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The Russo-Japanese War developed out of the competing designs of the Japanese and Russian Empires over Manchuria and Korea. Resource-poor Japan coveted the resources of Manchuria where local war lords limited the authority of the Chinese government. Russia's control over Siberia was tenous. Only the Trans-Siberia Railway connected the two. Resistance to Tsarist absolutism was growing in Russia. Minister of the Interior, V.K. Plehve, commented "In order to hold back the revolution, we need a small victorious war" (early 1904). Russia did sot see Japan as major threat and refused to negotiate spheres of influence which would allow both countries to persue their interests. Japan launched a suorise attack--never bothering to declare war. The Japanese Navu bottled up the Russian Pacific squadron at Port Arthur and then seized it by a land attack (1904). A Russian Army was defeated at Mukden. The Russians massed their Atlantic squadorn and made made an epic voyage to engage the Japanese Imperial fleet. The Japanese destroyed the Russian squadron at Tsushima (1905). Most Europeans were surprised that the Japanese had the capability to defeat a European naval force. American President Theodore Roosevelt was instrumental in negotiating the Treaty of Portsmouth ending the war. The War was a major factor in bringing about the Russian Revolution of 1905. It also marked the emergence of Japan as Asian powerhouse.
Japan with the Menji Restoration began to build a modern industrial economy. Along with a modern economy they created a modern army based in the Prussian Army and a navy based on the British Royal Navy.
The first outward sign of Japan;s emergence was the First Sino-Japanese War (1895) allowing the Japanese to seize Formosa (Taiwan). Japan also moved to expand its influence in Korea which had been a Chinese tributary state.
China's experiece in the 20th century was the most turbulant of any great power. It began with the Boxer Rebellion (1900) which exposed the weakeness of decadent Manchu dynasty. China had viewed itself as the greatest world power and other countries of little importance. Growing European power by the 19th century had enforced many indignaties on China, begnning in particular with the Opium Wars. European countries enforced inequitable treties and carved out treaty ports. Japan even seized Formosa island (modern Taiwan) (1895). There were two major responses. One was a desire by progressive reformers to modernize China by adopting modern technology and institutions along the lines being persued in Japan. The other was a desire to drive out all foreign influence and maintain traditional culture. Dowager Empress Cixi suppressed the progressive reformers . Chinese opposition to European encroachments expoded with the Boxer Rebellion. It was put down by coalition of countries, including Russia and Japan. As part of the operations against the Boxers, Russian forces moved into Manchuria. After the Boxers were put down, the Russians refused to withdraw from Manchuria.
Japan hads, as a result of the Sino-Soviet War (1894-95) largely ousted China from the Korean Peninsula and oproceeded to expand theor influence and position in Korea. They were fearful that Russia might intervenene in Korea. This was the prime reason for the Anglo-Japanese Naval Alliance (1901). Allied with Britsin, the Russians would have to give considerable thought to any military intervention in Korea.
Manchuria was nomially part of China. The Russo-Japanese War developed out of the competing designs of the Japanese and Russian Empires over Manchuria and Korea. Resource-poor Japan coveted the resources of Manchuria where local war lords limited the authority of the Chinese government. Russia's control over Siberia was tenous. Only the Trans-Siberia Railway connected Siberia with Eutopean Russia. The Russias had forced the weak Chinese Imperial Government to grant a concession allowing it to build a railway system in Manchuria. This provided the infrastructure with which to exploit Mnchurian resources. The Russians also acquired the ice-free Port Arthur. Russia did sot see Japan as major threat and refused to negotiate spheres of influence which would allow both countries to persue their interests. Resistance to Tsarist absolutism was growing in Russia. Minister of the Interior, V.K. Plehve, commented "In order to hold back the revolution, we need a small victorious war" (early 1904).
TheJapanese made several initiatives to esablish a undrstanding with the Russians in Manchuria. The Japanese wre interested in both raw materail and potential markets. Bordering Korea which the japanese were converting in to a colony, Manchuria was an obvious potential market for Japanese industrial output. The Russians did not reply seriously to the Japanese proposals. Russia like other Europeans did not take the Japanese seriously. Their view was essentially tht Japan was another Asian country to be dictated to and not negotiate with. The Japanese suddenly after receiving no satisfaction, attacked the Russian Pacific fleet withoy declaring war. The Russians were staarteled both with the attack and the effectiveness of the Japanese.
There were three major engagements, two naval engagements and a land campaign. The Japanese first attacked the Russian Pacific fleet. The ininitial engagement was inconclusive, but largely destroyed it in a subsequent attack. The war tghan shifyted to a land campaign . The Japanese than attacked Port Arthur overlands. The campsaign was setteled at Mukden after which Port Arthur fell to the Japanese. Having achieved their primary goal, the Japanese showed little interest in pressing on into Manchuria and Siberia. The War then began a basically naval war. The Trans-Siberian Railwat limited the Russian's ability to assemble and supply a majot land army in East Asia. Rather they decided to resolve the issue at sea. The Russians assemeled alarge naval force and sailed in round the world. The war was decided by a decisive naval enggement in the Sraits of Tsushima. This became ensrined in the Japanese naval tradituon, much like Trafalgar for the British.
Lüshun is a port city located at the extreme southern tip of the Liaodong Peninsula. It was a major objective of the Japanese. The Japanese had seized it in the First Sino-Japanese War (1894-95). The Triple Interventins )Russia, France, and Germany) forced the Japanese to relinquish their claim. Sunsequently the Russians seized the port themselves and named it Port Arthur. It became the focus of the Ruddo-Japanese War. Japan launched a suprise attack--never bothering to declare war. The Japanese severly damaged the Russian Pacific (Far Eastern) Fleet at Port Arthur (February 9, 1904). Torpedo boats damaged several Russian vessels, but it was not the decisive blow the Japanese sought. It was when the Russian vessels attempted to run to the safter port at Vladisvostok that the faster Japanese fleet scored a decisive victory.
The Japanese next moved on Port Arthur by land. The Japanese had a modern, highly motivated army of around 300,000 men backed up bt 400,000 well-trained reservists. The Japanese Army had been trained by Prussian/German officers. The Tsarist Army consisted of poorly motivated conscripts. At the beginning of the War there were about 80,000 poorly-trained Russian soldiers at Port Arthur. Russia reinforced the Port Arthur garison by shipping in men and material over the Trans-Siberial Railway. The Russians had amassed a forece of about 250,000 men by the end of the year. A major Japanese land battle at Mukden sealed Port Arthur's fate. The Russians sufferd very heavy losses. The Japanese renammed the port Ryojun.
With its Far East fleet destroyed, the Russians assembled their Baltic fleet and dispacted it to the Pacific. It was an epic voyage, widely publicized in the world press. The Russian fleet consisted if some modern vessels and other slow, largely obsolete ships. The Russian fleet consisted of 10 battleships and three armpred cruisers. Admiral Togo intercepted the Russians in the Straits of Tsushima (May 27, 1905). Togo sqadron consisted of five modern battleships an eight aromored cruisers. The Japanese force was smaller, but more modern and much better trained. Togo raised the Z banner, with a Nelsonian message "The fate of the Empire depends on this battle. Every man will do his upmost. The Russian fleet was poorly commanded. The Russians has some modern vessels which could have possibly given a good account of themselves, but they were slowed down by several slow, largely obsolete vessels. Togo executed a daring turn that brought his squadron parallel with the Russians. The Japanese turrets allowed him to bring his fire power fully to bare on the Russians. It was one of the desive battles in naval warfare. The Japanese sank 19 Russians ships and captured five more. The Japanese lost only three torpedo boats. Most Europeans were shocked that the Japanese had the capability to defeat a European naval force. Te mastermind of Tsushim was Admiral Togo, but another well know Japanese sailor was at Tsushima, a cadet--Isoruko Yamamoto. The young cadet lost two fingers with a gun on his battleship exploded. [Thomas, p. 16.]
The Imperial Army's most revered figure was General Maresuke Nogi, the Emperor Meiji's principal military adviser. Over 58,000 Japanese soldieres were killed in the War--referred to as human bullets. The dead included Nogi's two sons. After the War, Nogi asked the Emperor for permission to commit suiide. The Emperor asked that he postpone this until he had passed away. Nogi did so, committing ritual suiside on the day of the Emperor's funeral (1912). Dressed in white robes, he dispatched his wife with a dagger to her neck and then disemboweled himself. He had helped teach Prince Hirohito who referred to him as "Schoolmaster". The Prince was 12 years old. He cried upon hearing the news. [Thomas, p. 14.]
The Russians were forced to sue for peace. American President Theodore Roosevelt was instrumental in negotiating the Treaty of Portsmouth ending the war. The British also counseled the Japanese to make peace. Russian rebounced its claims to Port Arthur, southern Sakhalin (Karafuto) Island, and the Kuriles. The Japanese also gained rail rights in Manchuria, although both countries agreed that Manchuria should be considered an integral part of China. While Japan was the claer beneficairy, influential voices in Japan complained that the Russians should have made even more concessions. It was widely felt in Japan that this was another example of European powers intervening to deprive Japan of the full fruits of victory.
The Battle of Tsushimfa had a major impact on 20th century naval thinking. The Japanese signed a Naval Agreement with Britain (1902). They had been schooled by Royal Navy officers. Admiral Lord Nelson became a revered naval figure. A lock of Nelson's hair in fact was was enshrined at Eta-Jima, the Japanese naval academy. Individually wraped bricks had been brought from Britain to build Eta-Jima. The Battle of Trafalgur which established the Royal Navy's dominanve for a century was extensively studied. The Battle of Tsushima Straits cemented the Japanese commitment to a single descisive battle as tennant in naval warfare. And as Japan would probably face a Western advisary as a weaker naval force, the idea od a surprise attack to redress any balance of forces became deeplu ingrained in Japanese naval thinking. A decisive fleet action was a tennant also widely held by Western naval strategists. That decisive fleet action would finally be fought by Japan and America in World War II--the Battle of Leyte Gulf (1944). It was the largest naval battle ever foiught and probably the last in a long series of epic naval battles begun at Salamis. The battle had another major impact. First Lord of the Admiralty Jackey Fisher recognized that the only ships that had any impact on the outcome of the battle were those with big guns. Battle ships at the time bristled with a large array of small guns. Tsushima showed that it was the big guns that would settle the issue in a major fleet action. Fisher proposed the first all big gun battleship. The first one built was HMS Dreadnought which helped to fuel the European naval race.
The War was a major factor in bringing about the Russian Revolution of 1905.
Admiral Togo returned the fleet to Tokyo on the anniversary of Nelson's ictory at Trafalgar.
The Russo-Japanese War marked the emergence of Japan as Asian powerhouse. It was also the beginning of the emergemce of Asia from European colonialism. This was the first time since the inset of European colonialism in the 18thbcentury that an Asian power had sucessfully resisted a European army or naval force.
Japan joined the Allies almost at the onset of the War (August 23, 1914). It seems surprising that Japan would have entered the War so quickly when the German Army was marching through Belgium and seemed likely to reach Paris. Japan had signed an Alliance with Britain (1902), but it was not aimed at Germany nor did it require Japan to join the Allies when war broke out in Europe. The British fearing that the German Far Eastern Squadron would disrupt trade, asked the Japanese for assistance. The Japanese Government for largely domestic reasons quickly agreed to the British request. Germany had acquired several colonial possessions, including concessions in China and Pacific islands. The Germans build a major naval base at Tsingtao. It was hear that the only major engagement in the Far East was fought. The Japanese supported by the British succeeded in seizing Tsingtao a very little cost in a conbined land sea operation (November 1914). More importantly for the future, the Japanese seized control of the formerly German owned Shantung Railway. Japan seized German Pacific islands without resistance, includung Palau and the Marshall, Caroline, and Marianas islands. This gave them the naval bases at Yap, Ponape, and Jaluit. Japanese naval surveyors subsequently discovered the potential fleet base of Truk, and after the war built a major naval base there. As agreed by the Allies, the Japanese seized German colonies north of the Equator while those to the south were seized by British and Dominion forces. A New Zealand force escorted by British, French and Australian warships seized German Samoa (August 28, 1914). A British ship seized the guano-mining island of Nauru. The Australian Navy seized the Bismarck Islands (September 1914). The German forces surrendered German New Guinea and the Bismarck, Admiralty, and Solomon Islands. After seizing the German bases, the Japanese Navy assisted the Allies in convoy protection from German raiders. There were small German military units in these colonies as well as civilians. We do not notice any attrocities by the Japanese during World War I like they committed during World War II. After the War, the Treaty of Versailles awarded Japan a mandate over the islands.
A nationalist revolution in Bejing ended the Chinese Empire (1911). And then during World War the Russian Revolution began (1917). The Japanese played the Great Game in the Far East that the British played in Central Asia. The Japanese played on Moslem loyalties and pan-Asian feelings to gain allies against the Russians.
Thomas, Evan. Sea of Thunder: Four Commanders and the Last Great Naval Campaign, 1941-1945 (Simon & Schuster: New York, 2006), 414p.
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