Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was fought between the Empire of Japan and the Russian Empire during 1904 and 1905 over rival imperial ambitions in Manchuria and Korea. The major theatres of military operations were the Liaodong Peninsula and Mukden in Southern Manchuria, and the seas around Korea, Japan, and the Yellow Sea.
What were the effects of the Russo-Japanese War?
Although tensions in the region were far from over, the Russo-Japanese War did shift the balance of global power, marking the first time in modern history that an Asian nation had defeated a European one in military combat. It would also mark the beginning of warfare involving world powers in the Pacific region.
There were two principal effects of the Russo-Japanese War
- First, from a practical standpoint, Russian power in the Pacific was neutered for the next fifty years.
- Not until Japan’s defeat in the Second World War could a Russian government confirm territorial claims in East Asia.
How Did The Russo-Japanese War Start
Late in the night on February 8, 1904, Japan launched a surprise attack against the
- The Russians wanted a ‘warm-water port’ on the Pacific Ocean for their navy and trade.
- The harbor at Vladivostok freezes over in the winter, but Port Arthur (now called the Liaodong Peninsula in China) can be used all the time.
- Russians started building Trans-Siberian railway from St Petersburg to Port Arthur.
- Japan thought that when Russia completed the railway in 1906, Russia would be able to beat Japan in a war because they could supply large numbers of troops there.
- The war started with a Japanese surprise attack on Port Arthur.
How Did The Russo-Japanese War End
The Treaty of Portsmouth formally ended the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–05. The negotiations took place in August in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and were brokered in part by U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt.
Peace Treaty and Aftermath
- US President Theodore Roosevelt helped Russia and Japan make peace after the war.
- He won a Nobel Prize for this.
- The peace treaty is called “The Treaty of Portsmouth”
- The Russian people were very angry at the government and at czar Nicholas II for not continuing the war because everyone was sure that Russia could have won.
Facts About The Russo-Japanese War
- Russia deployed about 2,000,000 troops
- Japan deployed 400,000 troops
- Battle of Port Arthur, Feb. 8 – 9, 1904 was the first battel of the Russo
Everyday Reflections 