1904-1905, the causes of which are known to every schoolchild, had a great influence on the development of Russia in the future. Although it is now very easy to “sort out” the prerequisites, causes and consequences, in 1904 it was difficult to assume 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 dealt a significant blow, the official and main reason for the war was different. It was all about the expansion of Russia to the east. This is the underlying cause of the outbreak of war, but it began under a different pretext. The reason for the fury is the annexation of the Liaodong Peninsula, which previously belonged to Japan.
Reaction
How did the Russian people react to such an unexpected outbreak of war? This clearly outraged them, because how could Japan dare such a challenge? But the reaction of other countries was different. The USA and England determined their position and took the side of Japan. The press reports, which were very numerous in all countries, clearly indicated a negative reaction to the actions of the Russians. France declared a neutral position, as it needed the support of Russia, but soon she concluded 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 another. The Japanese failed 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 reason for the defeat was the death of General Kondratenko in December 1904. If the general had not died, it would have been possible to keep the fortress for another 2 months. Despite this, Reis and Stessel signed the act, and the Russian fleet was destroyed. More than 30 thousand Russian soldiers were taken prisoner.
Only two battles of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 were really significant. The Mukden land battle took place in February 1905. It was rightfully considered the largest in history. It ended badly 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 one in terms of numbers. 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, was in favor of Japan. Despite this, the country had to pay dearly for its leadership, because its economy was exhausted to the point of impossibility. It was this that 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 was a great 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.
What is worth only the fact that the Pacific Fleet was completely destroyed, and thousands of people sacrificed their lives for the Motherland. And yet, Russian expansion in the East was stopped. Of course, the people could not but discuss this topic, because it was clearly clear that the tsarist policy no longer had such power and power. Perhaps this was what caused revolutionary sentiments to spread in the country, which eventually led to the well-known events of 1905-1907.
Defeat
We already know the results of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. And yet, why did Russia fail and fail to defend its policy? Researchers and historians believe that there are four reasons for this outcome. First, the Russian Empire was very isolated from the world stage in diplomatic terms. That is why a few supported her policy. If Russia had the support of the world, it would be easier to fight. Secondly, the 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 in multiple betrayals of the Motherland, betrayal, as well as in the complete mediocrity and helplessness of many generals.
The results of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 turned out to be losing also 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 reasons for which we have examined, was a negative event for Russia, which exposed all weaknesses.
Reasons for the war:
Russia's desire to gain a foothold on the "non-freezing seas" of China and Korea.
The desire of the leading powers to prevent the strengthening of Russia in the Far East. US and UK support for Japan.
The desire of Japan to oust the Russian army from China and capture Korea.
Arms race in Japan. Increasing taxes for the sake of military production.
Japan's plans were to seize Russian territory from Primorsky Krai to the Urals.
The course of the war:
January 27, 1904 - near Port Arthur, 3 Russian ships were pierced by Japanese torpedoes, which did not sink due to the heroism of the crews. The feat of the Russian ships "Varyag" and "Koreets" near the port of Chemulpo (Incheon).
March 31, 1904 - the death of the battleship "Petropavlovsk" with the headquarters of Admiral Makarov and a crew of more than 630 people. The Pacific Fleet was beheaded.
May - December 1904 - the heroic defense of the Port Arthur fortress. The 50 thousandth Russian garrison, having 646 guns and 62 machine guns, repelled the attacks of the 200 thousandth army of the enemy. After the surrender of the fortress, about 32 thousand Russian soldiers were captured by the Japanese. The Japanese lost more than 110 thousand (according to other sources 91 thousand) soldiers and officers, 15 warships sank, and 16 were destroyed.
August 1904 - Battle of Liaoyang. The Japanese lost more than 23 thousand soldiers, the Russians - more than 16 thousand. Uncertain outcome of the battle. General Kuropatkin gave the order to retreat, fearing encirclement.
September 1904 - battle near the Shakhe River. The Japanese lost more than 30 thousand soldiers, the Russians - more than 40 thousand. Uncertain outcome of the battle. After that, a positional war was waged in Manchuria. In January 1905, a revolution raged in Russia, which made it difficult to wage a war to victory.
February 1905 - The battle of Mukden stretched for 100 km along the front and lasted 3 weeks. The Japanese launched an offensive earlier and confused the plans of the Russian command. Russian troops retreated, avoiding encirclement and losing more than 90 thousand. The Japanese lost over 72,000.
Russo-Japanese war briefly.
The Japanese command recognized the underestimation of the strength of the enemy. Soldiers with weapons and provisions continued to arrive from Russia by rail. The war again took on a positional character.
May 1905 - the tragedy of the Russian fleet near the Tsushima Islands. The ships of Admiral Rozhdestvensky (30 combat, 6 transport and 2 hospital) traveled about 33 thousand km and immediately entered the battle. No one in the world could defeat 121 enemy ships on 38 ships! Only the cruiser Almaz, the destroyers Bravy and Grozny broke through to Vladivostok (according to other sources, 4 ships were saved), the crews of the rest died as heroes or were captured. The Japanese were badly damaged 10 and 3 ships sank.
Until now, Russians, passing by the Tsushima Islands, lay wreaths on the water in memory of 5,000 dead Russian sailors.
The war was ending. The Russian army in Manchuria was growing and could continue the war for a long time. The human and financial resources of Japan were depleted (old people and children were already being drafted into the army). Russia, from a position of strength, signed the Treaty of Portsmouth in August 1905.
The results of the war:
Russia withdrew troops from Manchuria, handed over to Japan the Liaodong Peninsula, the southern part of Sakhalin Island and money for the maintenance of prisoners. This failure of Japanese diplomacy caused riots in Tokyo.
After the war, Japan's external public debt grew 4 times, Russia's by 1/3.
Japan lost more than 85 thousand killed, Russia more than 50 thousand.
More than 38 thousand soldiers died from wounds in Japan, more than 17 thousand in Russia.
Yet Russia lost this war. The reasons were economic and military backwardness, weakness of intelligence and command, the great remoteness and stretching of the theater of operations, poor supply, and weak interaction between the army and navy. In addition, the Russian people did not understand why it was necessary to fight in distant Manchuria. The revolution of 1905-1907 further weakened Russia.
(1904-1905) - the war between Russia and Japan, which was fought for control of Manchuria, Korea and the ports of Port Arthur and Dalniy.
The most important object of the struggle for the final division of the world at the end of the 19th century was economically backward and militarily weak China. It was to the Far East that the center of gravity of the foreign policy activity of Russian diplomacy was shifted from the mid-1890s. The close interest of the tsarist government in the affairs of this region was largely due to the appearance here by the end of the 19th century of a strong and very aggressive neighbor in the face of Japan, which had embarked on the path of expansion.
By decision of the Japanese commander-in-chief, Marshal Iwao Oyama, Maresuke Nogi's army began the siege of Port Arthur, while the 1st, 2nd and 4th armies, which landed at Dagushan, moved to Liaoyang from the southeast, south and southwest. In mid-June, Kuroki's army occupied the passes southeast of the city, and in July repulsed an attempted Russian counteroffensive. The army of Yasukata Oku, after the battle at Dashichao in July, captured the port of Yingkou, cutting off the connection of the Manchurian army with Port Arthur by sea. In the second half of July, three Japanese armies joined at Liaoyang; their total number was more than 120 thousand against 152 thousand Russians. In the battle of Liaoyang on August 24 - September 3, 1904 (August 11-21, O.S.), both sides suffered huge losses: the Russians lost more than 16 thousand killed, and the Japanese - 24 thousand. The Japanese were unable to encircle the army of Alexei Kuropatkin, which withdrew to Mukden in perfect order, but they captured Liaoyang and the Yantai coal mines.
The retreat to Mukden meant for the defenders of Port Arthur the collapse of hopes for any effective assistance from the ground forces. The Japanese 3rd Army captured the Wolf Mountains and began an intense bombardment of the city and the internal raid. Despite this, several of her assaults in August were repulsed by the garrison under the command of Major General Roman Kondratenko; the besiegers lost 16,000 dead. At the same time, the Japanese succeeded at sea. An attempt to break through the Pacific Fleet to Vladivostok at the end of July failed, Rear Admiral Witgeft died. In August, the squadron of Vice Admiral Hikonojo Kamimura managed to overtake and defeat the cruiser detachment of Rear Admiral Jessen.
By the beginning of October 1904, thanks to reinforcements, the number of the Manchurian army reached 210 thousand, and the Japanese troops near Liaoyang - 170 thousand.
Fearing that in the event of the fall of Port Arthur, the Japanese forces would increase significantly due to the released 3rd Army, Kuropatkin launched an offensive to the south at the end of September, but was defeated in the battle on the Shahe River, losing 46 thousand killed (the enemy - only 16 thousand) and went on the defensive. The four-month "Shahei Sitting" began.
In September-November, the defenders of Port Arthur repulsed three Japanese assaults, but the 3rd Japanese Army managed to capture Mount Vysokaya, which dominated Port Arthur. On January 2, 1905 (December 20, 1904, O.S.), the head of the Kwantung Fortified Region, Lieutenant General Anatoly Stessel, without exhausting all possibilities for resistance, surrendered Port Arthur (in the spring of 1908, a military court sentenced him to death, replaced by ten years imprisonment).
The fall of Port Arthur sharply worsened the strategic position of the Russian troops and the command tried to turn the tide. However, the successfully launched offensive of the 2nd Manchurian army on the village of Sandepa was not supported by other armies. After joining the main forces of the Japanese 3rd Army
Feet their number was equal to the number of Russian troops. In February, Tamemoto Kuroki's army attacked the 1st Manchurian Army southeast of Mukden, and Noga's army began bypassing the Russian right flank. Kuroki's army broke through the front of Nikolai Linevich's army. On March 10 (February 25 O.S.), 1905, the Japanese occupied Mukden. Having lost more than 90 thousand killed and captured, the Russian troops retreated north to Telin in disarray. The largest defeat at Mukden meant the loss of the campaign in Manchuria by the Russian command, although he managed to save a significant part of the army.
Trying to achieve a turning point in the war, the Russian government sent the 2nd Pacific squadron of Admiral Zinovy Rozhestvensky, created from part of the Baltic Fleet, to the Far East, but on May 27-28 (May 14-15, O.S.) in the Battle of Tsushima, the Japanese fleet destroyed the Russian squadron . Only one cruiser and two destroyers reached Vladivostok. At the beginning of the summer, the Japanese completely ousted the Russian detachments from North Korea, and by July 8 (June 25, O.S.) captured Sakhalin.
Despite the victories, Japan's forces were exhausted, and at the end of May, through the intermediary of US President Theodore Roosevelt, she invited Russia to enter into peace negotiations. Russia, which found itself in a difficult domestic political situation, agreed. On August 7 (July 25, O.S.), a diplomatic conference opened in Portsmouth (New Hampshire, USA), which ended on September 5 (August 23, O.S.), 1905, with the signing of the Treaty of Portsmouth. According to its terms, Russia ceded to Japan the southern part of Sakhalin, the rights to lease Port Arthur and the southern tip of the Liaodong Peninsula and the southern branch of the Chinese Eastern Railway from the Changchun station to Port Arthur, allowed its fishing fleet to fish off the coast of the Sea of Japan, the Sea of Okhotsk and the Bering Sea, recognized Korea as a zone of Japanese influence and gave up its political, military and trade advantages in Manchuria. At the same time, Russia was exempted from paying any indemnities.
Japan, which as a result of the victory took the leading place among the powers of the Far East, until the end of World War II celebrated the day of the victory at Mukden as the Day of the Ground Forces, and the date of the victory at Tsushima as the Day of the Naval Forces.
The Russo-Japanese War was the first major war of the 20th century. Russia lost about 270 thousand people (including over 50 thousand killed), Japan - 270 thousand people (including over 86 thousand killed).
In the Russo-Japanese War, for the first time, machine guns, rapid-firing artillery, mortars, hand grenades, a radiotelegraph, searchlights, barbed wire, including those under high voltage, naval mines and torpedoes, etc., were used on a large scale.
The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources
One of the largest military conflicts of the early 20th century is the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. Its result was the first, in modern 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 another colonial power also sought to gain a foothold in this region -.
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 stationed 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 sea lanes, and units 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 continuously attacked, 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 confronted by the formidable power of a great power, but by units that were suppressed by continuous defeats and were far from their 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: a positional war began, 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 restructure the economy and political life for military needs. 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 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 one of the largest geopolitical players, and remained so until 1945.
Table: chronology of events
| the 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, did not purposefully 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.
- Treasury and bribery in the army.
- Underestimation of the armed forces of Japan.
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 the visible economic, military and political backwardness, led to a sharp surge of indignation, primarily in the lower and middle strata of Russian society. In fact, the Russo-Japanese War exposed the long-hidden contradictions between the people and the government, 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 of 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.
The article briefly tells about the Russo-Japanese war of 1904-1905. This war became one of the most shameful in Russian history. The expectation of a "small victorious war" turned into a disaster.
- Introduction
- Course of the Russo-Japanese War
- Results of the Russo-Japanese War
Causes of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905
- The main prerequisite for the outbreak of war was the growth of imperialist contradictions at the turn of the century. The European powers sought to partition China. Russia, which did not have colonies in other parts of the world, was interested in the maximum penetration of its capital into China and Korea. This desire went against the plans of Japan. The rapidly developing Japanese industry also demanded the capture of new territories for the allocation of capital.
- The Russian government did not take into account the increased combat capability of the Japanese army. In the event of a quick and decisive victory, it was planned to significantly reduce the revolutionary mood in the country. The Japanese elite relied on chauvinistic sentiments in society. It was planned to create a Greater Japan through territorial seizures.
Course of the Russo-Japanese War
- At the end of January 1904, the Japanese attacked Russian ships based in Port Arthur without declaring war. And already in June, the successful actions of the Japanese led to the complete defeat of the Russian Pacific squadron. The Baltic fleet sent to help (the 2nd squadron), after a six-month transition, was utterly defeated by Japan in the Battle of Tsushima (May 1905). Sending the 3rd squadron became meaningless. Russia has lost the main trump card in its strategic plans. The defeat was the result of an underestimation of the Japanese fleet, which consisted of the latest warships. The reasons were the insufficient training of Russian sailors, obsolete Russian warships at that time, defective ammunition.
- In military operations on land, Russia also found itself significantly behind in many respects. The General Staff did not take into account the experience of recent wars. Military science adhered to outdated concepts and principles of the era of the Napoleonic Wars. It was assumed the accumulation of the main forces, followed by a massive blow. The Japanese strategy, led by foreign advisers, relied on the development of maneuver operations.
- The Russian command under the leadership of General Kuropatkin acted passively and indecisively. The Russian army suffered its first defeat near Liaoyang. By June 1904, Port Arthur was surrounded. The defense held out for six months, which can be regarded as the only Russian success in the entire war. In December, the port was surrendered to the Japanese. The decisive battle on land was the so-called "Mukden meat grinder" (February 1905), as a result of which the Russian army was practically surrounded, but managed to retreat at the cost of heavy losses. Russian losses amounted to about 120 thousand people. This failure, together with the Tsushima tragedy, showed the futility of further military operations. The situation was complicated by the fact that the "victorious war" caused a revolution in Russia itself.
- It was the revolution that had begun and the unpopularity of the war in society that forced Russia to enter into peace negotiations. The Japanese economy was significantly damaged by the war. Japan was inferior to Russia both in terms of the number of armed forces and material capabilities. Even a successful continuation of the war would lead Japan to an economic crisis. Therefore, Japan, having won a number of spectacular victories, was content with this and also sought to conclude a peace treaty.
Results of the Russo-Japanese War
- In August 1905, the Peace of Portsmouth was concluded, containing humiliating conditions for Russia. Japan included South Sakhalin, Korea, Port Arthur. The Japanese gained control of Manchuria. Russia's authority on the world stage has been greatly undermined. Japan has demonstrated that its army is combat-ready and armed with the latest technology.
- In general, Russia was forced to abandon active operations in the Far East.
