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At the beginning of the 20th century, the Far East was actively developing new lands, which provoked a war with Japan. Let's figure out what the causes of the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905 are.

Background and causes of the war

IN late XIX At the beginning of the 20th century, Japan experienced a period of powerful development. Contacts with England and the USA allowed her to raise the economy to a new level, reform the army, and build a new modern fleet. The Meiji Revolution established the Empire of the Rising Sun as a leading regional power.

At this time, Nicholas II came to power in Russia. His reign began with a stampede on the Khodynka field, which left a negative imprint on his authority among his subjects.

Rice. 1. Portrait of Nicholas II.

To raise authority, a “small victorious war” or new territorial expansions were needed to demonstrate the greatness of Russia. The Crimean War outlined Russia's territorial claims in Europe. In Central Asia, Russia was stuck with India, and conflict with Britain had to be avoided. Nicholas II turned his attention to China, weakened by wars and European colonization. Long-term plans were also made for Korea.

In 1898, Russia leased the Liaodong Peninsula with the Port Arthur fortress from China, and construction of the Chinese Eastern Railway (CER) began. The development of the territories of Manchuria by Russian colonists was actively underway.

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Rice. 2. Construction of Port Arthur.

In Japan, realizing that Russia was laying claim to lands that were within their sphere of interest, the slogan “Gashin-shotan” was put forward, calling on the nation to endure the increase in taxes for the sake of a military clash with Russia.

Based on the above, it should be noted that the first and main cause of the war was the clash of the colonial ambitions of the two countries. Therefore, the war that arose was of a colonial-aggressive nature.

The reason for the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905 was the severance of diplomatic ties between the two states. Having failed to agree on the scope of colonial expansion among themselves, both empires began to prepare to resolve the issue by military means.

Progress of the war and results

The war began with active actions by the Japanese army and navy. First, Russian ships were attacked in Chemulpo and Port Arthur, and then troops were landed in Korea and on the Liaodong Peninsula.

Rice. 3. The death of the cruiser Varyag.

Russia conducted an active defense, waiting for the arrival of reserves from Europe. However, poor infrastructure and supplies prevented Russia from turning the tide of the war. However, the prolonged defense of Port Arthur and the victory of Russian troops at Liaoyang could have brought Russia victory in the war, since the Japanese had practically exhausted their economic and human reserves. But General Kuropatkin each time, instead of attacking and defeating the enemy army, gave orders to retreat. First, Port Arthur was lost, then the Battle of Mukden took place, and the Russian Second and Third Pacific squadrons were defeated. The defeat was obvious and the parties moved on to peace negotiations.

The consequence of defeat in the war was an even greater deterioration in the authority of the king among the people. This resulted in the First Russian Revolution, which lasted until 1907 and limited the power of the Tsar through the creation of the State Duma. 4.6. Total ratings received: 221.

Introduction

Conclusion

Bibliography

Application

Introduction

At the end of the 19th century, the struggle between two great powers intensified in the Far East: Japan and Russia. Tsarist Russia showed increased interest in Korea. The Romanovs were personally interested in the enormous “riches” of Korea, which they wanted to turn to their benefit. Russia's diplomatic activity towards China led to the conclusion of an alliance agreement, according to which Russia received the right to build the Chinese-Eastern Railway. By doing this, Russia strengthened its position in China. In addition, Russia leased the Kwantung Peninsula with Port Arthur from China for a period of 25 years. This becomes the main base of the Russian navy.

Japan reacted negatively to Russian penetration into the Chinese and Korean economies. The largest Japanese concerns considered China and Korea their sales markets. Being an economically developed country, Japan was active in the Far East.

Japan fought for the redivision of the world. Russia contradicted the interests of Japan, and Japan began intensively preparing for war with the help of England and the United States, who were afraid of the strengthening of Russia. And Russia treated Japan arrogantly.

The relevance of the work is determined by the similarity of the transition period that developed in Russia at the beginning of the 20th and 21st centuries. At this time, many researchers, scientific efforts and interest in Russian history, since without knowledge of the history of one’s country, stable development of the state is impossible.

The purpose of this work is an attempt to analyze the significance and features of the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905. in order to identify its influence on further development and Russian statehood.

To achieve this goal, it is necessary to consider the following tasks:

· consider the reasons and preconditions for the outbreak of war;

· analyze the course of military operations during the war;

· find out why Russia was defeated in the war with Japan.

The object of study of this course work is the consequences of the policy pursued by the country, which led to the loss of the war.

The subject of research in this work is the key events of the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905, their role and place in the history of Russia.

In this course work Many sources on this topic were used, such as: Zolotukhin A.P. "History of the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905." - from this source the beginning of the war was taken, for what purposes it began and the course of military operations during the war; Shirokrad A.B. "The Fall of Port Arthur" - this book helped to find out how Japan was preparing for war. Article by Balakin V.I. "Causes and consequences of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905." - with the help of this article, the reasons for Russia’s defeat and the further state of Russia after the war were clarified.

The practical significance of this course work lies in the fact that these materials can be used in both theoretical and practical exercises in the discipline: "History".

The work structure includes:

Introduction, 3 sections, conclusion, bibliography, appendices. The total volume of work was 23 pages.

Russian Japanese War treaty

1. Reasons and prerequisites for the start of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905.

1.1 The balance of forces of the parties before the start of the war

The words of the Russian Minister of Internal Affairs V.K. are widely known. Plehve: “To hold the revolution, we need a small, victorious war.” There was some truth in these words: the revolution in Russia had been brewing for a long time and a victorious war could hold back the revolution and bring defeat in the war closer. But the situation developed differently than the autocracy would have liked. The unsuccessful Russo-Japanese War spurred the revolution, and in turn the revolution accelerated the defeat of Russia.

Japan was ready for war, had everything it needed to attack Russia first and win the war. For Russia, this was an unexpected step on the part of the Japanese, and naturally it was not initially ready for war.

1.2 Japan's preparation for war

In 1895, the Japanese government, immediately after the end of the war with China, adopted the first program to strengthen its fleet. Japan planned to begin building ships of all classes, and primarily squadron battleships, armored cruisers and destroyers designed to conduct active offensive operations. Since the Japanese shipbuilding industry was not yet sufficiently developed, the government placed orders for the construction of ships provided for in the 1895 program abroad.

In 1896, the Japanese government, considering the shipbuilding program of 1895 insufficient, additionally adopted a 10-year program that provided for the construction of mainly cruisers and a significant number of destroyers, as well as the equipment of naval bases and ports designed to support the combat activities of the Japanese fleet in the Yellow and Sea of ​​Japan.

The third shipbuilding program was adopted at a special meeting of the Japanese Diet in June 1903. February 2, 1904, i.e. literally before the start of the war, the Japanese government entered into contracts in London with the Vickers and Amstrong firms for the supply of 2 squadron battleships "Kashima" and "Katori" with a displacement of 16,400 tons each.

Kashima was laid down on February 29, 1904 at the Amstrong shipyard in Elswyn, and Katori on February 27, 1904 at the Vickers shipyard in Barrow. The battleships were launched on March 22, 1905 and July 4, 1905, respectively. They entered service at the same time - May 23, 1906.

As we see, neutral England did not give a damn about all international laws and agreements and literally at a frantic pace, in less than a year and a half, commissioned two powerful battleships.

In 1900-1904. The power of the Japanese army increased significantly. It was staffed on the basis of the law on universal military service, which applied to persons aged 17 to 40 years. The service of Japanese citizens was divided into active, first-class reserve, second-class reserve (territorial troops) and militia. Since in Peaceful time The conscription contingent exceeded the need; recruitment into the army was carried out by drawing lots. Active service in the army lasted three years, and in the navy - four. Then the soldier was enlisted in the reserve of the first category, after four years and four months - in the reserve of the second category, and after another five years - in the militia.

Much attention in Japan was paid to officer training. The officers, continuing the samurai traditions, viewed themselves as the main stronghold of the empire, as the bearer of the idea of ​​“great Japan” and the “exclusivity” of the Japanese nation.

According to the imperial rescript, the officer directly carries out the will of the emperor in the army, treats his subordinates in the same way as the emperor treats his people, and his order is an imperial order, and disobedience is regarded as disobedience to the will of the emperor.

The Japanese soldier was brought up on the principle of complete submission to the will of the commander and strict execution of the officer's orders. This type of fanatic soldier was glorified by the Japanese press, his valor was glorified, and service in the army was considered a great honor, not compared with any profession. As a rule, speeches by leading Japanese statesmen, throne or anniversary speeches by representatives of the imperial house were not complete without praise to the army and navy. No holiday was celebrated more magnificently than Army and Navy Day; no one was seen off as solemnly as soldiers going to the front. Songs were written about officers and generals, and they were given the most honorable places at religious and secular ceremonies.

In order to create the appearance of social closeness between soldiers and officers, the promotion and appointment to officer positions of middle and especially lower-ranking soldiers - peasants who had distinguished themselves in service - were allowed.

The highest tactical unit of the Japanese army was the division. The creation of an army in wartime was envisaged. Before the start of the Russo-Japanese War, three armies appeared in Japan.

The division consisted of two infantry brigades of two regiments each, a regiment of three battalions, and a battalion of four companies. The division had one cavalry regiment of three squadrons and an artillery regiment of two divisions (each division had three six-gun batteries). The division also had engineer and supply battalions.

The Guards and First Capital divisions were organized in a special way. Each of them included a cavalry brigade, the brigade had two regiments of five squadrons each, and an artillery brigade, composed of three regiments of two divisions each (each division had three six-gun batteries). Army artillery was formed from allocated divisions and batteries included in the divisions. In wartime, each division was given reinforcement units. The wartime company had a staff of 217 people, an engineer company - 220 people, a field battery - six 75-mm guns, 150 soldiers and officers.

Even on the eve of the war, Japan began deploying its army according to a wartime plan. At the same time, to strengthen the active troops with wartime personnel, it was planned to form 52 reserve infantry battalions and 52 reserve batteries (312 guns), and to make up for the loss in the active artillery - 19 spare batteries (114 guns) of field artillery.

Conclusion: From the above, we can conclude that Japan was ready for war earlier and had all the necessary weapons, it was helped by developed countries such as England and the USA.

1.3 Russia's preparation for war

The gradual concentration of Russian troops in the Far East began long before the war. The predatory policy of England in the Far East, which contradicted the interests of Russian capital, forced the tsarist government back in 1885 to strengthen its troops in the border Siberian districts. Further strengthening followed in 1887 in connection with the then brewing conflict between Japan and China. This strengthening was considered necessary “in order not to remain a passive spectator of events and to be able to defend one’s interests.”

At the same time, the “defense” of their interests was conceived in the form of the seizure of Northern Manchuria. At the same time, it was recognized that it was necessary to strengthen Pacific Fleet. Large amounts of money were allocated to strengthen armaments in the Far East.

The tsarist troops stationed in the Far East were brought to wartime states, and by the beginning of the Sino-Japanese War their numbers had increased to 30,500 men and 74 guns. The bulk of the troops were Cossack cavalry.

In anticipation of intervention in the Treaty of Shimonoseki, the border districts were reinforced with various formations and mainly with artillery. The Amur Governor-General Dukhovsky was instructed to carry out a number of activities that boiled down to strengthening local formations and strengthening Vladivostok, Nikolaevsk and Sakhalin. At the same time, Dukhovskoy especially insisted on forming units in European Russia from old-serving soldiers, since the recruitment of units in Siberia could be done mainly through recruits, who, in Dukhovsky’s opinion, were “the most dangerous politically.”

Due to severe financial situation Russia was able to fully implement measures to strengthen troops in the Far East only in relation to the Amur District. The remaining activities were spread over several years, including fortification work and the development of engineering defense of the Pacific coast throughout recent years large sums were allocated before the war.

The slowness in preparing for war in the Far East is partly explained by the tsarist government's confidence that the Far Eastern problem would find its solution in a war on the western border. The attention of tsarism was not promptly switched from West to East, as a result of which by 1898 the number of troops in the Far East reached only 60,000 people and 126 guns.

Heavy financial condition Tsarist Russia, the rudimentary state of engineering training for the theater of war, the sparsely populated and impassable region, as well as the lack of barracks facilities delayed the concentration of troops in the Far East. Japan accelerated the pace of its armaments and was in a hurry to start a war before the Russians completed the construction of the Circum-Baikal railway line.

In 1898, when, with Russia’s seizure of the Kwantung Peninsula, relations between Russia and Japan became even more strained, a plan was drawn up to strengthen the Russian army in the Far East, providing for the accumulation of 90,000 people and 184 guns by 1903, while the Japanese army by this time , according to the initial assumptions of the Russians, should have increased to 394,000 people and 1014 guns.

The tsarist government was forced to think about accelerating the rate of accumulation of troops in the Far East. This was facilitated by the war against the Chinese popular uprising in 1900-1901, which caused significant transfers of troops from European Russia, as well as the creation of a number of new formations and the reorganization of units located in the Far East.

The tense situation in the Far East required further strengthening of the Russian army, and Governor Alekseev from the center was ordered to “in the shortest possible time and without stopping at the necessary expenses, put our combat readiness in the Far East in complete balance with our political and economic tasks.” This order required the creation of two new buildings total number at least 50,000 people, with their concentration in the area of ​​the proposed Japanese landing. Strengthening was achieved not by sending organized units from European Russia, but by reforming local troops with the inclusion of separate groups of soldiers sent from European Russia.

It was decided to transfer two divisions and one brigade to the Kwantung District, as well as to strengthen Port Arthur and Vladivostok. Port Arthur received fortress infantry and fortress artillery. Under the pretext of testing the Siberian railway in 1903, Far East Two infantry brigades (10th and 17th corps) with artillery were transferred. These brigades were not supplied with sufficient supplies, and therefore turned out to be not fully capable of campaigns. The troops on Sakhalin Island were also reinforced. The cavalry was kept in European Russia in case of war in the West and the suppression of the revolution. In addition, it was recognized as impossible to use large horse masses in the mountainous areas of Manchuria. It was decided to confine Manchuria to Cossack cavalry located in the border areas.

Thus, by the beginning of the war, Russia had 98,000 people and 272 guns in the Far East, in addition to 24,000 people and 48 guns of security guards.

The war found the troops in a period of reorganization: two-battalion regiments were deployed into three-battalion regiments, and brigades were deployed into divisions.

The engineering preparation of the theater proceeded just as slowly.

The question of strengthening the proposed theater of war was raised only when the inevitability of the imminent outbreak of war with Japan became obvious. The main attention was paid to strengthening the fortresses of Port Arthur and Vladivostok, as well as to the construction of some fortifications in possible operational directions of the future enemy. The isolated position of Port Arthur required its serious strengthening, which would give the fortress the opportunity to hold out for a more or less long time while awaiting revenue.

The Port Arthur fortification project of the first stage provided for a two-year construction period, but various circumstances (the Chinese popular uprising of 1900, during which Chinese workers fled, a cholera epidemic) slowed down the start of work. The work that had begun progressed sluggishly.

Since 1903, the work was carried out more successfully, but it was already too late: the program for the construction of the Port Arthur fortress was not completed, just like the program for the construction of fortifications on the Jinzhou Isthmus.

As for Vladivostok, by the beginning of the war it was to some extent protected from an accelerated attack.

Within the country, tsarism was unable to provide itself with strong support. Dissatisfaction with the autocratic regime grew.

In the field of foreign policy, the tsarist government managed to achieve some success. By strengthening the alliance with France, Russia achieved partial rearmament of its artillery with the best types of guns, but absolutely nothing was done to organize the production of machine guns. The trade agreement with Germany gave tsarism a free hand and allowed troops to be transferred from the western border to the east. China declared its neutrality. However, the presence of troops of Chinese generals Yuan Shi-kai and Ma beyond the Pechili border required the Russians to strengthen the right flank of the deployment to the detriment of the group in the most important eastern sector of the theater.

Regarding occupied Manchuria, it must be said that the police regime and the brutal exploitation of the Chinese population aroused a hostile attitude on the part of the latter, which also affected the actions of the Russian army.

Conclusion: Thus, neither militarily nor politically, tsarist Russia was ready for war.

2. The course of military operations during the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905.

2.1 The course of military operations during the Russo-Japanese War in 1904

On the eve of the war, Japan had a relatively small, but well-trained army and navy equipped with the latest weapons. Russia kept only 100 thousand people in the Far East. on the territory from Lake Baikal to Port Arthur. The Russian fleet had 63 ships, many of which were outdated.

The Russian war plan was based on the idea of ​​gaining time to concentrate and deploy forces in the Liaoyang region. To do this, it was assumed that part of the troops would hold back the advance of the Japanese army, gradually retreating to the north, and also hold the Port Arthur fortress. Subsequently, it was planned to go on a general offensive, defeat the Japanese army and land on the Japanese Islands. The fleet was tasked with seizing supremacy at sea and preventing Japanese troops from landing on the mainland.

The Japanese strategic plan envisaged seizing supremacy at sea with a surprise attack and destruction of the Port Arthur squadron, then landing troops in Korea and Southern Manchuria, capturing Port Arthur and defeating the main forces of the Russian army in the Liaoyang area. In the future, it was planned to occupy Manchuria, the Ussuri and Primorsky territories.

Japan, despite concessions to Russia, broke off diplomatic relations on January 24, 1904. On the night of January 27, Japanese destroyers, taking advantage of the carelessness of the Russian command, suddenly attacked the Russian squadron stationed on the outer roadstead of Port Arthur. Japan declared war on Russia.

In the afternoon of the same date, a large group of Japanese cruisers and destroyers blocked the Russian cruiser "Varyag" and the gunboat "Koreets" in the Korean port . Our ships, in battle with superior enemy forces, were still unable to make their way into the ocean. Not wanting to surrender to the enemy, the cruiser "Varyag" was sunk, and "Korean" was blown up.

Only with the arrival in Port Arthur of Admiral S.O. in February 1904. Makarov's defense of the naval base was thoroughly strengthened, and the remaining ships of the squadron greatly increased their combat effectiveness. But, on March 31, the battleship Petropavlovsk , on which S.O. Makarov was located, was blown up by a mine and sank in a matter of minutes. The fleet remaining in Port Arthur switched to passive defense.

In early February, units of the 60,000-strong Japanese 1st Army landed in Korea and in mid-April began fighting in southern Manchuria with the Russian 20,000-strong eastern detachment of the Manchurian Army. Under the pressure of superior enemy forces, our troops retreated, which gave the Japanese the opportunity, having landed another landing force, already in southern Manchuria, to attack Russian fortifications and capture Jingzhou, thereby cutting off Port Arthur from the ground army. And in mid-May, the 3rd Japanese Army, created to capture Port Arthur, landed in Talienwan Bay.

Sent to help Port Arthur, the 1st Siberian Corps, after an unsuccessful battle at Wafangou with superior forces of the 2nd Japanese Army, was forced to retreat north.

In July, the Russian squadron attempted a breakthrough from Port Arthur to Vladivostok. In the Yellow Sea, a battle took place with the squadron of Admiral Togo. Both squadrons suffered serious damage. During the battle, Rear Admiral Witteft and almost his entire staff were killed. As a result of the ensuing confusion of orders, Russian ships retreated in disorder, some broke through to the ports of foreign states and were interned there.

The ships of the Vladivostok squadron fought throughout the war active actions, made daring raids to the shores of Japan, sinking ships with strategic military cargo. The cruisers of the Vladivostok detachment were sent to meet the breaking through 1st Pacific squadron, but in the Korea Strait they entered into battle with the squadron of Admiral Kamimura. The cruiser Rurik was sunk in a fierce battle.

The Japanese Navy completed its task and secured supremacy at sea and the unimpeded transfer of troops to the mainland.

In August 1904, General Kuropatkin began to pull his attack units back to Liaoyang - where the 3 Japanese armies advancing from the coast, Wyfangou and from Korea were supposed to meet. On August 25, 1904, a major battle began at Liaoyang, which was notable for its particular bloodshed. The forces of the Japanese army were 125 thousand against 158 ​​thousand Russians. Ultimately, no decisive results were achieved; The Japanese lost 23 thousand, and the Russians - 19 thousand people, and despite the successful actions of the Russian troops, Kuropatkin considered himself defeated and began a systematic, well-organized retreat north to the Shahe River.

Having increased his army to 200 thousand people, General Kuropatkin, without a clear enough plan of action, launched an offensive against the 170 thousand troops of Marshal Oyama. On October 5-17, 1904, a counter battle took place on the Shakhe River, which ended inconclusively. Both sides suffered heavy losses and, having exhausted their offensive capabilities, went on the defensive. Here, for the first time, a continuous front over 60 km formed.

Strategically, Oyama won the decisive operation, thwarting the last Russian attempt to relieve Port Arthur. But still, the balance of forces began to develop in favor of the Russians and the position of the Japanese army became difficult. In this regard, the Japanese made attempts to the shortest possible time capture Port Arthur.

The struggle for Port Arthur began at the end of July 1904, when the Japanese army, having landed on the Liaodong Peninsula, approached the outer contours of the fortress. On August 6, the first assault began, lasting 5 days, ending in the defeat of the Japanese. The Japanese army was forced to move on to a long-term siege of the fortress. Until September, when the second assault began, siege work was carried out and the enemy artillery regiment was replenished with siege howitzers. In turn, the defenders of Port Arthur improved their defensive structures.

A stubborn struggle unfolded for the dominant heights, which were important in the defense system of the fortress. After fierce fighting, the Japanese managed to capture Mount Long. The attacks on Mount Vysoka ended in vain. This completed the second assault on the fortress. On October 17, after a 3-day artillery preparation, the Japanese carried out a third assault on the fortress, which lasted 3 days. All enemy attacks were repulsed by Russian troops with huge losses. On November 13, Japanese troops (over 50 thousand people) launched a fourth assault. They were bravely resisted by the Russian garrison, which by this time numbered 18 thousand people. Particularly heavy fighting took place over Mount Vysokaya, which fell on November 22. Having occupied Mount Vysokaya, the enemy began shelling the city and harbor with howitzers. In November, most of the battleships and cruisers sank.

The siege of the fortress lasted almost eight months. Combat-ready units still held the defense, 610 guns could fire, there were enough shells and food, out of 59 fortified units of the fortress, no more than 20 were lost. But the general strategic situation in other sectors of the front by this time was clearly not in favor of the Russian troops. And due to the cowardice of General Stessel and the new chief of ground defense, General A.V. Foka On December 20, 1904, Port Arthur was surrendered to the Japanese.

Conclusion: Following the results of the Russo-Japanese War in 1904, Port Arthur was surrendered to the Japanese.

2.2 The course of military operations during the Russo-Japanese War in 1905

The year was not successful for the Russian army; Russia lost the Port Arthur military base.

Taking advantage of the provided respite in the battles, Kuropatkin A.R. reorganized the troops and increased the total number of his troops to 300 thousand and on January 25-28, 1905 launched a new offensive, trying to crush all 3 armies of Marshal Oyama (total number 220 thousand). The most stubborn fighting took place in the area of ​​the village of Sandepu. The offensive was carried out by units of only the 2nd Russian Army, the Japanese command brought up reserves, and as a result, the advance of the Russian troops was stopped. Private successes were not developed and the armies retreated to their original lines.

And on February 19, 1905, the Japanese army itself launched a counteroffensive. The battle of Mukden, known in history, unfolded and lasted until February 25. And although the forces of the Russian troops amounted to 330 thousand people against 270 thousand Japanese, the Russian troops could not achieve victory in the battle. Both military groups, having dug in, met each other on a line 65 km long. And although Japanese soldiers entered Mukden after two weeks of fierce battles, Oyama’s attempt to encircle the Russians was unsuccessful. During the battle, the Russian right flank was thrown back so far that Kuropatkin had no choice but to leave the battle and retreat to the Sypin positions, defeated, but not put to flight.

The Russian army had not experienced such a defeat for a long time, although during the fighting it inflicted quite significant damage on the Japanese army and bled it so dry that they were unable to organize the pursuit of the Russian troops.

The operation near Mukden was completed fighting on the Manchurian front. As a result of the entire land campaign, Japan was able to retain almost the entire southern part of Manchuria. The Japanese victory was significant, but not so impressive as to force Russia to immediately make peace.

The last headquarters of the tsarist government were the newly formed 2nd and 3rd Pacific squadrons sent from the Baltic to the Far East in October 1904. Rozhdestvensky's 2nd Pacific Squadron reached the Korean Strait in 7 months of a voyage unprecedented for that time, covering over 18,000 miles in May 1905. In its narrowest part, between the islands of Tsushima and Iki, the squadron was already waiting for the Japanese ships deployed for battle under the command of Admiral Togo.

The Battle of Tsushima began on May 27, 1905. The Japanese concentrated all their firepower on the lead Russian battleships. The Russian ships fought back bravely, causing significant damage to the Japanese ships. Admiral Rozhdestvensky was seriously wounded. The forces were unequal and the Russian squadron lost control, the formation broke up and the battle broke up into duels between individual Russian ships and superior enemy forces. The battle continued even after sunset. At night, the attacks of Japanese destroyers caused especially heavy damage to the Russian squadron. As a result of day and night battles, the Russian squadron ceased to exist as an organized, combat-ready force. Most of the squadron's ships were sunk. Some were forced to surrender to superior enemy forces. 1 destroyer and 3 cruisers went to foreign ports and were interned there. Only 1 cruiser and 2 destroyers broke through to Vladivostok.

As a result of the Battle of Tsushima, the Russian squadron lost over 5 thousand people killed. 27 warships were sunk, surrendered and interned. The Japanese squadron also suffered losses, but they were much smaller.

In the land theater of operations, after Mukden, there were practically no active combat operations.

Conclusion: In 1905 there was the Battle of Mukden, in which Russian troops were defeated. Russia was in no hurry to make peace with Japan, because it still relied on the strength of its army.

3. Treaty of Portsmouth

3.1 Results and significance of the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905.

During the armed struggle in the land and sea theaters, Japan achieved major successes. But despite the victories won, the morale of the Japanese troops gradually weakened. Immediately after the Battle of Tsushima, Japan turned to the United States with a request for mediation to the world. The American ambassador in St. Petersburg received instructions to persuade Russia to negotiate.

On July 1905, a peace conference opened in Portsmouth (USA). Negotiations began under favorable conditions for Japan. Before the opening of the conference, the Anglo-American imperialists agreed with Japan on delimiting spheres of influence in the Far East. Only the firm position of the delegation forced Japan to moderate its demands. Due to the depletion of its resources, Japan was afraid of a resumption of hostilities and therefore was forced to refuse indemnity and be content southern part Sakhalin.

The peace treaty signed on August 23, 1905 recognized Korea as a sphere of Japanese interests. Both sides pledged to withdraw their troops from Manchuria, Russia ceded Port Arthur and the railway to Changchun station. Part of Sakhalin south of the 50th parallel passed into Japanese possession. Russia pledged to grant the Japanese fishing rights along the Russian coasts in the Seas of Japan, Okhotsk and Bering Seas.

The bitter experience of the Russian-Japanese War was taken into account in the reorganization of the army and navy, which was carried out in 1908-1910.

The war 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.

And yet, victory in the war with Russia brought significant economic benefits to Japan. After the Russo-Japanese War, when Japan became the de facto master of Southern Manchuria, having captured the Chinese region developed through Russian efforts, the Chinese population in this area experienced all the “delights” of the occupation regime, turning into “second-class” people and cheap goods on their own land. labor. However, despite the defeat in the war, Russia remained a serious military-political force that was difficult for the Japanese government to ignore. But victory in the war inflamed the ambitions of the then Japanese elite and, as a result, led Japan to a crushing defeat and national disaster, but in the Second World War.

From the standpoint of today, the sophisticated propaganda of the then Japanese government about the desire to “save China from enslavement by Western powers” ​​looks especially cynical, but in fact, it is nurturing strategic plans destroy the existing infrastructure of Russian support for the integrity of the Chinese state. In practice, immediately after, under the terms of the Portsmouth Peace Treaty, Japan introduced a strict colonial regime and began to create a military springboard for the occupation of all of Manchuria and the further seizure of the internal provinces of China.

For Russia, historically more significant than the economic and human losses was the outbreak of the first Russian revolution, the onset of which accelerated the defeat in the war. The main result was that the war pushed Russia onto the path of transformation and further revolutionary changes, exacerbating many problems and contradictions inherent in autocratic power.

Reasons for Russia's defeat:

All the numerous reasons for Russia's defeat in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. can be reduced to three main groups:

reasons emanating from the general state system and the situation within the country;

reasons depending on low level military organization;

additional reasons.

Internal situation in the country

Russia had enough strength and means to win the war even after the disasters of Port Arthur, Mukden and Tsushima. Military and material resources the countries were huge, especially since only towards the end of the war the rusty state and military mechanism was rebuilt on a military scale. If the war had continued for another year or two, then Russia would have had the opportunity to reduce the war to at least a draw. However, the tsarist government was interested in concluding peace as quickly as possible. The main reason for this was the revolution that had begun in the country. Therefore, the State Council decided to conclude peace as quickly as possible, even in such unfavorable conditions, in order to free the hands of the government to fight the first bourgeois-democratic revolution of 1905-07 that had begun.

When peasant unrest, protests by the proletariat occur in the country, anti-government sentiments grow in the army and throughout society, and even armed uprisings occur in cities, in such conditions the government can have no other choice but to end the external war as soon as possible and direct all efforts to resolving the situation inside the country.

In 1905, Russia was a knot of contradictions. In the field of social-class relations, the most acute ones were the agrarian question, the position of the working class, and the national question of the peoples of the empire. In the political field, there is a contradiction between the authorities and the emerging civil society. Russia remained the only major capitalist power in which there was no parliament, no legal political parties, no legal freedoms of citizens. Russia's defeat in the Russo-Japanese War exposed its technical and economic backwardness compared to advanced countries, and in the context of growing confrontation between factions of imperialist states, such a lag was fraught with the most serious consequences.

Most researchers on the topic of the Russian-Japanese War, starting with V.I. Lenin, who characterized the defeat in the war as the military collapse of tsarism, saw the root cause of the defeat in the political system, in the Russian autocracy. Indeed, tsarism created bad generals, destroyed the army, and managed foreign and domestic policies. But the centuries-old history of autocracy in Rus' also saw brilliant victories.5

Conclusion: Thus, the contradiction between the needs of the country’s development and the inability to provide it under the conditions of autocratic Russia became increasingly irreconcilable. In the autumn-winter of 1905, the whole society was in motion. At this time, various streams of the revolutionary and liberal movement merged. The first Russian revolution of 1905-07 began.

Conclusion

The course work examined many of the reasons that led to Russia's defeat in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05. The root causes were the reactionary and incapacitated nature of tsarism and the high military command, the unpopularity of the war among the people, the poor preparedness of the army for military action, insufficient logistics, etc.

There are many reasons. These are purely military, and economic, and political, and social. And each of these reasons individually, and even as a group, would not have led Russia to that tragedy. The history of our country knows many cases when victories were won with “stupid” generals, and with unusable weapons, and with the opposition of many countries, and in times of revolutions and crises. In any difficult and unfavorable conditions, victory was still possible. But during that war, a huge variety of factors, like a mosaic, formed into a single picture. But then the question arises: why did all these factors develop in one place and at one time? A simple listing of historical facts and even their analysis does not give us an answer. Was this a fatal coincidence, an accident? Or some kind of pattern can be traced in that chain of events. And one pattern is striking - all events led to defeat, and everything conducive to victory was destroyed, be it the death of progressive commanders or problems with weapons, the worsening of the foreign policy situation or the heating up of the situation within the country. And there is only one conclusion - if events lead to defeat, then this defeat is necessary. What happened in Russia in the national consciousness at the beginning of the 20th century? Despite the fact that both culture and society continued to live and develop, something important began to disappear from the national consciousness, something that is more significant than culture and education - a certain system of values, spirituality began to degenerate. And it was precisely the internal degradation of the people that created the autocratic system, a weak king, stupid generals, an inert system of power, oppression of the people, etc. And no reforms could help or fundamentally change anything here. That’s why Stolypin’s reforms failed, the revolutionary situation escalated, military defeats took place, all this happened in order to cause a shock to the entire society, so that something would change in self-awareness. Development does not always go straight upward; very often, to realize something important, shocks, crises, and disasters are needed.

So, the events of 1904-1905. only links in a large chain of events in the history of our country. Russia was defeated in the Russo-Japanese War because... this was necessary for the whole country to emerge from the state of decline in national consciousness in which Russia found itself at the beginning of the 20th century.

Bibliography

1. Balakin V.I. Causes and consequences of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. // "New and recent history"2004 N 6

Vinogradsky A.N. Japanese-Russian War. Causes, theater of war and means of the parties. St. Petersburg, 1904, p.3.

Zolotukhin A.P. History of the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905. M. 1980

Levitsky N.A. Russian-Japanese War 1904-1905. M., 2003

International relationships in the Far East. M., Politizdat. 1991

Minutes of the Portsmouth Peace Conference and the text of the treaty between Russia and Japan, concluded in Portsmouth on August 23 (September 5), 1905. St. Petersburg, 1906, pp. 101-104.

Fedorov A. History Russia XIX beginning of XX I.M., 1975

Shirokorad A.B. Fall of Port Arthur. Publishing house AS Moscow 2003 ERMAK, p. 184-191.

Application

Appendix A

Table the balance of forces between the parties before the start of the war.

Russian Pacific squadron in Port Arthur Japanese United Fleet Squadron battleships 7 6 Armored cruisers 1 6 Large armored cruisers (over 4000 tons) 4 4 Small armored cruisers 2 4 Mine cruisers (advice notices and minelayers) 4 2 Seaworthy gunboats 7 2 Fighters ( destroyers) 22 19 Destroyers - 16 Artillery: 12" 20 24 10" 8 - 8" 10* 30 6" 136 184 120 mm 13 43

* Including 4 9" (229mm) guns on gunboats

Appendix B

Tables of ships, rifles and cannons of the Japanese army.

Ships built for Japan overseas

Ship class Quantity Place of construction Squadron battleships 4 England Armored cruisers 1st class 6 England, France Unarmored cruisers 5 England, USA Mine cruisers 3 Japan Mine fighters (destroyers) 11 England Destroyers with a displacement of more than 100 tons 23 France, Germany Destroyers with a displacement of more than 800 tons 31 France, Germany M foreign socks35Japan

Rifle comparisons

Data on riflesMurata (model 1889) Arisaka (model 1897) Mosin (model 1891) Caliber, mm86,57,62Rifle length, mm with bayonet149016601734 without bayonet121012701306Barrel length, mm750800800Rifle weight, kg. with bayonet...4.34 without bayonet 3.913.94.3 Number of cartridges in magazine 855 Initial speed, m/s. ...704860Sighting range, m. ...24002200

Japanese gun data

Gun data Field Mountain Caliber, mm 7575 Barrel length, mm/club 2200/29.31000/13.3 Length of the rifled part, mm 1857800 Weight of the barrel with bolt, mm 32799 Angle VN, deg. -5; +28-140; +33 Angle GN, degrees. Both guns do not have a rotating mechanism. Height of the firing line, mm. 700500Stroke width, mm1300700Wheel diameter, mm14001000System weight, kg in combat position880328 in stowed position with limber1640360Rate of fire, rds. /min. 33

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Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905 - one of the main events of the reign of Nicholas II. This war, unfortunately, ended in the defeat of Russia. This article briefly outlines the causes, main events of the Russo-Japanese War and its results.

In 1904-1905 Russia fought an unnecessary war with Japan, which ended in defeat due to command errors and underestimation of the enemy. The main battle is the defense of Port Arthur. The war ended with the Peace of Portsmouth, according to which Russia lost the southern half of the island. Sakhalin. The war aggravated the revolutionary situation in the country.

Causes of the war

Nicholas II understood that further advancement of Russia in Europe or Central Asia was impossible. The Crimean War limited further expansion in Europe, and after the conquest of the Central Asian khanates (Khiva, Bukhara, Kokand), Russia reached the borders of Persia and Afghanistan, which were in the sphere of influence of the British Empire. Therefore, the tsar decided to focus on the Far Eastern direction of foreign policy. Russia’s relations with China were developing successfully: with the permission of China, the CER (Chinese-Eastern Railway) was built, connecting the lands from Transbaikalia to Vladivostok.

In 1898, Russia and China entered into an agreement under which the Port Arthur fortress and the Liaodong Peninsula were transferred to Russia for 25 years on a free lease basis. In the Far East, Russia met a new enemy - Japan. This country had undergone rapid modernization (the Meiji reforms) and was now setting itself up for an aggressive foreign policy.

The main reasons for the Russo-Japanese War are:

1. The struggle between Russia and Japan for dominance in the Far East.
2. The Japanese were outraged by the construction of the Chinese Eastern Railway, as well as by the increasing economic influence of Russia on Manchuria.
3. Both powers sought to bring China and Korea into their sphere of influence.
4. Japanese foreign policy had a pronounced imperialist tone; the Japanese dreamed of establishing their dominance in the entire Pacific region (the so-called “Great Japan”).
5. Russia was preparing for war not only because of foreign policy goals. There were internal problems in the country, from which the government wanted to distract the people by staging a “small victorious war.” This name was invented by the Minister of Internal Affairs Plehve. It means that by defeating a weak enemy, people’s trust in the king will increase and contradictions in society will weaken.

Unfortunately, these expectations were not at all justified. Russia was not ready for war. Only Count S.Yu. Witte opposed the coming war, proposing peaceful economic development of the Far Eastern part of the Russian Empire.

Chronology of the war. Course of events and their description

The war began with an unexpected Japanese attack on the Russian fleet on the night of January 26-27, 1904. On the same day, an unequal and heroic battle took place in the Korean Chemulpo Bay between the cruiser Varyag, commanded by V.F. Rudnev, and the gunboat “Koreets” against the Japanese. The ships were blown up so as not to fall to the enemy. However, the Japanese managed to gain naval superiority, which allowed them to further transfer troops to the continent.

From the very beginning of the war, the main problem for Russia was revealed - the inability to quickly transfer new forces to the front. The population of the Russian Empire was 3.5 times larger than Japan, but it was concentrated in the European part of the country. The Trans-Siberian Railway, built shortly before the war, could not ensure the timely dispatch of fresh forces to the Far East. It was much easier for the Japanese to replenish the army, so they had superiority in numbers.

Already in February-April 1904. The Japanese landed on the continent and began to push back Russian troops.

31.03.1904 A terrible tragedy, fatal for Russia and the further course of the war, occurred - Admiral Makarov, a talented, outstanding naval commander who commanded the Pacific squadron, died. On the flagship Petropavlovsk he was blown up by a mine. V.V. died together with Makarov and Petropavlovsk. Vereshchagin is the most famous Russian battle painter, author of the famous painting “The Apotheosis of War.”

IN May 1904. General A.N. Kuropatkin takes command of the army. This general has done a lot fatal errors, and all his military actions were characterized by indecision and constant hesitation. The outcome of the war would have been completely different if this mediocre commander had not been at the head of the army. Kuropatkin’s mistakes led to the fact that the most important fortress in the region, Port Arthur, was cut off from the rest of the army.

IN May 1904. The central episode of the Russian-Japanese War begins - the siege of Port Arthur. Russian troops heroically defended this fortress from the superior forces of Japanese troops for 157 days.

Initially, the defense was led by the talented General R.I. Kondratenko. He took competent actions, and inspired the soldiers with his personal courage and valor. Unfortunately, he died early December 1904., and his place was taken by General A.M. Stoessel, who shamefully surrendered Port Arthur to the Japanese. Stessel was noted for similar “feats” more than once during the war: before the surrender of Port Arthur, which could still fight the enemy, he surrendered the port of Dalny without offering any resistance. From Dalny, the Japanese supplied the rest of the army. Surprisingly, Stoessel was not even convicted.

IN August 1904. A battle took place near Liaoyang, in which Russian troops led by Kuropatkin were defeated and then retreated to Mukden. In October of the same year, an unsuccessful battle took place on the river. Shahe.

IN February 1905. Russian troops were defeated near Mukden. It was a large, difficult and very bloody battle: both troops suffered huge losses, our troops managed to retreat in perfect order, and the Japanese had finally exhausted their offensive potential.

IN May 1905 The last battle of the Russo-Japanese War took place: the Battle of Tsushima. The Second Pacific Squadron, led by Admiral Rozhestvensky, was defeated at Tsushima. The squadron has come a long way: it left Baltic Sea, circumnavigated all of Europe and Africa.

Each defeat had a painful impact on the state of Russian society. If at the beginning of the war there was a general patriotic upsurge, then with each new defeat confidence in the tsar fell. Moreover, 09.01.1905 The First Russian Revolution had begun, and Nicholas II needed immediate peace and an end to hostilities in order to suppress protests within Russia.

08/23/1905. A peace treaty was concluded in the city of Portsmouth (USA).

Portsmouth World

After the Tsushima disaster, it became obvious that peace had to be made. Count S.Yu. became the Russian ambassador. Witte. Nicholas II persistently demanded that Witte adamantly defend Russia's interests during the negotiations. The Tsar wanted Russia to make no territorial or material concessions under the peace treaty. But Count Witte realized that he would still have to give in. Moreover, shortly before the end of the war, the Japanese occupied the island of Sakhalin.

The Treaty of Portsmouth was signed on the following terms:

1. Russia recognized Korea in the Japanese sphere of influence.
2. The fortress of Port Arthur and the Liaodong Peninsula were ceded to the Japanese.
3. Japan occupied South Sakhalin. The Kuril Islands remained with Japan.
4. The Japanese were granted the right to fisheries along the shores of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, Japan and Bering Sea.

It is worth saying that Witte managed to conclude a peace agreement on fairly mild terms. The Japanese did not receive a penny of indemnity, and the concession of half of Sakhalin was of little significance for Russia: at that time this island was not actively being developed. A remarkable fact: for this territorial concession S.Yu. Witte received the nickname “Count of Polus-Sakhalinsky”.

Reasons for Russia's defeat

The main reasons for the defeat were:

1. Underestimating the enemy. The government was committed to a “small victorious war” that would end in a quick and triumphant victory. However, this did not happen.
2. Support for Japan by the USA and England. These countries supported Japan financially and also supplied it with weapons.
3. Russia was not ready for war: there were not enough troops concentrated in the Far East, and the transfer of soldiers from the European part of the country was long and difficult.
4. The Japanese side had a certain superiority in military-technical equipment.
5. Command errors. It is enough to recall the indecision and hesitation of Kuropatkin, as well as Stessel, who betrayed Russia by surrendering Port Arthur to the Japanese, which could still defend itself.

These points determined the loss of the war.

Results of the war and its significance

The Russo-Japanese War had the following results:

1. Russia's defeat in the war, first of all, “added fuel” to the fire of the revolution. The people saw in this defeat the inability of the autocracy to govern the country. It was not possible to organize a “small victorious war.” Confidence in Nicholas II dropped significantly.
2. Russia's influence in the Far Eastern region has weakened. This led to the fact that Nicholas II decided to shift the vector of Russian foreign policy towards the European direction. After this defeat, Tsarist Russia no longer accepted any operations to strengthen its political influence in the Far East. In Europe, Russia participated in the First World War.
3. The unsuccessful Russo-Japanese War led to instability within Russia itself. The influence of the most radical and revolutionary parties increased, giving critical characterizations of the autocratic government and accusing it of its inability to lead the country.

Event	Participants	Meaning
Japanese attack on the Russian fleet on January 26-27, 1904. Battle at Chemulpo	V.F.Rudnev.	The Japanese achieved naval superiority, despite the heroic resistance of the Russian fleet.
The death of the Russian fleet 03/31/1904	S.O. Makarov.	The death of a talented Russian naval commander and a strong squadron.
May-December 1904 – defense of Port Arthur.	R.I. Kondratenko, A.M. Stoessel.	Port Arthur was taken after a long and bloody struggle
August 1904 – Battle of Liaoyang.	A.N.Kuropatkin.	Defeat of Russian troops.
October 1904 – battle near the river. Shahe.	A.N.Kuropatkin.	The defeat of the Russian troops and their retreat to Mukden.
February 1905 – Battle of Mukden.	A.N.Kuropatkin.	Despite the defeat of our soldiers, the Japanese had exhausted their offensive potential.
May 1905 – Battle of Tsushima.	Z.P.Rozhestvensky.	The last battle of the war: after this defeat the Treaty of Portsmouth was concluded.

Attack of Japanese destroyers of the Russian squadron.

On the night of February 8 to 9 (January 26 to 27), 1904, 10 Japanese destroyers suddenly attacked the Russian squadron in the outer roadstead of Port Arthur. The squadron battleships Tsesarevich, Retvizan and the cruiser Pallada received heavy damage from the explosions of Japanese torpedoes and ran aground to avoid sinking. Japanese destroyers were damaged by return fire from the artillery of the Russian squadron IJN Akatsuki And IJN Shirakumo. Thus began the Russo-Japanese War.

On the same day, Japanese troops began landing troops in the area of ​​​​the port of Chemulpo. While trying to leave the port and head to Port Arthur, the gunboat Koreets was attacked by Japanese destroyers, forcing it to return.

On February 9 (January 27), 1904, the battle of Chemulpo took place. As a result, due to the impossibility of a breakthrough, the cruiser “Varyag” was scuttled by their crews and the gunboat “Koreets” was blown up.

On the same day, February 9 (January 27), 1904, Admiral Jessen headed out to sea at the head of the Vladivostok detachment of cruisers to begin military operations to disrupt transport links between Japan and Korea.

On February 11 (January 29), 1904, near Port Arthur, near the San Shan-tao Islands, the Russian cruiser Boyarin was blown up by a Japanese mine.

On February 24 (February 11), 1904, the Japanese fleet tried to close the exit from Port Arthur by sinking 5 ships loaded with stone. The attempt was unsuccessful.

On February 25 (February 12), 1904, two Russian destroyers “Besstrashny” and “Impressive”, while going out for reconnaissance, came across 4 Japanese cruisers. The first managed to escape, but the second was driven into Blue Bay, where it was scuttled by order of Captain M. Podushkin.

On March 2 (February 18), 1904, by order of the Naval General Staff, the Mediterranean squadron of Admiral A. Virenius (battleship Oslyabya, cruisers Aurora and Dmitry Donskoy and 7 destroyers), heading to Port Arthur, was recalled to the Baltic Sea .

On March 6 (February 22), 1904, a Japanese squadron shelled Vladivostok. The damage was minor. The fortress was placed in a state of siege.

On March 8 (February 24), 1904, the new commander of the Russian Pacific squadron, Vice Admiral S. Makarov, arrived in Port Arthur, replacing Admiral O. Stark in this post.

On March 10 (February 26), 1904, in the Yellow Sea, while returning from reconnaissance in Port Arthur, he was sunk by four Japanese destroyers ( IJN Usugumo , IJN Shinonome , IJN Akebono , IJN Sazanami) Russian destroyer "Steregushchy", and "Resolute" managed to return to port.

Russian fleet in Port Arthur.

On March 27 (March 14), 1904, the second Japanese attempt to block the entrance to Port Arthur harbor by flooding fire ships was thwarted.

April 4 (March 22), 1904 Japanese battleships IJN Fuji And IJN Yashima Port Arthur was bombarded with fire from Golubina Bay. In total, they fired 200 shots and main caliber guns. But the effect was minimal.

On April 12 (March 30), 1904, the Russian destroyer Strashny was sunk by Japanese destroyers.

On April 13 (March 31), 1904, the battleship Petropavlovsk was blown up by a mine and sank with almost its entire crew while going to sea. Among the dead was Admiral S. O. Makarov. Also on this day, the battleship Pobeda was damaged by a mine explosion and was out of commission for several weeks.

April 15 (April 2), 1904 Japanese cruisers IJN Kasuga And IJN Nisshin fired at the inner roadstead of Port Arthur with throwing fire.

On April 25 (April 12), 1904, the Vladivostok detachment of cruisers sank a Japanese steamer off the coast of Korea IJN Goyo-Maru, coaster IJN Haginura-Maru and Japanese military transport IJN Kinsu-Maru, after which he headed to Vladivostok.

May 2 (April 19), 1904 by the Japanese, with the support of gunboats IJN Akagi And IJN Chōkai, destroyers of the 9th, 14th and 16th destroyer flotillas, a third and final attempt was made to block the entrance to Port Arthur harbor, this time using 10 transports ( IJN Mikasha-Maru, IJN Sakura-Maru, IJN Totomi-Maru, IJN Otaru-Maru, IJN Sagami-Maru, IJN Aikoku-Maru, IJN Omi-Maru, IJN Asagao-Maru, IJN Iedo-Maru, IJN Kokura-Maru, IJN Fuzan-Maru) As a result, they managed to partially block the passage and temporarily make it impossible for large Russian ships to exit. This facilitated the unhindered landing of the Japanese 2nd Army in Manchuria.

On May 5 (April 22), 1904, the 2nd Japanese Army under the command of General Yasukata Oku, numbering about 38.5 thousand people, began landing on the Liaodong Peninsula, about 100 kilometers from Port Arthur.

On May 12 (April 29), 1904, four Japanese destroyers of the 2nd flotilla of Admiral I. Miyako began sweeping Russian mines in Kerr Bay. While performing its assigned task, destroyer No. 48 hit a mine and sank. On the same day, Japanese troops finally cut off Port Arthur from Manchuria. The siege of Port Arthur began.

Death IJN Hatsuse on Russian mines.

On May 15 (May 2), 1904, two Japanese battleships were blown up and sank at a minefield laid the day before by the minelayer Amur. IJN Yashima And IJN Hatsuse .

Also on this day, a collision of Japanese cruisers occurred near Elliot Island. IJN Kasuga And IJN Yoshino, in which the second sank from the damage received. And off the southeastern coast of Kanglu Island, the advice note ran aground IJN Tatsuta .

On May 16 (May 3), 1904, two Japanese gunboats collided during an amphibious operation southeast of the city of Yingkou. The boat sank as a result of the collision IJN Oshima .

On May 17 (May 4), 1904, a Japanese destroyer was hit by a mine and sank IJN Akatsuki .

On May 27 (May 14), 1904, not far from the city of Dalniy, the Russian destroyer Attentive hit rocks and was blown up by its crew. On the same day, Japanese advice note IJN Miyako hit a Russian mine and sank in Kerr Bay.

On June 12 (May 30), 1904, the Vladivostok detachment of cruisers entered the Korea Strait to disrupt Japan's sea communications.

On June 15 (June 2), 1904, the cruiser Gromoboy sank two Japanese transports: IJN Izuma-Maru And IJN Hitachi-Maru, and the cruiser "Rurik" sank a Japanese transport with two torpedoes IJN Sado-Maru. In total, the three transports carried 2,445 Japanese soldiers and officers, 320 horses and 18 heavy 11-inch howitzers.

On June 23 (June 10), 1904, the Pacific squadron of Rear Admiral V. Vitgoft made the first attempt to break through to Vladivostok. But when the Japanese fleet of Admiral H. Togo was discovered, she returned to Port Arthur without engaging in battle. At night of the same day, Japanese destroyers launched an unsuccessful attack on the Russian squadron.

On June 28 (June 15), 1904, the Vladivostok detachment of cruisers of Admiral Jessen again went to sea to disrupt the enemy’s sea communications.

On July 17 (July 4), 1904, near Skrypleva Island, the Russian destroyer No. 208 was blown up and sank in a Japanese minefield.

On July 18 (July 5), 1904, the Russian minelayer Yenisei hit a mine in Talienwan Bay and the Japanese cruiser sank IJN Kaimon .

On July 20 (July 7), 1904, the Vladivostok detachment of cruisers entered the Pacific Ocean through the Sangar Strait.

On July 22 (July 9), 1904, the detachment was detained with smuggled cargo and sent to Vladivostok with a prize crew of the English steamer Arabia.

On July 23 (July 10), 1904, the Vladivostok detachment of cruisers approached the entrance to Tokyo Bay. Here an English steamer with smuggled cargo was searched and sunk Night Commander. Also on this day, several Japanese schooners and a German steamer were sunk Tea, traveling with smuggled cargo to Japan. And the English steamer captured later Kalhas, after inspection, was sent to Vladivostok. The cruisers of the detachment also headed to their port.

On July 25 (July 12), 1904, a squadron of Japanese destroyers approached the mouth of the Liaohe River from the sea. The crew of the Russian gunboat "Sivuch", due to the impossibility of a breakthrough, after landing on the shore, blew up their ship.

On August 7 (July 25), 1904, Japanese troops fired at Port Arthur and its harbors for the first time from land. As a result of the shelling, the battleship Tsesarevich was damaged, and the squadron commander, Rear Admiral V. Vitgeft, was slightly wounded. The battleship Retvizan was also damaged.

On August 8 (July 26), 1904, a detachment of ships consisting of the cruiser Novik, the gunboat Beaver and 15 destroyers took part in Tahe Bay in shelling of the advancing Japanese troops, causing heavy losses.

Battle in the Yellow Sea.

On August 10 (July 28), 1904, during an attempt to break through the Russian squadron from Port Arthur to Vladivostok, a battle took place in the Yellow Sea. During the battle, Rear Admiral V. Vitgeft was killed, and the Russian squadron, having lost control, disintegrated. 5 Russian battleships, the cruiser Bayan and 2 destroyers began to retreat to Port Arthur in disarray. Only the battleship Tsesarevich, the cruisers Novik, Askold, Diana and 6 destroyers broke through the Japanese blockade. The battleship "Tsarevich", the cruiser "Novik" and 3 destroyers headed to Qingdao, the cruiser "Askold" and the destroyer "Grozovoy" - to Shanghai, the cruiser "Diana" - to Saigon.

On August 11 (July 29), 1904, the Vladivostok detachment set out to meet the Russian squadron, which was supposed to break out from Port Arthur. The battleship "Tsesarevich", the cruiser "Novik", the destroyers "Besshumny", "Besposhchadny" and "Besstrashny" arrived in Qingdao. The cruiser Novik, having loaded 250 tons of coal into bunkers, set out to sea with the goal of breaking through to Vladivostok. On the same day, the Russian destroyer Resolute was interned by the Chinese authorities in Chifoo. Also on August 11, the team scuttled the damaged destroyer Burny.

On August 12 (July 30), 1904, the previously interned destroyer Resolute was captured in Chifoo by two Japanese destroyers.

On August 13 (July 31), 1904, the damaged Russian cruiser Askold was interned and disarmed in Shanghai.

August 14 (August 1), 1904, four Japanese cruisers ( IJN Izumo , IJN Tokiwa , IJN Azuma And IJN Iwate) intercepted three Russian cruisers (Russia, Rurik and Gromoboy) heading towards the First Pacific Squadron. A battle took place between them, which went down in history as the Battle of the Korea Strait. As a result of the battle, the Rurik was sunk, and the other two Russian cruisers returned to Vladivostok with damage.

On August 15 (August 2), 1904, in Qingdao, German authorities interned the Russian battleship Tsarevich.

On August 16 (August 3), 1904, the damaged cruisers Gromoboy and Rossiya returned to Vladivostok. In Port Arthur, the proposal of the Japanese general M. Nogi to surrender the fortress was rejected. On the same day, in the Pacific Ocean, the Russian cruiser Novik stopped and inspected an English steamer Celtic.

On August 20 (August 7), 1904, a battle took place near Sakhalin Island between the Russian cruiser Novik and Japanese IJN Tsushima And IJN Chitose. As a result of the battle "Novik" and IJN Tsushima received serious damage. Due to the impossibility of repairs and the danger of the ship being captured by the enemy, the commander of the Novik, M. Schultz, decided to scuttle the ship.

On August 24 (August 11), 1904, the Russian cruiser Diana was interned by the French authorities in Saigon.

September 7 (August 25), 1904 from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok by railway The submarine "Forel" was sent.

On October 1 (September 18), 1904, a Japanese gunboat was blown up by a Russian mine and sank near Iron Island. IJN Heiyen.

On October 15 (October 2), 1904, the 2nd Pacific Squadron of Admiral Z. Rozhestvensky left Libau for the Far East.

November 3 (October 21) was blown up by a mine placed by the Russian destroyer Skory and sank near Cape Lun Wan Tan Japanese destroyer IJN Hayatori .

On November 5 (October 23), 1904, in the inner roadstead of Port Arthur, after being hit by a Japanese shell, the ammunition of the Russian battleship Poltava detonated. As a result of this, the ship sank.

On November 6 (October 24), 1904, a Japanese gunboat hit a rock in the fog and sank near Port Arthur IJN Atago .

On November 28 (November 15), 1904, the submarine Dolphin was sent from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok by rail.

On December 6 (November 23), 1904, Japanese artillery, installed on the previously captured height No. 206, began a massive shelling of Russian ships stationed in the internal roadstead of Port Arthur. By the end of the day, they sunk the battleship Retvizan and suffered heavy damage to the battleship Peresvet. To remain intact, the battleship Sevastopol, the gunboat Brave and destroyers were taken out from under Japanese fire to the outer roadstead.

On December 7 (November 24), 1904, due to the impossibility of repairs after damage received from Japanese shelling, the battleship Peresvet was sunk by its crew in the western basin of Port Arthur harbor.

On December 8 (November 25), 1904, Japanese artillery sunk Russian ships in the internal roadstead of Port Arthur - the battleship Pobeda and the cruiser Pallada.

On December 9 (November 26), 1904, Japanese heavy artillery sank the cruiser Bayan, minelayer"Amur" and the gunboat "Gilyak".

December 25 (December 12), 1904 IJN Takasago During a patrol, she hit a mine laid by the Russian destroyer "Angry" and sank in the Yellow Sea between Port Arthur and Chieffo.

On December 26 (December 13), 1904, in the Port Arthur roadstead, the gunboat Beaver was sunk by Japanese artillery fire.

Submarines of the Siberian flotilla in Vladivostok.

On December 31 (December 18), 1904, the first four Kasatka-class submarines arrived in Vladivostok from St. Petersburg by rail.

On January 1, 1905 (December 19, 1904), in Port Arthur, by order of the crew command, the battleships Poltava and Peresvet, half-sunk in the internal roadstead, were blown up, and the battleship Sevastopol was sunk in the outer roadstead.

On January 2, 1905 (December 20, 1904), the commander of the defense of Port Arthur, General A. Stessel, gave the order to surrender the fortress. The siege of Port Arthur is over.

On the same day, before the surrender of the fortress, the clippers “Dzhigit” and “Robber” were sunk. The 1st Pacific Squadron was completely destroyed.

On January 5, 1905 (December 23, 1904), the submarine "Dolphin" arrived from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok by rail.

January 14 (January 1), 1905, by order of the commander of the Vladivostok port from the Forel submarines.

On March 20 (March 7), 1905, the 2nd Pacific Squadron of Admiral Z. Rozhdestvensky passed the Strait of Malacca and entered the Pacific Ocean.

On March 26 (March 13), 1905, the submarine "Dolphin" left Vladivostok for a combat position on Askold Island.

On March 29 (March 16), 1905, the submarine "Dolphin" returned to Vladivostok from combat duty near Askold Island.

On April 11 (March 29), 1905, torpedoes were delivered to Russian submarines in Vladivostok.

On April 13 (March 31), 1905, the 2nd Pacific Squadron of Admiral Z. Rozhdestvensky arrived at Cam Ranh Bay in Indochina.

On April 22 (April 9), 1905, the submarine “Kasatka” set out on a combat mission from Vladivostok to the shores of Korea.

On May 7 (April 24), 1905, the cruisers Rossiya and Gromoboy left Vladivostok to disrupt the enemy’s sea communications.

On May 9 (April 26), 1905, the 1st detachment of the 3rd Pacific squadron of Rear Admiral N. Nebogatov and the 2nd Pacific squadron of Vice Admiral Z. Rozhestvensky united in Cam Ranh Bay.

On May 11 (April 28), 1905, the cruisers Rossiya and Gromoboy returned to Vladivostok. During the raid they sank four Japanese transport ships.

On May 12 (April 29), 1905, three submarines - "Dolphin", "Kasatka" and "Som" - were sent to Preobrazheniya Bay to intercept the Japanese detachment. At 10 o'clock in the morning, near Vladivostok, near Cape Povorotny, the first battle involving a submarine took place. "Som" attacked the Japanese destroyers, but the attack ended in vain.

On May 14 (May 1), 1905, the Russian 2nd Pacific Squadron under Admiral Z. Rozhestvensky left for Vladivostok from Indochina.

On May 18 (May 5), 1905, the submarine Dolphin sank near the quay wall in Vladivostok due to an explosion of gasoline vapors.

On May 29 (May 16), 1905, the battleship Dmitry Donskoy was scuttled by his crew in the Sea of ​​Japan near the island of Dazhelet.

On May 30 (May 17), 1905, the Russian cruiser Izumrud landed on rocks near Cape Orekhov in St. Vladimir Bay and was blown up by its crew.

On June 3 (May 21), 1905, in the Philippines in Manila, American authorities interned the Russian cruiser Zhemchug.

On June 9 (May 27), 1905, the Russian cruiser Aurora was interned by the American authorities in the Philippines in Manila.

On June 29 (June 16), 1905, in Port Arthur, Japanese rescuers raised the Russian battleship Peresvet from the bottom.

On July 7 (June 24), 1905, Japanese troops began the Sakhalin landing operation to land troops of 14 thousand people. While Russian troops numbered only 7.2 thousand people on the island.

On July 8 (July 25), 1905, in Port Arthur, Japanese rescuers raised the sunken Russian battleship Poltava.

On July 29 (July 16), 1905, the Japanese Sakhalin landing operation ended with the surrender of Russian troops.

On August 14 (August 1), 1905, in the Tatar Strait, the Keta submarine launched an unsuccessful attack on two Japanese destroyers.

On August 22 (August 9), 1905, negotiations began in Portsmouth between Japan and Russia through the mediation of the United States.

On September 5 (August 23) in the USA in Portsmouth, a peace treaty was signed between the Empire of Japan and the Russian Empire. According to the agreement, Japan received the Liaodong Peninsula, part of the Chinese Eastern Railway from Port Arthur to the city of Changchun and South Sakhalin, Russia recognized the predominant interests of Japan in Korea and agreed to the conclusion of a Russian-Japanese fishing convention. Russia and Japan pledged to withdraw their troops from Manchuria. Japan's demand for reparations was rejected.