The progress of the Russo-Japanese War briefly. Russo-Japanese War

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905 was the result of a clash of interests between Russia and Japan in the Far East. Both countries, which experienced in the last decades of the XIX century. the processes of internal modernization, at about the same time, intensified foreign policy in this region. Russia was aimed at the development of economic expansion in Manchuria and Korea, which were nominally the possessions of China. However, here she ran into Japan, which was rapidly gaining strength, which was also eager to quickly join in the division of a weakened China.

Power rivalry in the Far East

The first major clash between St. Petersburg and Tokyo occurred when the Japanese, having defeated the Chinese in the war of 1894-1895, intended to impose extremely difficult peace conditions on them. The intervention of Russia, supported by France and Germany, forced them to moderate their appetites. But Petersburg, acting as the protector of China, strengthened its influence in this country. In 1896, an agreement was signed on the construction of the Chinese Eastern Railway (CER) through Manchuria, which shortened the route to Vladivostok by 800 km and made it possible to expand the Russian presence in the region. In 1898, Port Arthur was leased on the Liaodong Peninsula, which became Russia's main naval base in the Pacific Ocean. It had an advantageous strategic position and, unlike Vladivostok, did not freeze.

In 1900, during the suppression of the so-called Boxer uprising, Russian troops occupied Manchuria. It was Tokyo's turn to express its extreme displeasure. Proposals on the division of spheres of interest (Manchuria - Russia, Korea - Japan) were rejected by St. Petersburg. Emperor Nicholas II was increasingly influenced by adventurers from his entourage, who underestimated the strength of Japan. In addition, as Minister of the Interior V. K. Plehve said, “to keep the revolution ... a small victorious war is needed.” This opinion was supported by many at the top.

"Maxims" were adopted by the Russian army on May 28, 1895. In the Russo-Japanese war, they were used in two forms: with large wheels and a shield, or, as shown in the figure, on a tripod

Meanwhile, Japan was actively preparing for war, building up its military power. The Japanese army deployed for mobilization numbered over 375 thousand people, 1140 guns, 147 machine guns. The Japanese fleet consisted of 80 warships, including 6 squadron battleships, 8 armored ships and 12 light cruisers.

Russia initially kept about 100 thousand people in the Far East (about 10% of the entire army), 148 guns and 8 machine guns. There were 63 Russian warships in the Pacific Ocean, including 7 squadron battleships, 4 armored and 7 light cruisers. The remoteness of this region from the center and the difficulties of transportation along the Trans-Siberian Railway affected. In general, Russia was noticeably inferior to Japan in terms of readiness for war.

The move of the warriors

On January 24 (February 6, New Style), 1904, Japan broke off negotiations and severed diplomatic relations with Russia. Even before the official declaration of war, which followed on January 28 (February 10), 1904, Japanese destroyers on the night of January 26-27 (February 8-9) attacked the Russian squadron in Port Arthur and damaged two battleships and a cruiser. For the Russian sailors, the attack was sudden, although it was clear from the behavior of the Japanese that they were about to start a war. Nevertheless, Russian ships stood on the outer roadstead without mine nets, and two of them illuminated the raid with searchlights (they were hit in the first place). True, the Japanese were not distinguished by accuracy either, although they fired almost point-blank: out of 16 torpedoes, only three hit the target.

Japanese sailors. 1905

On January 27 (February 9), 1904, six Japanese cruisers and eight destroyers blocked the Russian cruiser "Varyag" (commander - captain of the 1st rank V. F. Rudnev) and the gunboat "Koreets" in the Korean port of Chemulpo (now Incheon) and offered them to surrender. The Russian sailors made a breakthrough, but after an hour-long battle they returned to the port. The heavily damaged "Varyag" was flooded, and the "Korean" was blown up by his teams, who went on board the ships of neutral states.

The feat of the cruiser "Varyag" received a wide response in Russia and abroad. The sailors were solemnly welcomed at home, they were received by Nicholas II. Until now, the song "Varangian" is popular both in the fleet and among the people:

Upstairs you, comrades, All in places! The last parade is coming... Our proud "Varangian" does not surrender to the enemy, No one wants mercy.

Trouble at sea plagued the Russians. At the end of January, the Yenisei mine transport was blown up and sank on its own minefields, and then the Boyarin cruiser sent to help it. However, the Japanese were undermined by Russian mines more often. So, on May 2 (15), two Japanese battleships exploded at once.

At the end of February, a new squadron commander, Vice Admiral S.O. Makarov, a brave and active naval commander, arrived in Port Arthur. But he was not destined to defeat the Japanese. On March 31 (April 13), the flagship battleship Petropavlovsk, moving to help the ships attacked by the Japanese, ran into a mine and sank in a matter of minutes. Makarov, his personal friend, battle painter V.V. Vereshchagin, and almost the entire crew were killed. The command of the squadron was taken over by the uninitiative Rear Admiral V.K. Vitgeft. The Russians tried to break through to Vladivostok, but on July 28 (August 10) they were stopped by the Japanese in the battle in the Yellow Sea. In this battle, Vitgeft died, and the remnants of the Russian squadron returned to Port Arthur.

On land, things also turned out badly for Russia. In February 1904, Japanese troops landed in Korea and in April reached the border with Manchuria, where a large Russian detachment was defeated on the Yalu River. In April - May, the Japanese landed on the Liaodong Peninsula and interrupted Port Arthur's connection with the main army. In June, the Russian troops sent to help the fortress were defeated near Vafangou and retreated to the north. In July, the siege of Port Arthur began. In August, the Liaoyang battle took place with the participation of the main forces of both sides. The Russians, having a numerical advantage, successfully repulsed the attacks of the Japanese and could count on success, but the army commander A.N. Kuropatkin showed indecision and ordered a retreat. In September - October, the oncoming battle on the Shahe River ended inconclusively, and both sides, having suffered heavy losses, went on the defensive.

The epicenter of events has shifted to Port Arthur. For more than one month, this fortress withstood the siege, repelling several assaults. But in the end, the Japanese were able to capture the strategically important mountain Vysokaya. And after this, General R.I. Kondratenko, who was called the "soul of defense" of the fortress, died. On December 20, 1904 (January 21, 1905), Generals A. M. Stessel and A. V. Fock, contrary to the opinion of the military council, surrendered Port Arthur. Russia lost the main naval base, the remnants of the fleet and more than 30 thousand prisoners, and the Japanese released 100 thousand soldiers for operations in other directions.

In February 1905, the largest battle of Mukden in this war took place, in which more than half a million soldiers from both sides participated. Russian troops were defeated and retreated, after which active hostilities on land ceased.

Tsushima disaster

The final chord of the war was the Battle of Tsushima. As early as September 19 (October 2), 1904, a detachment of ships under the command of Vice Admiral 3. P. Rozhestvensky, called the 2nd Pacific Squadron, set off from the Baltic to the Far East (it was followed by the 3rd squadron under the command of Rear Admiral N I. Nebogatova). In their composition, in particular, there were 8 squadron battleships, 13 cruisers of various classes. Among them were both new ships, including those that had not yet been properly tested, as well as obsolete ones, unsuitable for ocean navigation and general battle. After the fall of Port Arthur, they had to go to Vladivostok. Having made an exhausting journey around Africa, the ships entered the Tsushima Strait (between Japan and Korea), where the main forces of the Japanese fleet (4 squadron battleships, 24 cruisers of various classes and other ships) were waiting for them. The Japanese attack was sudden. The battle began on May 14 (27), 1905 at 13:49. Within 40 minutes, the Russian squadron lost two battleships, and then new losses followed. Rozhdestvensky was wounded. After sunset, at 20:15, the remnants of the Russian squadron attacked dozens of Japanese destroyers. On May 15 (28), at 11 o'clock, the ships remaining afloat, surrounded by the Japanese fleet, lowered the St. Andrew's flags.

The defeat at Tsushima was the most difficult and shameful in the history of the Russian fleet. Only a few cruisers and destroyers managed to escape from the scene of the battle, but only the Almaz cruiser and two destroyers reached Vladivostok. More than 5 thousand sailors died, and over 6 thousand were captured. The Japanese lost only three destroyers and about 700 men killed and wounded.

There were many reasons for this disaster: miscalculations in planning and organizing the expedition, unpreparedness for battle, weak command, obvious shortcomings of Russian guns and shells, the diversity of ships, unsuccessful maneuvering in battle, communication problems, etc. The Russian fleet was clearly inferior to the Japanese in material and moral preparation, in military skill and stamina.

Peace of Portsmouth and the outcome of the war

After Tsushima, the last hopes for a favorable outcome for Russia collapsed, in which the Russian army and navy did not win a single major victory. In addition, a revolution began in Russia. But both sides were exhausted. Human losses amounted to approximately 270 thousand people. Therefore, both Japan and Russia readily accepted the mediation of US President T. Roosevelt.

On August 23 (September 5), 1905, a peace treaty was signed in the American city of Portsmouth. Russia gave Japan South Sakhalin and its rights to lease Port Arthur with adjacent territories. She also recognized Korea as a Japanese sphere of influence.

The Russo-Japanese War had a great impact on military and naval affairs. For the first time, machine guns and rapid-fire cannons were so widely used, light machine guns, mortars, and hand grenades appeared, and experience began to be accumulated in the use of radios, searchlights, balloons, wire obstacles with electric current in war. For the first time, submarines and new sea mines were used. Improved tactics and strategy. The defensive positions combined trenches, trenches, dugouts. Of particular importance was the achievement of fire superiority over the enemy and the close interaction of the combat arms on the battlefield, and at sea - the optimal combination of speed, fire power and armor protection.

In Russia, the defeat marked the beginning of a revolutionary crisis, culminating in the transformation of the autocracy into a constitutional monarchy. But the lessons of the Russo-Japanese War did not teach the ruling circles of the Russian Empire anything, and eight years later they pushed the country into a new, even more grandiose war - the First World War.

The main reason for the war is the clash of interests between Russia and Japan in the Far East. Both powers sought dominance in China and Korea. In 1896, Russia began the construction of the Chinese Eastern Railway, which passed through the territory of Manchuria. In 1898, Witte agreed to lease the Liaodong Peninsula from China for 25 years. Here they began to build the naval base of Port Arthur. In 1900, Russian troops entered Manchuria.

The advance of Russia to the borders of Korea alarmed Japan. A clash between the two countries was becoming inevitable. Japan began to prepare for war. The tsarist government underestimated the enemy. The Russian army in the Far East numbered 98 thousand soldiers against the 150 thousandth Japanese army. The transportation of reserves was difficult due to the low capacity of the Siberian railway. The fortification of Vladivostok and Port Arthur was not completed. The Pacific squadron was inferior to the Japanese fleet. While Japan was helped by the largest states, Russia remained almost isolated.

On both sides, the war was unfair and predatory. Russia and Japan entered the struggle for the redivision of the world.

The Russo-Japanese War began on January 27, 1904, with the attack of the Japanese fleet on the Russian squadron in Port Arthur and the Korean port of Chemulpo. The first losses weakened the Russian fleet. The commander of the Pacific squadron, Admiral S.O. Makarov, began preparations for active operations at sea. Soon his battleship hit a mine and he died. Together with him, the artist V.V. Vereshchagin died. After that, the fleet switched to the defense of Port Arthur and abandoned offensive operations.

The commander of the ground forces, General A.N. Kuropatkin, chose defensive tactics. This put the Russian army at a disadvantage. Japanese troops landed in Korea and then in Manchuria. In May 1904, Port Arthur was cut off from the main army. At the end of August 1904, a battle took place near Liaoyang, which ended with the retreat of the Russians. Port Arthur was left to its own devices. In September-October 1904, the Russian army tried to go on the offensive, but was stopped after the battle near the Shakhe River.

Near Port Arthur, 50,000 Russians fettered the 200,000th Japanese army for almost 8 months. Only in December 1904 did General Stessel surrender the fortress to the enemy, although there were opportunities for further defense. Port Arthur squadron perished. The enemy fleet began to dominate the sea. The Japanese siege army was deployed against the main Russian forces.

In the decisive battle in February 1905 near Mukden, more than 660 thousand people participated on both sides. Russia suffered another defeat and retreated to the north.

In October 1904, the 2nd Pacific Squadron was sent to the Far East under the command of Admiral Z.P. Rozhdestvensky. In May 1905, a naval battle took place on the islands of Tsushima. The Russian squadron was destroyed. Only four ships broke through to Vladivostok.

Despite the shocks, the situation gradually changed. After the victory at Mushchvdazh and until the end of the war, the Japanese did not dare to undertake a new, "aggression. Japan has used up its reserves. Many military men predicted that by the autumn of 1905 a turning point would occur at the front. The continuation of the war was prevented by the first Russian revolution.

From the very first days, the war was unpopular in Russia and was perceived by the public as a senseless conflict. With the outbreak of war, the economic situation worsened. As news of defeats and losses began to arrive, hatred of the war became almost universal.

win the war in such environment was impossible. Peace negotiations began, mediated by US President T. Roosevelt. In August 1905, the Treaty of Portsmouth was signed. The Russian delegation at the talks was headed by S.Yu. Witte. He managed to achieve relatively mild peace conditions. Russia lost the southern part of Sakhalin Island, recognized Korea as a Japanese sphere of influence, returned Manchuria to China, transferred to Japan the right to lease the Kwantung Peninsula with Port Arthur, and paid the cost of maintaining Russian prisoners.

The reasons for the defeat were the unpopularity of the war, the underestimation of the enemy, the remoteness of the theater of operations, the weakness of the Pacific Fleet, the inept leadership of the army, and the unfavorable international situation. The first Russian revolution had a decisive influence on the outcome of the war.

At the beginning of the 20th century, active development of new lands was going on in the Far East, which provoked a war with Japan. Let's figure out what are the reasons for the Russo-Japanese war of 1904-1905.

Background and causes of the war

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, 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" made the Empire of the Rising Sun a leading regional power.

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

Rice. 1. Portrait of Nicholas II.

To raise the authority needed a "small victorious war" or new territorial expansion to demonstrate the greatness of Russia. The Crimean War marked the territorial claims of Russia in Europe. In Central Asia, Russia ran into India, and conflict with Britain had to be avoided. Nicholas II turned his attention to China, weakened by wars and European colonization. There were also long-term plans for Korea.

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

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Rice. 2. Construction of Port Arthur.

In Japan, realizing that Russia claims the lands that are 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 foregoing, it should be noted that the first and main reason for the outbreak of 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 Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 was the rupture of diplomatic ties between the two states. Having failed to agree on the sphere of colonial expansion among themselves, both empires began to prepare to resolve the issue by military means.

The course of the war and the results

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

Rice. 3. The death of the cruiser Varyag.

Russia was actively defending, waiting for the approach of reserves from Europe. However, poor infrastructure and supplies prevented Russia from turning the tide of the war. Nevertheless, the prolonged defense of Port Arthur and the victory of the Russian troops at Liaoyang could bring 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, the Russian Second and Third Pacific squadrons were defeated. The defeat was obvious and the parties moved on to peace negotiations.

The consequence of the 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: 161.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Russia was one of the influential world powers, owning significant territories in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, while Japan dominated the eastern part of the Asian continent.

Therefore, the Russo-Japanese War had a significant resonance, long before its end in 1905. There is every reason to believe that the Russo-Japanese War was a harbinger of the First World War, and then, and. Because the causes of the initial conflict between states influenced subsequent events. Some tend to refer to the Russo-Japanese War as "World War Zero" since it took place 10 years before it began.

Causes of the Russo-Japanese War

In 1904, Russia, led by Emperor Nicholas II, was the largest world power with vast territories.

The port of Vladivostok did not have year-round navigation due to difficult climatic conditions. The state needed to have a port in the Pacific Ocean, which would receive and send merchant ships all year round, and also be a fort on the eastern borders of Russia.

He staked on the Korean Peninsula and Liaodong, now located in China. Russia has already entered into a lease agreement with, but the emperor wanted complete sovereignty in this region. The Japanese leadership has not been satisfied with Russia's activity in the region since the Sino-Japanese War of 1895. Russia at that time supported the Qing Dynasty, i.e. was on the side of the conflict.

Initially, the Japanese side offered Russia a deal: Russia gets full control of Manchuria (northeast China), and Japan controls Korea. But Russia was not satisfied with this outcome of events, it put forward a demand to declare the territory of Korea above the 39th parallel a neutral zone. The negotiations were disrupted by the Japanese side, and she, unilaterally, began hostilities against Russia (attack on the Russian fleet in Port Arthur on February 8, 1904).

Beginning of the Russo-Japanese War

Japan officially declared war on Russia only on the day of the attack on the ships of the Russian Navy in Port Arthur. Prior to this, the Russian leadership had no information about the military intentions of the land of the rising sun.

The Cabinet assured the emperor that even after unsuccessful negotiations, Japan would not dare to attack Russia, but this was an unfortunate assumption. An interesting fact is that, according to the norms of International law, a declaration of war before the outbreak of hostilities was optional at that time. This rule ceased to operate only 2 years after these events, which was enshrined at the second Hague Peace Conference.

The purpose of the attack of the Japanese fleet on Russian ships was the blockade of the Russian fleet. By order of Admiral Togo Heihachiro, the torpedo boats of the Japanese fleet were to disable the three largest cruisers: Tsesarevich, Retvizan and Pallada. The main battle was expected a day later, in Port Arthur.

The Russian fleet in the Far East was well protected in the harbor of Port Arthur, but the exits from it were mined. So on April 12, 1904, the battleships Petropavlovsk and Pobeda were blown up at the exit from the harbor. The first sank, the second returned to the harbor with heavy damage. And, although Russia, in response, damaged 2 Japanese battleships, Japan continued to control and carry out regular bombing of Port Arthur.

At the end of August, Russian troops, deployed from the center to help the sailors of Port Arthur, were driven back by the Japanese and could not get into the harbor. Having settled in the newly conquered positions, the Japanese military continued shelling the ships in the bay.

In early 1905, the garrison commander, Major General Sessel, decided to leave the harbor, believing that the losses among the naval personnel were significant and meaningless. This decision came as a surprise to both the Japanese and the Russian command. The general was later convicted and sentenced to death, but was pardoned.

The Russian fleet continued to suffer losses in the Yellow Sea, forcing the military leadership of the state to mobilize the Baltic Fleet and send it to the combat area.

Military operations in Manchuria and Korea

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

The plans of the Japanese command was to capture Russian-controlled Manchuria. During the first hostilities on land, they successfully attacked Russian shipping in May 1904, forcing them to withdraw to Port Arthur. Further, in February 1905, the Japanese continued to attack the Russian troops in Mukden. These bloody battles also ended in victory for the Japanese. The Russians, suffering heavy losses, were forced to retreat to northern Mukden. The Japanese side also had tangible losses of soldiers and equipment.

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

Making the transition at night, the Russian armada was nevertheless discovered by the Japanese. And Togo Heihachiro blocked their path near the Tsushima Strait at the end of May 1905. Russian losses were enormous: eight battleships and over 5,000 men. Only three ships managed to break into the harbor and complete the task. All the above events forced the Russian side to agree to a truce.

Treaty of Portsmouth

The Russo-Japanese War was fierce and could serve as a bad echo of subsequent events. Both sides lost about 150,000 military men in hostilities, about 20,000 Chinese civilians died.

The peace agreement was concluded in Portsmouth in 1905, through the mediation of Theodore Roosevelt (US President). Russia was represented by Sergei Witte, the minister of his imperial court, and Japan by Baron Komuro. For his peacekeeping activities during the negotiations, Roosevelt was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Results of the Russo-Japanese War

As a result of the agreement, Russia transferred Port Arthur to Japan, retaining half of Sakhalin Island (the island will completely go to Russia only at the end of World War II. Supported Nicholas II's refusal to pay compensation to the victorious side. Russian troops liberated the territory of Manchuria and recognized the control of the Japanese side over the Korean Peninsula.

The humiliating defeats of the Russian army in the Russo-Japanese War added negative consequences to the political unrest in Russia, which ultimately served as the impetus for the overthrow of the government in 1917.

RUSSIAN-JAPANESE WAR(1904–1905), war between Russia and Japan for dominance in Northern China (Manchuria) and Korea.

The cause of the war was Russian expansion in Manchuria. In May 1896, Russia obtained from China a concession for the construction and operation of the Chinese Eastern Railway (CER) from Harbin to Port Arthur, and in March 1898, the lease of the southern part of the Liaodong Peninsula (Kwantung) and Port Arthur, which soon turned into its main naval base in the Far East. In 1900, taking advantage of the Yihetuan uprising in China, Russian troops occupied Manchuria. However, Russia's attempt to maintain its military presence there ran into opposition from Japan, Great Britain and the United States, who did not want the strengthening of Russian influence in Northern China. In January 1902, Japan and Great Britain signed an alliance treaty directed against Russia. In this situation, in March 1902, Russia was forced to conclude an agreement with China, undertaking to withdraw its troops from Manchuria within eighteen months, but in every possible way delayed its implementation, which led to a sharp aggravation of its relations with Japan. In March 1903, Russia demanded that China provide guarantees that it would not lease any part of Manchurian territory to another power without its consent; the Chinese government, backed by Japan and Britain, refused. In July 1903, Japan proposed to Russia a plan for the division of spheres of influence in northern China, but subsequent negotiations were unsuccessful. January 23 (February 5), 1904 Japan severed diplomatic relations with Russia.

In the upcoming war, the Japanese command considered its main task to be the destruction of the Russian Pacific Fleet, the capture of Port Arthur and the defeat of the Russian army in Manchuria (the Manchurian army of General A.N. Kuropatkin). On the night of January 26-27 (February 8-9), 1904, without waiting for the declaration of war, Japanese destroyers suddenly attacked the Pacific Fleet in the Port Arthur roadstead and disabled the best Russian battleships Retvizan and Tsesarevich, as well as the cruiser "Pallada". On January 27 (February 9), Rear Admiral Uriu's squadron attacked the Varyag cruiser and the Korean gunboat in the Korean port of Chemulpo; after a short but fierce battle, the Russian ships were scuttled by their crews. On the same day, Russia declared war on Japan.

Admiral Togo blocked the Pacific Fleet in Port Arthur, whose commander, Vice Admiral O.V. Stark, adhered to passive tactics. Vice-Admiral S.O. Makarov, who replaced him on February 24 (March 8), proceeded to active operations, organizing a number of successful sorties against the enemy fleet, but on March 31 (April 13), his flagship battleship Petropavlovsk was blown up by a mine; S.O. Makarov died. The new commander, Rear Admiral V.K. Vitgeft, abandoned offensive tactics. Taking advantage of the inactivity of the Russians, Togo tried on the night of April 19-20 (May 2-3) to destroy the Pacific Fleet with the help of firewalls, but failed. At the same time, the Vladivostok cruiser squadron of Rear Admiral Jessen conducted several raids off the northern coast of Japan and disrupted its trade communications.

The Japanese launched active hostilities on land as well. General Kuroka's 1st Japanese Army landed in Korea, captured its capital, Seoul, and moved to the Sino-Korean border. On the night of April 17-18 (April 30-May 1), 1904, she crossed the Yalu River and entered Manchuria, on April 18 (May 1) she defeated the consolidated reserve corps of General M.I. Zasulich and on April 23 (May 6) occupied the city of Fynhuangchen. M.I. Zasulich led the corps to Liaoyang, where the main Russian forces were concentrated.

On April 21–22 (May 4–5), in the east of the Liaodong Peninsula, near the town of Biziwo, without encountering any resistance, the 2nd Japanese army of General Oku landed. On May 13 (26), in the course of fierce six-day battles, she captured the fortifications of Jinzhou and blocked Port Arthur from land. Capturing the trading port of Dalniy and Talien Bay, it ensured the landing of the 3rd Japanese army of General Nogi, and on June 1–2 (14–15) at Vafangou repelled an attempt by the corps of Lieutenant General A.F. Shtakelberg to break through to Port Arthur.

By decision of the Japanese commander-in-chief, Marshal I. Oyama, the Nogi army began the siege of Port Arthur, while the 1st, 2nd and 4th armies, which had landed at Dagushan, moved to Liaoyang from the southeast, south and southwest. On June 12–14 (25–27) Kuroki's army occupied the passes southeast of the city, and on July 4 (17) repelled an attempted Russian counteroffensive. The Oku army after the battle at Dashichao on July 11 (24) captured the port of Yingkou, cutting off the connection of the Manchurian army with Port Arthur by sea. In the second half of July, three Japanese armies joined at Liaoyang; their total number was more than 120 thousand against 152 thousand Russians. In the battle of Liaoyang on August 11-21 (August 24-September 3), both sides suffered huge losses: the Russians lost more than 16 thousand killed, and the Japanese - 24 thousand; the Japanese were unable to encircle the army of A.N. Kuropatkin, which retreated to Mukden in perfect order, but they captured Liaoyang and the Yantai coal mines.

The retreat of the Russians to Mukden meant for the defenders of Port Arthur the collapse of hopes for any effective help from the ground forces. On July 17 (30), the Japanese 3rd Army captured the Wolf Mountains and began intensive shelling of the city and the internal raid. Nevertheless, several assaults undertaken by her on August 1-12 (14-25) were repulsed by the garrison under the command of Major General R.I. Kondratenko; the besiegers lost 16,000 dead. At the same time, the Japanese succeeded at sea. An attempt to break through the Pacific Fleet to Vladivostok on July 28 (August 9) failed; Rear Admiral V.K. Vitgeft died. On August 1 (14), the squadron of Vice Admiral Kamimura managed to overtake and defeat the cruising detachment of Rear Admiral Jessen.

By the beginning of October, thanks to reinforcements, the number of the Manchurian army reached 210 thousand, and the Japanese troops near Liaoyang - 170 thousand. Fearing that in the event of the fall of Port Arthur, the Japanese forces would increase significantly due to the released 3rd Army, A.N. Kuropatkin on September 22 (October 5) launched an offensive to the south, but was defeated in the battle on the Shahe River on September 26 - October 6 (October 9-19), losing 46 thousand killed (the enemy - only 16 thousand), and went on the defensive . The four-month "Shahei Sitting" began. At this time, the Manchurian army was reorganized into three armies: 1st (N.P. Linevich), 2nd (O.-F.K. Grippenberg) and 3rd (A.V. Kaulbars) under the general command of A .M.Kuropatkina.

In September-November, the defenders of Port Arthur repulsed three Japanese assaults. But on November 13–22 (November 26–December 5), the 3rd Japanese Army captured Mount Vysokaya, which dominated Port Arthur. On December 2 (15), R.I. Kondratenko, the soul of the city's defense, died. On December 15 (28), the Japanese took Fort Erlungshan and became the masters of the entire northeastern front of the fortress. On December 20 (January 2, 1905), the head of the Kwantung Fortified Region, Lieutenant-General A.M. Stessel, without exhausting all possibilities for resistance, surrendered Port Arthur (in the spring of 1908, a military court sentenced him to death, commuted to ten years in prison).

The fall of Port Arthur sharply worsened the strategic position of the Russians; the command tried to turn the tide and take the initiative into their own hands. However, the attack of the 2nd Manchurian Army on the village of Sandepa, successfully launched on January 12 (25), 1905, was not supported by other armies, and on January 16 (29) it was stopped. After joining the main forces of the Japanese 3rd Noga Army, their number was equal to the number of Russian troops. On February 5 (18), they launched an offensive on the Russian left flank. On February 11 (24), Kuroki's army attacked the 1st Manchurian army southeast of Mukden, and on February 13 (26), the Noga army began to bypass the Russian right flank. Counterattacks by A.V. Kaulbars on February 20–21 (March 5–6) were unsuccessful. February 24 (March 9) Kuroki broke through the front of the army of N.P. Linevich. Having lost more than 90 thousand killed and captured, the Russian troops retreated north to Telin in disorder. The largest defeat at Mukden meant the loss of the campaign in Manchuria by the Russian command, although he managed to save a significant part of the army. On March 2 (15), A.N. Kuropatkin was replaced by N.P. Linevich, who fortified at Sypingai.

The last chance of the Russian government to achieve a turning point in the war by sending to the Far East the 2nd Pacific squadron of Admiral Z.P. Nebogatov), ​​was lost after her crushing defeat on May 14–15 (27–28) near Tsushima Island in the Korea Strait; only one cruiser and two destroyers reached Vladivostok. At the beginning of the summer, the Japanese completely ousted the Russian detachments from North Korea, and by June 25 (July 8) captured Sakhalin.

Despite the victories, Japan's forces were exhausted, and at the end of May, through the mediation of US President T. Roosevelt, she invited Russia to enter into peace negotiations. Russia, which found itself in a difficult domestic political situation, agreed. On July 25 (August 7) ​​a diplomatic conference opened in Portsmouth (New Hampshire, USA), which ended on August 23 (September 5) with the signing of the Treaty of Portsmouth. According to its terms, Russia ceded to Japan the southern part of Sakhalin, the rights to lease Port Arthur and the southern tip of the Liaodong Peninsula and the southern branch of the Chinese Eastern Railway from the Chanchun station to Port Arthur, allowed its fishing fleet to fish off the coast of the Sea of ​​Japan, the Sea of ​​Okhotsk and the Bering Sea. , recognized Korea as a zone of Japanese influence and renounced its political, military and trade advantages in Manchuria; at the same time, she was exempt from paying any indemnity; the belligerents pledged to withdraw their troops from Manchuria.

As a result of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905, Japan became the leading power in the Far East. Russia's foreign policy positions were seriously undermined. The defeat also exposed the vices of its military organization (the technical backwardness of the fleet, the weakness of the senior command staff, the shortcomings of the control and supply system) and contributed to the deepening of the crisis of the monarchical system.

Ivan Krivushin