| Russian-Japanese War (1904-1905)

Russian-Japanese War (1904-1905)

The Russian-Japanese war in 1904-1905 was carried out for control over Manchuria, Korea and ports of Port Arthur and Far. On the night of February 9, the Japanese fleet without ads of war attacked the Russian squadron at the external Ride Port Arthur - the naval base rented by Russia in China. The battleship "Retvosan" and "Cesarevich" and the kruiser "Pallada" were seriously damaged.

Military actions began, marked by the beginning of the Russian-Japanese war. In early March, the Russian squadron in Port Arthur was headed by an experienced Flotodets Vice-Admiral Makarov, but already on April 13 he died when the flagship battleship "Petropavlovsk" blew up on mine and sank. The squadron command passed to the counter-admiral V.K.Vithephtu.

In March 1904, the Japanese army landed in Korea, and in April - in the south of Manchuria. Russian troops under the command of General M.I. Zasulich did not stand the onset of the superior enemy forces and were forced to leave the Jinzhou position in May. Port Arthur, thus, turned out to be cut off from the Russian Manchurian army. The 3rd Japanese army of General M.Nogi was highlighted for the siege of the city. The 1st and 2nd Japanese armies began to quickly move to the north and in the battle at Wafangoou on June 14-15 forced to retreat the Russian army, which was commanded by the Military Minister General A.N. Kuropatkin.

At the beginning of August, the Japanese landed on the Liaodo Peninsula and approached the external defensive structure of the fortress. The garrison of Port Arthur numbered 50.5 thousand soldiers and officers at 646 guns and 62 machine guns. In the future, due to the use on land of marine artillery, the number of guns increased to 652. The Russian fleet in the Port Arthur Bay consisted of 6 armadiors, 6 cruisers, 2 mine cruisers, 4 gunboats, 19 destroyers and 2 mine transports. The number of crews of ships and coastal services of the fleet was 8 thousand people who later, after the death of the fleet, were thrown on the amplification of the ground parts. From the local population, volunteer squads were formed with a total number of 1.5 thousand people. The warriors were delivered in the position of ammunition and food, evacuated wounded and supported the connection between the headquarters and various areas of defense.

On August 10, 1904, the Russian squadron tried to escape from Port Arthur. The attempt almost succeeded, and the Japanese fleet was already going to retreat when on the captain's bridge of the flagship battleship "Cesarevich" broke out a fundamental projectile. As a result, the commander of the squadron Admiral Vithette and his whole headquarters died. The management of Russian ships was broken, they were trying to break through into Vladivostok, but everyone who managed to escape from the Harbor port Arthur were interned in neutral ports. Only Cruiser "Novik" managed to walk to the Corsakovsky post on Kamchatka, where he died in an unequal battle with Japanese cruisers.

The Defense of Port Arthur was led by the commandant of the fortress General A.M.Storessel, but the squadron did not obey him, being in the jurisdiction of the fleet commander, and he could not influence the actions of the ships locked in Port Arthur.

The rescued city of the 3rd Japanese army consisted of more than 50 thousand people and over 400 guns. On August 19, she tried to take Port Arthur assault, but in five days with big losses was discarded on the initial positions. The Japanese began to build the lines of the trenches and field fortifications around the fortress. In early September, they were able to capture a strategically important height of long. Other height - high - defenders cities managed to defend. In mid-October, the lack of food began to be acute in Port Arthur. It, as well as the starting cold, caused the spread of diseases among besieged. In mid-November, more than 7,000 wounded and sicks, typhoids and dyesteria were in Port Arthur Hospins. The Chinese population of the city, which consisted of 15 thousand people during the siege, was in an even more difficult situation and really hungry.

On October 30, after a three-day art preparation, the Japanese took the third assault of Port Arthur, which lasted three days and ended to no avail. November 26th the fourth assault began. On December 5, the Japanese troops captured the height of the high and were able to install 11-inch warm-ups for the shelling of the harbor. It immediately raised the accuracy of artillery shooting. On the same day, the Japanese batteries were drowned by the battleship "Poltava", December 6 - Retvosan battleship, December 7 - Perenos "Peresvet" and "Victory", as well as a pallada cruiser. Heavy damage got the bayan cruiser.

On December 15, the commander of the land defense of the fortress General R.I. Kondadtenko was killed. The defenders of Port Arthur approached the end of food, although the supply of shells was preserved. On January 2, 1905, the commandant of Staller, believing that there is no chance of revenue from the Manchurian army in the foreseeable future, capitulated. Subsequently, he was convicted by a military court for the farewell, but pardoned by the king. From the point of view of today, the decision of the article does not deserve condemnation. In the conditions of the full blockade, when all the positions of the Russians were under aqueous artillery fire, and the garrison had no edible supplies, Port Arthur would not hold more than two or three weeks, which could not affect the course of hostilities.

In Port Arthur, 26 thousand people gave a captive. Russian losses killed and wounded during the siege amounted to 31 thousand people. The Japanese lost 59 thousand people killed and wounded and 34 thousand - patients.

With a fall of Port Arthur, which was the main point of the Russian-Japanese war, the main Japanese goal was achieved. The battles in Manchuria, despite the fact that there were many times the ground forces on both sides, they wore auxiliary character. The Japanese did not have forces and means for the occupation of Northern Manchuria, not to mention the Russian Far East. Kuropatkin adhered to the strategy of exhaustion, hoping that the prolonged war exhausted the human and material resources of Japan and would force it to stop the war and clear the occupied territories. However, in practice it turned out that the delay of war is disliked precisely for Russia, since a revolution began there in January 1905. The total numerical superiority of the Russian army was largely compensated by the fact that with the Far East, the European part of the empire associated only one trans-Siberian Railway.

In peacetime, the Russian army consisted of 1.1 million people, and after the beginning of the war, another 3.5 million reservists could be added to it. However, by the beginning of the Russian-Japanese war in Manchuria was only 100 thousand soldiers and 192 guns. The Japanese army of peacetime was 150 thousand people. During the war, another 1.5 million people were called, and more than half of all Japanese forces acted in Manchuria. By the end of the war, the Russian army in the Far East had a two-way numerical advantage over the enemy, but could not use it.

The first major battle of the Ground Forces of Russia and Japan occurred under Liaoyan from August 24 to September 3, 1904. The 125-thousand Japanese army of Marshal Oyama was opposed by the 158-thousand Russian army of General Kuropatkina. Japanese troops applied two concentric strikes, trying to surround the enemy, but their attacks of advanced Russian positions at Liaoyan altitudes were repulsed. Then the Russian troops were organized to the main position, which consisted of three lines of forts, redoubts and trenches and for 15 km of Lyoyan and South and South, resting to the Taijõe River. On August 31, the three brigades of the 1st Japanese army forced Taijõe and captured the bridgehead. After it was not possible to eliminate this bridgehead, Kuropatkin, despite the fact that in the center and on the right Western flank, the Japanese attacks were repulsed, fearing the flank bypass, ordered to retreat. The Japanese lost 23 thousand killed and wounded, and Russians - 19 thousand.

After Liaoyan battle, the Russian troops moved to Mukden and occupied positions on the Hunheh River. The Japanese left north of Taijõe. On October 5-17, a counter battle took place on the Shahomme River. At the beginning of the battle, the Russian managed to knock the enemy from the advanced position, but on October 10, the Japanese switched to counter-project and on October 14, he broke through the front of the 10th Army Corps. At the end of the battle, both sides switched to positional defense at the front with a length of 60 kilometers. The Russian army in this battle numbered 200 thousand people at 758 guns and 32 machine guns and lost 40 thousand people killed and wounded. The losses of the Japanese who have had 170 thousand soldiers, 648 guns and 18 machine guns were twice as fewer - 20 thousand.

The parties remained on the positions that were at the distance of the rifle fire, until January 1905. During this period, telephone communications in both armies was significantly improved. The devices appeared not only in the headquarters of the armies, but also at the headquarters of the buildings, divisions, brigades, regiments and even on artillery batteries. On January 24, 1905, the Russian army tried to step in the Sandipa area, however, by January 28, the enemy pushed them into the initial positions. Kuropatkina at that moment had 300 thousand soldiers and 1080 guns, Oyama - 220 thousand people and 666 guns. Russians lost 12 thousand people, and the Japanese are 9 thousand.

From February 19 to March 10, 1905, the largest battle of the Russian-Japanese war was happening - Mukden. The Russian army to its beginning numbered 330 thousand people at 1475 guns and 56 machine guns. The Japanese, taking into account the 3rd army of the 3rd army approached from the port arthur of the 3rd army and the new 5th army arrived from Japan, 1062 guns and 200 machine guns. Kuropatkin was preparing to go to the offensive against the left flank of the enemy on February 25, but Olyama, who sought to cover the Russian army from both flanks, was mentioned. The 2nd Russian army was covered from the West of the 3rd Japanese army and attacked from the front of the 2nd Army. The 1st Japanese army of General Cuoka broke through the position of the 1st Russian Army and threatened to cut the Mandarin road in the rear of the main Russian forces. Fearing the surroundings and already being in fact in the bag, Kuropatkin was able, however, in order to take the army to Telin, and then at the Supingan positions 175 km north of Mukden.

After Mukden Kuropatkina as the commander-in-chief replaced General Nikolai Linevich, who had previously commanded the 3rd army. In the Supingan positions, the opposing armies met the end of the war, without making any active fighting in Manchuria after Mukden's battle.

In Mukden battle, for the first time, there were cases when the soldiers shot officers who tried the fire from the revolvers to stop the runners. Almost four decades later, during the Great Patriotic War, the Soviet soldiers were no longer so conscious and sufficiently allowed the officers to shoot themselves. Under Mukden, the Russians lost 59 thousand killed and wounded and 31 thousand prisoners. The Losses of the Japanese reached 70 thousand killed and wounded.

After the death in the battle on August 10, 1904, the Russian squadron in Port Arthur, together with its commander Admiral Vithette, was formed from the Baltic Fleet. She committed a semi-annual transition to the Far East, where he died in the battle in the Tsushimsk Strait on May 27, 1905. The squadron of the village consisted of 8 squadron armored vehicles, 3 armadiors of coastal defense, one armored cruiser, 8 cruisers, 5 auxiliary cruisers and 9 squadron meetrs. The Japanese fleet under the command of the admiral of that was located with 4 supaded armadors, 6 coastal defense armadors, 8 armored cruisers, 16 cruisers, 24 auxiliary cruisers and 63 squadded destroyers. On the side of the Japanese was high-quality superiority in artillery. Japanese tools have almost three times more rapidity, and in power, Japanese shells were more powerful than Russian shells of the same caliber.

By the time of arrival of the Squadron of the Ristral on the Far East, the Bronnalous ships of the Japanese focused in the Korean port of Mozampo, and the cruiser and the destroyer - at the island of Tsushima. South of MosaPo, between the islands Goto and Quaker, a watch from cruisers was deployed, who was supposed to find the approach of Russian forces. The Japanese commander was confident that the enemy would try to break through in Vladivostok by the shortest way - through the Korean strait, and was not mistaken.

On the night of May 27, the destroyer's squadron approached the Korean Strait in a hiking order. Two light cruisers moved ahead, armadils were walking in two kilvater columns, and behind them the rest of the ships. The village did not produce far intelligence and did not follow the darkening on all his courts. At 2 hours 28 minutes of a night, the Japanese auxiliary cruiser "Sinano Maru" found an enemy and reported to the commander. Togo brought the fleet from mosapo.

On the morning of May 27, the Rodial rebuilt all the cramps of the squadron in two kilvater columns, leaving behind the transport ships under the protection of cruisers. Having fluttered into the Korean Strait, the Russian ships found the main forces of the Japanese fleet in half the second day, which on the right of the nose were nominated by the Squadron of the Rodial. Rodial, believing that the Japanese intend to attack the left column of his squadron, where outdated vessels prevailed, rebuilt the squadron into one column. Meanwhile, the two detachments of armored ships of the Japanese fleet, going on the left side, began to rotate on 16 rumbes, being in total in 38 cable from the head ship of the Russian squadron. This risky turn lasted a quarter of an hour, but

Rodial did not take advantage of the favorable moment for the shelling of the Fleet. However, taking into account the real accuracy of the shooting of the then ship artillery at this distance and the level of training of Russian canonirov, it is unlikely that for a quarter of an hour of the village of Rodially managed to sink at least one major enemy ship.

Russian ships opened fire only at 13 o'clock 49 minutes, when he has already completed the rotation of the ships. Russian artilleryrs were very poorly prepared for shooting at large distances and could not cause the Japanese any significant damage. In addition, the quality of Russian ammunition turned out to be low. Many of them did not explode. Because of the bad fire management, Russian ships could not focus on the individual enemy courts. The Japanese concentrated the fire of the artillery of their battleships on the Russian flagships "Suvorov" and "Osh."

At 14, 23 minutes later, the armadiole "Osh", having received heavy damage, left the battle and sank soon. Family minutes later was disabled "Suvorov". This armadillo lasted afloat until the seventh o'clock in the evening, when he was surfed by the Japanese destroyers.

After the failure of the flagships, the combat order of the Russian squadron was upset, and she lost a single command. The first was the armadiole "Alexander III", and after his failure, the column was headed by Borodino armadapole. At 15 o'clock 05 minutes, fog thickened over the Tsushimsky strait, and the opponents lost sight of each other. But 35 minutes later, the Japanese revealed the Squadrum of the Hornborn and forced it to change the course with Nord-Ost to South. Then he again lost contact with the enemy and was forced to quit his main forces in search of Russians. Only around 6 pm, the Japanese battleships overtook the Russian squadron, which led at that time a shootout with Japanese cruisers.

Now the battle of the main forces was conducted on parallel courses. At 19 o'clock 12 minutes he was dark, and he stopped the battle. By that time, the Japanese had time to sink "Alexander III" and "Borodino". After the termination of the battle, the main forces of the Japanese fleet moved to Ollyndo Island (celebrate). A Russian squadron should have had a police officer by torpedo attacks.

At 8 pm, 60 Japanese destroyers began to cover the main forces of the Russian squadron. At 8.45 pm, the Japanese gave the first torpedo volley. Others followed after him. In total, 75 torpedoes were released from 1 to 3 cable, from which they achieved only six goals. The sighting launches interfered with darkness. Reflecting attacks of the destroyer, Russian sailors were sinking two enemy destroyers. Another Japanese destroyer caught up and six got damaged, faced with each other.

On the morning of May 15, the squadron of the Rod Shatter, due to frequent deviations from the attacks of the Japanese destroyers, it turned out to be dispersed throughout the Korean Peninsula. Russian ships were destroyed by superior enemy forces by one. Inventors managed to break through only the Craiser "Diamond" and two Milunos. Most of the ships were sinking. Four armor ships and a destroyer, which had a seriously wounded Rodrial and Junior flagship Council Admiral N.I. Nebogatov, were captured.

Regarding the sustaining squadron of the Soviet historian Mikhail Pokrovsky wrote: "Under the Tsushim, the fast delivery of hot school was explained not only by the technical meaninglessness of the further fight, but also the fact that the sailors resolutely refused to die in vain; and at the best of the non-bubban battleship in front of the officers was the choice: or to lower Flag, or be disassembled by the team. " Upon returning to Russia, Naugate was made by the main culprit of the Tsushima catastrophe and sentenced to the death penalty for the transfer of the fleet's remnants to the enemy (the wounded Rodially judged was impossible). The death penalty was replaced by 10 years of religious work, and in two years, a hotbed was pardoned and released to freedom. Russian losses in the Tsushim battle amounted to 5045 killed and 803 wounded, Japanese - 1 thousand people.

In the Russian-Japanese war, Russia's military losses, according to official data, amounted to 31630 killed, 5514 dead from RAS and 1643 dead in captivity. About 60 thousand servicemen were captured, about 16 thousand were injured. There is no reliable data on the loss of Japan. Russian sources assess them as more significant than the loss of Kuropatkin's army. Based on these sources, B.TS. Mulanis rated Japanese losses in 47387 killed, 173425 wounded and 11425 dead from the Russian Academy of Sciences. In addition, according to its assessment, 27192 Japanese died from diseases.

But foreign observers in most battles consider Japanese losses less than Russians, with the exception of the siege of Port Arthur. During this siege, the number of killed and wounded in the Japanese army was 28 thousand more, but with Liaoyan and Shahore losses of the Japanese were 24 thousand less than that of Russians. True, with Mukden, the Japanese losses were killed and wounded were 11 thousand more than the Russians, but in the Tsushimsky and other sea battles, Russian killed and wounded were more about the same magnitude. Based on these numbers, it can be assumed that in reality the Japanese losses were killed and wounded were about equal to the Russians, the prisoners the Japanese captured several times more.

Also do not cause confidence data on more than double exceeding mortality from diseases in the Japanese army compared to Russian. After all, the Russian army in numbers exceeded the Japanese about one and a half times, and the statement of sanitation in both armies was approximately at the same level. Rather, it can be assumed that the number of deaths of the disease in both armies was approximately the same. Another thing is that for Japan, whose armed forces and the population were significantly less, these losses were much more sensitive than for the Russian Empire.

According to the Portsmouth World, concluded on September 5, 1905, with the mediation of the United States, Russia was inferior to Japan to rent a Liaodong Peninsula together with the branch of the South Manchu Railway, as well as the South Half Sakhalin Island, where Japanese landings were planted shortly before the end of the war. Russian troops were displayed from Manchuria, and Korea was recognized as a sphere of Japanese influence. Russian positions in China and all Far East were undermined, and Japan made an application for transformation into a great power and a dominant situation in Northern China.

The defeat of Russia was due primarily to the weakness of its fleet, which is not able to confront Japanese and protect the Far Eastern ports, as well as to establish the sea supply of Russian troops. The weakness of the rear led to the beginning of the revolution shortly after the fall of Port Arthur. But do not even be a revolution, the strategy of the Izmor, conducted by partridge, would hardly lead to success.

According to the materials of the portal "Great Wars in the History of Russia"

At the beginning of the 20th century, Russia belonged to the influential world powers, possessing considerable territories in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, while Japan dominated the eastern part of the Asian continent.

Therefore, the Russian-Japanese war had a significant resonance, long before it ended in 1905. There is every reason to believe that the Russian-Japanese war was the forerunner of the First World War and then, and. Since the causes of the initial conflict between states influenced the subsequent events. Some are inclined to call the Russian-Japanese war "Zero World War", as it happened 10 years before the start.

Causes of the Russian-Japanese War

In 1904, Russia, headed by the emperor Nicholas II, was the largest world power with extensive territories.

The port of Vladivostok did not have year-round navigation, due to complex climatic conditions. The state it was necessary to have a port in the Pacific Ocean, which would receive all year round and sent commercial vessels, as well as the fort of the Eastern borders of Russia.

Made a bet on the Korean Peninsula and Liaodong, located now in China. Russia has already entered into a lease agreement with, but the emperor wanted completely fat in this region. The Japanese leadership did not suit the activity of Russia in the region since the days of the Sino-Japanese war of 1895. Russia at that time supported the Qing dynasty, i.e. Was on the side in conflict.

Initially, the Japanese side offered Russia a deal: Russia receives full control over Manchuria (Northeast China), and Japan is controlled by Korea. But Russia did not suit such an event of events, she put forward the requirement to declare the territory of Korea above 39 parallels neutral zone. Negotiations were torn by the Japanese side, and she unilaterally began military operations against Russia (attack on the fleet of Russia in Port Arthur on February 8, 1904).

The beginning of the Russian-Japanese war

Japan officially announced a war with Russia only on the day of attack on the ships of the Navy of Russia in Port Arthur. Prior to this, the Russian leadership did not have information about the military intentions of the rising sun.

The Cabinet of Ministers assured the emperor that even after unsuccessful negotiations, Japan would not dare to attack Russia, but it was an unsuccessful assumption. Interesting is the fact that, according to the norms of international law, the declaration of war before the start of hostilities was optional at that time. This rule ceased to operate only 2 years after the indicated events, which was enshrined in the Second Hague Peace Conference.

The purpose of the Japanese fleet attack on Russian vessels was the blockade of the Russian Fleet. By order of the admiral of that Heihatiro, the Torpeda boats of the Japanese Fleet were due to the building three largest cruisers: Cesarevich, Retvosan and Pallada. The main battle was expected in the afternoon, in Port Arthur.

The Russian fleet in the Far East was well protected in the Harbor port Arthur, but they were mined to the exits. SUCH 12.04.1904 Petropavlovsk Barny and Victory were undermined at the exit from the harbor. The first sank, the second with great damage returned to the harbor. And, though, Russia, in response, damaged 2 Japanese linear ship, Japan continued to control and implement regular port-arthur bombings.

At the end of August, the Russian troops deployed from the center for the help of Port Arthur sailors were discarded by the Japanese and could not get to the harbor. Settling on the newly conquered positions, the Japanese military continued the shelling of ships in the bay.

In early 1905, the Commander of the garrison, Major General Ossel, decided to get out of the harbor, believing that the loss among the fleet was significant and meaningless. This solution has become a surprise, both for the Japanese and for the Russian command. Later, the general was convicted and sentenced to the death penalty, but was pardoned.

The Russian fleet continued to carry the losses in the yellow sea, forcing the military leadership of the state to mobilize the Baltic Fleet and send it to the fighting area.

Military Actions in Manchuria and Korea

Seeing the weakness of Russians, the Japanese gradually moved to the complete control of the Korean Peninsula. Looking around in his southern part, they gradually advanced forward and captured Seoul and the rest of the peninsula.

The plans of the Japanese command was the capture of Manchuria controlled by Russia. During the first hostilities on land, they successfully attacked Russian courts in May 1904, forcing them to move them to Port Arthur. Further, in February 1905, the Japanese continued to attack Russian troops in Mukden. These bloody battles were also crowned with the victory of the Japanese. Russians, carrying big losses, were forced to retreat to Northern Mukden. Tangible losses of soldiers and technicians were also a Japanese side.

In May 1905, the Russian fleet arrived at the location of the deployment, sailing about 20 thousand miles - a fairly serious military hike for that time.

Making the transition at night, Russian Armada was still discovered by the Japanese. And heihatiro blocked his way near the Tsushim Strait at the end of May 1905. Russian losses were huge: eight battleships and more than 5,000 people. Only three courts managed to break into the harbor and fulfill the task. All of the events mentioned above forced the Russian side to go on a truce.

Portsmouth treaty

The Russian-Japanese war was fierce and could serve as bad echoes of subsequent events. Both sides lost in hostilities about 150 thousand people of the military, the Chinese civilian population died about 20 thousand people.

The peace agreement was concluded in Portsmouth in 1905, through the mediation of Theodore Roosevelt (President of the United States). Russia was represented by Sergey Witte - the Minister of His Imperial Court, Japan - Baron Normo. For his peacekeeping activities during the negotiations Roosevelt was awarded the Nobel Prize of the World.

Results of the Russian-Japanese War

According to the results of the agreement, Russia passed to the possession of Japan Port Arthur, retaining half of Sakhalin Island (Fully the island will go to Russia only at the end of World War II. Supported Nicholas II's refusal to pay compensation to the victorious party. Russian troops released the territory of Manchuria and recognized the Japanese territory above the Korean Peninsula.

The humiliating lesions of the Russian army in the Russian-Japanese war added negative consequences to political unrest in Russia, which, ultimately, was the impetus for the overthrow of the government in 1917.

Russian-Japanese war - This is a war that was conducted between the Russian and Japanese empires for control over Manchuria and Korea. After a break in a few decades, it became the first big war with the use of the latest weapon : long-range artillery, armadiors, destroyers, wire barrels under the current of high voltage; as well as using spotlights and field kitchen.

Causes of war:

• Rent of Russia Liaodong Peninsula and Port Arthur as a naval base.
• Construction of the CERE and Russian economic expansion in Manchuria.
• The struggle for spheres of influence in China and Copee.
• Resolving means of revolutionary movement in Russia ("Little Victorious War")
• The strengthening of Russia's position in the Far East threatened the monopolies of England, the United States and the Military aspirations of Japan.

Character of war: Unfaithful on both sides.

In 1902, England concluded a military union with Japan and together with the United States embarked on the path of her preparation for war with Russia. For a short time, Japan built on the shipyards of England, Italy, the USA armored fleet.

The base of the Russian fleet on the Pacific Ocean - Port Arthur and Vladivostok - defended from each other by 1,100 miles and were poorly equipped. By the beginning of the war, about 100 thousand were deposited from 1 million 50 thousand Russian soldiers in the Far East. The Far Eastern army was removed from the main supply centers, the Siberian railway had low bandwidth (3 trains per day).

COURSE OF EVENTS

January 27, 1904 The attack of Japan into the Russian fleet. The death of cruiser "Varangian" and the Korean canoners in the coast of Korea. Blocked in ChelPo "Varyag" and "Korean" rejected the proposal to pass. Trying to break through in Port Arthur, two Russian ship under the command of the captain of the 1st rank V. F. Rudnev entered into battle with the 14th enemy ships.

January 27 - December 20, 1904. Military fortress defense Port Arthur. During the siege for the first time, new types of weapons were applied: rainfall warmness, machine guns Maxim, hand grenades, mortars.

Commander of the Pacific Fleet Vice Admiral S. O. Makarov Preparing for active operations on the sea and the protection of Port Arthur. On March 31, he brought his squadron to the external raid to enter into battle with the enemy and lure his ships under the fire of coastal batteries. However, at the very beginning of the battle, his flagship ship "Petropavlovsk" blew up on Mine and sank for 2 minutes. Most of the team died, the whole headquarters S. O. Makarov. After that, the Russian fleet moved to defense, since the Commander-in-Chief of the Far Eastern Forces Admiral E. I. Alekseev refused active actions to the sea.

Terrestrial defense of Port Arthur headed the head of the Quantong Fortified District General A. M. Peresssel. The main struggle in November turned around the mountain high. On December 2, the head of the land defense was killed, its organizer and inspirer General R. I. Kondratenko. StASSEL on December 20, 1904 signed capitulation . The fortress was withstanding 6 assaults and was transferred only as a result of the betrayal of commandant, General A. M. Stesel. For Russia, the fall of Port Arthur meant a loss of access to the non-freezing yellow sea, deterioration of the strategic situation in Manchuria and a significant exacerbation of the domestic political situation in the country.

October 1904 The defeat of the Russian troops on the Shahome River.

February 25, 1905 The defeat of the Russian army under Mukden (Manchuria). The largest land battle in history to the First World War.

May 14-15, 1905 Battle in the Tsushimsk Strait. The defeat of the Japanese fleet of the 2nd Pacific squadron under the command of Vice-Admiral Z. P. Rodless, aimed at the Far East from the Baltic Sea. In July, the Japanese took Sakhalin Island.

Causes of defeat of Russia

• Japan support from England and the United States.
• Weak Russia's preparation for war. Military-technical superiority of Japan.
• Errors and ill-impact actions of the Command of Russia.
• The absence of the possibility of rapid transfer reserves to the Far East.

Russian-Japanese war. RESULTS

• Korea recognized the sphere of influence of Japan;
• Japan received in possession of South Sakhalin;
• Japan received the right of fisheries along the Russian shores;
• Russia handed over Japan to the lease of the Liaodan Peninsula and Port Arthur.

Russian commander in this war: A.N. Kuropatkin, S.O. Makarov, A.M. Stresser.

The consequences of Russia's defeat in the war:

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

(Night-Ro Sensei:; February 8, 1904 - August 27, 1905) - War between Russia and Japan for control over Manchuria and Korea. It became - after a break in several decades - the first big war with the use of the latest weapons: long-range artillery, armaduses, the destroyers.

In the first place in the whole Russian policy of the first half of the reign of Emperor Nicholas II stood questions of the Far East - "Big Asian Program": during his meeting in Repel with Emperor Wilhelm II Russian emperor directly said that he considers strengthening and strengthening Russia's influence in East Asia how to task for your board. The main obstacle to the Russian predominance in the Far East was Japan, an inevitable clash with which Nicholas II foresaw and was preparing for him both in diplomatic and militarily (a lot was done: an agreement with Austria and the improvement of relations with Germany provided Russian rear; the construction of Siberian The roads and strengthening of the fleet provided the material possibility of struggle), however, in Russian government circles was strong and the hope that the fear of the strength of Russia will keep Japan from direct attack.

After the restoration of Maidzi in 1868, having conducted a large-scale modernization of the country's economy, Japan by the mid-1890s passed to the policy of external expansion, primarily in geographically close Korea. Stopping the resistance of China, Japan during the Japanese War (1894-1895) inflicted China a crushing defeat. The Simonoski Agreement, signed by the war, recorded China's refusal from all rights to Korea and the transfer of Japan a number of territories, including the Liaodan Peninsula in Manchuria. These achievements of Japan sharply increased its power and the impact that did not meet the interests of European powers, therefore Germany, Russia and France have achieved changes in these conditions: the three-way intervention has led to Japan to refuse Japan from the Liaodong Peninsula, and then to the transmission of it in 1898 year of Russia in rental use. The realization that Russia actually selected in Japan captured during the war of the Liaodan Peninsula, led to the new wave of Militarization of Japan, this time directed against Russia.

In 1903, the dispute due to Russian forest concessions in Korea and the ongoing Russian occupation, Manchuria led to a sharp aggravation of Russian-Japanese relations. Despite the weakness of the Russian military presence in the Far East, Nicholas II did not go for concessions, since for Russia the situation, in his opinion, was fundamental - the question of the exit to the non-freezing seas, about the Russian predominance in a huge territory, about almost unnecessary land expanses Manchuria. Japan sought to complete his domination in Korea and demanded that Russia cleanse Manchuria, to which Russia could not go for any reason. According to the investigator of the reign of Emperor Nikolai II of Professor S. S. Oldenburg, Russia could avoid the fight against Japan, only the price of surrender and self-sustaining from the Far East, and no partial concessions that have been done by a lot (including the delay in the departure of reinforcements in Manchuria), They could not not only prevent, but even delay the decision of Japan to start a war with Russia, in which Japan and essentially became the striker in shape.

Sudden, without official declaration of war, the attack of the Japanese fleet to the Russian squadron at the external Reid of Port Arthur on the night of January 27 (February 9) 1904 led to the conclusion of several strongest ships of the Russian squadron and provided a unhindered landing of Japanese troops in Korea in February 1904 of the year. In May 1904, using the inaction of the Russian command, the Japanese had landed their troops on the Quantum Peninsula and cut the Port Arthur railway message with Russia. Siege Port Arthur was launched by Japanese troops by early August 1904, and on January 2, 1905, the garrison of the fortress was forced to surrender. The remains of the Russian squadron in Port Arthur were softened by the siege artillery of the Japanese or blown up by their own crew.

In February 1905, the Japanese forced to retreat the Russian army in the general battle in Mukden, and 14 (27) May - 15 (28) of May 1905 in the Tsushimsky battle caused a defeat of the Russian squadron, defeated by the Far East from the Baltic. The causes of the failures of Russian armies and fleets and their specific lesions were due to many factors, but the main among them were the incompleteness of military-strategic training, the colossal remoteness of the theater of hostilities from the main centers of the country and the army, the extreme limitations of communications networks. In addition, since January 1905, a revolutionary situation has emerged in Russia.

The war ended with the Portsmouth World, signed on August 23 (September 5) of 1905 and recorded the concession by Russia of Japan southern Sakhalin and its rental rights to the Liaodan Peninsula and South Manchu Railway.

Prehistory

Expansion of the Russian Empire in the Far East

In the mid-1850s, the Crimean War marked the limits of the territorial expansion of the Russian Empire in Europe. By 1890, after the exit to the borders of Afghanistan and Persia, the potential of expansion in Central Asia was exhausted - further promotion was fraught with direct conflict with the British Empire. Russia's attention switched on to the east, where Qing China, weakened in 1840-1860. Crushing defeats in the opium wars and the Taipinov uprising, no longer could hold northeastern lands, in the XVII century, to the Nerchinsky Treaty, who already belonged to Russia (see also the Far East of Russia). AGUNA Treaty, signed with China in 1858, recorded the transfer of Russia to Russia of the modern Primorsky region, in whose territory Vladivostok was laid in 1860.

With Japan, in 1855, the Simoian treatise was concluded, according to which the Kuril Islands north of the island of ITUURUP was announced by the possessions of Russia, and Sakhalin was announced by the joint ownership of the two countries. In 1875, the St. Petersburg Agreement recorded the transfer of Sakhalin Russia in exchange for the transfer of Japan of all 18 Kuril Islands.

Further strengthening of Russian positions in the Far East was limited by the small number of Russian population and the remoteness from the populated parts of the empire - so, in 1885, Russia had only 18 thousand military contingent for Baikal, and, for the calculations of the Amur Military District, the first battalion directed to Transbaikalia from European Russia Hiking ordinary, could come to the rescue only after 18 months. In order to reduce the time of the way to 2-3 weeks, in May 1891, the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway - the railway line between Chelyabinsk and Vladivostok is about 7 thousand kilometers long, designed to connect the European part of Russia and the Far East to railway communications. The Russian government was extremely interested in agricultural colonization of Primorye, and as a result - in providing unhindered trade through non-freezing ports of the Yellow Sea, such as Port Arthur.

Japan's struggle for domination in Korea

After the restoration of Maidzi, which occurred in 1868, the new government of Japan ceased to the policy of self-isolation and took the course to modernize the country. Large-scale economic reforms allowed the beginning of the 1890s to carry out the modernization of the economy, creating such modern industries as the production of machine tools and electrical equipment, start exporting coal and copper. The army and fleet created and trained in Western samples have gained strength and allowed Japan to think about external expansion, primarily in Korea and China.

Korea, due to its geographic proximity to Japan, was considered the last as "a knife directed in the heart of Japan." The prevention of foreign, especially European, control over Korea, and it is desirable to take it under its control, was the main goal of Japanese foreign policy. Already in 1876, Korea, under the Japanese military pressure, signs an agreement with Japan, who ended in self-insulation of Korea and opened its ports of Japanese trade. The resulting struggle with China for control in Korea led to the Japanese-Chinese war of 1895.

On March 30, 1895, at a special meeting on the issue of the Japanese-China War, the head of the General Staff General Adjutant N. N. Obruchev said:

The Chinese fleet was broken in the battle on the Yalu River (English), and his remnants embraced in well-fortified Weihae were destroyed (partially seized) by the Japanese in February 1895, after a 23-day combined ground and sea attack (English). On land, the Japanese army broke in a number of battles in Korea and Manchuria and in March 1895 occupied Taiwan (English).

On April 17, 1895, China was forced to sign the Simonoskin Agreement, according to which China refused to be all right to Korea, reported by Japan Taiwan Island, Pescador Islands and the Liaodan Peninsula, and also paid the contribution of 200 million Liang (about 7.4 thousand tons of silver) That was equivalent to the third GDP of Japan, or 3 annual budgets of the Japanese government.

Direct causes of war

Thirty intervention

On April 23, 1895, Russia, France and Germany, concerned about the strengthening of Japan, have taken a three-way intervention - in an ultimate form they demanded refusal of Japan from the annexation of the Liaodong Peninsula. Japan, without being able to withstand the joint pressure of three European powers, gave way.

Russia took advantage of Lyodoon China. 15 (27) March 1898 between Russia and China, the Convention was signed, according to which Russia was leased by non-freezing ports of the Liaodong Peninsula of Port Arthur and Far and the Laying and was allowed to lay the railway ports from one of the items of the Sino-Eastern Railway.

The realization that Russia actually selected in Japan captured during the war Liaodan Peninsula led to the new wave of Militarization of Japan, this time directed against Russia, under the slogan "Gasin-Sötan" ("Sleep on a blackboard with nails"), called the nation To transfer the rise in taxation for the sake of military revenge in the future.

Occupation by Russia Manchuria and the conclusion of the Anglo-Japanese Union

In October 1900, the Russian troops, as part of the suppression of the rebellion of the Eyetuian rebellion in China, the coalition troops of the eight countries (English), occupied Manchuria.

In May 1901, in Japan, a relatively moderate Cabinet of Ministers of Herbules ITO and the Cabinet of Taro Katsura came to power, which was more confrontational relations in Russia. In September, Ito on its own initiative, but with the consent of Katsura, went to Russia, to discuss an agreement on the division of spheres of influence in Korea and Manchuria. The minimum program (Korea - entirely and completely Japan, Manchuria - Russia), however, did not find understanding in St. Petersburg, as a result of which the Japanese government was made to choose in favor of concluding an alternative agreement with the United Kingdom.

17 (January 30), 1902, an Anglo-Japanese agreement was signed, article 3 of which, in the event of a war of one of the allies with two and more powers obliging the other side to provide military aid. The contract gave Japan with the opportunity to start fighting Russia, possessing confidence that no power (for example, France, with which Russia from 1891 consisted in Union) will not provide Russia to armed support from the fear of war, not with one Japan, but also with England. Japanese ambassador, answering the question of the British about a possible reason for the war with Russia, explained that "if the safety of Korea is guaranteed, Japan will probably not go to war because of Manchuria or Mongolia or other remote parts of China."

On March 3 (16), 1902, a Franco-Russian Declaration was published, which was a diplomatic response to the Anglo-Japanese Union: in the case of "hostile actions of third powers" or "unrest in China", Russia and France reserved the right to "take appropriate measures " This declaration had an inaccessible character - a substantial assistance in the Far East, France did not provide for Russia.

Russian-Japanese confrontation

On March 26 (April 8), 1902, the Russian-Chinese Agreement was signed, according to which Russia was obliged for 18 months (that is, by October 1903), to bring his troops from Manchuria. The conclusion of the troops should have been carried out in the 3 stages of 6 months each.

In April 1903, the Russian government did not fulfill the second stage of the conclusion of his troops from Manchuria. On April 5 (18), the Chinese government was sent by a note, which set the condition for the further conclusion of the troops, the closure of Manchuria for foreign trade. In response, England, USA and Japan stated Russia to protest against violation of the timing of the conclusion of Russian troops, and China advised not to take any conditions at all - that the Chinese government did, stating that it would discuss "any questions about Manchuria" - only "evacuation "

In May 1903, about a hundred Russian soldiers, disguised in civilian clothes, was introduced into the village of Yongampo in Korea, located in the concession zone on the Yal River. Under the pretext of the construction of forest warehouses, the construction of military facilities was launched in the village, which was perceived in the UK and Japan as the preparation of Russia to create a permanent military base in the north of Korea. The Japanese government, in particular, was alarmed by the possibility of developing the situation in Korea in Port Arthur scenario, when the reinforcement of Port Arthur followed the occupation of all Manchuria.

1 (14) July 1903 was opened on the transmuck on the entire length. The movement went through Manchuria (by FC). Under the pretext of checking the bandwidth of the Transsib, the transition of Russian troops at the Far East immediately began. The site around Baikal was not completed (loads through Baikal were transported to ferries), which reduced the bandwidth of the Transsib to 3-4 pairs of trains per day.

On July 30, the governance of the Far East was formed, united by the Primemake General Governor and the Kwanant region. The purpose of the formation of governorship was to unite all the Russian authorities in the Far East to counter the expectant Japanese attack. The governor was appointed Admiral E. I. Alekseev, who was put into subordination of the troops, the fleet and administration (including the lane of the Chinese Eastern Road).

On August 12, the Japanese government presented the Russian draft bilateral agreement, which provided for recognition of the prevailing interests of Japan in Korea and special interests of Russia in rail (only railway!) Enterprises in Manchuria. "

On October 5, Japan was sent a response project, provided for, with reservations, recognizing by Russia by the prevailing interests of Japan in Korea, in exchange for recognition of Japan Manchuria lying outside the sphere of its interests.

The Regulation on the exception of Manchuria from the zone of its interests, the Japanese government categorically did not suit, but the further negotiations of significant changes in the position of the parties did not contribute.

On October 8, 1903, the deadline established by the agreement of April 8, 1902 to fully withdraw Russian troops from Manchuria. Despite this, the troops were not bred; In response to the requirements of Japan on compliance with the terms of the agreement, the Russian government pointed to non-compliance with China evacuation conditions. At the same time, Japan began to protest against Russian events in Korea. According to the reign researcher, Emperor Nicholas II S. S. Oldenburg, Japan just searched for a reason to start hostilities at a convenient moment for himself.

On February 5, 1904, the Japanese Foreign Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dzutaro Comeur (English), telegraphed the ambassador in St. Petersburg "to terminate the real coupling negotiations", "In view of the demenities remaining most of the inexplicable", and interrupt diplomatic relations with Russia.

The decision on the beginning of the war against Russia was adopted in Japan at a joint meeting of the members of the Secret Council and all Ministers on January 22 (February 4) of 1904, and on the night of January 23 (February 5), an orders for landing in Korea and an attack of the Russian squadron in Port Arthur. Following this on January 24 (February 6), 1904, Japan officially announced a rupture of diplomatic relations with Russia.

The most favorable moment of Japan was chosen with high accuracy: overbought it from Argentina in Italy, Nissin and Kasuga armored cruisers just passed Singapore and nowhere else and no one could delay on the way to Japan; The Russian recent reinforcements ("obsae", cruiser and the destroyer) were still in the Red Sea.

The ratio of forces and communications in front of the war

Armed forces

The Russian Empire, having an almost three-time advantage in the population, could set proportionally bo? At the same time, the number of Armed Forces of Russia directly in the Far East (for Baikal) was no more than 150 thousand people, and, taking into account the fact that most of these troops were connected by Trans-Siberian / State Guards / Forties, directly for active operations was available About 60 thousand people.

The distribution of Russian troops in the Far East is shown below:

• near Vladivostok - 45 thousand people;
• in Manchuria - 28.1 thousand people;
• garrison port arthur - 22.5 thousand people;
• railway troops (security of the CER) - 35 thousand people;
• fore troops (artillery, engineering units and telegraph) - 7.8 thousand people.

By the beginning of the war, Transsib has already acted, but the bandwidth was only 3-4 pairs of trains per day. Narrow places were ferry crossing through Baikal and Trans-Baikal TransSiba; The bandwidth of the rest of the plots was 2-3 times higher. Low transussiba bandwidth meant low speed of the transfer of troops to the Far East: the transfer of one Army Corps (about 30 thousand people) took about 1 month.

According to the settlements of military intelligence, Japan could at the time of mobilization could put an army of 375 thousand people. The Japanese army after mobilization numbered about 442 thousand people.

Japan's ability to land troops on the mainland depended on the control of the Korean Strait and the southern part of the yellow sea. Japan had a sufficient transport fleet to simultaneously carry two divisions with all the necessary equipment, and from the ports of Japan to Korea was less than a day. It should also be noted that the Japanese army has been actively modernized by the British, there was some technological advantage over Russian, in particular, she had significantly more machine guns (at the beginning of the war, Japan did not possess machine guns), and artillery mastered shooting from closed positions.

Fleet

The main theater of hostilities was the Yellow Sea, in which the Japanese Fleet under the command of Admiral Heihatiro blocked the Russian squadron in Port Arthur. In the Japanese Sea, the 3rd Japanese squadron, Vladivostok, the task of which was opposed to the Radier attacks of Russian cruisers in Japanese communications.

The core of the Japanese United Fleet - including 6 squadron armor and 6 armor cruisers - was built in the UK in 1896-1901. These ships exceeded Russian counterparts in many parameters, such as speed, travel range, reservation ratio, etc. In particular, the Japanese ship artillery exceeded Russian by weight of the projectile (the same caliber) and technical rapidity, as a result of which the onboard volley (total weight The released shells) of the Japanese United Fleet during the battle in the yellow sea was about 12,418 kg against 9111 kg from the Russian squadron in Port Arthur, that is, it was 1.36 times more.

It is also worth noting a high-quality difference in the projectiles used by the Russian and Japanese fleets - the content of explosives in Russian shells of the main calibers (12 ", 8", 6 ") was 4-6 times lower. At the same time, the melinitis used in Japanese shells, The power of the explosion was approximately 1.2 times superior to Pyroxilin, applied in Russian.

In the first battle on January 27, 1904, port Arthur clearly manifested a powerful destructive effect of Japanese heavy fugasal shells in unarround or weakened designs, which did not depend on the shooting range, as well as the essential armored ability of Russian lung armor-piercing shells on short distances (up to 20 cable) . The Japanese made the necessary conclusions and in subsequent battles, possessing superiority at speed, tried to keep the fire position in 35-45 cable from the Russian squadron.

However, powerful, but unstable shorts collected his "tribute" - the destruction of the explosions of their own shells in the trunks of the guns during the shots, the Japanese were hardly damaged by the Japanese, than the ingress of Russian armor-piercing shells. It is worth mentioning about the appearance of the first 7 submarines in Vladivostok by April 1905, which, although they did not achieve significant military successes, but were still an important deterrent that significantly restricted during the war of the Japanese fleet in the region of Vladivostok and Amur Limana.

At the end of 1903, Russia was sent to the Far East to the Far East, the Cesarevich armored train and the Bayan armored cruiser; Following them, the courtyard "Osl" and several cruisers and the destroyers came out. The strong trump card of Russia was the opportunity to equip and transfer another squadron from Europe, according to the number of approximately equal in the Pacific at the beginning of the war. It should be noted that the beginning of the war caught half the farm to the Far East, a large detachment of Admiral A. A. Varenius, which moved to the strengthening of the Russian squadron in Port Arthur. This put a hard time frame before the Japanese, both at the beginning of the war (before the arrival of Virenius's squad) and to destroy the Russian squadron in Port Arthur (before the approach from Europe). The ideal for the Japanese was the blockade of the Russian squadron in Port Arthur, followed by its death after the seizure of Port Arthur withdrawn by his Japanese troops.

The Suez Canal was too crap for the newest Russian Borodino battleships, the Bosphorus and Dardanelles strait were closed to the passage of Russian warships from a fairly powerful Black Sea squadron. The only way for a significant support for the Pacific Fleet was the path from the Baltic around Europe and Africa.

The course of war

Campaign 1904

Start of war

The rupture of diplomatic relations did the war more than likely. The command of the fleet somehow was preparing for a possible war. The landing of the numerous landing and the active fighting of the latter on land, requiring permanent supply, is not possible without the domination of the navy. It was logical to assume that without this superiority, Japan will not begin land actions. The Pacific squadron, according to the prevail estimates, contrary to the problem, if he was inferior to the Japanese fleet, then not significantly. It was logical to assume that the war before the arrival of "Kasugi" and "Nisin", Japan will not begin. Only the possibility of paralysis of the squadron remained, before they arrive, by blocking it in the Harbor port Arthur, blocksbags. To prevent these actions, combat ships carried duty at the external raid. Moreover, to reflect the possible attack by the forces of the entire fleet, and not just blockbones, there were not a police officer on the raid, but the most modern armor and cruisers. The danger of such tactics on the eve of the war was warned by S. O. Makarov, but his words at least did not have time to recipients.

On the night of January 27 (February 9), 1904, before the official announcement of the war, 8 Japanese destroyers held a torpedo attack of the ships of the Russian fleet, who were standing at the external Ride of Port Arthur. As a result of the attack for several months, the two best Russian battleships were disabled ("Cesarevich" and "Retvosan") and the armor cruiser Pallada.

On January 27 (February 9), 1904, the Japanese squadron consisting of 6 cruisers and 8 destroyers forced to battle those in the Korean port of Varyag and Korean Korean Korean Cranicer. After a 50-minute battle, Varyag's heavy damage was flooded, and Korean was blown away.

After the fight, the landing of the 1st Japanese army undergoing the landing of the 1st Japanese army under the command of the Baron, a total number of about 42.5 thousand people (began on January 26 (February 8) 1904).

On February 21, 1904, Japanese troops occupied Pyongyang, by the end of April - came to the Yalu River, on which the Korean-Chinese border was located.

The attitude of the Russian public to the beginning of the war with Japan

The news about the beginning of the war, few people left indifferent in Russia: in the first period of the war in the people and the public, the mood prevailed, which was attacked by Russia and need to resist the aggressor. In St. Petersburg, as well as other major cities of the empire, unprecedented street patriotic manifestations spontaneously arose. Even known for its revolutionary sentiments, the student of the capital youth completed its university gathering procession to the Winter Palace with singing "God, King Gran!".

The opposition government circles turned out to be caught by these moods by surprise. Thus, gathered on February 23 (Art. Art.) 1904 at a meeting in Moscow, the land-constitutionalists, adopted a collective decision to stop any proclamation of constitutional requirements and statements in view of the war. This decision was motivated by a patriotic rise in the country caused by the war.

The reaction of the world community

The attitude of the world's leading powers to the beginning of the war between Russia and Japan split them into two camps. England and the United States immediately and definitely occupied the side of Japan: the illustrated chronicle of war began to go out in London even got the name "Fighting Japan for Freedom"; And the American President Roosevelt was openly warned by France from her possible performance against Japan, stating that in this case he would "immediately be on her direction and go so far as it would take." The tone of American print was so hostile to Russia, which prompted M. O. Menshikova - one of the leading publicists of Russian nationalism - exclaim in the "New Time":

France, even on the eve of the war, considered it necessary to clarify that her alliance with Russia only applies to European affairs, nevertheless was dissatisfied with the actions of Japan, which began war, because it was interested in Russia as in his allied against Germany; With the exception of the leftmost left, the rest of the French print kept strictly correctly allied tone. On March 30 (April 12), the "heart consent" was signed by the well-known perplexity in Russia between France - the Allies of Russia and England - the Allies of Japan. This agreement marked the beginning of the Antante, but at that time it remained almost without reaction in Russian society, although the "New Time" and wrote about this: "Almost all felt the edge of the cold in the atmosphere of Franco-Russian relations."

Germany on the eve of the events assured both parties in a friendly neutrality. And now, after the start of the war, the German press was divided into two opposite camps: the right newspapers were on the side of Russia, left - on the side of Japan. The personal reaction of the German Emperor at the beginning of the war was essential. Wilhelm II marked on the report of the German Messenger in Japan:

Blockade Port Arthur

On the morning of February 24, the Japanese tried to flood 5 old transports at the entrance to the Harbor Port Arthur, so as to locate the Russian squadron inside. The plan was tattered by the "Retvosan", still located at the external raid of the harbor.

On March 2, Varenius detachment, received an order for returning to the Baltic, despite the protests S. O. Makarov, who considered that he should follow further into the Far East.

On March 8, 1904, Admiral Makarov arrived in Port Arthur and the famous shipbuilder N. E. Kuteikov, together with several spare parts and equipment wagons. Makarov immediately accepted energetic measures to restore the combat capability of the Russian squadron, which led to the growth of the military spirit on the fleet.

On March 27, the Japanese again tried to overlap the exit from Harbor Port Arthur, this time using 4 old vehicles filled with stones and cement. Transports, however, were flooded too far from the entrance to the harbor.

On March 31, during the exit to the sea, Petropavlovsk battleship flew into 3 mins and sank for two minutes. 635 sailors and officers died. Admiral Makarov and the famous artist-Battalist Vereshchagin entered their number. He broke out and failed for several weeks of the battleship "Poltava".

On May 3, the Japanese was undertaken by the third and last attempt to block the entrance to the port Arthur's Harbor, this time using 8 transports. As a result, the Russian fleet was blocked for several days in Harbor Port Arthur, which cleared the road to landing the 2nd Japanese army in Manchuria.

Of the whole Russian fleet, only the Vladivostok cruising squad ("Russia", "Surching", "Rurik") retained freedom of action and for the first 6 months of war several times passed on the offensive against the Japanese fleet, penetrating into the Pacific Ocean and being at the Japanese coast, then , leaving again to the Korean Strait. The detachment was sumping several Japanese transports with troops and tools, including on May 31 Vladivostok cruisers, Japanese transport "Chi-Tatsi Maru" (6175 BRT) was intercepted, on board which was 18,280-mm Mortira for the siege of Port Arthur, which made it possible to tighten The siege of Port Arthur for several months.

Japanese offensive in Manchuria and Defense Port Arthur

April 18 (May 1) The 1st Japanese army of about 45 thousand people forced the Yalu River and in battle on the Yal River defeated the eastern detachment of the Russian Manchurian Army under the command of M. I. Zasulich about 18 thousand people. The invasion of Japanese troops in Manchuria began.

On April 22 (May 5), the 2nd Japanese army under the command of General Yasuchata OKU, about 38.5 thousand people, began landing on the Liaodong Peninsula, approximately 100 kilometers from Port Arthur. The landing was carried out by 80 Japanese transports and lasted until April 30 (May 13). The Russian units numbered about 17 thousand people, under the command of General Peressel, as well as the Russian squadron in Port Arthur under the command of Vitheft, active actions to counteract the landing of the Japanese did not undertaken.

On April 27 (May 10), the advancing Japanese parts were interrupted by rail between Port Arthur and Manchuria.

If the 2nd Japanese army landed without losses, then the fleet of Japan, which ensured the landing operation, was very significant losses. 2 (15) May 2 Japanese battleships, 12 320-tonne "Yasima" and 15 300-ton "Hatsa", were sinking after entering the Mining field, put up by the Russian Mining Celebration of Amur. In total, from 12 to 17 May, the Japanese fleet lost 7 ships (2 armadors, a light cruiser, a gunboat, an avizo, a fighter and a destroyer), and another 2 ships (including the Kasuga armored cruiser) left for repairs in Sasabo.

The 2nd Japanese Army, completing landing, began to move to the south, to the port Arthur, in order to establish the close blockade of the fortress. To take the battle The Russian command decided on a well-fortified position near the city of Jinzhou, on the variety, connecting the Kwanthi Peninsula with Liaodong.

13 (May 26) The fight at Jinzhou, in which one Russian regiment (3.8 thousand people with 77 guns and 10 machine guns) reflected the attacks of three Japanese divisions for twelve hours (35 thousand people at 216 guns and 48 machine guns) . The defense was always broken by the evening, after the japanese canonics came up with the left flank of the Russians. The Losses of the Japanese amounted to 4.3 thousand people, Russians - about 1.5 thousand people killed and wounded.

As a result of success during the fight, Jinzhou Japanese was overcome by the main natural barrier on the way to the Port Arthur Fortress. On May 29, by Japanese troops, the port of far, and his shipyard, docks and the railway station went to the Japanese practically intact, which greatly facilitated them to supply the troops precipitated Port Arthur.

After the exercise of the long-distance Japanese forces were divided: the formation of the 3rd Japanese army under the command of General Maresuké legs, which was put by the task of taking Port Arthur, while the 2nd Japanese army began nominated north.

On 10 (23), the Russian squadron in Port Arthur made an attempt to break through Vladivostok, but three hours after the exit to the sea, noticing the Japanese fleet on the horizon, the counter-admiral V.K. Vithefte ordered to turn back, as she considered the situation disadvantaged for battle.

1-2 (14-15) June In the battle of Wafango, the 2nd Japanese army (38 thousand people at 216 implements) defeated the Russian 1st East Siberian Corps of General G. K. Shakelberg (30 thousand people at 98 guns) sent to the commander of the Russian Manchurian Army partridge for removing the Port Arthur blockade.

The Russian parts retreating to Port Arthur after the defeat of Jinzhou occupied the position "on the passes", about halfway between Port Arthur and the distant, which the Japanese did not attack for quite a long time in anticipation of the complete staffing of their 3rd army.

13 (26) July 3rd Japanese army (60 thousand people at 180 guns) broke through the Russian defense "on the passes" (16 thousand people with 70 guns), on July 30, took Wolf Mountains - positions on distant approaches to the fortress itself, And already on August 9, it was published on the initial positions throughout the perimeter of the fortress. The defense of Port Arthur began.

In connection with the beginning of the shelling of Harbor Port Arthur Japanese long-range artillery, the Fleet command decided to attempt to break through Vladivostok.

On July 28 (August 10), a fight was held in the yellow sea, during which the Japanese fleet, because of the death of Vithette and the loss of the Russian squadron, managed to force the Russian squadron to return to Port Arthur.

On July 30 (August 12), not knowing that the breakthrough attempt in Vladivostok had already failed, 3 cruisers of the Vladivostok detachment reached the Korean Strait, having a goal of Port Arthur Squadron breaking through Vladivostok. On the morning of August 14, they were discovered by the squadron of Camimuras in the composition of 6 cruisers and, without having to evaporate, accepted the fight, as a result of which Rurik was sweeping.

The defense of the fortress lasted until January 2, 1905 and became one of the bright pages of Russian military history.

In the serfral area cut off from the Russian parts, there were three authorities at the same time: the commander of the troops General Peressel, the Commander of the fortress, General Smirnov and the commander of the fleet Admiral Vitheft (due to the lack of Admiral Zhidlov). This circumstance, in aggregate with a difficult report with the outside world, could have hazardous consequences if the general R. I. Kondratenko was found among the team composition, which "with a rare ability and tact managed to coordinate, in the interests of common cause, contradictory views of individual chiefs " Kondratenko became the hero of Port Arthur Epopea and died at the end of the siege of the fortress. His efforts were organized by the defense of the fortress: fortification facilities were completed and presented in combat readiness. The garrison of the fortress consisted of about 53 thousand people, in service with which there were 646 guns and 62 machine guns. Osada Port Arthur lasted about 5 months and cost the Japanese army about 91 thousand people killed and wounded. Russian losses amounted to about 28 thousand people killed and wounded; The remains of the 1st Pacific Squadron's siege artillery were swept away: Retvosan's armadors, Poltava, Peresvetis, "Victory", Bayan's armored cruiser, Pallada Cruiser. The only remaining battleship "Sevastopol" was brought to the Bay of a White Wolf, accompanied by 5 destroyers ("Angry", "Static", "Smell", "Brave", "domineering"), the port tug "Salo" and the guardian ship "Brave " As a result of the attack, undertaken by the Japanese under the cover of the night, "Sevastopol" was seriously damaged, and since in the conditions of a bombed port and the possibility of speeding the domestic raid by Japanese troops the ship's repair was impossible, it was decided to surfacing the ship by the crew after preliming the guns and export of the wip .

Liaoyan and Shahoe

During the summer of 1904, the Japanese moved slowly on Liaoyan: from the East - 1st Army under the command of Tepymoto Kuroka, 45 thousand, and from the South - 2nd Army under the command of Yasukate OKU, 45 thousand and 4th Army under the command Mititsur Nodzu, 30 thousand people. The Russian army slowly retreated, at the same time constantly causing replenishment arriving on the Trans-Gas.

11 (24) August began one of the general battles of the Russian-Japanese war - the battle at Liaoyan. Three Japanese armies in the semicircle attacked the position of the Russian army: the army of OKU and NOZU, in the east - kours, comes from the south. In the fights continued until August 22, Japanese troops under the command of Marshal Ivao Oyama (130 thousand with 400 guns) lost about 23 thousand people, Russian troops under the command of Kuropatkina (170 thousand with 644 guns) - 16 thousand (according to other data 19 thousand . killed and wounded). The Russian three days successfully discouraged all the attacks of the Japanese to the south of Liaoyan, after that A. N. Kuropatkin decided to concentrate his strength, go to the offensive against the army of the cournel. The operation did not bring the desired results, and the Russian commander, overestimated the forces of the Japanese, deciding that they could cut the railway from the north of Liaoyan, the order of departure to Mukden. Russians retreated in perfect order without leaving a single gun. The overall outcome of the battle at Liaoyan was uncertain. Nevertheless, the Russian historian Professor S. S. Oldenburg writes that this fight has become a heavy moral impact, since everyone was waiting for the Japanese in Liaoyan, and in fact, the historian writes, it was another arielicant fight, an extremely bloody and the same .

September 22 (October 5) the battle was held on the Shahe River. The battle began with the attack of Russian troops (270 thousand people); On October 10, Japanese troops (170 thousand people) switched to counterattack. The outcome of the battle was uncertain when October 17 Kuropatkin gave an order to terminate attacks. The losses of Russian troops accounted for up to 40 thousand killed and injured, Japanese - 30 thousand.

After surgery on the Shahoe River at the front, a positional calm was established, which was launched until the end of 1904.

Campaign 1905.

In January 1905, the revolution began in Russia, which complicated further war.

12 (25) January began the battle of Sandip, in which Russian troops tried to go to the offensive. After class 2 villages, the battle was stopped on January 29 by order of Kuropatkina. The losses of Russian troops amounted to 12 thousand, Japanese - 9 thousand people killed and injured.

In February 1905, the Japanese were forced to retreat the Russian army in the general battle in Mukden, which walked on the more than 100-kilometer front and the last three weeks. Before the beginning of the First World War, it was the largest land battle in history. In severe battles, the Russian army lost 90 thousand people (killed, wounded and prisoners) of 350 thousand who participated in the battle; The Japanese army lost 75 thousand people (killed, wounded and captive) from 300 thousand. On March 10, Russian troops left Mukden. After that, the war on land began to calm and took a position.

14 (27) May - 15 (28) May 1905, in the Tsushim battle, the Japanese fleet destroyed the Russian squadron, which was converted to the Far East from the Baltic under the command of Vice-Admiral Z. P. Rodvlensky.

On July 7, the last major operation of the war began - the Japanese invasion of Sakhalin. The 15th Japanese division with a number of 14 thousand people opposed about 6 thousand Russian people who were mainly from the exile and cortishes entering the troops only to acquire benefits to serving the cortications and references and not distinguished special combat capability. July 29, after passing the main Russian detachment captured (about 3.2 thousand people), resistance on the island was suppressed.

The number of Russian troops in Manchuria continued to increase, replenishment arrived. By the time of the world, the Russian army in Manchuria occupied positions near the village of Skingai (English) and there were about 500 thousand fighters; The troops were located not in line, as before, but echelonized into the depth; The army was significantly increased technically - the Russians had a warm battery, machine guns, the number of which increased from 36 to 374; Communication with Russia has already been supported by no more than 3 couples of trains, as at the beginning of the war, and 12 pairs. Finally, the Spirit of Manchurian armies was not broken. However, the Russian command did not take decisive actions at the front, which was largely helped by the revolution began in the country, as well as the tactics of partridge for the maximum exhaustion of the Japanese army.

For its part, the Japanese, who has cursed huge losses, also did not show activity. The Japanese army, which stood against Russian, numbered about 300 thousand fighters. There was no longer a former lift in it. Japan is economically exhausted. Human resources are exhausted, among the prisoners there were old men and children.

Results of war

In May 1905, a meeting of the Military Council was held, where the Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolayevich reported that, in his opinion, it is necessary for the final victory: a billion rubles of expenses, about 200 thousand losses and a year of hostilities. After reflection, Nicholas II decided to join the negotiations with the mediation of the American President Roosevelt on the conclusion of the world (which Japan had already succeeded twice). S. Yu. Witte was appointed the first authorized king and the very day was accepted by the emperor and received the relevant instructions: in no case agree on any forms of contribution of the contribution, which Russia never paid in history, and not to give "no inches Russian land. " At the same time, Witte himself was configured pessimistic (especially in the light of the requirements of the Japanese side about the alienation of the entire Sakhalin, the Primorsky Territory, the transfer of all the innerned ships): he was confident that "Contribution" and territorial losses are "inevitable."

On August 9, 1905, peace negotiations began in Portsmouth (USA) through the mediation of Theodore Roosevelt. The peace treaty was signed on August 23 (September 5) of 1905. Russia lost to Japan southern part of Sakhalin (already occupied by Japanese troops), its rental rights to the Liaodan Peninsula and South Manchu Railway, connecting Port Arthur with the Sino-Eastern Railway. Russia also recognized Korea by the Japanese zone of influence. In 1910, despite the protests of other countries, Japan formally annexed Korea.

Many in Japan were unhappy with the peace treaty: Japan received less territories than expected - for example, only part of Sakhalin, and not all, and most importantly, did not receive cash contributions. During the negotiations, the Japanese delegation put forward a conjunctional requirement in 1.2 billion yen, but the solid and adamant position of the emperor Nikolai II did not allow Witte to give way to these two principal points. He was supported by the US President Theodore Roosevelt, informing the Japanese that if they were inscribed, the American side, before the Japanese sympathized, would change their position. The requirement of the Japanese side on the demilitarization of Vladivostok and a number of other conditions was rejected. Japanese diplomat Kikudziro Icia wrote in his memoirs that:

According to the results of peace negotiations, Russia and Japan were obliged to bring troops from Manchuria, to use railways only for commercial purposes and not to repair the freedom of trade and navigation. Russian historian A. N. Bhakhanov writes that Portsmouth agreements have become an undoubted success of Russian diplomacy: negotiations were rather an agreement between equal partners, and not a contract concluded due to an unsuccessful war.

War cost Japan huge, compared with Russia, voltage of strength. She had to put 1.8% of the population under a gun (Russia - 0.5%), during the war its external public debt increased 4 times (Russia by a third) and reached 2400 million yen.

The Japanese army lost killed, according to various sources, from 49 thousand (B.S. C. Urlanis) to 80 thousand (Dr. East. Sciences I. Rostunov), while Russian from 32 thousand (Uralnis) up to 50 thousand . (Rostunov) or 52,501 people (G. F. Krivosheev). Russian losses in the battles on land were twice as much as Japanese. In addition, 17,297 Russians and 38,617 Japanese soldiers and officers (Urlanis) died from wounds and diseases. The incidence in both armies amounted to about 25 people. per 1000 per month, but the percentage of mortality in Japanese medical institutions by 2.44 times exceeded the Russian figure.

According to some representatives of the military elite of that time (for example, the head of the German Staff Schliffen), Russia could well continue the war, it was worth only better to mobilize the forces of the empire.

In his memoirs, Witte confessed:

Opinions and evaluation

General Kuropatkin in his "results" of the Japanese war wrote about the command composition:

Other facts

The Russian-Japanese war gave rise to several myths of the Japanese explosives used by the Japanese. Shells, Stipped in short, exploded when hitting any obstacle, giving a mushroom-like cloud of suffocable smoke and a large number of fragments, that is, had a pronounced fugance effect. Russian shells started by Pyroxiline, such an effect was not given, although they differed better armority. Such a prominent superiority of Japanese shells over Russians, several common myths spawned:

1. The power of the explosion of shirms is many times stronger than pyroxilin.
2. The use of shirms was the technical superiority of Japan, due to which Russia suffered naval defeats.

Both of these myth are incorrect (discussed in detail in the stylish article).

During the transition of the 2nd Pacific squadron, under the command of Z. P. Rod Shatvlensky, the so-called Gully incident occurred from the Baltic to the Port Arthur area. Rodially received information that the Japanese destroyers will be waiting for the Squadron in the North Sea. On the night of October 22, 1904, the squadron was fired by English fishing vessels, having accepted them for Japanese ships. This incident caused a serious English-Russian diplomatic conflict. Subsequently, an arbitration court was created to investigate the circumstances of the incident.

Russian-Japanese War in Art

Painting

On April 13, 1904, a talented Russian-based battalist Vasily Vereshchagin was killed in the underlying of the Petropavlovsk armor mini. Ironically, the Vereshchagin returned by Japan shortly before the war, where he created a number of paintings. In particular, one of them, "Japanese", he created in the early 1904, that is, just a few months before his death.

Fiction

War in music

• Waltz Ilya Shatrov "on the hits of Manchuria" (1907).
• The song of an unknown author "The sea spread out widely" (1900s) about the 2nd Pacific squadron: L. Utesov, L. Utesov video, E. Dyatlov, DDT
• Song "Top You, comrades, all in places" (1904), dedicated to the death of the Varyag cruiser: Images from the film "Varyag", M. Troin
• Song "Pleshing Cold Waves" (1904), also dedicated to the death of the Varyag Cruiser: Alembal Aleksandrov, 1942, O. Pogudin
• The song on the poems of Alexander Bloka "Girl sang in the church church" (1905): L. Novoseltseva, A. Kustov and R. Stanskov.
• Oleg Mityaev's song "Alien War" (1998) from the point of view of the sailor of the 2nd Pacific Squadron - a resident of Tobolsk.

The Russian-Japanese war briefly.

Causes of the start of war with Japan.

In the period 1904, Russia led the active development of land of the Far East, developing trade and industry. The country of the rising sun blocking access to these lands, at that time she occupied China and Korea. But the fact is that under the department of Russia there was one of the territories of China - Manchuria. Here is one of the main reasons for the beginning of the war. In addition to this, Russia, by the decision of the triple union, was given to the Liaodan Peninsula, which belonged to the Japan once. Thus, Russia has disagreements with Japan, and the struggle for domination in the Far East arose.

The course of events of the Russian-Japanese war.

Using the effect of surprise, Japan attacked Russia in the place of Port Arthur. After disembarking the landing troops of Japan at the Kwantunsky Peninsula, Port Atrut remained cut off from the outside world, and respectively helpless. After two months, he was forced to resort to surrender. Further, the Russian army loses the battle of Liaoyan and the battle with Mukden. Until the first world war, these battles were considered the most large-scale in the history of the Russian state.

After the battle of the Tsushim, almost the entire Soviet flotilla was crushed. Events unfolded on the yellow sea. After another battle, Russia loses the Sakhalin peninsula in unequal battle. General Kurophatkin, the leader of the Soviet Army for some reason applied passive struggle tactics. In his opinion, it was necessary to wait until the strengths and reserves of the enemy would be on the outcome. And the king at that time did not give it much importance, since the revolution began on the territory of Russia.

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

Results of the Russian-Japanese war.

Russia lost the southern part of his Sakhalin Peninsula. Manchuria has now become a neutral territory, and from there all troops were bred. Oddly enough, but the contract was conducted on equal conditions, and not as a winner with defeated.