At the end of the 19th century - the beginning of the 20th century, relations between Japan and Russia, aggravated by the right of ownership of China and Korea, led to a major military conflict between the countries. After a long hiatus, this one became the first in which the latest weapons were used.
Causes
That ended in 1856 limited Russia's ability to move and expand south, so Nicholas I. I. turned his gaze to the Far East, which negatively affected relations with the Japanese power, which itself claimed Korea and North China.
The heated situation no longer had a peaceful solution. Despite the fact that in 1903, Japan made an attempt to avoid a collision by proposing an agreement that would relinquish all rights to Korea. Russia agreed, but set conditions under which it demanded sole influence on the Kwantung Peninsula, as well as the right to guard the railway in Manchuria. The Japanese government did not like this, and it continued active preparations for the war.
Completed in Japan in 1868, the Meiji Restoration led to the fact that the new government began to pursue a policy of expansion and decided to improve the country's capacity. Thanks to the reforms carried out by 1890, the economy was being modernized: modern industries appeared, electrical equipment and machine tools were produced, and coal was exported. The changes affected not only the industry, but also the military industry, which has significantly increased, thanks to Western teachings.
Japan decides to increase its influence on neighboring countries. Based on the geographic proximity of Korean territory, she decides to take control of the country and prevent European influence. Having put pressure on Korea in 1876, an agreement on trade relations with Japan was signed, providing free access to ports.
These actions led to a conflict - the Sino-Japanese War (1894−95), which ended in victory for Japan, and the final influence on Korea.
Under the Shimonoseki Treaty signed by the results of the war, China:
- transferred to Japan the territories that included the Liaodong Peninsula and Manchuria;
- renounced the rights to Korea.
For European countries: Germany, France and Russia, this was unacceptable. As a result of the Triple Intervention, Japan, which was unable to resist the pressure, was obliged to abandon the Liaodong Peninsula.
Russia immediately uses Liaodong's return and in March 1898 signs a convention with China and receives:
- lease rights for 25 years in the Liaodong Peninsula;
- fortresses Port Arthur and Dalny;
- obtaining permission to build a railway passing through Chinese territory.
This negatively affected relations with Japan, which claimed these territories.
26.03 (08.04) 1902 Nicholas I. I. signs an agreement with China, according to which Russia must withdraw Russian troops from the territory of Manchuria within one year and six months. Nicholas I. I. did not keep his promises, but demanded from China to restrict trade with foreign states. In response, Britain, the United States and Japan protested the violation of the deadlines and advised against accepting Russian conditions.
In the middle of the summer of 1903, traffic on the Transsib begins. The route passed along the Chinese Eastern Railway, through Manchuria. Nicholas I. I. begins to redeploy his troops to the Far East, arguing this by testing the capacity of the constructed railway communication.
At the end of the term of the agreement between China and Russia, Nicholas I. I. did not withdraw Russian troops from the territory of Manchuria.
In the winter of 1904, at a meeting of the Privy Council and the Cabinet of Ministers of Japan, a decision was made to start hostilities against Russia, and soon an order was given to land Japanese armed forces in Korea and attack Russian ships in Port Arthur.
The moment of declaring war was chosen with the maximum calculation, since by that time she had assembled a strong and modernly equipped army, weapons and navy. While the Russian military establishment were heavily scattered.
Main events
Battle of Chemulpo
Significant for the annals of the war was the battle in 1904 at Chemulpo of the cruisers "Varyag" and "Koreets" under the command of V. Rudnev. In the morning, leaving the port to the accompaniment of music, they tried to leave the bay, but less than ten minutes later, the alarm sounded and a battle flag was raised above the deck. Together they resisted the attacking Japanese squadron, engaging in an unequal battle. The Varyag was badly damaged and was forced to turn back to the port. Rudnev made a decision to destroy the ship, a few hours later the sailors were evacuated, and the ship was sunk. The Korean vessel was blown up, and the crew was previously evacuated.
Blockade of Port Arthur
To block the Russian ships inside the harbor, Japan is trying to sink several old ships at the entrance. These actions were thwarted by "Retvizvan" who patrolled the water area near the fort.
In the early spring of 1904, Admiral Makarov and shipbuilder N. Ye. Kuteinikov arrived. At the same time, a large number of spare parts and equipment for ship repairs arrive.
At the end of March, the Japanese flotilla again tried to block the entrance to the fortress, blowing up four transport ships filled with stones, but they sunk them too far.
On March 31st, the Russian battleship "Petropavlovsk" sinks after hitting three mines. The ship disappeared in three minutes, 635 people were killed, among them were Admiral Makarov and the artist Vereshchagin.
3rd attempt to block the harbor entrance, crowned with success, Japan, having flooded eight transport workers, locks up the Russian squadrons for several days and immediately lands in Manchuria.
The cruisers "Russia", "Gromoboy", "Rurik" were the only ones to retain freedom of movement. They sunk several ships with military and weapons, including the "Hi-tatsi Maru", which was transporting weapons for the siege of Port Arthur, due to which the seizure lasted for several months.
18.04 (01.05) The 1st Japanese Army, consisting of 45 thousand people. approached the river. Yalu and entered the battle with an 18-thousand-strong Russian detachment led by M.I.Zasulich. The battle ended with the defeat of the Russians and was marked by the beginning of the Japanese invasion of the Manchu territories.
On April 22 (05.05), a Japanese army of 38.5 thousand people landed 100 km from the fortress.
On 27.04 (10.05), Japanese troops broke up the railway communication between Manchuria and Port Arthur.
On May 2 (15), 2 Japanese ships were sunk, which, thanks to the Amur minelayer, fell into the mines. In just five days in May (12-17.05), Japan lost 7 ships, and two left for the Japanese port for repairs.
Having successfully landed, the Japanese began to move towards Port Arthur to block it. The Russian command decided to meet the Japanese troops in the fortified areas near Jinzhou.
On May 13 (26), a major battle took place. Russian squad(3.8 thousand people) and in the presence of 77 guns and 10 machine guns, they fought off the enemy's attack for more than 10 hours. And only the approaching Japanese gunboats, suppressing the left flag, broke through the defense. The Japanese lost 4,300 people, the Russians 1,500.
Thanks to the victory in the battle at Jinzhou, the Japanese overcame a natural obstacle on the way to the fortress.
At the end of May, Japan seized the port of Dalniy without a fight, practically intact, which significantly helped them in the future.
On June 1-2 (14-15), in the battle at Wafangou, the 2nd Japanese army defeats the Russian troops under the command of General Stackelberg, who was sent to lift the Port Arthur blockade.
On July 13 (26), the 3rd Japanese Army broke through the defenses of the Russian troops "on the passes" formed after the defeat at Jinzhou.
On July 30, the distant approaches to the fortress are occupied, and the defense begins... This is a striking historical moment. The defense continued until January 2, 1905. In the fortress and the areas adjacent to them, the Russian army did not have a single power. General Stoessel was in command of the troops, General Smironov was the commander of the fortress, Admiral Witgeft was in command of the fleet. They came to a common opinion with difficulty. But among the leadership there was a talented commander - General Kondratenko. Thanks to his oratorical and managerial qualities, the authorities found a compromise.
Kondratenko earned the glory of the hero of the Port Arthur events, he died at the end of the siege of the fortress.
The number of troops in the fortress is about 53 thousand people, as well as 646 guns and 62 machine guns. The siege lasted for 5 months. The Japanese army lost 92 thousand people, Russia - 28 thousand people.
Liaoyang and Shahe
During the summer of 1904, a Japanese army of 120,000 men approached Liaoyang from the east and south. The Russian army at that time was replenished by soldiers arriving on the Trans-Siberian Railway and slowly withdrew.
On August 11 (24), a general battle took place at Liaoyang. The Japanese, moving in a semicircle from the south and east, attacked the Russian positions. In prolonged battles, the Japanese army led by Marshal I. Oyama suffered 23,000 losses, the Russian troops led by Commander Kuropatkin also suffered losses - 16 (or 19, according to some sources) thousand killed and wounded.
The Russians successfully repelled attacks in the south of Laoyang for 3 days, but Kuropatkin, suggesting that the Japanese could block the railway north of Liaoyang, ordered his troops to withdraw to Mukden. The Russian army retreated without leaving a single weapon.
In autumn, an armed clash takes place on the Shahe River... The beginning was the attack of the Russian troops, and a week later the Japanese launched a counterattack. The losses of Russia amounted to about 40 thousand people, the Japanese side - 30 thousand people. Completed operation on the river. Shahe set a time of calm at the front.
On May 14-15 (27-28), the Japanese fleet in the Battle of Tsushima defeated the Russian squadron, which was redeployed from the Baltic, commanded by Vice Admiral Z.P. Rozhestvensky.
The last major battle takes place on July 7 - Japanese invasion of Sakhalin... The 14 thousandth Japanese army was resisted by 6 thousand Russians - these were mostly convicts and exiles who joined the army in order to acquire benefits and therefore did not have strong combat skills. By the end of July, Russian resistance was suppressed, more than 3 thousand people were captured.
Effects
The negative impact of the war was reflected in the internal situation in Russia:
- the economy is undermined;
- stagnation in industrial areas;
- price increase.
Industry leaders pushed for a peace treaty... This opinion was shared by the United Kingdom and the United States, which initially supported Japan.
Military actions had to be stopped and forces had to be directed to extinguish revolutionary trends that were dangerous not only for Russia, but also for the world community.
On August 22 (9), 1905, with the mediation of the United States, negotiations begin in Portsmouth. The representative from the Russian Empire was S. Yu. Witte. At a meeting with Nicholas I. I. he received clear instructions: not to agree to an indemnity, which Russia has never paid, and not to give land. Due to the territorial and monetary requirements of Japan, such instructions were not easy for Witte, who was already pessimistic and considered losses inevitable.
As a result of the negotiations, on September 5 (August 23), 1905, a peace treaty was signed. According to the doc:
- The Japanese side received the Liaodong Peninsula, a section of the Chinese Eastern Railway (from Port Arthur to Changchun), as well as South Sakhalin.
- Russia recognized Korea as Japan's zone of influence and concluded a fishing convention.
- Both sides of the conflict were to withdraw their troops from the territory of Manchuria.
The peace treaty did not fully respond to Japan's claims and was much closer to Russian conditions, as a result of which it was not accepted by the Japanese people - waves of discontent swept across the country.
The countries of Europe were satisfied with the treaty, as they expected to take Russia as an ally against Germany. The United States, however, believed that their goals had been achieved, they significantly weakened the Russian and Japanese powers.
Outcomes
War between Russia and Japan 1904-1905 had economic and political reasons. She showed internal problems Russian administration and diplomatic mistakes admitted by Russia. Russia's losses amounted to 270 thousand people, of which 50,000 were killed. Japan's losses were similar, but there were more killed - 80,000 people.
For Japan, the war turned out to be much more intense than for Russia. It had to mobilize 1.8% of its population, while Russia only had to mobilize 0.5%. The military operations quadrupled the foreign debt of Japan, and that of Russia by 1/3. The war that ended influenced the development of the art of war in general, showing the importance of weapons equipment.
Imperial Russia policy on Far East and East Asia in the early 20th century was aimed at establishing dominance in the region. At that time, the only serious opponent in the implementation of the so-called "great Asian program" of Nicholas II was the Japanese Empire, which in the past decades had seriously strengthened its military potential and began active expansion into Korea and China. The military clash of the two empires was only a matter of time.
Preconditions for the war
For some inexplicable reason, the Russian ruling circles considered Japan to be a rather weak adversary, having a poor idea of the state of the armed forces of this state. In the winter of 1903, at a meeting on the affairs of the Far East, most of Nicholas II's advisers were inclined to the need for a war with the Japanese Empire. Only Sergei Yurievich Witte spoke out against military expansion and aggravation of relations with the Japanese. Perhaps his position was influenced by a trip to the Far East undertaken by him in 1902. Witte argued that Russia was not ready for war in the Far East, which in reality was true, if only taking into account the state of the communication lines, which could not provide timely and quick delivery of reinforcements, ammunition and equipment. Witte's proposal was to abandon military action and emphasize the broad economic development of the Far East, but his opinion was not heeded.
Meanwhile, Japan was not going to wait for the concentration and deployment of the Russian armies in China and Korea. The forces of the imperial navy and army expected to be the first to strike at the Russians. The Japanese were actively supported by Britain and the United States, which were not interested in strengthening Russia in the Far Eastern territories. The British and Americans supplied Japan with raw materials, weapons, ready-made warships, and issued soft loans for military purposes. Ultimately, this became one of the determining factors that prompted the imperial government of Japan to attack the Russian troops stationed in China, which was the beginning of the Russo-Japanese war, which lasted from January 27, 1904 to August 23, 1905.
The course of hostilities in 1904
On the night of January 27, 1904, destroyers of the Imperial Japanese Navy secretly approached the outer perimeter of the naval defense of Port Arthur, occupied by Russian military forces, and fired at the Russian ships standing in the outer roadstead, damaging two battleships. And at dawn, 14 ships of the Japanese fleet immediately fell on 2 Russian ships (the cruiser Varyag and the gunboat Koreets), which were occupying positions in the area of the neutral port of Icheon (Chemulpo). During a surprise attack, Russian ships were seriously damaged and the sailors, not wanting to surrender to the enemy, blew up their ships themselves.
The Japanese command considered the main task of the entire upcoming campaign to be the seizure of the water area around the Korean Peninsula, which ensured the achievement of the main goals set for the ground army - the occupation of Manchuria, as well as the Primorsky and Ussuri regions, that is, it was supposed to capture not only Chinese, but also Russian territories. The main forces of the Russian fleet were concentrated in Port Arthur, some were located in Vladivostok. Most of the flotilla behaved extremely passively, limited to the defense of the coastline. 
Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Manchurian Army Alexei Nikolaevich Kuropatkin and Commander of the Japanese Army Oyama Iwao
Three times the Japanese fleet tried to blockade the enemy in Port Arthur and at the end of April 1904 it was possible to do this, as a result of which the Russian ships were locked for a while, and the Japanese landed the ground forces of their 2nd Army of almost 40 thousand people on the Liaodong Peninsula and moved to Port Arthur, barely overcoming the defense of only one Russian regiment, well fortified on the isthmus connecting the Kwantung and Liaodong peninsulas. After breaking through the Russian positions on the isthmus, the Japanese took the Dalny port, seizing a bridgehead and deploying a blockade of the Port Arthur garrison from land and sea.
After capturing bridgeheads on the Kwantung Peninsula, the Japanese troops split up - the formation of the 3rd army began, the main task of which was the assault on Port Arthur, while the 2nd army went north. In early June, she struck a strong blow on the 30 thousandth group of Russian troops of General Stackelberg, who advanced to break the blockade of Port Arthur and forced him to retreat. The 3rd Japanese army at this time finally pushed back the advanced defensive units of Port Arthur inside the fortress, completely blocking it from land. At the end of May, the Russian fleet managed to intercept Japanese transports, the purpose of which was to deliver 280-mm mortars for the siege of Port Arthur. This seriously helped the defenders, delaying the siege for several months, but in general the fleet behaved passively, making no attempts to recapture the enemy's initiative.
While the siege of Port Arthur was underway, the 1st Japanese Army, which had in its composition about 45 thousand people, which landed in Korea in February, was able to push back the Russian troops, defeating them near the city of Tyuryunchen on the Korean-Chinese border. The main forces of the Russian troops withdrew to Liaoyang. The Japanese troops continued the offensive with the forces of three armies (1st, 2nd and 4th) with a total strength of about 130 thousand people and in early August attacked the Russian troops under the command of General Kuropatkin near Liaoyang.
The battle was very difficult and there were serious losses on both sides - 23 thousand soldiers from Japan, up to 19 thousand from Russia. The Russian commander-in-chief, despite the uncertain outcome of the battle, gave the order for a further retreat to the city of Mukden even further north. Later, the Russians gave another battle to the Japanese forces, attacking their positions on the Shahe River in the fall. However, the assault on the Japanese positions did not bring decisive success; losses on both sides were again heavy.
At the end of December 1904, the fortress city of Port Arthur fell, which held down the forces of the 3rd Japanese army for almost a year. All Japanese units from the Kwantung Peninsula were hastily transferred north to the city of Mukden.
The course of hostilities in 1905
With the approach of reinforcements of the 3rd Army from Port Arthur to Mukden, the initiative finally passed into the hands of the Japanese command. On a wide front, about 100 km long, the largest battle before the First World War was fought, in which everything again turned out to be not in favor of the Russian army. After a long battle, one of the Japanese armies was able to bypass Mukden from the north, practically cutting off Manchuria from European Russia. If this could be done completely, then the entire Russian army in China would be lost. Kuropatkin correctly assessed the situation, ordering an urgent withdrawal along the entire front, not giving the enemy the opportunity to surround himself.
The Japanese continued to press on the front, forcing the Russian units to roll back further and further north, but soon stopped the pursuit. Despite the successful operation to capture the large city of Mukden, they suffered huge losses, which the Japanese historian Shumpei Okamoto estimates at 72,000 soldiers. Meanwhile, the main forces of the Russian army could not be defeated, it retreated in perfect order, without panic and maintaining combat effectiveness. At the same time, replenishments continued to arrive to her.
Meanwhile, at sea, the 2nd Pacific squadron of the Russian fleet under the command of Admiral Rozhdestvensky, who came to the aid of Port Arthur in October 1904, arrived in the area of hostilities. In April 1905, her ships appeared in the Tsushima Strait, where they were met with fire from the Japanese fleet completely repaired by the time of their arrival. The entire squadron was almost completely destroyed, only a few ships broke through to Vladivostok. The defeat at sea for Russia was final. 
Russian infantry is on Liaoyang (above) and Japanese soldiers at Chemulpo
In mid-July 1905, Japan, which, despite loud victories was already on the brink of economic exhaustion, carried out the last major operation, knocking out Russian troops from Sakhalin Island. Meanwhile, the main Russian army under the command of Kuropatkin, located near the village of Sypingai, reached a number of about half a million soldiers, it received a large number of machine guns and howitzer batteries. The Japanese command, seeing a serious strengthening of the enemy and feeling its own weakening (the country's human resources were practically exhausted by that time), did not dare to continue the offensive, on the contrary, expecting that large Russian forces would go over to the counteroffensive.
The Japanese twice proposed peace talks, feeling that the enemy would be able to wage a war for a long time and was not going to surrender. However, a revolution flared up in Russia, one of the reasons for which was the defeats that the army and navy suffered in the Far East. Therefore, in the end, Nicholas II was forced to negotiate with Japan through the mediation of the United States. The Americans, as well as many European powers, were now worried about the over-strengthening of Japan against the background of the weakening of Russia. The peace treaty turned out to be not so difficult for Russia - thanks to the talent of S.Yu. Witte, who headed the Russian delegation, the conditions were softened.
Results of the war
Russian- japanese war certainly unsuccessful for Russia. The defeat of the 2nd Pacific squadron in the Battle of Tsushima hit the national pride of the people especially hard. However, the territorial losses were not very significant - the main problem was the loss of the non-freezing base Port Arthur. As a result of the agreements, both Russian and Japanese forces were evacuated from Manchuria, and Korea became the sphere of influence of Japan. Also, the Japanese received the southern part of Sakhalin Island.
The defeat of the Russian troops in the war was primarily due to the complexity of the transfer of troops, ammunition and equipment to the Far East. Other, no less important reasons were a significant underestimation of the enemy's military potential and poor organization of command and control of troops. As a result, the enemy was able to push back the Russian army deep into the continent, inflicting a number of defeats on it and seizing vast territories. The defeat in the war also led to the fact that the imperial government paid more attention to the state of the armed forces and was able to strengthen them by the beginning of the First World War, which, however, did not save the outmoded empire from defeats, revolutions and disintegration.
Introduction
Causes of the war
Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
Conclusion
Bibliography
Introduction
Entering the war with the Russian Empire, Japan pursued several geopolitical goals at once, the main of which, of course, was obtaining emergency rights to the Korean Peninsula, which was then in the sphere of influence of Russia. 1895, on the initiative of St. Petersburg, Germany, France and Russia forced Japan to revise the Shimonosek Treaty imposed on China and return the Liaodong Peninsula to China. The Japanese government was extremely annoyed by this act and began to prepare for revenge. In 1897, Russia joined the imperialist division of China by leasing the Kwantung Peninsula with the city of Port Arthur for 25 years and obtaining Beijing's consent to build a railway that would connect Port Arthur with the Chinese Eastern Railway.
Port Arthur, which became the home base of the main forces of the Russian fleet, had an extremely important position on the Yellow Sea: from here the fleet could constantly keep under attack the Korean and Pechili Gulfs, that is, the most important sea routes of the Japanese armies in the event of their landing in Manchuria. Taking part in the suppression of the "boxing uprising" in China, Russian troops occupied the whole of Manchuria up to the Liaodong Peninsula. From all the above facts, it can be clearly traced that it was the active Russian expansion in this region that provoked Japan, which considered these territories as a sphere of its influence.
1. Causes of the war
The Russo-Japanese War began on February 8, 1904 with an attack by the Japanese fleet on the ship of the First Pacific Squadron on the roadstead of Port Arthur. Japan and Russia even before the outbreak of hostilities long time balancing on the brink of war and peace. There are many reasons for this. Back in 1891, Russia began new course in foreign policy. This course is mainly associated with the name of Prime Minister Witte. The essence of this course was to obtain additional resources for the industrialization of the country through the development of the Far East. After the accession to the throne of Emperor Nicholas II (1894), Witte began to modernize the country according to the European model. This presupposed, in addition to industrialization, the creation of colonial sales markets. It is difficult to say when the first plans to establish a colony in Northern China appeared. During the reign of the emperor Alexander III(1881-1894) there were no such plans. Although the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway began in 1891, it was intended for the development of the interior regions of the country. Therefore, the desire to occupy Manchuria can only be explained by Witte's plans to create an "exemplary" European country. In March 1898, Russia forced China to sign an agreement on the lease of the Kwantung Peninsula with the port of Port Arthur (Lushun). This agreement came against the backdrop of China's defeat in the Sino-Japanese War of 1896-1898, during which the peninsula was occupied by Japan. But European countries that considered China to be their sphere of interests (England, Germany, Russia) forced Japan to abandon the occupied territories. In June 1900, a "boxing" uprising began in China, directed against foreign colonialists. In response, the governments of England, Germany, Russia and Japan sent their troops into the country and brutally suppressed the uprising. At the same time, Russia occupied Manchuria, in addition, in 1902, Russian entrepreneurs took concessions from the Korean government for gold mining on the Yalu River. In 1903, the concessions passed into the possession of State Secretary Bezobrazov. A joint-stock company was formed, the members of which were representatives of the imperial family. Therefore, Russian troops were sent to Korea to protect the concessions.
Japan, emerging from foreign political isolation in 1867 as a result of the visit of an American warship under the command of Commodore Perry, was forced to open its ports to foreign ships. From this moment, the countdown of the so-called Meiji era begins. Japan embarked on the path of industrialization and scientific and technological progress. Quite quickly, the country joined the struggle for the status of a regional leader and for colonial markets. The influence of the Japanese in Korea began to grow. In 1896, the Sino-Japanese War broke out. The Chinese army and navy were armed with modern weapons made in Germany and England, but due to the best combat training and organization of command, Japan won a brilliant victory. We can say that China bought weapons, and Japan adopted technological advances, tactics and strategy of European countries. But thanks to a conspiracy of great countries, Japan has lost most of the results of its victory. A powerful militaristic and revanchist movement is emerging in the country. There are calls to take over Korea, North China and Russia in the Urals. Relations with Russia, which until 1898 were friendly and mutually beneficial, are beginning to turn into openly hostile. The Japanese government makes large orders to Britain for the construction of an ocean-going fleet and Germany for the rearmament of the army. Instructors from European countries and the United States appear in the country's armed forces.
In addition to the objective factors that caused the confrontation, there were factors caused by foreign influence. We must not forget that the great powers were fighting for China, so the war between the two potential competitors was beneficial to all interested parties. As a result, Japan received significant support and soft loans for the purchase of weapons. Feeling powerful patrons behind their backs, the Japanese boldly went to aggravate the conflict.
At this time in Russia, Japan was not perceived as a serious threat. During the visit of the Minister of Defense of Russia Kuropatkin to Japan in May 1903 and his inspection trip at the same time in the Far East, conclusions about the combat power of Japan and the defense capability of Russia were made completely biased. The viceroy of the emperor in the Far East, Admiral Alekseev, who was the illegitimate son of Alexander II, was completely unfit for his position in terms of his ability. He was able to overlook the preparation of the Japanese for war and strategically misplaced the army and navy. Thanks to Bezobrazov's activities, Russia's policy in the Far East turned into a policy of power, which at that time Russia did not exist in the Far East. The ground forces of Russia in Manchuria numbered only 80,000 thousand soldiers and officers. The First Pacific Squadron consisted of 7 battleships, 9 cruisers of various classes, 19 destroyers and small ships and bases in Port Arthur and Vladivostok. The Japanese fleet consisted of 6 of the most modern squadron battleships and 2 outdated, 11 armored cruisers, practically not inferior to battleships, 14 light cruisers and 40 destroyers and auxiliary vessels. The Japanese land army numbered 150,000 soldiers and officers, and after the announcement of mobilization, it increased to 850,000 people. In addition, the army was united with the metropolis only by the single-track Trans-Siberian Railway along which trains took twenty days, which excluded the rapid growth and normal supply of the Russian army. Such regions of the Russian Empire as Sakhalin and Kamchatka were not covered by troops at all. The Japanese had much better intelligence, they knew practically everything about the composition and deployment of the Russian army and navy.
In 1902, a diplomatic war broke out, where both countries put forward conditions that were impossible to fulfill. The air smelled of war.
2.Russian-Japanese War 1904-1905
For 1903, negotiations were held between the two states, in which the Japanese side proposed to Russia to carry out a mutually beneficial exchange: Russia recognizes Korea as a sphere of Japanese interests, and in exchange it will receive freedom of action in Manchuria. However, Russia did not want to give up its Korean ambitions.
The Japanese decided to break off the negotiations. On February 4, 1904, in the presence of Emperor Meiji, a meeting of senior statesmen was held, at which it was decided to start a war. Only the secretary of the Privy Council, Ito Hirobumi, spoke out against, but the decision was made by an absolute majority of votes. Just a month before many spoke of an imminent and even inevitable war, Nicholas II did not believe in it. The main argument is: "They won't dare." However, Japan dared.
On February, the naval attaché Yoshida cut the telegraph line north of Seoul. On February 6, the Japanese envoy to St. Petersburg Chicken announced the severance of diplomatic relations, but because of the damaged telegraph line, Russian diplomats and military men in Korea and Manchuria did not find out about it in time. Even after receiving this message, the governor in the Far East, General Alekseev, did not consider it necessary to inform Port Arthur and forbade the news to be published in newspapers, citing his unwillingness to "excite society."
On February 9, the Russian fleet was first blocked and then destroyed by Japanese naval forces in Chimulpo Bay and in the outer roadstead of Port Arthur. Despite ample evidence of an impending war, the attack caught the Russian fleet by surprise. After the defeat of the Russian fleet, Japanese troops began unhindered landings in Manchuria and Korea. Some time before that, the Korean court had asked Russia to send two thousand soldiers to Korea. Ironically, Japanese troops arrived instead of Russian soldiers.
The war was officially declared only the day after the attack, the newspapers reported this on 11 February.
Meiji's decree on the declaration of war noted: Russia is going to annex Manchuria, although it promised to withdraw its troops from there, it poses a threat to Korea and the entire Far East. There was much that was fair in this statement, but it does not change the fact that it was Japan that first attacked Russia. Trying to whitewash itself in the eyes of the world community, the Japanese government considered that the war began on the day of the announcement of the severance of diplomatic relations. From this point of view, it turns out that the attack on Port Arthur cannot be considered treacherous. But for fairness it should be noted that formal rules the conduct of war (its early declaration and the message of neutral states) were adopted only in 1907, at the Second Peace Conference in The Hague. On February 12, the Russian representative, Baron Rosen, left Japan.
This was the second time in the past decade that Japan was the first to declare war. Even after Japan severed diplomatic relations with Russia, few in the Russian government believed that it would dare to attack a European superpower. The opinions of politicians and military experts with a sober mind, who noted that due to Russia's weakness in the Far East, Japan should make decisive concessions, were ignored.
The war began with terrible defeats for the Russian army, both on land and at sea. After the naval battles in the Chimulpo Bay and the Tsushima battle, the Russian Pacific Fleet as an organized force ceased to exist. On land, the Japanese fought the war less well. Despite some successes in the battles of Liaoyang (August 1904) and Mukden (February 1905), the Japanese army suffered significant losses in killed and wounded. The fierce defense of Port Arthur by the Russian troops exerted a great influence on the course of the war; about half of the losses of the Japanese army fell on the battles for the capture of the fortress. On January 2, 1905, Port Arthur capitulated.
However, despite all the victories, the near future seemed to the Japanese command very vague. It clearly understood that the industrial, human and resource potential of Russia, if evaluated from the point of view of a long-term perspective, was significantly higher. The statesmen of Japan, the most distinguished by their sober mind, from the very beginning of the war, understood that the country could withstand only one year of hostilities. The country was not ready for a long war. Neither materially nor psychologically - the Japanese had no historical experience of waging long wars. Japan was the first to start a war, the first to seek peace. Russia japan manchuria korea
At the request of Japanese Foreign Minister Komura Jutaro, US President Theodore Roosevelt was the initiator of the peace talks. Paving the way for his initiative, Roosevelt in Berlin focused on the Russian threat, and in London on the Japanese one, adding that if it were not for the position of the United States and Britain, Germany and France would have already intervened on the side of Russia. Berlin supported him as a mediator, fearing claims for this role from England and France.
June 1905, the Japanese government agreed to negotiations, although public opinion met this decision with bayonets.
Although Russian patriots demanded war to a victorious end, war was not popular in the country. There were many cases of mass surrender. Russia has not won a single great battle. Revolutionary movement undermined the strength of the empire. Therefore, the voices of supporters of an early conclusion of peace became louder and louder in the Russian elite. On June 12, Russia responded positively to the American president's proposal, but hesitated in the practical implementation of the negotiation idea. The occupation of Sakhalin by the Japanese became the last argument in favor of an early conclusion of peace. Most researchers believe that this move pushed Japan's Roosevelt to make Russia more inclined to negotiate.
The advance units of the 13th Division landed on the island on 7 July. There were almost no regular troops on Sakhalin; they had to arm the convicts. Despite the promise to write off a year of sharpening for each month of participation in the defense, the vigilantes seemed to be in the hundreds. There was no single leadership; initially, the stake was placed on a partisan war.
Sakhalin was captured by Japanese troops in fact in a few days. Among the defenders of the island, 800 people died, about 4.5 thousand were taken prisoner. The Japanese army lost 39 soldiers.
Peace talks were to take place in the small American city of Portsmouth. A huge crowd saw off the Japanese delegation led by Japanese Foreign Minister Baron Komura UTAR Yusammi to the port of Yokohama. Ordinary Japanese were confident that he would be able to get huge concessions from Russia. But Komura himself knew that was not the case. Already anticipating the reaction of the people to the outcome of the upcoming negotiations, Komura said quietly: “When I return, these people will turn into a rebellious crowd and greet me with clods of dirt or shooting. Therefore, now it is better to enjoy their shouts of 'Banzai!'
The Portsmouth Conference began on August 9, 1905. Negotiations proceeded at a rapid pace. Nobody wanted to fight. Both sides have shown a willingness to compromise. The level of the Russian delegation was higher - it was headed by the state secretary of the emperor and the chairman of the council of ministers Russian Empire S.Yu. Witte. Although no formal truce was declared, fighting during the negotiations were terminated
From the public, few expected that Witte, and with him the whole of Russia, would be able to achieve a "favorable" peace. And only experts understood: so, Japan won, but she was bled out no less than Russia. Since Japan was waging a predominantly offensive war, its human losses were heavier than in Russia (50 thousand killed in Russia and 86 thousand in Japan). The hospitals were filled with wounded and sick. The beri-beri continued to mow the ranks of the soldiers. A quarter of the Japanese losses at Port Arthur were caused by this disease. Reservists began to be drafted into the army already in next year call. All in all, 1 million 125 thousand people were mobilized during the war - 2 percent of the population. The soldiers were tired, morale was dropping, prices and taxes were rising in the metropolis, and external debt was increasing.
Roosevelt considered it beneficial for America that, as a result of the signing of the peace treaty, neither side would receive a decisive advantage. And then, after the end of the war, both countries will continue their confrontation, and American interests in Asia will not be in danger - no "yellow", no "Slavic". The Japanese victory already dealt the first blow to American interests. Convinced that the Western states could be opposed, the Chinese became "bold" and began to boycott American goods.
The sympathies of American society were tilted in favor of Russia. Not even so much of Russia itself as in favor of Witte himself. Komura was short, sickly and ugly. In Japan, he was nicknamed "mouse". Gloomy and closed to communication, Komura was not accepted by most Americans. These impressions were superimposed on anti-Japanese sentiments, which were quite common among ordinary "Americans." More than 100 thousand Japanese emigrants already lived in America at that time. The majority believed that by agreeing to a small salary, the Japanese left them without jobs. Trade unions demanded to expel the Japanese from the country.
In this sense, the choice of America as a place for negotiations turned out to be perhaps not the most pleasant one for the Japanese delegation. However, anti-Japanese emotions had no effect on the actual course of the negotiations. Ordinary Americans did not yet know that America had already concluded a secret treaty with Japan: Roosevelt recognized a Japanese protectorate over Korea, and Japan agreed to America's control of the Philippines.
Witte tried to fit in with the Americans. He shook hands with service personnel, spoke favors to reporters, flirted with the anti-Russian Jewish community, and tried not to pretend that Russia needed peace. He argued that in this war there is no winner, and if there is no winner, then there is no loser. As a result, he "saved face" and rejected some of Komura's demands. So Russia refused to pay the indemnity. Witte also rejected demands to transfer Russian warships to Japan interned in neutral waters, which was contrary to international law. He also did not agree to the reduction of the Russian military fleet by Pacific... For the Russian state consciousness, this was an unheard-of condition that could not be fulfilled. However, the Japanese diplomats were well aware that Russia would never agree to these conditions, and put forward them only in order to later, abandoning them, demonstrate the flexibility of their position.
The peace agreement between Japan and Russia was signed on August 23, 1905 and consisted of 15 articles. Russia recognized Korea as a sphere of Japanese interests, provided that Russian subjects would enjoy the same privileges as subjects of other foreign states.
Both states agreed to completely and simultaneously evacuate all military formations that were in Manchuria and return it under the control of China. The Russian government announced that it waives special rights and preferences in Manchuria that are incompatible with the principle of equality.
Russia ceded in favor of Japan its rights to lease Port Arthur, Talien and adjacent territories and territorial waters, as well as all the rights, advantages and concessions associated with this lease. Russia also gave Japan the railway that connected Chiang Chun and Port Arthur, as well as all the coal mines that belonged to this railway.
Komura also managed to achieve a territorial concession: Japan received part of the already occupied Sakhalin. Of course, Sakhalin then did not have much importance, neither geopolitical nor economic, but as another symbol of space, it was expanding, it was not at all superfluous. The border was established along the 50th parallel. Sakhalin was officially declared a demilitarized zone and both states agreed not to build any military facilities on it. The La Perouse and Tatarsky straits were declared a free navigation zone.
In fact, the leaders of Japan got everything they wanted. Finally, they wanted recognition of their "special" interests in Korea and partly in China. Anything else can be viewed as an optional application. The instructions that Komura received prior to the start of the negotiations referred to the "optional" contribution and annexations of Sakhalin. Komura bluffed when he demanded the entire island at the beginning of the negotiations. Having received half of it, he achieved unconditional success. Japan has beaten Russia not only on the battlefields, but also in the diplomatic game. In the future, Witte spoke of the Portsmouth treaty as his personal success(he received the title of count for this), but in fact there was no success. Yamagata Aritomo claimed that the Witte language was worth 100 thousand soldiers. However, Komura managed to talk it over. But he did not receive any title.
In November 1905, a Japanese-Korean agreement was signed to establish a protectorate over Korea. The palace where the negotiations took place was surrounded by Japanese soldiers, just in case. The text of the treaty belonged to Ito Hirobumi. He was considered an opponent of this war, but this did not prevent him from being among those who took advantage of its fruits with the greatest success. Under the terms of the treaty, Korea had no right, without the consent of the Japanese Foreign Ministry, to conclude international treaties. Ito Hirobumi was appointed Governor General of Korea. The dreams of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Saigo Takamori finally came true: Korea was finally punished for not recognizing itself as a vassal of Japan for several centuries.
Assessing the results of the conference as a whole, one should recognize them as quite realistic for both Japan and Russia - they coincided with the results of the war. Ten years ago, after the victorious war with China, the coalition of European states did not recognize Japan's encroachment on the role of the Far Eastern hegemon. Now everything was different: they accepted Japan into their closed club, which determined the fate of countries and peoples. Striving for parity with the West and literally winning this equality, Japan took another decisive step away from the will of its ancestors, who lived only in the interests of their archipelago. As the subsequent events of the brutal 20th century showed, this departure from the traditional way of thinking led the country to disaster.
Conclusion
So, the end of the Russo-Japanese War did not bring the expected results for one of the parties. The Japanese, despite a number of brilliant victories on land and sea, did not get what they hoped for. Of course, Japan became a regional leader in the Far East, received great military power, but the main goals of the war were not fulfilled. Japan failed to capture all of Manchuria, Sakhalin and Kamchatka. It was also not possible to get reparations from Russia. The financial and human costs of this war turned out to be unbearable for the Japanese budget, only loans from Western countries allowed Japan to hold out for so long. They had to agree to peace, if only because otherwise the country would have gone bankrupt. In addition, Russia could not be completely squeezed out of China, both militarily and economically. The only gain was that, at the cost of tremendous exertion, Japan managed to create its own colonial empire. Above, the Japanese leadership clearly understands that, despite the brilliant victories, the army and navy have many shortcomings, and the victories are caused not so much by the qualities of the Japanese army, but by the luck and unwillingness of Russia for war. This war led to an enormous development of militarism.
For Russia, the outcome of the war was a shock. The huge empire suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of a small Asian state. During the war, most of the navy perished, and the army suffered heavy losses. In fact, Russia has lost its superpower status. Moreover, the war caused economic crisis and as its consequence the revolution. The loss of the southern half of Sakhalin Island was insulting. Although the results of the defeat were more moral than practical, the revolution and financial crisis caused by it were dangerous for the very existence of the empire. In addition, the fleet had to be rebuilt from scratch. This is evidenced by the following figures: from 22 battleships of new types, 6 remained in service, 15 cruisers were also lost. Completely lost (with the exception of three cruisers and several destroyers), the Baltic Fleet suffered huge losses. The war showed the entire insecurity of the Far East, and its weak connection with the metropolis. All these factors significantly weakened the role of Russia in the international arena.
At the moment, historians have quite clearly identified the reasons for Russia's defeat in this war. Much of the defeat was determined by subjective factors. But at the time of the end of the war, its result became a disgrace for great empire.
Gained most from the war western countries, although it did not work to oust Russia and Japan from China. On the contrary, in 1912, these countries signed a treaty of friendship and non-aggression and the division of spheres of influence in China.
The Russo-Japanese War received its full end only in 1945, when the Soviet army and navy captured Port Arthur, Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands, and Japan was turned into a minor power.
Bibliography
1. Airapetov O.R. The Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, A Look Through a Century - Rostov-on-Don: Phoenix, 1994 - 622 p.
Alexander Mikhailovich. Memoirs of the Grand Duke - M .: Zakharov, 2004 .-- 440 p.
Ivanova G. D. Russians in Japan XIX - early. XX century - M .: Vostochnaya literatura, 1993 - 273 p.
Meshcheryakov A.N. The Japanese Emperor and the Russian Tsar - M .: Natalis: Ripol Classic, 2002 - 368 p.
Meshcheryakov A.N. Emperor Meiji and his Japan - M .: Natalis: Rippol Classic, 2006 - 736 p.
V.E. Molodyakov Goto-simpo and Japan's colonial policy. - M .: AIRO - XXI, 2005 .-- 440 p.
Mussky I.A. 100 great diplomats. - M .: Veche, 2001 .-- 608 p.
Pavlov D.N. Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905 Covert operations on land and at sea. - M .: Materik, 2004 .-- 238 p.
Rybachenok I.S. Nikolay Romanov. The path to disaster. - Mn. Harvest, 1998 .-- 440 p.
Saveliev I.S. The Japanese are overseas. History of Japanese Immigration to North and South America. - SPb .: Petersburg Oriental Studies, 1997 .-- 530 p.
Sterling and Pegie Seagrave. Yamato Dynasty / Per. from English S.A. Antonov. - M .: AST: LYUKS, 2005 .-- 495 p.
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It may seem strange, but for Russia today, World War II is not yet completely over. The country does not have a peace treaty with one of the countries of the aggressive bloc. The reason is territorial issues.
This country is the Empire of Japan, the territory is the South Kuriles (they are now on everyone's lips). But are they really not so divided by the two great countries that they got involved for the sake of these sea rocks in the world massacre?
No, of course. The Soviet-Japanese war (it is correct to say that, since in 1945 Russia did not act as a separate subject of international politics, acting exclusively as the main, but still only a constituent part of the USSR) had deep reasons that appeared far from 1945. And no one then thought that the "Kuril issue" would drag on for so long. Briefly about the Russo-Japanese War of 1945 will be told to the reader in the article.
5 laps
The reasons for the militarization of the Japanese Empire at the beginning of the twentieth century are clear - rapid industrial development, coupled with territorial and resource limitations. The country needed food, coal, metal. The neighbors had all this. But they did not want to share just like that, and at that time no one considered war an unacceptable way of solving international issues.
The first attempt was made back in 1904-1905. Russia then shamefully lost to a tiny, but disciplined and close-knit island state, having lost Port Arthur (everyone had heard of him) and the southern part of Sakhalin in the Portsmouth world. And even then, such small losses became possible only thanks to the diplomatic talents of the future Prime Minister S. Yu. Witte (although he was nicknamed "Count Polusakhalinsky" for this, the fact remains).
In the 1920s, in the Land of the Rising Sun, maps were printed, called "5 circles of national interests of Japan." There different colors in the form of stylized concentric rings were designated territories that the ruling circles of the country considered it right to conquer and annex. These circles captured, among other things, almost the entire Asian part of the USSR.
Three tankmen
At the end of the 30s, Japan, already successfully waging wars of conquest in Korea and China, "tried its strength" and the USSR. There were conflicts in the Khalkhin-Gol region and on Lake Khasan.
It turned out badly. The Far Eastern conflicts marked the beginning of the brilliant career of the future "Marshal of Victory" G.K. Zhukov, and the whole USSR sang a song about three tankmen from the banks of the Amur, where there was a phrase about samurai under the pressure of steel and fire (later it was remade, but the original version was just that) ...
Although Japan negotiated with its allies the distribution of future spheres of influence within the framework of the Anti-Comintern Pact (also called the Berlin-Rome-Tokyo Axis, although it takes a lot of imagination to understand what the axis looks like in the author's understanding of such a term), it did not indicate exactly when. each side must take its own.
The Japanese authorities did not consider themselves so bound by obligations, and the events in the Far East showed them that the USSR was a dangerous enemy. Therefore, in 1940, a treaty of neutrality in the event of war was concluded between the two countries, and in 1941, when Germany attacked the USSR, Japan chose to deal with Pacific issues.
Allied duty
But the USSR also did not have much respect for treaties, therefore, within the framework of the anti-Hitler coalition, talk immediately began about its entry into the war with Japan (the United States was shocked by Pearl Harbor, and England was afraid for its colonies in South Asia). During the Tehran Conference (1943), a preliminary agreement was reached on the USSR's entry into the war in the Far East after Germany's defeat in Europe. The final decision was made during the Yalta conference, when it was announced that the USSR would declare war on Japan no later than 3 months after the defeat of Hitler.
But the USSR was not led by philanthropists. The country's leadership had its own interest in this matter, and not only provided assistance to the allies. For their participation in the war, they were promised the return of Port Arthur, Harbin, South Sakhalin and the Kuril ridge (transferred to Japan under a treaty by the tsarist government).
Atomic blackmail
There was one more weighty reason for the Soviet-Japanese war. By the time the war ended in Europe, it was already clear that the Anti-Hitler coalition was fragile, so that soon the allies would turn into enemies. At the same time, the Red Army of "Comrade Mao" fought fearlessly in China. The relationship between him and Stalin is a complex issue, but there was no room for ambition, since it was about the possibility of vastly expanding the communist-controlled space at the expense of China. It took a little for this - to defeat the almost million-strong Kwantung Japanese army stationed in Manchuria.
The United States, on the other hand, was not eager to fight the Japanese face to face. Although the technical and numerical superiority allowed them to win at a low cost (for example, the landing on Okinawa in the spring of 1945), the spoiled Yankees were very frightened by the military samurai morality. The Japanese equally coolly cut off the heads of captured American officers with their swords and made themselves hara-kiri. In Okinawa, there were almost 200 thousand Japanese dead, and a few prisoners - the officers ripped open their bellies, the rank and file and local residents were drowned, but no one wanted to surrender at the mercy of the winner. Yes, and the famous kamikaze took, rather, a moral impact - they did not achieve their goals very often.
Therefore, the United States chose a different path - atomic blackmail. There were no soldiers in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The atomic bombs destroyed 380,000 (total) civilians. The atomic "scarecrow" was supposed to restrain Soviet ambitions as well.
Realizing that Japan will inevitably surrender, many Western leaders have already regretted that they had embroiled the USSR in the Japanese question.
March
But in the USSR at that time blackmailers were categorically disliked. The country denounced the neutrality pact and declared war on Japan exactly on time - August 8, 1945 (exactly 3 months after Germany's defeat). It was already known not only about the successful atomic tests, but also about the fate of Hiroshima.
Prior to that, serious preparatory work had been carried out. Since 1940, the Far Eastern Front existed, but it did not conduct hostilities. After the defeat of Hitler, the USSR carried out a unique maneuver - 39 brigades and divisions (tank and 3 combined arms armies) were transferred from Europe along the only Transsib railway during May-July, which amounted to about half a million people, more than 7,000 guns and more than 2,000 tanks. It was an incredible indicator of the movement in such a tight time frame and in such unfavorable conditions for such a number of people and equipment at such a distance.
The command also picked up a worthy one. The general leadership was carried out by Marshal A.M. Vasilevsky. And the main blow to the Kwantung Army was to be delivered by R. Ya. Malinovsky. Mongolian units fought in alliance with the USSR.
Excellence is different
As a result of the successful transfer of troops, the USSR achieved an unequivocal superiority over the Japanese in the Far East. The Kwantung army numbered about 1 million soldiers (rather, somewhat less, since there was a shortage in the units) and was provided with equipment and ammunition. But the equipment was outdated (if we compare it with the Soviet, then the pre-war model), and among the soldiers there were many recruits, as well as forcibly drafted representatives of the conquered peoples.
The USSR, by combining the forces of the Trans-Baikal Front and the arriving units, could field up to 1.5 million people. And most of them were experienced, shelled front-line soldiers who passed the Crimea and Rome on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War. Suffice it to say that 3 directorates and 3 divisions of the NKVD troops took part in the hostilities. And only the victims of the "exposing" articles of the 90s can believe that these units only knew how to shoot the wounded trying to escape to the rear or suspect honest people of treason. Anything happened, of course, but ... There were no detachments behind the NKVDists - they themselves never retreated. They were very efficient, well-trained troops.
Take in ticks
This aviation term best describes strategic plan under the name Manchurian operation of R. Ya. Malinovsky to defeat the Kwantung army. It was assumed that a simultaneous very powerful blow in several directions would be delivered, which would demoralize and split the enemy.
And so it was. Japanese general Otsudzo Yamada was amazed when it turned out that the guardsmen of the 6th Panzer Army were able to overcome the Gobi and Big Khingan in 3 days, advancing from the territory of Mongolia. The mountains were steep, and the rainy season ruined roads and overflowed mountain rivers. But the Soviet tankmen, who could almost carry their vehicles on their hands through the Belarusian swamps during Operation Bagration, could not be prevented by some streams and rain!
At the same time, strikes were delivered from Primorye and from the Amur and Ussuri regions. This is how the Manchurian operation was carried out - the main one in the entire Japanese campaign.
8 days that shook the Far East
This is exactly how much (from 12 to 20 August) the main hostilities of the Russo-Japanese War (1945) took. A terrible simultaneous strike from three fronts (in some sectors the Soviet troops managed to advance more than 100 km in one day!) At once split the Kwantung Army, deprived it of part of its communications, and demoralized it. The Pacific Fleet interrupted the communication of the Kwantung Army with Japan, the opportunity to get help was lost and contacts were even limited in general (there was also a minus - many groups of soldiers of the defeated army were not aware of the fact that they had been ordered to surrender for a long time). A mass desertion of recruits and forcibly conscripts began; officers committed suicide. The "emperor" of the puppet state of Manchukuo Pu Yi and General Otsudzo were captured.
In turn, the USSR has perfectly adjusted the supply of its units. Although it was possible to carry out this practically only with the help of aviation (huge distances and the lack of normal roads interfered), but transport heavy aircraft coped with the task perfectly. Soviet troops occupied vast territories in China, as well as northern Korea (present-day North Korea). On August 15, Hirohito, Emperor of Japan, announced the need for surrender by radio. The Kwantung Army received the order only on the 20th. But even before September 10, some detachments continued their hopeless resistance, striving to perish undefeated.
The events of the Soviet-Japanese war continued to develop at a rapid pace. Simultaneously with the actions on the continent, steps were taken to defeat the Japanese garrisons on the islands. On August 11, the 2nd Far Eastern Front began operations in the south of Sakhalin. The main task was to capture the Koton fortified region. Although the Japanese blew up the bridge, trying to prevent the tanks from breaking through, this did not help - it took Soviet soldiers only one night to set up a temporary crossing from available means. The battalion of Captain L. V. Smirnykh distinguished himself in the battles for the fortified area. He died there, receiving the posthumous title of Hero of the Soviet Union. At the same time, the ships of the North Pacific Flotilla were landing troops in the largest ports in the south of the island.
The fortification was captured on 17 August. The surrender of Japan (1945) took place on the 25th, after the last successful landing in the port of Korsakov. From it they tried to take valuable things home. The whole of Sakhalin was controlled by the USSR.
However, the 1945 Yuzhno-Sakhalin operation was a little slower than Marshal Vasilevsky had planned. As a result, the landing of troops on the island of Hokkaido and its occupation did not take place, about which the Marshal issued orders on 18 August.
Kuril landing operation
The islands of the Kuril ridge were also captured by the landing of amphibious assault forces. Kuril landing operation lasted from 18 August to 1 September. At the same time, in fact, battles were fought only for the northern islands, although there were military garrisons at all. But after fierce battles for the island of Shumshu, the commander of the Japanese troops in the Kuril Islands, Fusaki Tsutsumi, who was there, agreed to capitulate and surrendered himself. After that, the Soviet paratroopers no longer encountered any significant resistance on the islands.
On August 23-24, the Northern Kuriles were occupied, from the 22nd the occupation of the southern islands began. In all cases, the Soviet command allocated airborne units for this purpose, but more often the Japanese surrendered without a fight. The largest forces were allocated for the occupation of the island of Kunashir (this name is now heard), since it was decided to create a military base there. But Kunashir also surrendered virtually without a fight. Several small garrisons managed to evacuate home.
Battleship Missouri
And on September 2, the final surrender of Japan was signed aboard the American battleship Missouri (1945). This fact marked the end of World War II (not to be confused with the Great Patriotic War!). The USSR was represented at the ceremony by General K. Derevianko.
Small blood
For such a large-scale event, the Russo-Japanese War of 1945 (you briefly learned about it from the article) did not cost the USSR much. The total number of victims is estimated at 36.5 thousand people, of which slightly more than 21 thousand died.
The losses of the Japanese in the Soviet-Japanese war were more extensive. They had more than 80 thousand dead, more than 600 thousand were taken prisoner. Approximately 60 thousand prisoners died, the rest almost all were repatriated even before the signing of the San Francisco Peace Treaty. First of all, those soldiers of the Japanese army who were not Japanese by nationality were sent home. The exception was those participants in the Russo-Japanese War of 1945, who were convicted of war crimes. A significant part of them was transferred to China, and there was a reason - with the members of the Chinese Resistance, or at least the conquerors suspected of this, dealt with medieval cruelty. Later in China, this theme was revealed in the legendary film Red Gaoliang.
The disproportionate ratio of losses in the Russo-Japanese War (1945) is explained by the unequivocal superiority of the USSR in technical equipment and the level of training of soldiers. Yes, the Japanese sometimes offered fierce resistance. At the height of the Sharp (Hotou fortified area) the garrison fought to the last bullet; the survivors committed suicide, not a single prisoner was taken. There were also suicide bombers who threw grenades under tanks or at groups of Soviet soldiers.
But they did not take into account that they were not dealing with Americans who were very afraid of dying. Soviet fighters themselves knew how to close embrasures with themselves, and it was not easy to scare them. Very soon they learned to detect and neutralize such kamikaze in time.
Down with the Portsmouth shame
As a result of the Soviet-Japanese War of 1945, the USSR got rid of the shame of the Portsmouth Peace, which ended the hostilities of 1904-1905. He again owned the entire Kuril ridge and all of Sakhalin. The Kwantung Peninsula also passed to the USSR (this territory was then transferred to China by agreement after the proclamation of the PRC).
What else is the significance of the Soviet-Japanese war in our history? The victory in it contributed to the spread of communist ideology, and so successfully that the result outlived its creator. The USSR no longer exists, but the PRC and the DPRK are completely, and they do not get tired to amaze the world with their economic achievements and military power.
Unfinished War
But the most interesting thing is that the war with Japan is actually not over for Russia! A peace treaty between the two states does not exist to this day, and today's problems around the status of the Kuril Islands are a direct consequence of this.
The general peace treaty was signed in 1951 in San Francisco, but the USSR did not sign it. The reason was just the Kuril Islands.
The fact is that the text of the treaty indicated that Japan was abandoning them, but did not say who they should belong to. This immediately created grounds for future conflicts, and for this reason the Soviet representatives did not sign the treaty.
However, it was impossible to be in a state of war forever, and in 1956 the two countries signed a declaration in Moscow to end this state. On the basis of this document, there are now diplomatic and economic relations... But a declaration to end the state of war is not a peace treaty. That is, the situation is again half-hearted!
The declaration stated that the USSR, after the conclusion of a peace treaty, agreed to transfer back to Japan several islands of the Kuril ridge. But the Japanese government immediately began to demand the entire South Kuril Islands!
This story continues to this day. Russia continues it as the legal successor of the USSR.
In 2012, the head of one of the Japanese prefectures, badly damaged by the tsunami, in gratitude for Russian assistance in eliminating the consequences of the disaster, presented President Vladimir Putin with a thoroughbred puppy. In response, the president presented the prefect with a huge Siberian cat. The cat is now almost a salary in the office of the prefect, and all employees adore and respect him.
This cat is called Mir. Maybe he can purr mutual understanding between the two great states. Because wars must end, and after them peace must be concluded.
0 The Russo-Japanese War began on February 8 according to the old style or on January 26 according to the new style of 1904. The Japanese unexpectedly, without declaring war on us, attacked warships that were located in the outer roadstead of Port Arthur. Due to the unexpected attack and bungling of our intelligence, most of the ships were destroyed and sunk. Official declaration of war happened 2 days later, namely on February 10, old style.
Before you continue, I would like to recommend you a couple more informative news on the subject of Education and Science. For example, the abolition of serfdom; Decembrist revolt ; what is Melancholy, how to understand the word Deja vu.
So let's continue Russo-Japanese War briefly.
Today historians are sure that one of the reasons for the Japanese attack on Russia was its active expansion of its zones of influence in the east. Another important reason is the so-called triple intervention(On April 23, 1895, Russia, Germany and France simultaneously appealed to the Japanese government with a demand to abandon the annexation Liaodong peninsula, which was later done by the Japanese). It was this event that caused the intensified militarization of Japan and provoked a serious military reform.
Of course, Russian society reacted extremely negatively to the beginning of the Russian-Japanese war. On the other hand, the Western countries welcomed the Japanese aggression, and the United States and England began to openly provide military assistance to the Land of the Rising Sun.
Moreover, France, which, as it were, at that time was an ally of Russia, took a cowardly neutrality, all the more so it badly needed an alliance with the Russian Empire in order to restrain Germany, which was strengthening every year. However, at the initiative of the British, between them and France was concluded agreement, which immediately caused a noticeable cooling of Russian-French relations. In Germany, they decided to simply watch the development of the situation, so they formed a friendly neutrality towards the Russian Empire.
Thanks to the courage of the Russian soldiers, the Japanese were unable to break the resistance of the defenders of Port Arthur and take possession of this fortress at the beginning of the war. The next attack, undertaken by them on August 6, was carried out very ineptly. For the storming of the fortress, the Japanese gathered 45,000 army, which was commanded by Oyama Iwao(Japanese military leader, Marshal of Japan (1898), he played a significant role in the creation of a modern Japanese army). The invaders met with strong resistance, while losing almost half of the soldiers were forced to retreat (11 August).
Unfortunately, after death Roman Isidorovich Kondratenko On December 2 (15), 1904, Russian soldiers were left without a commander, and the fortress was surrendered. Although in fact, this fortified bastion could quite successfully repel the attacks of the Japanese for at least two months. As a result, a shameful act was signed about the surrender of the fortress by the commandant of Port Arthur, Baron Anatoly Mikhailovich Stessel and Reis Viktor Aleksandrovich (Major General). After that, 32 thousand Russian soldiers were captured, and the entire fleet was destroyed.
A small digression, on April 7, 1907, a report was presented, which stated that the main culprit in the surrender of Port Arthur are Generals Reis, Fock and Stoessel. By the way, pay attention, not a single Russian surname. These are the leaders we had in the army, almost immediately into the bushes, and there, as the curve will take out.
The main events of the Russo-Japanese War of 1905 are considered:
Mukden battle(February 19, 1905) - Russian soldiers killed 8 705 people, the loss of the Japanese amounted to about 15 892 people killed. This battle is considered the bloodiest in the entire history of mankind, before the start of the First World War. Shocked by such losses, the Japanese were never able to recover until the end of the war, and stopped taking any active actions, especially since there was simply no one to replenish the losses.
Tsushima battle(May 14 (27) - May 15 (28), 1905) - this is a naval battle that took place near the island of Tsushima, was the final battle in which the Russian Baltic squadron was completely destroyed by the 6 times larger enemy fleet.
And although Japan won the war on all fronts, its economy was clearly not ready for such a development of events. There was a marked economic downturn, and this forced Japan to negotiate peace. A peace conference was organized ( Portsmouth Peace Treaty), which was signed on August 23 (September 5) 1905 in the city of Portsmouth. At the same time, Russian diplomats led by Witte were at their best, squeezing out the maximum concessions from Japan.
Although the consequences of the Russo-Japanese war turned out to be very painful... After all, almost the entire Russian Pacific fleet was flooded, more than 100 thousand soldiers were killed, who stood to death defending their land. At the same time, the expansion of the sphere of influence of the Russian Empire in the east was stopped. In addition, it became clear to the whole world that the Russian army was very poorly prepared, armed with outdated weapons, which significantly reduced its authority on the world arena. The revolutionaries significantly intensified their agitation, as a result of which there was revolution of 1905 - 1907.
Reasons for Russia's defeat in the Russo-Japanese War:
obsolete weapons and Japan's technological superiority;
Unpreparedness of Russian soldiers for war in difficult climatic conditions;
Diplomatic isolation of Russia;
Mediocrity and outright betrayal of the interests of the Motherland of the majority of high-ranking generals.