We explain how the Russian-Japanese war of 1904 was. In addition, the causes that triggered it, its development and the result.
What was the Russian-Japanese war?
The Russian-Japanese war was a military conflict that began in 1904 and ended in 1905. In it They faced the Russian Empire and the Japanese Empire in dispute over the territories of Manchuria and Korea.
Japanese troops took Port Arthur by surprise and then advanced to Mukden, the capital of the Manchuria region. Given the unexpected attack, the Russian naval forces had to navigate almost 28,000 km to arrive and be destroyed in the battle of Tsushima.
The conflict ended with Russian defeat and the Portsmouth Peace Signature, through which the Japanese occupation of Manchuria and Korea was established. The Russian-Japanese war was Japan’s first victory over a European power. For the Russian Empire it meant a humiliating defeat and an important military expense that generated great popular discontent and triggered the 1905 revolution.
Background of the Russian-Japanese war
Since the end of the 19th century, the Far East had become one of the great tension centers in international politics. The Chinese Empire was weakened and the different imperialist powers (such as the United States, Japan, Great Britain and Russia) competed to extend its scope of influence.
By winning the First Chinese-Japanese War (1894-1895), Japan had achieved Korea controlof the island of Taiwan and the Peninsula of Liaodong. In addition, he had demonstrated the effectiveness and development of his army. However, at the beginning of the 20th century, various European powers joined and pressed to Japan to return the control of Port Arthur (in the Liaodong Peninsula) to the Chinese government.
For its part, The Russian Empire had the need to control a region with the sea of warm waters that would not freeze in winter. When China regained control of Port Arthur, he negotiated with the Russian Empire the lease of the Kwantung Peninsula.
In 1900, LA political instability in the region led to a local nationalist rebellion (The “Boxers uprising”) which finally ended with the occupation of the Russian troops throughout Manchuria.
On the other hand, Japan achieved the support of the United Kingdom and the United States, through different agreements that would protect their interests in the region. In 1903, competition between Japan and the Russian Empire for the control of the region increased and The powers failed to reach an agreement. Finally, Japan decided to intervene militarily Port Arthur by surprise and without prior declaration of war.
Development of the Russian-Japanese war
In February 1904, the Japanese attacked Port Arthur, a location in Manchuria that was under Russian control. Russian terrestrial and naval troops were not well organized and could not deal with Japanese attack.
Japanese troops landed and advanced on the peninsula. For a year the Russians suffered different military defeats. Among the main battles are that of the Yalú river, that of Te-Li-Su, that of the Yellow Sea, that of Ulsan, that of Liaoyang, that of the Sha-Ho river, Mukden’s River and the Naval Battle of Tsushima.
Finally, The Russian Empire was forced to accept defeat and yield your control over the region.
Consequences of Russian-Japanese war
Peace between both powers was signed on September 5, 1905, in Portsmouth. The agreement established that the Russian Empire had to leave its claims in Manchuria.
Among the diverse consequences of the conflict, it can be highlighted:
- Japan’s rise as an imperialist power in competition with Western powers.
- When losing control over Manchuria, the Russian Empire focused its imperialist ambition in the Balkans. This was a key history of World War I.
- The military expenses and the continuous defeats of the Russian troops sharpened the general discontent of the Russian population, which throughout 1905 was manifested through strikes and disturbances in different places of the empire. The 1905 revolution was an important antecedent for the Russian Revolution of 1917, which overthrew the government of Tsar Nicolás II and ended in the implementation of communism.
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References
- Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Russo-Japanese War”. Britannica Encyclopedia. https://www.britannica.com/
- Hobsbawm, E. 1987). The Era of the Empire, 1875-1914. Critical Editorial.
- Palmowski, J. (2000). “Russo-Japanese War”. To Dictionary of Twentieth-Century World History. Oxford University Press.
