Japanese War 1904 1905 map. Progress of the war. Reasons for Russia's defeat

War at sea.
On the battleship "Tsesarevich" during a Japanese mine attack
to the Port Arthur squadron on the night of January 26-27.
(1904).

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
The cruiser "Varyag" under the command of Captain Rudnev, escorted by the "Korean", leaves the port of Chemulpo
and heroically enters into an unequal battle with a Japanese squadron consisting of 6 cruisers and 8 destroyers.

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
The battle of "Varyag" and "Korean" near Chemulpo on January 27 (1904).

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
Battle of "Varyag" and "Korean" near Chemulpo.
How "Varyag" and "Koreets" moved during the battle (diagram).

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
"Varyag" on fire on the way back after the battle.
Explosion of "Korean" in Chemulpo.

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
The death of the 1st rank cruiser "Varyag"

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
Transportation of the wounded "Varyag" to the French cruiser "Pascal"

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
French cruiser 1st rank "Pascal",
rescued part of the crew of the cruiser "Varyag" and the gunboat "Koreets" killed at Chemulpo

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
"Varyag" at 4 hours 15 minutes in the afternoon on January 27 (1904).

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
The Varyag corps the day after the battle at low tide.

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
"Korean" is on fire.

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea. "Korean" dives.

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
Group of Chemulpo heroes,
filmed on the way from Odessa to Sevastopol on the steamer "St. Nicholas"
(sailors from the "Varyag" and "Korean").

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
Near Port Arthur.
The cruiser "Novik" is moving towards the Japanese squadron, opening fire from all its guns
(January 27, 1904).

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
The Japanese destroyer Hagatori attacks a Russian battleship during a snowstorm.

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
Bombing of Port Arthur.
The fortress answers. General view from the Golden Mountain.

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
The first Japanese night attack on Port Arthur.
View from the East China Railway steamship "Mongolia", sailing from Shanghai to Dalniy.

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
Japanese destroyer destroyers lay mines near Port Arthur.

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
Mine transport "Yenisei" and automatic mines of a new type.

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
Japanese automatic mine submerged to the bottom.
Russian automatic mine.

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
Our sailors in the Yellow Sea during a snowstorm.

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
Cleaning a boat deck in winter

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
Russian sailors clean the deck of a ship in winter

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
On a Russian ship. Winter watch

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
An icy Japanese cruiser near Vladivostok.

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
The first Japanese attempt to block the exit from Port Arthur by sinking fire ships
on the night of February 11-12 (1904).

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
A Japanese fireship that jumped out onto the rocks under the lighthouse of the Tiger Peninsula
during the battle on February 11 (1904).

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
Second Japanese attempt to block the exit from Port Arthur
with the help of 4 fire ships on the night of March 13-14 (1904).

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
The death of the battleship "Petropavlovsk" on March 31 (1904).

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
The explosion of the battleship "Petropavlovsk" (followed by the battleships "Pobeda" and "Sevastopol").

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
Three moments of the death of the battleship Petropavlovsk.

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
The crew of the battleship "Sevastopol" observing the death of the battleship "Petropavlovsk".

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
Boats and lifeboats are transporting those rescued from the lost battleship Petropavlovsk to Port Arthur.
In the distance are the Golden Mountain and three sunken Japanese fireships.

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
Removing victims from the battleship "Petropavlovsk".
In the foreground is the damaged battleship Pobeda (with a hole in the starboard side).

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
Japanese transport ships near Biziwo.

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
Reflection of Japanese fire ships on April 20 (1904).

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
One of the Japanese fire ships sunk by the Russians at Port Arthur.

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
Japanese transport "Kinchiyu-Maru",
with a capacity of 4,000 tons, sunk by the Vladivostok squadron near Genzan on April 10 (1904).

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
The death of the transport "Kinchiyu-Maru",
Japanese troops fire a salvo at the cruiser Rossiya as their ship sank.

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
The Japanese commit suicide (harakiri) on the deck of the Kinchiyu Maru transport.

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
The sinking of the Japanese battleship Hatsuze on May 2 (1904).

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
War at sea.
Killed Japanese boatswain on a sunken fireship

The more a person is able to respond to the historical and universal, the broader his nature, the richer his life and the more capable such a person is of progress and development.

F. M. Dostoevsky

The Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, which we will talk briefly about today, is one of the most important pages in the history of the Russian Empire. Russia was defeated in the war, demonstrating a military lag behind the world's leading countries. Another important event of the war was that as a result the Entente was finally formed, and the world began to slowly but steadily slide towards the First World War.

Prerequisites for the war

In 1894-1895, Japan defeated China, as a result of which Japan had to cross the Liaodong (Kwantung) Peninsula along with Port Arthur and Farmosa Island (the current name of Taiwan). Germany, France and Russia intervened in the negotiations and insisted that the Liaodong Peninsula remain in the use of China.

In 1896, the government of Nicholas 2 signed a friendship treaty with China. As a result, China allows Russia to build a railway to Vladivostok through Northern Manchuria (China Eastern Railway).

In 1898, Russia, as part of a friendship agreement with China, leased the Liaodong Peninsula from the latter for 25 years. This move drew sharp criticism from Japan, which also laid claim to these lands. But this did not lead to serious consequences at that time. In 1902, the tsarist army entered Manchuria. Formally, Japan was ready to recognize this territory as Russia if the latter recognized Japanese dominance in Korea. But the Russian government made a mistake. They did not take Japan seriously, and did not even think about entering into negotiations with it.

Causes and nature of the war

The reasons for the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 are as follows:

• Lease by Russia of the Liaodong Peninsula and Port Arthur.
• Economic expansion of Russia in Manchuria.
• Distribution of spheres of influence in China and the cortex.

The nature of hostilities can be defined as follows

• Russia planned to defend itself and raise reserves. The transfer of troops was planned to be completed in August 1904, after which it was planned to go on the offensive, right up to the landing of troops in Japan.
• Japan planned to wage an offensive war. The first strike was planned at sea with the destruction of the Russian fleet, so that nothing would interfere with the transfer of troops. The plans included the capture of Manchuria, Ussuri and Primorsky Territories.

Balance of forces at the beginning of the war

Japan could field about 175 thousand people in the war (another 100 thousand in reserve) and 1140 field guns. The Russian army consisted of 1 million people and 3.5 million in reserve (reserve). But in the Far East, Russia had 100 thousand people and 148 field guns. Also at the disposal of the Russian army were border guards, of whom there were 24 thousand people with 26 guns. The problem was that these forces, inferior in number to the Japanese, were widely scattered geographically: from Chita to Vladivostok and from Blagoveshchensk to Port Arthur. During 1904-1905, Russia carried out 9 mobilizations, conscripting about 1 million people for military service.

The Russian fleet consisted of 69 warships. 55 of these ships were in Port Arthur, which was very poorly fortified. To demonstrate that Port Arthur was not completed and was ready for war, it is enough to cite the following figures. The fortress was supposed to have 542 guns, but in fact there were only 375, and of these, only 108 guns were usable. That is, the gun supply of Port Arthur at the start of the war was 20%!

It is obvious that the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905 began with clear Japanese superiority on land and at sea.

Progress of hostilities

Map of military operations

rice. 1 - Map of the Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905

Events of 1904

In January 1904, Japan broke off diplomatic relations with Russia and on January 27, 1904, attacked warships near Port Arthur. This was the beginning of the war.

Russia began to transfer its army to the Far East, but this happened very slowly. A distance of 8 thousand kilometers and an unfinished section of the Siberian Railway - all this interfered with the transfer of the army. The road capacity was 3 trains per day, which is extremely low.

On January 27, 1904, Japan attacked Russian ships located in Port Arthur. At the same time, an attack was launched on the cruiser “Varyag” and the escort boat “Koreets” in the Korean port of Chemulpo. After an unequal battle, the “Korean” was blown up, and the “Varyag” was scuttled by the Russian sailors themselves so that it would not fall to the enemy. After this, the strategic initiative at sea passed to Japan. The situation at sea worsened after the battleship Petropavlovsk, with the fleet commander S. Makarov on board, was blown up by a Japanese mine on March 31. In addition to the commander, his entire staff, 29 officers and 652 sailors were killed.

In February 1904, Japan landed a 60,000-strong army in Korea, which moved to the Yalu River (the river separated Korea and Manchuria). There were no significant battles at this time, and in mid-April the Japanese army crossed the border of Manchuria.

Fall of Port Arthur

In May, the second Japanese army (50 thousand people) landed on the Liaodong Peninsula and headed towards Port Arthur, creating a springboard for the offensive. By this time, the Russian army had partially completed the transfer of troops and its strength was 160 thousand people. One of the most important events of the war was the Battle of Liaoyang in August 1904. This battle still raises many questions among historians. The fact is that in this battle (and it was practically a general battle) the Japanese army was defeated. Moreover, so much so that the command of the Japanese army declared the impossibility of continuing combat operations. The Russo-Japanese War could have ended here if the Russian army had gone on the offensive. But the commander, Koropatkin, gives an absolutely absurd order - to retreat. During the further events of the war, the Russian army would have several opportunities to inflict a decisive defeat on the enemy, but each time Kuropatkin either gave absurd orders or hesitated to act, giving the enemy the necessary time.

After the Battle of Liaoyang, the Russian army retreated to the Shahe River, where a new battle took place in September, which did not reveal a winner. After this there was a lull, and the war moved into a positional phase. In December, General R.I. died. Kondratenko, who commanded the ground defense of the Port Arthur fortress. The new commander of the troops A.M. Stessel, despite the categorical refusal of the soldiers and sailors, decided to surrender the fortress. On December 20, 1904, Stoessel surrendered Port Arthur to the Japanese. At this point, the Russo-Japanese War in 1904 entered a passive phase, continuing active operations in 1905.

Subsequently, under public pressure, General Stoessel was put on trial and sentenced to death. The sentence was not carried out. Nicholas 2 pardoned the general.

Historical reference

Port Arthur defense map

rice. 2 - Port Arthur defense map

Events of 1905

The Russian command demanded active action from Kuropatkin. The decision was made to launch the offensive in February. But the Japanese forestalled him by launching an attack on Mukden (Shenyang) on ​​February 5, 1905. From February 6 to 25, the largest battle of the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905 continued. On the Russian side, 280 thousand people took part in it, on the Japanese side - 270 thousand people. There are many interpretations of the Battle of Mukden in terms of who won it. In fact it was a draw. The Russian army lost 90 thousand soldiers, the Japanese - 70 thousand. Fewer losses on the part of Japan is a frequent argument in favor of its victory, but this battle did not give the Japanese army any advantage or gain. Moreover, the losses were so severe that Japan made no further attempts to organize large land battles until the end of the war.

Much more important is the fact that the population of Japan is much smaller than the population of Russia, and after Mukden, the island country has exhausted its human resources. Russia could and should have gone on the offensive in order to win, but 2 factors played against this:

• Kuropatkin factor
• Factor of the 1905 revolution

On May 14-15, 1905, the Tsushima naval battle took place, in which the Russian squadrons were defeated. The losses of the Russian army amounted to 19 ships and 10 thousand killed and captured.

Kuropatkin factor

Kuropatkin, commanding the ground forces, during the entire Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905 did not use a single chance for a favorable offensive to inflict great damage on the enemy. There were several such chances, and we talked about them above. Why did the Russian general and commander refuse active action and not strive to end the war? After all, had he given the order to attack after Liaoyang, and with a high degree of probability the Japanese army would have ceased to exist.

Of course, it is impossible to answer this question directly, but a number of historians put forward the following opinion (I cite it because it is well-reasoned and extremely similar to the truth). Kuropatkin was closely associated with Witte, who, let me remind you, by the time of the war had been removed from the post of prime minister by Nicholas 2. Kuropatkin's plan was to create conditions under which the Tsar would return Witte. The latter was considered an excellent negotiator, so it was necessary to bring the war with Japan to a stage where the parties would sit down at the negotiating table. To achieve this, the war could not be ended with the help of the army (the defeat of Japan was a direct surrender without any negotiations). Therefore, the commander did everything to reduce the war to a draw. He successfully completed this task, and indeed Nicholas 2 called on Witte towards the end of the war.

Revolution factor

There are many sources pointing to Japanese financing of the 1905 revolution. Real facts of money transfer, of course. No. But there are 2 facts that I find extremely interesting:

• The peak of the revolution and movement occurred at the Battle of Tsushima. Nicholas 2 needed an army to fight the revolution and he decided to start peace negotiations with Japan.
• Immediately after the signing of the Portsmouth Peace, the revolution in Russia began to decline.

Reasons for Russia's defeat

Why was Russia defeated in the war with Japan? The reasons for Russia's defeat in the Russo-Japanese War are as follows:

• The weakness of the grouping of Russian troops in the Far East.
• The unfinished Trans-Siberian Railway, which did not allow the full transfer of troops.
• Mistakes of the army command. I already wrote above about the Kuropatkin factor.
• Japan's superiority in military-technical equipment.

The last point is extremely important. He is often forgotten, but undeservedly. In terms of technical equipment, especially in the navy, Japan was far ahead of Russia.

Portsmouth World

To conclude peace between the countries, Japan demanded that Theodore Roosevelt, President of the United States, act as a mediator. Negotiations began and the Russian delegation was headed by Witte. Nicholas 2 returned him to his post and entrusted him with negotiations, knowing the talents of this man. And Witte really took a very tough position, not allowing Japan to gain significant gains from the war.

The terms of the Portsmouth Peace were as follows:

• Russia recognized Japan's right to rule in Korea.
• Russia ceded part of the territory of Sakhalin Island (the Japanese wanted to get the entire island, but Witte was against it).
• Russia transferred the Kwantung Peninsula to Japan along with Port Arthur.
• No one paid indemnities to anyone, but Russia had to pay compensation to the enemy for the maintenance of Russian prisoners of war.

Consequences of the war

During the war, Russia and Japan each lost approximately 300 thousand people, but in view of the population, these were almost catastrophic losses for Japan. The losses were due to the fact that this was the first major war in which automatic weapons were used. At sea there was a big bias towards the use of mines.

An important fact that many people ignore is that it was after the Russo-Japanese War that the Entente (Russia, France and England) and the Triple Alliance (Germany, Italy and Austria-Hungary) were finally formed. The fact of the formation of the Entente is noteworthy. Before the war in Europe there was an alliance between Russia and France. The latter did not want its expansion. But the events of Russia's war against Japan showed that the Russian army had many problems (this really was the case), so France signed agreements with England.

Positions of world powers during the war

During the Russo-Japanese War, the world powers occupied the following positions:

• England and USA. Traditionally, the interests of these countries were extremely similar. They supported Japan, but mostly financially. Approximately 40% of Japan's war costs were covered by Anglo-Saxon money.
• France declared neutrality. Although in fact it had an allied agreement with Russia, it did not fulfill its allied obligations.
• From the first days of the war, Germany declared its neutrality.

The Russo-Japanese War was practically not analyzed by tsarist historians, because they simply did not have enough time. After the end of the war, the Russian Empire existed for almost 12 years, which included revolution, economic problems and a world war. Therefore, the main study took place already in Soviet times. But it is important to understand that for Soviet historians it was a war against the backdrop of revolution. That is, “the tsarist regime sought aggression, and the people did their best to prevent this.” That is why it is written in Soviet textbooks that, for example, the Liaoyang operation ended in the defeat of Russia. Although formally it was a draw.

The end of the war is also seen as the complete defeat of the Russian army on land and in the navy. If at sea the situation was really close to defeat, then on land Japan stood on the brink of an abyss, since they no longer had the human resources to continue the war. I suggest looking at this question even more broadly. How did the wars of that era end after the unconditional defeat (and this is what Soviet historians often talked about) of one of the sides? Large indemnities, large territorial concessions, partial economic and political dependence of the loser on the winner. But in the Portsmouth world there is nothing like it. Russia paid nothing, lost only the southern part of Sakhalin (a small territory) and abandoned the lands leased from China. The argument is often made that Japan won the struggle for dominance in Korea. But Russia never seriously fought for this territory. She was only interested in Manchuria. And if we return to the origins of the war, we will see that the Japanese government would never have started the war if Nicholas 2 had recognized Japan’s dominance in Korea, just as the Japanese government would have recognized Russia’s position in Manchuria. Therefore, at the end of the war, Russia did what it should have done back in 1903, without bringing the matter to war. But this is a question about the personality of Nicholas 2, who today is extremely fashionable to call a martyr and hero of Russia, but it was his actions that provoked the war.

Exercise 1

Analyze the textbook text and choose the correct answers.

1. What caused the peaceful nature of the European foreign policy of Nicholas II at the beginning of his reign:

a) the fact that Russia did not have allies among the leading European powers;

b) the fact that Russia’s military-industrial potential was significantly inferior to the potential of the European powers;

c) because peace in Europe facilitated the establishment of Russian domination in East Asia?

2. What foreign policy actions did Nicholas II take to establish peace in Europe:

a) entered into an agreement with England;

b) initiated the convening of an international conference on the problems of general disarmament;

c) recognized the primacy of Austria-Hungary in the Balkans?

Task 2

Analyze the text of the paragraph, read the document and give written answers to the questions.

From a letter from William II to Nicholas II. January 1904 ...Russia, subject to the laws of expansion, must strive to reach the sea and have an ice-free harbor for its trade. By virtue of this law, it has the right to lay claim to the strip of coast where such harbors are located (Vladivostok, Port Arthur). Hinterland (the lands behind them) must be in your hands so that the railways necessary to transport goods to the ports (Manchuria) can be built. Between the two ports there is a strip of land which, if it fell into the hands of the enemy, could become something like a new Dardanelles. You can't allow this to happen. These "Dardanelles" (Korea) should not be a threat to your lines of communication and a threat to your trade. This is the case in the Black Sea, but in the Far East you cannot come to terms with such a situation. Therefore, it is clear to any unprejudiced person that Korea should and will be Russian. When and how - no one cares and concerns only you and your country.

1. What are the causes of the Russo-Japanese War and its nature? 2. What goals did Russia pursue in this war? 3. For what purpose do you think the German emperor wrote such a letter?

1. The clash of interests of Russia and Japan in the Far East. Both countries wanted to strengthen their positions in the region.

2. Implementation of the “Great Asian Program”: strengthening Russian dominance in East Asia. Obtaining an ice-free port in the Yellow Sea. Strengthening positions at sea by creating a Russian naval base.

3. Germany was also interested in strengthening its influence in the Far East, as it sought to redistribute spheres of influence in the world. In 1897, she took control of the port of Qingdao.

Task 3

Task 4

Based on the text of the textbook and materials you found on your own, write a miniature essay “A letter from a Russian soldier to his relatives in a village from besieged Port Arthur.”

Some time ago, Admiral Makarov arrived to us. He immediately took energetic measures to restore the combat effectiveness of the Russian squadron, which led to an increase in military spirit in the fleet.

The Japanese tried several times to block the exit from the harbor, but to no avail. The first time we stopped them, the second time they ruined their plan. I managed to do it only on the third try. Now the Japanese were able to land troops ashore and began moving towards Port Arthur. However, our spirit is not broken and we continue to strengthen the fortress. Everything is being done to increase the combat effectiveness of our garrison: weapons and ammunition are being brought in. I don’t know how long we will hold out, because the Japanese began to carry out active military operations.

Task 5

Using the textbook text, plot on the map:

1. Names of states. 2. Directions of advance of Japanese troops. 3. The direction of attacks of Russian troops. 4. Start and end dates of the defense of Port Arthur. 5. Places and times of the main battles of the war on land and at sea. 6. Borders between Russia and Japan before and after the war.

Task 6

Based on the text of the paragraph, determine which of the following were included in the terms of the Portsmouth Peace (several answer options are possible):

a) compensation by Russia for material losses to Japan in the amount of 100 million gold rubles;

b) the introduction of Russian troops into Korea;

c) occupation of Manchuria by Japanese troops;

d) transfer of the lease of Port Arthur to Japan;

e) transfer to Japan of the southern part of Sakhalin Island;

f) prohibition of the Japanese fishing rights along the Russian coasts in the Sea of ​​Japan, Okhotsk and Bering Seas.

Attack of Japanese destroyers of the Russian squadron.

On the night of February 8 to 9 (January 26 to 27), 1904, 10 Japanese destroyers suddenly attacked the Russian squadron in the outer roadstead of Port Arthur. The squadron battleships Tsesarevich, Retvizan and the cruiser Pallada received heavy damage from the explosions of Japanese torpedoes and ran aground to avoid sinking. Japanese destroyers were damaged by return fire from the artillery of the Russian squadron IJN Akatsuki And IJN Shirakumo. Thus began the Russo-Japanese War.

On the same day, Japanese troops began landing troops in the area of ​​​​the port of Chemulpo. While trying to leave the port and head to Port Arthur, the gunboat Koreets was attacked by Japanese destroyers, forcing it to return.

On February 9 (January 27), 1904, the battle of Chemulpo took place. As a result, due to the impossibility of a breakthrough, the cruiser “Varyag” was scuttled by their crews and the gunboat “Koreets” was blown up.

On the same day, February 9 (January 27), 1904, Admiral Jessen headed out to sea at the head of the Vladivostok detachment of cruisers to begin military operations to disrupt transport links between Japan and Korea.

On February 11 (January 29), 1904, near Port Arthur, near the San Shan-tao Islands, the Russian cruiser Boyarin was blown up by a Japanese mine.

On February 24 (February 11), 1904, the Japanese fleet tried to close the exit from Port Arthur by sinking 5 ships loaded with stone. The attempt was unsuccessful.

On February 25 (February 12), 1904, two Russian destroyers “Besstrashny” and “Impressive”, while going out for reconnaissance, came across 4 Japanese cruisers. The first managed to escape, but the second was driven into Blue Bay, where it was scuttled by order of Captain M. Podushkin.

On March 2 (February 18), 1904, by order of the Naval General Staff, the Mediterranean squadron of Admiral A. Virenius (battleship Oslyabya, cruisers Aurora and Dmitry Donskoy and 7 destroyers), heading to Port Arthur, was recalled to the Baltic Sea .

On March 6 (February 22), 1904, a Japanese squadron shelled Vladivostok. The damage was minor. The fortress was placed in a state of siege.

On March 8 (February 24), 1904, the new commander of the Russian Pacific squadron, Vice Admiral S. Makarov, arrived in Port Arthur, replacing Admiral O. Stark in this post.

On March 10 (February 26), 1904, in the Yellow Sea, while returning from reconnaissance in Port Arthur, he was sunk by four Japanese destroyers ( IJN Usugumo , IJN Shinonome , IJN Akebono , IJN Sazanami) Russian destroyer "Steregushchy", and "Resolute" managed to return to port.

Russian fleet in Port Arthur.

On March 27 (March 14), 1904, the second Japanese attempt to block the entrance to Port Arthur harbor by flooding fire ships was thwarted.

April 4 (March 22), 1904 Japanese battleships IJN Fuji And IJN Yashima Port Arthur was bombarded with fire from Golubina Bay. In total, they fired 200 shots and main caliber guns. But the effect was minimal.

On April 12 (March 30), 1904, the Russian destroyer Strashny was sunk by Japanese destroyers.

On April 13 (March 31), 1904, the battleship Petropavlovsk was blown up by a mine and sank with almost its entire crew while going to sea. Among the dead was Admiral S. O. Makarov. Also on this day, the battleship Pobeda was damaged by a mine explosion and was out of action for several weeks.

April 15 (April 2), 1904 Japanese cruisers IJN Kasuga And IJN Nisshin fired at the inner roadstead of Port Arthur with throwing fire.

On April 25 (April 12), 1904, the Vladivostok detachment of cruisers sank a Japanese steamer off the coast of Korea IJN Goyo-Maru, coaster IJN Haginura-Maru and Japanese military transport IJN Kinsu-Maru, after which he headed to Vladivostok.

May 2 (April 19), 1904 by the Japanese, with the support of gunboats IJN Akagi And IJN Chōkai, destroyers of the 9th, 14th and 16th destroyer flotillas, a third and final attempt was made to block the entrance to Port Arthur harbor, this time using 10 transports ( IJN Mikasha-Maru, IJN Sakura-Maru, IJN Totomi-Maru, IJN Otaru-Maru, IJN Sagami-Maru, IJN Aikoku-Maru, IJN Omi-Maru, IJN Asagao-Maru, IJN Iedo-Maru, IJN Kokura-Maru, IJN Fuzan-Maru) As a result, they managed to partially block the passage and temporarily make it impossible for large Russian ships to exit. This facilitated the unhindered landing of the Japanese 2nd Army in Manchuria.

On May 5 (April 22), 1904, the 2nd Japanese Army under the command of General Yasukata Oku, numbering about 38.5 thousand people, began landing on the Liaodong Peninsula, about 100 kilometers from Port Arthur.

On May 12 (April 29), 1904, four Japanese destroyers of the 2nd flotilla of Admiral I. Miyako began sweeping Russian mines in Kerr Bay. While carrying out the assigned task, destroyer No. 48 hit a mine and sank. On the same day, Japanese troops finally cut off Port Arthur from Manchuria. The siege of Port Arthur began.

Death IJN Hatsuse on Russian mines.

On May 15 (May 2), 1904, two Japanese battleships were blown up and sank at a minefield laid the day before by the minelayer Amur. IJN Yashima And IJN Hatsuse .

Also on this day, a collision of Japanese cruisers occurred near Elliot Island. IJN Kasuga And IJN Yoshino, in which the second sank from the damage received. And off the southeastern coast of Kanglu Island, the advice note ran aground IJN Tatsuta .

On May 16 (May 3), 1904, two Japanese gunboats collided during an amphibious operation southeast of the city of Yingkou. The boat sank as a result of the collision IJN Oshima .

On May 17 (May 4), 1904, a Japanese destroyer was struck by a mine and sank. IJN Akatsuki .

On May 27 (May 14), 1904, not far from the city of Dalniy, the Russian destroyer Attentive hit rocks and was blown up by its crew. On the same day, Japanese advice note IJN Miyako hit a Russian mine and sank in Kerr Bay.

On June 12 (May 30), 1904, the Vladivostok detachment of cruisers entered the Korea Strait to disrupt Japan's sea communications.

On June 15 (June 2), 1904, the cruiser Gromoboy sank two Japanese transports: IJN Izuma-Maru And IJN Hitachi-Maru, and the cruiser "Rurik" sank a Japanese transport with two torpedoes IJN Sado-Maru. In total, the three transports carried 2,445 Japanese soldiers and officers, 320 horses and 18 heavy 11-inch howitzers.

On June 23 (June 10), 1904, the Pacific squadron of Rear Admiral V. Vitgoft made the first attempt to break through to Vladivostok. But when the Japanese fleet of Admiral H. Togo was discovered, she returned to Port Arthur without engaging in battle. At night of the same day, Japanese destroyers launched an unsuccessful attack on the Russian squadron.

On June 28 (June 15), 1904, the Vladivostok detachment of cruisers of Admiral Jessen again went to sea to disrupt the enemy’s sea communications.

On July 17 (July 4), 1904, near Skrypleva Island, the Russian destroyer No. 208 was blown up and sank in a Japanese minefield.

On July 18 (July 5), 1904, the Russian minelayer Yenisei hit a mine in Talienwan Bay and the Japanese cruiser sank IJN Kaimon .

On July 20 (July 7), 1904, the Vladivostok detachment of cruisers entered the Pacific Ocean through the Sangar Strait.

On July 22 (July 9), 1904, the detachment was detained with smuggled cargo and sent to Vladivostok with a prize crew of the English steamer Arabia.

On July 23 (July 10), 1904, the Vladivostok detachment of cruisers approached the entrance to Tokyo Bay. Here an English steamer with smuggled cargo was searched and sunk Night Commander. Also on this day, several Japanese schooners and a German steamer were sunk Tea, traveling with smuggled cargo to Japan. And the English steamer captured later Kalhas, after inspection, was sent to Vladivostok. The squad's cruisers also headed to their port.

On July 25 (July 12), 1904, a squadron of Japanese destroyers approached the mouth of the Liaohe River from the sea. The crew of the Russian gunboat "Sivuch", due to the impossibility of a breakthrough, after landing on the shore, blew up their ship.

On August 7 (July 25), 1904, Japanese troops fired at Port Arthur and its harbors from land for the first time. As a result of the shelling, the battleship Tsesarevich was damaged, and the squadron commander, Rear Admiral V. Vitgeft, was slightly wounded. The battleship Retvizan was also damaged.

On August 8 (July 26), 1904, a detachment of ships consisting of the cruiser Novik, the gunboat Beaver and 15 destroyers took part in Tahe Bay in shelling of the advancing Japanese troops, causing heavy losses.

Battle in the Yellow Sea.

On August 10 (July 28), 1904, during an attempt to break through the Russian squadron from Port Arthur to Vladivostok, a battle took place in the Yellow Sea. During the battle, Rear Admiral V. Vitgeft was killed, and the Russian squadron, having lost control, disintegrated. 5 Russian battleships, the cruiser Bayan and 2 destroyers began to retreat to Port Arthur in disarray. Only the battleship Tsesarevich, the cruisers Novik, Askold, Diana and 6 destroyers broke through the Japanese blockade. The battleship "Tsarevich", the cruiser "Novik" and 3 destroyers headed to Qingdao, the cruiser "Askold" and the destroyer "Grozovoy" - to Shanghai, the cruiser "Diana" - to Saigon.

On August 11 (July 29), 1904, the Vladivostok detachment set out to meet the Russian squadron, which was supposed to break out from Port Arthur. The battleship "Tsesarevich", the cruiser "Novik", the destroyers "Besshumny", "Besposhchadny" and "Besstrashny" arrived in Qingdao. The cruiser Novik, having loaded 250 tons of coal into bunkers, set out to sea with the goal of breaking through to Vladivostok. On the same day, the Russian destroyer Resolute was interned by the Chinese authorities in Chifoo. Also on August 11, the team scuttled the damaged destroyer Burny.

On August 12 (July 30), 1904, the previously interned destroyer Resolute was captured in Chifoo by two Japanese destroyers.

On August 13 (July 31), 1904, the damaged Russian cruiser Askold was interned and disarmed in Shanghai.

August 14 (August 1), 1904, four Japanese cruisers ( IJN Izumo , IJN Tokiwa , IJN Azuma And IJN Iwate) intercepted three Russian cruisers (Russia, Rurik and Gromoboy) heading towards the First Pacific Squadron. A battle took place between them, which went down in history as the Battle of the Korea Strait. As a result of the battle, the Rurik was sunk, and the other two Russian cruisers returned to Vladivostok with damage.

On August 15 (August 2), 1904, in Qingdao, German authorities interned the Russian battleship Tsarevich.

On August 16 (August 3), 1904, the damaged cruisers Gromoboy and Rossiya returned to Vladivostok. In Port Arthur, the proposal of the Japanese general M. Nogi to surrender the fortress was rejected. On the same day, in the Pacific Ocean, the Russian cruiser Novik stopped and inspected an English steamer Celtic.

On August 20 (August 7), 1904, a battle took place near Sakhalin Island between the Russian cruiser Novik and Japanese IJN Tsushima And IJN Chitose. As a result of the battle "Novik" and IJN Tsushima received serious damage. Due to the impossibility of repairs and the danger of the ship being captured by the enemy, the commander of the Novik, M. Schultz, decided to scuttle the ship.

On August 24 (August 11), 1904, the Russian cruiser Diana was interned by the French authorities in Saigon.

On September 7 (August 25), 1904, the submarine Forel was sent from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok by rail.

On October 1 (September 18), 1904, a Japanese gunboat was blown up by a Russian mine and sank near Iron Island. IJN Heiyen.

On October 15 (October 2), 1904, the 2nd Pacific Squadron of Admiral Z. Rozhestvensky left Libau for the Far East.

On November 3 (October 21), a Japanese destroyer was blown up by a mine placed by the Russian destroyer Skory and sank near Cape Lun-Wan-Tan IJN Hayatori .

On November 5 (October 23), 1904, in the inner roadstead of Port Arthur, after being hit by a Japanese shell, the ammunition of the Russian battleship Poltava detonated. As a result of this, the ship sank.

On November 6 (October 24), 1904, a Japanese gunboat hit a rock in the fog and sank near Port Arthur IJN Atago .

On November 28 (November 15), 1904, the submarine Dolphin was sent from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok by rail.

On December 6 (November 23), 1904, Japanese artillery, installed on the previously captured height No. 206, began a massive shelling of Russian ships stationed in the internal roadstead of Port Arthur. By the end of the day, they sunk the battleship Retvizan and suffered heavy damage to the battleship Peresvet. To remain intact, the battleship Sevastopol, the gunboat Brave and destroyers were taken out from under Japanese fire to the outer roadstead.

On December 7 (November 24), 1904, due to the impossibility of repairs after damage received from Japanese shelling, the battleship Peresvet was sunk by its crew in the western basin of Port Arthur harbor.

On December 8 (November 25), 1904, Japanese artillery sunk Russian ships in the internal roadstead of Port Arthur - the battleship Pobeda and the cruiser Pallada.

On December 9 (November 26), 1904, Japanese heavy artillery sank the cruiser Bayan, the minelayer Amur and the gunboat Gilyak.

December 25 (December 12), 1904 IJN Takasago During a patrol, she hit a mine laid by the Russian destroyer "Angry" and sank in the Yellow Sea between Port Arthur and Chieffo.

On December 26 (December 13), 1904, in the Port Arthur roadstead, the gunboat Beaver was sunk by Japanese artillery fire.

Submarines of the Siberian flotilla in Vladivostok.

On December 31 (December 18), 1904, the first four Kasatka-class submarines arrived in Vladivostok from St. Petersburg by rail.

On January 1, 1905 (December 19, 1904), in Port Arthur, by order of the crew command, the battleships Poltava and Peresvet, half-sunk in the internal roadstead, were blown up, and the battleship Sevastopol was sunk in the outer roadstead.

On January 2, 1905 (December 20, 1904), the commander of the defense of Port Arthur, General A. Stessel, gave the order to surrender the fortress. The siege of Port Arthur is over.

On the same day, before the surrender of the fortress, the clippers “Dzhigit” and “Robber” were sunk. The 1st Pacific Squadron was completely destroyed.

On January 5, 1905 (December 23, 1904), the submarine "Dolphin" arrived from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok by rail.

January 14 (January 1), 1905, by order of the commander of the Vladivostok port from the Forel submarines.

On March 20 (March 7), 1905, the 2nd Pacific Squadron of Admiral Z. Rozhdestvensky passed the Strait of Malacca and entered the Pacific Ocean.

On March 26 (March 13), 1905, the submarine “Dolphin” left Vladivostok for a combat position on Askold Island.

On March 29 (March 16), 1905, the submarine "Dolphin" returned to Vladivostok from combat duty near Askold Island.

On April 11 (March 29), 1905, torpedoes were delivered to Russian submarines in Vladivostok.

On April 13 (March 31), 1905, the 2nd Pacific Squadron of Admiral Z. Rozhdestvensky arrived at Cam Ranh Bay in Indochina.

On April 22 (April 9), 1905, the submarine “Kasatka” set out on a combat mission from Vladivostok to the shores of Korea.

On May 7 (April 24), 1905, the cruisers Rossiya and Gromoboy left Vladivostok to disrupt the enemy’s sea communications.

On May 9 (April 26), 1905, the 1st detachment of the 3rd Pacific squadron of Rear Admiral N. Nebogatov and the 2nd Pacific squadron of Vice Admiral Z. Rozhestvensky united in Cam Ranh Bay.

On May 11 (April 28), 1905, the cruisers Rossiya and Gromoboy returned to Vladivostok. During the raid they sank four Japanese transport ships.

On May 12 (April 29), 1905, three submarines - "Dolphin", "Kasatka" and "Som" - were sent to Preobrazheniya Bay to intercept the Japanese detachment. At 10 o'clock in the morning, near Vladivostok, near Cape Povorotny, the first battle involving a submarine took place. "Som" attacked the Japanese destroyers, but the attack ended in vain.

On May 14 (May 1), 1905, the Russian 2nd Pacific Squadron under Admiral Z. Rozhestvensky left for Vladivostok from Indochina.

On May 18 (May 5), 1905, the submarine Dolphin sank near the quay wall in Vladivostok due to an explosion of gasoline vapors.

On May 29 (May 16), 1905, the battleship Dmitry Donskoy was scuttled by his crew in the Sea of ​​Japan near the island of Dazhelet.

On May 30 (May 17), 1905, the Russian cruiser Izumrud landed on rocks near Cape Orekhov in St. Vladimir Bay and was blown up by its crew.

On June 3 (May 21), 1905, in the Philippines in Manila, American authorities interned the Russian cruiser Zhemchug.

On June 9 (May 27), 1905, the Russian cruiser Aurora was interned by the American authorities in the Philippines in Manila.

On June 29 (June 16), 1905, in Port Arthur, Japanese rescuers raised the Russian battleship Peresvet from the bottom.

On July 7 (June 24), 1905, Japanese troops began the Sakhalin landing operation to land troops of 14 thousand people. While Russian troops numbered only 7.2 thousand people on the island.

On July 8 (July 25), 1905, in Port Arthur, Japanese rescuers raised the sunken Russian battleship Poltava.

On July 29 (July 16), 1905, the Japanese Sakhalin landing operation ended with the surrender of Russian troops.

On August 14 (August 1), 1905, in the Tatar Strait, the Keta submarine launched an unsuccessful attack on two Japanese destroyers.

On August 22 (August 9), 1905, negotiations began in Portsmouth between Japan and Russia through the mediation of the United States.

On September 5 (August 23) in the USA in Portsmouth, a peace treaty was signed between the Empire of Japan and the Russian Empire. According to the agreement, Japan received the Liaodong Peninsula, part of the Chinese Eastern Railway from Port Arthur to the city of Changchun and South Sakhalin, Russia recognized the predominant interests of Japan in Korea and agreed to the conclusion of a Russian-Japanese fishing convention. Russia and Japan pledged to withdraw their troops from Manchuria. Japan's demand for reparations was rejected.

From the end of the 19th century. The struggle between Russia and Japan for the redistribution of spheres of influence in the Far East sharply intensified. On January 24, 1904, Japan broke off diplomatic relations with Russia, and on January 26, it started a war. On the night of January 27, 1904, the Japanese fleet suddenly attacked the Russian squadron in the outer roadstead of Port Arthur, and on the day of January 27, in the port of Chemulpo (Korea), the cruiser Varyag and the gunboat Koreets. In April, the Russian Pacific squadron was locked in the inner roadstead of Port Arthur. In February 1904, the Japanese landed 1A in Korea, and on April 22, 2A on the Liaodong Peninsula.
On April 18, the Japanese won the battle on the river. Yalu (Yalujiang), on May 13, their 2A captured Jinzhou and interrupted the connection between Port Arthur and the Manchurian army. The 1st Siberian Army Corps, sent to help Port Arthur, was defeated on June 1-2 in the battle of Vafangou. 3A was formed for the siege of Port Arthur. On July 10-11, in the battle of Dashiqiao, Russian troops successfully repelled enemy attacks, but, by order, retreated to Liaoyang. In July, the newly formed Japanese 4A joined the attack on Liaoyang from the south. On August 11-21, the Battle of Liaoyang took place. Despite the successful actions, Russian troops again received orders to retreat.
September 22 - October 4 on the river. Shahe, a counter battle unfolded, in which both sides suffered heavy losses and went on the defensive. A stubborn struggle unfolded for Port Arthur. 12/20/1904 Port Arthur was surrendered, and the remnants of the Russian Pacific squadron were killed. Her two attempts to break into Vladivostok were unsuccessful. The Vladivostok detachment of cruisers was active on the enemy’s sea communications in the summer of 1904, but after the defeat on August 1 in the battle in the Korean Strait, its activity sharply decreased. Attempts by the Japanese to land troops in Kamchatka in the summer of 1904 were thwarted by the actions of the local militia. During the summer, the Japanese were unable to make significant progress in North Korea either.
On January 12-15, 1905, Russian troops launched a limited offensive near Sandepa, but were unsuccessful. In the Battle of Mukden on February 6-25, they were again defeated and retreated to the previously prepared Sypingai positions. The 2nd Pacific Squadron, formed in the Baltic, reinforced by the 1st detachment of the 3rd Pacific Squadron, left the Baltic Sea for the Far East in October 1904 and February 1905, respectively. On May 14-15, 1905, their battle with the Japanese fleet took place in the Tsushima Strait, as a result of which the Russian squadron was almost completely destroyed. In June the Japanese occupied the island. Sakhalin. In the spring of 1905, they resumed active hostilities in Korea and in July forced Russian troops to leave it.

On August 23, 1905, the Portsmouth Peace Treaty was signed. Russia recognized Korea as a sphere of Japanese influence, ceded the southern part of Sakhalin to Japan, and lease rights to the Kwantung Peninsula from Port Arthur and Dalniy, as well as the southern branch of the Chinese Eastern Railway.