Contour map of the Russian-Japanese war of 1904. The course of the war

Exercise 1

Analyze the text of the textbook and choose the correct answers.

1. What caused the peaceful nature of the European foreign policy Nicholas II at the beginning of the reign:

a) the fact that Russia had no allies among the leading European powers;

b) the fact that the military-industrial potential of Russia was significantly inferior to the potential of the European powers;

c) the fact that peace in Europe facilitated the establishment of Russian dominance in East Asia?

2. What foreign policy actions did Nicholas II take to establish peace in Europe:

a) concluded an agreement with England;

b) initiated the convening of an international conference on problems of general disarmament;

c) recognized the primacy of Austria-Hungary in the Balkans?

Task 2

Analyze the text of the paragraph, read the document and give written answers to the questions.

From a letter from Wilhelm II to Nicholas II. January 1904 ... Russia, subject to the laws of expansion, must strive to go to the sea and have an ice-free harbor for its trade. By virtue of this law, she has the right to claim the strip of coast where such harbors are located (Vladivostok, Port Arthur). Hinterland (the lands behind them) must be in your hands in order to be able to build the railroads needed to transport goods to the ports (Manchuria). Between the two ports there is a strip of land, which, if it falls into the hands of the enemy, can become something like new Dardanelles. You cannot allow this. These "Dardanelles" (Korea) should not be a threat to your communications and a threat to your trade. Such is the case in the Black Sea, but in the Far East you cannot reconcile yourself to such a situation. Therefore, it is clear to any unprejudiced person that Korea must be and will be Russian. When and how - nobody cares about this and concerns only you and your country.

1. What are the causes of the Russo-Japanese War and its nature? 2. What goals did Russia pursue in this war? 3. What do you think, for what purpose did the German emperor write such a letter?

1. The clash of interests of Russia and Japan in the Far East. Both countries wanted to strengthen their positions in the region.

2. Implementation of the "great Asian program": the strengthening of Russian dominance in East Asia. Obtaining an ice-free port in the Yellow Sea. Strengthening positions at sea by creating a Russian naval base.

3. Germany was also interested in strengthening its influence in the Far East, as it sought to redistribute spheres of influence in the world. In 1897, she took control of the port of Qingdao.

Task 3

Task 4

Based on the text of the textbook and materials found on your own, write a miniature essay “A letter from a Russian soldier to his relatives in a village from besieged Port Arthur.”

Some time ago, Admiral Makarov arrived to us. He immediately took vigorous measures to restore the combat effectiveness of the Russian squadron, which led to an increase in military spirit in the fleet.

The Japanese tried several times to block the exit from the harbor, but to no avail. The first time they were prevented by us, the second time they spoiled their plan. It turned out to be done only on the third attempt. Now the Japanese were able to land troops ashore and began to move towards Port Arthur. However, our spirit is not broken and we continue to strengthen the fortress. Everything is being done to increase the combat readiness of our garrison: arms and ammunition are brought in. I don’t know how much longer we will hold out, because the Japanese have begun to carry out active fighting.

Task 5

Using textbook text, map:

1. Names of states. 2. The directions of the offensive of the Japanese troops. 3. The direction of the blows of the Russian troops. 4. Dates of the beginning and end of the defense of Port Arthur. 5. Places and times of the main battles of the war on land and at sea. 6. Borders between Russia and Japan before and after the war.

Task 6

Based on the text of the paragraph, determine which of the following was included in the terms of the Peace of Portsmouth (several answers are possible):

a) compensation by Russia for the material losses of Japan in the amount of 100 million gold rubles;

b) the introduction of Russian troops into Korea;

c) Japanese occupation of Manchuria;

d) the transfer of the lease of Port Arthur to Japan;

e) the transfer of the southern part of Sakhalin Island to Japan;

f) prohibition to the Japanese of the right to fish along the Russian shores in the Sea of ​​Japan, the Sea of ​​Okhotsk and the Bering Sea.

The more a person is able to respond to the historical and universal, the wider his nature, the richer his life and the more capable such a person is of progress and development.

F. M. Dostoevsky

The Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, which we will briefly discuss today, is one of the most important pages in the history of the Russian Empire. In the war, Russia was defeated, demonstrating a military lag behind the leading world countries. Another important event of the war - following its results, the Entente was finally formed, and the world began to slowly, but steadily, roll towards the First World War.

Background of the war

In 1894-1895, Japan defeated China, as a result of which Japan had to cross the Liaodong (Kwantung) Peninsula along with Port Arthur and Farmosa Island (the current name is Taiwan). Germany, France and Russia intervened in the course of the negotiations, insisting that the Liaodong Peninsula remain in the use of China.

In 1896, the government of Nicholas II signed a treaty of friendship with China. As a result, China allows Russia to build a railroad to Vladivostok through Northern Manchuria (China Eastern Railway).

In 1898, Russia, within the framework of a friendship agreement with China, leases the Liaodong Peninsula from the latter for 25 years. This move drew sharp criticism from Japan, which also laid claim to these lands. But this did not lead to serious consequences at that time. In 1902 royal army included in Manchuria. Formally, Japan was ready to recognize this territory for Russia if the latter recognized Japan's dominance in Korea. But the Russian government made a mistake. They did not take Japan seriously, and did not even think of entering into negotiations with it.

Causes and nature of the war

The reasons for the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 are as follows:

• Lease of the Liaodong Peninsula and Port Arthur by Russia.
• Economic expansion of Russia in Manchuria.
• Distribution of spheres of influence in China and Korea.

The nature of hostilities can be defined as follows

• Russia planned to conduct defense and pull up reserves. The transfer of troops was planned to be completed in August 1904, after which it was planned to go on the offensive, up to the landing in Japan.
• Japan planned to wage an offensive war. The first strike was planned at sea with the destruction of the Russian fleet, so that nothing would interfere with the transfer of the landing force. The plans included the capture of Manchuria, the Ussuri and Primorsky Territories.

The balance of power at the beginning of the war

Japan in the war could put up about 175 thousand people (another 100 thousand in reserve) and 1140 field guns. The Russian army consisted of 1 million people and 3.5 million in reserve (reserve). But in the Far East, Russia had 100,000 men and 148 field guns. Also at the disposal of the Russian army were the border guards, who were 24 thousand people with 26 guns. The problem was that these forces, inferior in number to the Japanese, were widely scattered geographically: from Chita to Vladivostok and from Blagoveshchensk to Port Arthur. During 1904-1905, Russia carried out 9 mobilizations, calling for military service about 1 million people.

The Russian fleet consisted of 69 warships. 55 of these ships were in Port Arthur, which was very poorly fortified. To demonstrate that Port Arthur was not completed and ready for war, it is enough to cite the following figures. The fortress was supposed to have 542 guns, but in fact there were only 375, but even of these only 108 guns were usable. That is, the gun supply of Port Arthur at the time of the outbreak of the war was 20%!

Obviously, Russian japanese war 1904 - 1905 began with a clear superiority of Japan on land and at sea.

The course of hostilities

Map of military operations

rice. one - Map of the Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905

Events of 1904

In January 1904, Japan breaks off diplomatic relations with Russia and on January 27, 1904 attacks warships near Port Arthur. This was the beginning of the war.

Russia began to transfer the army to Far East but it happened very slowly. A distance of 8 thousand kilometers and an unfinished section of the Siberian railway- all this interfered with the transfer of the army. The capacity of the road was 3 echelons per day, which is extremely small.

On January 27, 1904, Japan attacked Russian ships in Port Arthur. At the same time, in the Korean port of Chemulpo, an attack was made on the Varyag cruiser and the Korean escort boat. After an unequal battle, the "Korean" was blown up, and the "Varyag" was flooded by the Russian sailors themselves, so that the enemy would not get it. After that, the strategic initiative at sea passed to Japan. The situation at sea worsened after the battleship Petropavlovsk was blown up on a Japanese mine on March 31, on board of which was the commander of the fleet, S. Makarov. In addition to the commander, his entire staff, 29 officers and 652 sailors perished.

In February 1904, Japan landed an army of 60,000 in Korea, which moved towards the Yalu River (the river separated Korea and Manchuria). There were no significant battles at that time, and in mid-April the Japanese army crossed the border of Manchuria.

Fall of Port Arthur

In May, the second Japanese army (50 thousand people) landed on the Liaodong Peninsula and headed for Port Arthur, creating a bridgehead for the offensive. By this time, the Russian army had partially managed to complete the transfer of troops and its strength was 160 thousand people. One of major events war - the battle of Liaoyang in August 1904. This battle still raises many questions among historians. The fact is that in this battle (and it was practically a general one), the Japanese army was defeated. And so much so that the command of the Japanese army declared the impossibility of continuing the conduct of hostilities. The Russo-Japanese War could have ended there if the Russian army went on the offensive. But the commander, Koropatkin, gives an absolutely absurd order - to retreat. In the course of further events of the war in the Russian army there will be several opportunities to inflict a decisive defeat on the enemy, but each time Kuropatkin either gave absurd orders or hesitated to act, giving the enemy the right time.

After the battle at Liaoyang, the Russian army retreated to the Shahe River, where a new battle took place in September, which did not reveal a winner. After that, there was a lull, and the war moved into a positional phase. In December, General R.I. Kondratenko, who commanded the land defense of the Port Arthur fortress. The new commander of the troops A.M. Stessel, despite the categorical refusal of the soldiers and sailors, decided to surrender the fortress. On December 20, 1904, Stessel surrendered Port Arthur to the Japanese. On this, the Russo-Japanese War in 1904 passed into a passive phase, continuing active operations already in 1905.

Later, under public pressure, General Stessel was put on trial and sentenced to death penalty. The sentence was not carried out. Nicholas 2 pardoned the general.

History reference

Defense map of Port Arthur

rice. 2- Defense map of Port Arthur

Events of 1905

The Russian command demanded from Kuropatkin active action. It was decided to start the offensive in February. But the Japanese preempted him by going on the offensive on Mukden (Shenyang) on ​​February 5, 1905. From February 6 to 25, the largest battle of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 continued. From the Russian side, 280 thousand people took part in it, from the Japanese side - 270 thousand people. There are many interpretations of the Mukden battle in terms of who won the victory in it. In fact, it was a draw. The Russian army lost 90 thousand soldiers, the Japanese - 70 thousand. Smaller losses on the part of Japan are a frequent argument in favor of her victory, but this battle did not give the Japanese army any advantage or gain. Moreover, the losses were so severe that Japan made no further attempts to organize major land battles until the end of the war.

Much more important is the fact that the population of Japan is much smaller than the population of Russia, and after Mukden, the island country has exhausted its human resources. Russia could and should have gone on the offensive in order to win, but 2 factors played against this:

• Kuropatkin factor
• Factor in the Revolution of 1905

On May 14-15, 1905, the Tsushima naval battle took place, in which the Russian squadrons were defeated. The losses of the Russian army amounted to 19 ships and 10 thousand killed and captured.

Kuropatkin factor

Kuropatkin, commanding ground forces, for the entire Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, he did not use a single chance for a favorable offensive in order to inflict great damage on the enemy. There were several such chances, and we talked about them above. Why did the Russian general and commander refuse active actions and did not seek to end the war? After all, if he had given the order to attack after Liaoyang, and with a high degree of probability, the Japanese army would have ceased to exist.

Of course, it is impossible to answer this question directly, but a number of historians put forward the following opinion (I cite it for the reason that it is well-reasoned and extremely similar to the truth). Kuropatkin was closely associated with Witte, who, let me remind you, by the time of the war was removed from the post of prime minister by Nicholas II. Kuropatkin's plan was to create conditions under which the tsar would return Witte. The latter was considered an excellent negotiator, so it was necessary to reduce the war with Japan to a stage where the parties would sit down at the negotiating table. For this, the war could not be ended with the help of the army (the defeat of Japan is a direct surrender without any negotiations). Therefore, the commander did everything to bring the war to a draw. He successfully coped with this task, and indeed Nicholas 2 called on Witte by the end of the war.

Revolution Factor

There are many sources pointing to Japanese financing of the 1905 Revolution. real facts transferring money, of course. No. But there are 2 facts that I find extremely curious:

• The peak of the revolution and movement fell on the Battle of Tsushima. Nicholas 2 needed an army to fight the revolution and he decided to start peace negotiations with Japan.
• Immediately after the signing of the Peace of Portsmouth, the revolution in Russia began to wane.

Reasons for the defeat of Russia

Why was Russia defeated in the war with Japan? The reasons for Russia's defeat in the Russo-Japanese War are as follows:

• The weakness of the grouping of Russian troops in the Far East.
• The unfinished Trans-Siberian Railway, which did not allow the transfer of troops in full.
• Mistakes of the army command. I already wrote above about the Kuropatkin factor.
• Japan's superiority in military equipment.

The last point is extremely important. He is often forgotten, but undeservedly. In respect of technical equipment, especially in the navy, Japan was far ahead of Russia.

Portsmouth Peace

To conclude peace between countries, Japan demanded that Theodore Roosevelt, the President of the United States, act as an intermediary. Negotiations began and the Russian delegation was headed by Witte. Nicholas 2 returned him to his post and entrusted him with negotiating, knowing the talents of this man. And Witte really took a very tough position, not allowing Japan to get significant gains from the war.

The terms of the Peace of Portsmouth were as follows:

• Russia recognized Japan's right to dominate Korea.
• Russia ceded part of the territory of Sakhalin Island (the Japanese wanted to get the entire island, but Witte was against it).
• Russia transferred the Kwantung Peninsula to Japan along with Port Arthur.
• No one paid indemnities to anyone, but Russia had to pay a reward to the enemy for the maintenance of Russian prisoners of war.

Consequences of the war

During the war, Russia and Japan lost about 300 thousand people each, but in view of the population for Japan, these were almost catastrophic losses. The losses were due to the fact that this was the first major war in which automatic weapons were used. At sea, there was a big bias towards the use of mines.

An important fact that many bypass, it was after the Russo-Japanese War that the Entente (Russia, France and England) and the Triple Alliance (Germany, Italy and Austria-Hungary) were finally formed. The fact of the formation of the Entente draws upon itself. Before the war, Europe had an alliance between Russia and France. The latter did not want its expansion. But the events of the Russian war against Japan showed that the Russian army had many problems (it really was), so France signed agreements with England.

Positions of world powers during the war

During the Russo-Japanese War, the world powers occupied the following positions:

• England and USA. Traditionally, the interests of these countries were extremely similar. They supported Japan, but mostly financially. Approximately 40% of Japan's costs of the war were covered by Anglo-Saxon money.
• France declared neutrality. Although, in fact, she had an allied agreement with Russia, she did not fulfill her allied obligations.
• Germany from the first days of the war declared its neutrality.

The Russian-Japanese war was practically not analyzed by tsarist historians, since they simply did not have enough time. After the end of the war, the Russian Empire existed for almost 12 years, which contained the revolution, economic problems and world war. Therefore, the main study took place already in Soviet time. But it is important to understand that for Soviet historians it was a war against the backdrop of a revolution. That is, "the tsarist regime strove for aggression, and the people prevented this with all their might." That is why it is written in Soviet textbooks that, for example, the Liaoyang operation ended in the defeat of Russia. Although technically it was a draw.

The end of the war is also seen as the complete defeat of the Russian army on land and in the navy. If at sea the situation was indeed close to defeat, then on land Japan was on the brink of an abyss, since they no longer had the manpower to continue the war. I propose to look at this question even a little wider. How did the wars of that era end after an unconditional defeat (and this is what they often talked about Soviet historians) of one of the parties? Large indemnities, large territorial concessions, partial economic and political dependence of the loser on the winner. But there is nothing like it in the Portsmouth world. Russia did not pay anything, lost only the southern part of Sakhalin (an insignificant territory) and refused the land leased from China. The argument is often made that Japan won the fight for dominance in Korea. But Russia has never seriously fought for this territory. She was only interested in Manchuria. And if we go back to the origins of the war, we will see that the Japanese government would never have started a war if Nicholas 2 had recognized Japan's dominance in Korea, just as the Japanese government would have recognized Russia's positions in Manbchuria. Therefore, at the end of the war, Russia did what it should have done back in 1903, without bringing matters to a war. But this is a question for the personality of Nicholas 2, who today is extremely fashionable to call a martyr and hero of Russia, but it was his actions that provoked the war.

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

In the middle of the 19th century, Emperor Mutsuhio carried out a series of reforms, after which Japan turned into a powerful state with a modern army and navy. The country has come out of self-isolation; its claim to dominance in East Asia was intensifying. But in this region also sought to gain a foothold another colonial power - .

Causes of the war and the balance of power

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

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

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

The course of hostilities

The beginning of the war. The defeat of Russian naval forces in the Pacific

The Japanese attacked before the declaration of war, on January 27, 1904. The blows were delivered in various directions, which allowed the fleet to neutralize the threat of opposition from Russian ships on maritime communications, and parts of the Japanese Imperial Army to land in Korea. Already by February 21, they occupied the capital Pyongyang, and by the beginning of May they blocked the Port Arthur squadron. This allowed the Japanese 2nd Army to land in Manchuria. Thus, the first stage of hostilities was, ended with the victory of Japan. The defeat of the Russian fleet allowed the Asian empire to invade the mainland by land units and ensure their supply.

Campaign of 1904. Defense of Port Arthur

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

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

Campaign of 1905

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

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

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

Tsushima. Ultimate Japanese victory

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

Peace treaty. The results of the war

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

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

The country rising sun consistently increased its expansion, becoming one of the largest geopolitical players, and remained so until 1945.

Table: chronology of events

date	Event	Result
January 1904	Beginning of the Russo-Japanese War	Japanese destroyers attacked the Russian squadron, stationed on the outer roadstead of Arthur.
January - April 1904	Collisions between the Japanese fleet and the Russian squadron in the Yellow Sea	The Russian fleet is defeated. Land units of Japan land in Korea (January) and Manchuria (May), moving deep into China and towards Port Arthur.
August 1904	Liaoyang battle	The Japanese army established itself in Manchuria
October 1904	Battle on the Shahe River	The Russian army failed to unblock Port Arthur. Positional warfare was established.
May - December 1904	Defense of Port Arthur	Despite repelling four assaults, the fortress capitulated. The Russian fleet lost the ability to operate on sea lanes. The fall of the fortress had a demoralizing effect on the army and society.
February 1905	Battle of Mukden	The retreat of the Russian army from Mukden.
August 1905	Signing of the Peace of Portsmouth	According to the Peace of Portsmouth concluded between Russia and Japan in 1905, Russia ceded a small island territory to Japan, but did not pay indemnities. South Sakhalin, Port Arthur and the port of Dalniy came under the perpetual possession of Japan. Korea and South Manchuria entered the Japanese sphere of influence. Count S.Yu. Witte was nicknamed "Polu-Sakhalin", because during the peace negotiations with Japan in Portsmouth he signed the text of the treaty, according to which South Sakhalin was withdrawn to Japan.

Strengths and weaknesses of opponents

Japan

Russia

Japan's strengths were its territorial proximity to the conflict zone, modernized military forces, and patriotic sentiment among the population. In addition to new weapons, the Japanese army and navy have mastered the European tactics of warfare. However, the officer corps did not have a well-developed skill in managing large military formations armed with progressive military theory and the latest weapons.

Russia had extensive experience of colonial expansion. The personnel of the army, and especially the navy, had high moral and strong-willed qualities if they were provided with the appropriate command. The weapons and equipment of the Russian army were at an average level and, with proper use, could be successfully used against any enemy.

Military-political reasons for the defeat of Russia

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

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

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

Other factors

• Economic and military-technical backwardness of Russia
• Imperfect management structures
• Weak development of the Far East region
• Embezzlement and bribery in the army
• Underestimation of the Japanese Armed Forces

Results of the Russo-Japanese War

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

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

Map: Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905

Russo-Japanese War. Minimum for the exam.

War at sea.
On the battleship "Tsesarevich" during a mine attack by the Japanese
to the squadron of Port Arthur on the night of January 26-27.
(1904).

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
The cruiser "Varyag" under the command of Captain Rudnev, escorted by the "Korean", leaves the port of Chemulpo
and heroically enters into an unequal battle with the Japanese squadron, consisting of 6 cruisers and 8 destroyers.

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
Fight "Varangian" and "Korean" near Chemulpo on January 27 (1904).

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
Fight "Varangian" and "Korean" near Chemulpo.
How "Varangian" and "Korean" moved during the battle (diagram).

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
"Varangian" on fire on the way back after the battle.
The explosion of the "Korean" in Chemulpo.

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
The death of the cruiser 1st rank "Varyag"

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
Transportation of the wounded "Varyag" to the French cruiser "Pascal"

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
French cruiser 1st rank "Pascal",
who saved part of the crew of the cruiser "Varyag" and the gunboat "Koreets" who died near Chemulpo

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
"Varyag" at 4 hours 15 minutes in the afternoon on January 27 (1904).

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
Corps "Varyag" the other day after the battle at low tide.

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
"Korean" is on fire.

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea. "Korean" is immersed.

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
Group of heroes of Chemulpo,
taken on the way from Odessa to Sevastopol on the ship "St. Nicholas"
(sailors from "Varyag" and "Korean").

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
At Port Arthur.
The Novik cruiser is moving towards the Japanese squadron, opening fire from all its guns.
(January 27, 1904).

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
The Japanese destroyer "Hagatori" attacks a Russian battleship during a snowstorm.

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
Bombing of Port Arthur.
The fortress answers. General form from the Golden Mountain.

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
The first Japanese night attack on Port Arthur.
View from the steamboat of the Eastern China Railway "Mongolia", sailing from Shanghai to Dalniy.

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
Japanese destroyer fighters lay mines off Port Arthur.

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
Mine transport "Yenisei" and automatic mines of a new type.

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
Japanese automatic mine, submerged to the bottom.
Russian automatic mine.

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
Our sailors in the Yellow Sea during a blizzard.

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
Boat deck cleaning in winter

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
Russian sailors clean the deck of a ship in winter

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
On a Russian ship. winter watch

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
Ice-covered Japanese cruiser near Vladivostok.

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
The first attempt by the Japanese to block the exit from Port Arthur by sinking fireships
on the night of February 11-12 (1904).

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
A Japanese fireship that jumped out onto the stones under the lighthouse of the Tiger Peninsula
during the battle on February 11 (1904).

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
The second Japanese attempt to block the exit from Port Arthur
with the help of 4 firewalls on the night of March 13-14 (1904).

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
The death of the battleship Petropavlovsk on March 31 (1904).

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
The explosion of the battleship Petropavlovsk (followed by the battleships Pobeda and Sevastopol).

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
Three moments of the death of the battleship "Petropavlovsk".

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
The crew of the battleship "Sevastopol", watching the death of the battleship "Petropavlovsk".

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
Boats and boats take the rescued from the fallen battleship "Petropavlovsk" to Port Arthur.
In the distance - Golden Mountain and three sunken Japanese fireships.

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
Removal of victims from the battleship "Petropavlovsk".
In the foreground is the damaged battleship Pobeda (with a hole in the starboard side).

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
Japanese transport ships off Bizwo.

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
Reflection of Japanese fire-ships on April 20 (1904).

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
One of the Japanese fireships scuttled by the Russians off Port Arthur.

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
Japanese transport "Kinchiyu-Maru",
with a capacity of 4,000 tons, sunk by the Vladivostok squadron near Genzan on April 10 (1904).

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
The death of the transport "Kinchiyu-Maru",
Japanese troops fire a salvo at the cruiser "Russia" at the time of the death of their ship.

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
The Japanese commit suicide (hara-kiri) on the deck of the Kinchiyu-Maru transport.

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
The death of the Japanese battleship Hatsuse on May 2 (1904).

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
Killed Japanese boatswain on a sunken fireship

From the end of the 19th century sharply intensified the struggle between Russia and Japan for the redistribution of spheres of influence in the Far East. On January 24, 1904, Japan severed diplomatic relations with Russia, and on January 26, the war began. On the night of 01/27/1904, the Japanese fleet suddenly attacked the Russian squadron on the outer roadstead of Port Arthur, and on the afternoon of January 27 in the port of Chemulpo (Korea) - the cruiser "Varyag" and the gunboat "Korean". In April, the Russian Pacific squadron was locked in the inner roadstead of Port Arthur. In February 1904, the Japanese landed in Korea 1A, April 22 on the Liaodong Peninsula - 2A.
April 18, the Japanese won the battle on the river. Yalu (Yalujiang), on May 13, their 2A captured Jinzhou and interrupted the connection of Port Arthur with the Manchu army. The 1st Siberian Army Corps, sent to help Port Arthur, was defeated on June 1-2 in a battle near Vafangou. For the siege of Port Arthur, 3A was formed. On July 10-11, in the battle of Dashiqiao, Russian troops successfully repelled enemy attacks, but retreated to Liaoyang on orders. In July, the newly formed Japanese 4A joined the attack on Liaoyang from the south. On August 11-21, the Liaoyang battle took place. In spite of successful actions, Russian troops again received an order to retreat.
September 22 - October 4 on the river. Shahe launched a head-on battle, in which both sides suffered heavy losses and went on the defensive. A stubborn struggle unfolded for Port Arthur. On December 20, 1904, Port Arthur was surrendered, and the remnants of the Russian Pacific squadron also perished. Her two attempts to break into Vladivostok were unsuccessful. In the summer of 1904, the Vladivostok detachment of cruisers was active in the enemy's sea lanes, but after the defeat on August 1 in the battle in the Korea Strait, its activity dropped sharply. Japanese attempts to land troops in Kamchatka in the summer of 1904 were thwarted by the actions of the local militia. During the summer, the Japanese were unable to make significant progress in North Korea either.
On January 12-15, 1905, Russian troops launched an offensive near Sandepa with limited forces, but did not achieve success. In the battle of Mukden on February 6-25, they were again defeated and retreated to the previously prepared Sypingai positions. Formed in the Baltic, the 2nd Pacific squadron, reinforced by the 1st detachment of the 3rd Pacific squadron, in October 1904 and February 1905, respectively, left the Baltic Sea for the Far East. On May 14-15, 1905, in the Tsushima Strait, they fought with Japanese fleet, as a result of which the Russian squadron was almost completely destroyed. In June, the Japanese occupied about. Sakhalin. In the spring of 1905, they resumed active hostilities in Korea and in July forced the Russian troops to leave it.

On August 23, 1905, the Treaty of Portsmouth was signed. Russia recognized Korea as a sphere of Japanese influence, ceded to Japan the southern part of Sakhalin, lease rights to the Kwantung Peninsula from the years. Port Arthur and Dalny, as well as the southern branch of the Chinese Eastern Railway.