was to block the enemy squadron near Port Arthur. In another sea (Japanese) the squadron of the Country rising sun opposed the Vladivostok group of cruisers.

Understanding the reasons for the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, the Meiji power thoroughly prepared for battles on the water. The most important ships of its United Fleet were produced in England, France, Germany and were significantly superior to Russian ships.

Main events of the war

When Japanese forces began to move to Korea in February 1904, 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. A clash of armies on land, which showed Russia's unpreparedness for war (inconsistency of uniform, lack of military maps, inability to fencing). Because Russian officers had white jackets, Japanese soldiers easily identified and killed them.
May 1904. Capture of the port of Dalny by the Japanese.
August 1904. Successful Russian defense of Port Arthur.
January 1905. Surrender of Port Arthur by Stessel.
May 1905. Sea battle near Tsushima, destroyed the Russian squadron (one ship returned to Vladivostok), while not a single Japanese ship was damaged.
July 1905. Invasion of Japanese troops on Sakhalin.

The Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, the causes of which were economic in 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 USA.

Battle of Chemulpo

The famous battle took place on 02/09/1904 off the coast of Korea (the city of Chemulpo). The two Russian ships were commanded by Captain Vsevolod Rudnev. These were the cruiser "Varyag" and the boat "Koreets". The Japanese squadron under the command of Sotokichi Uriu consisted of 2 battleships, 4 cruisers, 8 destroyers. They blocked Russian ships and forced them into battle.

In the morning, in clear weather, the “Varyag” and the “Koreyets” weighed anchor and tried to leave the bay. Music played for them in honor of leaving the port, but after only five minutes the alarm sounded on deck. The battle flag went up.

The Japanese did not expect such actions and hoped to destroy the Russian ships in the port. The enemy squadron hastily raised anchors and battle flags and began to prepare for battle. The battle began with a shot from the Asama. Then there was a battle using armor-piercing and high-explosive shells on 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 due to the danger of damaging the ships of other countries.

Having lowered the anchor, the Varyag crew began to examine the condition of the ship. Rudnev, meanwhile, went for permission to destroy the cruiser and transfer its crew 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 deceased sailors were left on the cruiser.

It was decided to blow up the Korean boat, having evacuated the crew first. All things were left on the ship, and secret documents were burned.

The sailors were received by French, English and Italian ships. After all necessary procedures they were delivered to Odessa and Sevastopol, from where they were disbanded by the fleet. According to the agreement, they could not continue to participate in the Russian-Japanese conflict, so they were not allowed into the Pacific Fleet.

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 Portsmoon Peace Treaty (08/23/1905), Russia was obliged to fulfill the following points:

Give up claims to Manchuria.
Refuse in favor of Japan from 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, defeat in the war meant for Russia Negative consequences in economic terms. Stagnation began in some industries, as their lending from foreign banks decreased. Life in the country has become significantly more expensive. Industrialists insisted on a speedy conclusion of peace.

Even those countries that initially supported Japan (Great Britain and the USA) 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 the world states equally feared.

Mass movements began among workers and military personnel. A striking example is the mutiny on the battleship Potemkin.

The causes and results of the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905 are clear. It remains to be seen what the losses were in human equivalent. Russia lost 270 thousand, of which 50 thousand were killed. Japan lost the same number of soldiers, but more than 80 thousand were killed.

Value judgments

The Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, the causes of which were economic and political in nature, showed serious problems inside the Russian Empire. He also wrote about this. The war revealed problems in the army, its weapons, command, as well as mistakes in diplomacy.

Japan was not entirely satisfied with the outcome of the negotiations. The state has lost too much in the fight against the European enemy. She expected to get more territory, however, the United States did not support her in this. Discontent began to brew within the country, and Japan continued on the path of militarization.

The Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, the causes of which were considered, brought many military tricks:

use of spotlights;
use of wire fences under high voltage current;
field kitchen;
radio telegraphy made it possible for the first time to control ships from a distance;
switching to petroleum fuel, which produces no smoke and makes ships less visible;
the appearance of mine-layer ships, which began to be produced with the proliferation of mine weapons;
flamethrowers.

One of the heroic battles of the war with Japan is the battle of the cruiser “Varyag” at Chemulpo (1904). Together with the ship "Korean" they confronted an entire 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 their courage and heroism they were praised by Nicholas II. The Japanese were so impressed by the character and resilience 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 Stoessel surrendered Port Arthur to the Japanese for a reward. It is no longer possible to verify how true this version is. Be that as it may, because of his action, 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 his imprisonment. He was stripped of all titles and awards, leaving him with a pension.

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 and 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 caused a significant blow, the official and main reason 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 negative reaction on 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, 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.

The Russo-Japanese War in brief.

Reasons for the outbreak of war with Japan.

During the period of 1904, Russia was actively developing land 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 disembarkation airborne troops Japan on the Kwantung Peninsula, Port Athrut remained cut off from outside world, and accordingly 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 in unequal battle loses the Sakhalin Peninsula. General Kuropatkin, leader Soviet army for some reason he used passive fighting tactics. In his opinion, it was necessary to wait until the enemy’s forces and supplies were running out. And the king at that time did not attach any importance to this of great importance, 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.