What about the Russian-Japanese War? Russo-Japanese War - reasons

The Russo-Japanese War began on January 26 (or, according to the new style, February 8) 1904. The Japanese fleet unexpectedly, before the official declaration of war, attacked ships located in the outer roadstead of Port Arthur. As a result of this attack, the most powerful ships of the Russian squadron were disabled. The declaration of war took place only on February 10.

The most important reason for the Russo-Japanese War was Russia's expansion to the east. However, the immediate cause was the annexation of the Liaodong Peninsula, previously captured by Japan. This provoked military reform and the militarization of Japan.

The reaction of Russian society to the beginning of the Russo-Japanese War can be briefly said as follows: Japan’s actions outraged Russian society. The world community reacted differently. England and the USA took a pro-Japanese position. And the tone of press reports was clearly anti-Russian. France, an ally of Russia at that time, declared neutrality - it needed an alliance with Russia in order to prevent the strengthening of Germany. But already on April 12, France concluded an agreement with England, which caused a cooling of Russian-French relations. Germany declared friendly neutrality towards Russia.

Despite active actions at the beginning of the war, the Japanese failed to capture Port Arthur. But already on August 6 they made another attempt. A 45-strong army under the command of Oyama was sent to storm the fortress. Having encountered strong resistance and having lost more than half of the soldiers, the Japanese were forced to retreat on August 11. The fortress was surrendered only after the death of General Kondratenko on December 2, 1904. Despite the fact that Port Arthur could have held out for at least 2 more months, Stessel and Reis signed the act of surrendering the fortress, as a result of which the Russian fleet was destroyed, and 32 thousand. people were captured.

The most significant events of 1905 were:

• The Battle of Mukden (February 5 – 24), which remained the largest land battle in human history until the outbreak of the First World War. It ended with the withdrawal of the Russian army, which lost 59 thousand killed. Japanese losses amounted to 80 thousand.
• The Battle of Tsushima (May 27 - 28), in which the Japanese fleet, 6 times larger than the Russian one, almost completely destroyed the Russian Baltic squadron.

The course of the war was clearly in Japan's favor. However, its economy was depleted by the war. This forced Japan to enter into peace negotiations. In Portsmouth, on August 9, participants in the Russo-Japanese War began a peace conference. It should be noted that these negotiations were a serious success for the Russian diplomatic delegation, headed by Witte. The concluded peace treaty sparked protests in Tokyo. But, nevertheless, the consequences of the Russian-Japanese War were very noticeable for the country. During the conflict, the Russian Pacific Fleet was practically destroyed. The war claimed more than 100 thousand lives of soldiers who heroically defended their country. Russia's expansion to the East was stopped. Also, the defeat showed the weakness of the tsarist policy, which to a certain extent contributed to the growth of revolutionary sentiments and ultimately led to the revolution of 1905 - 1907. Among the reasons for Russia's defeat in the Russian- Japanese war 1904 - 1905 the most important are the following:

• diplomatic isolation Russian Empire;
• the unpreparedness of the Russian army for combat operations in difficult conditions;
• outright betrayal of the interests of the fatherland or the mediocrity of many tsarist generals;
• Japan's serious superiority in the military and economic spheres.

At the beginning of the 20th century Far East There was active development of new lands, which provoked a war with Japan. Let's figure out what the causes of the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905 were.

Background and causes of the war

IN late XIX At the beginning of the 20th century, Japan experienced a period of powerful development. Contacts with England and the USA allowed her to boost her economy by new level, reform the army, build a new modern fleet. The Meiji Revolution established the Empire of the Rising Sun as a leading regional power.

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

Rice. 1. Portrait of Nicholas II.

To raise authority, a “small victorious war” or new territorial expansions were needed to demonstrate the greatness of Russia. Crimean War outlined Russia's territorial claims in Europe. In Central Asia, Russia was stuck with India, and conflict with Britain had to be avoided. Nicholas II turned his attention to China, weakened by wars and European colonization. Long-term plans were also made for Korea.

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

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Rice. 2. Construction of Port Arthur.

In Japan, realizing that Russia was laying claim to lands that were within their sphere of interest, the slogan “Gashin-shotan” was put forward, calling on the nation to endure the increase in taxes for the sake of a military clash with Russia.

Based on the above, it should be noted that the first and main cause of the war was the clash of the colonial ambitions of the two countries. Therefore, the war that arose was of a colonial-aggressive nature.

The reason for the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905 was the severance of diplomatic ties between the two states. Having failed to agree on the scope of colonial expansion among themselves, both empires began to prepare to resolve the issue by military means.

Progress of the war and results

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

Rice. 3. The death of the cruiser Varyag.

Russia conducted an active defense, waiting for the arrival of reserves from Europe. However, poor infrastructure and supplies prevented Russia from turning the tide of the war. However, the prolonged defense of Port Arthur and the victory of Russian troops at Liaoyang could have brought Russia victory in the war, since the Japanese had practically exhausted their economic and human reserves. But General Kuropatkin each time, instead of attacking and defeating the enemy army, gave orders to retreat. First, Port Arthur was lost, then the Battle of Mukden took place, and the Russian Second and Third Pacific squadrons were defeated. The defeat was obvious and the parties moved on to peace negotiations.

The consequence of defeat in the war was an even greater deterioration in the authority of the king among the people. This resulted in the First Russian Revolution, which lasted until 1907 and limited the power of the Tsar through the creation of the State Duma. 4.6. Total ratings received: 161.

At the dawn of the twentieth century, a fierce clash occurred between the Russian and Japanese empires. In what year did war with Japan await our country? It began in the winter of 1904 and lasted more than 12 months until 1905, becoming a real a blow to the whole world. It stood out not only as a subject of dispute between the two powers, but also as the latest weapon used in battles.

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Prerequisites

Basic events unfolded in the Far East, in one of the most contested regions in the world. At the same time, it was claimed by the Russian and Japanese empires, each with its own political strategies regarding this area, ambitions and plans. Specifically, there was talk of establishing control over the Chinese region of Manchuria, as well as over Korea and the Yellow Sea.

Note! At the beginning of the twentieth century, Russia and Japan were not just the strongest countries world, but also actively developing. Oddly enough, this became the first prerequisite for the Russo-Japanese War.

The Russian Empire actively expanded its borders, touching Persia and Afghanistan in the southeast.

British interests were affected, so the Russian map continued to expand in the Far East.

The first to stand in the way was China, which had become impoverished from numerous wars and was forced give Russia part of its territories in order to gain support and funds. Thus, new lands came into the possession of our empire: Primorye, Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands.

The reasons also lay in Japanese politics. The new Emperor Meiji considered self-isolation a relic of the past and actively began to develop his country, promoting it on the international stage. After numerous successful reforms, the Japanese Empire reached a new, modernized level. The next step was the expansion of other states.

Even before the start of the 1904 war Meiji conquered China, which gave him the right to dispose of Korean lands. Later, the island of Taiwan and other nearby territories were conquered. Here were the prerequisites for future confrontation, since the interests of two empires that contradicted each other met. So, on January 27 (February 9), 1904, the war between Russia and Japan officially began.

Causes

The Russo-Japanese War became one of the most striking examples of “cockfighting”. There were no racist, religious or ideological disputes between the two warring countries. The essence of the conflict did not lie in the increase in its own territory by significant reasons. It’s just that each state had a goal: to prove to itself and others that it was powerful, strong and invincible.

Let's first consider reasons for the emergence of the Russo-Japanese War within the Russian Empire:

1. The king wanted to assert himself through victory and show all his people that his army and military power- the strongest in the world.
2. It was possible to suppress once and for all the revolution that broke out, into which peasants, workers and even the urban intelligentsia were drawn.

Let us briefly consider how this war could be useful to Japan. The Japanese had only one goal: to demonstrate their new weapons, which had been improved. I had to try the newest one military equipment, and where can this be done, if not in battle.

Note! If the participants in the armed confrontation had won, they would have settled their internal political differences. The economy of the victorious country would have improved significantly and new lands would have been acquired - Manchuria, Korea and the entire Yellow Sea.

Military operations on land

At the beginning of 1904, the 23rd artillery brigade was sent to the eastern front from Russia.

The troops were distributed among strategically important sites - Vladivostok, Manchuria and Port Arthur. There was also a special corral engineering troops, and a very impressive number of people guarded the CER (railway).

The fact is that all food and ammunition were delivered to the soldiers from the European part of the country by train, which is why they required additional protection.

By the way, this became one of the reasons for Russia's defeat. Distance from industrial centers our country to the Far East is unrealistically large. It took a lot of time to deliver everything necessary, and it was not possible to transport much.

As for the Japanese troops, they were outnumbered by the Russian ones. Moreover, having left their native and very small islands, they found themselves literally scattered over a vast territory. But in the ill-fated 1904-1905 they were saved by military power. Newest weapons and armored vehicles, destroyers, and improved artillery did their job. It is worth noting the very tactics of warfare and combat that the Japanese learned from the British. In a word, they took it not by quantity, but by quality and cunning.

Naval battles

The Russo-Japanese War became real fiasco for Russian fleet .

Shipbuilding in the Far Eastern region at that time was not very developed, and delivering the “gifts” of the Black Sea to such a distance was extremely difficult.

In the land of the rising sun, the fleet was always powerful, Meiji was well prepared, knew very well weak sides enemy, therefore he managed not only to hold back the enemy’s onslaught, but also to completely destroy our fleet.

He won the battle thanks to the same military tactics that he learned from the British.

Main events

Troops of the Russian Empire for a long time did not improve their potential, did not conduct tactical exercises. Their entry to the Far Eastern front in 1904 made it clear that they were simply not ready to fight and fight. This can be clearly seen in the chronology of the main events of the Russo-Japanese War. Let's look at them in order.

• February 9, 1904 – Battle of Chemulpo. The Russian cruiser "Varyag" and the steamer "Koreets", under the command of Vsevolod Rudnev, were surrounded by a Japanese squadron. In an unequal battle, both ships were lost, and the remaining crew members were evacuated to Sevastopol and Odessa. In the future, they were prohibited from enlisting in the Pacific Fleet;
• On February 27 of the same year, using the latest torpedoes, the Japanese disabled more than 90% of the Russian fleet by attacking it in Port Arthur;
• spring 1904 - defeat of the Russian Empire in numerous battles on land. In addition to difficulties with transporting ammunition and supplies, our soldiers simply did not have a normal map. The Russo-Japanese War had clear patterns and certain strategic objects. But without proper navigation it was impossible to cope with the task;
• 1904, August – The Russians were able to defend Port Arthur;
• 1905, January - Admiral Stessel surrendered Port Arthur to the Japanese;
• May of the same year – another unequal sea ​​battle. After the battle of Tsushima, one Russian ship returned to the port, but the entire Japanese squadron remained safe and sound;
• July 1905 - Japanese troops invaded Sakhalin.

Probably the answer to the question of who won the war is obvious. But in fact, numerous battles on land and water caused the exhaustion of both countries. Japan, although considered the winner, was forced to enlist the support of countries such as Great Britain. The results were disappointing: the economy and domestic politics both countries. The countries signed a peace treaty, and the whole world began to help them.

Outcome of hostilities

At the time of the end of hostilities in the Russian Empire, preparations for revolution were in full swing. The enemy knew this, so he set a condition: Japan agreed to sign a peace treaty only on condition of complete surrender. At the same time, it had to be observed the following items:

• half of the island of Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands were to pass into the possession of the land of the rising sun;
• renunciation of claims to Manchuria;
• Japan was to have the right to lease Port Arthur;
• the Japanese get all the rights to Korea;
• Russia had to pay its enemy an indemnity for the maintenance of prisoners.

And they weren't the only ones Negative consequences Russian-Japanese War for our people. The economy began to stagnate for a long time, as factories and factories became impoverished.

Unemployment began in the country, prices for food and other goods rose. Russia began to be denied loans many foreign banks, during which business activities were also suspended.

But there were also positive points. By signing the Portsmouth Peace Agreement, Russia received support from the European powers - England and France.

This became the seed for the emergence of a new alliance called the Entente. It is worth noting that Europe was also frightened by the brewing revolution, so it tried to provide all possible support to our country so that these events would not go beyond its borders, but would only subside. But, as we know, it was not possible to restrain the people, and the revolution became a vivid protest of the population against the current government.

But in Japan, despite numerous losses, things got better. The Land of the Rising Sun proved to the whole world that it can defeat the Europeans. The victory brought this state to the international level.

Why did everything turn out this way?

Let us list the reasons for Russia's defeat in this armed confrontation.

1. Considerable distance from industrial centers. Railway could not cope with transporting everything necessary to the front.
2. Lack of Russian army and a fleet of proper training and skill. The Japanese had more advanced technology possession of weapons and combat.
3. Our enemy developed fundamentally new military equipment, which was difficult to cope with.
4. Betrayal by the tsarist generals. For example, the surrender of Port Arthur, which had previously been taken.
5. The war was not popular among ordinary people, as well as many soldiers who were sent to the front, were not interested in victory. And here Japanese warriors were ready to die for the sake of the emperor.

Analysis of the Russo-Japanese War by historians

Russo-Japanese War, reasons for defeat

Conclusion

After the defeat in the Russo-Japanese War, the old regime completely collapsed in Russia. Just a few years later, our ancestors became citizens completely new country. And most importantly, many who died on the Far Eastern Front were not remembered for a long time.

This may seem strange, but for Russia today II World War not quite finished yet. 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 Japanese Empire, the territory is the Southern Kuril Islands (they are now on everyone’s lips). But is it really that they were not so divided by two great countries that they got involved in a world massacre for the sake of these sea rocks?

No, of course. The Soviet-Japanese War (it is correct to say so, since in 1945 Russia did not act as a separate subject of international politics, acting exclusively as the main, but still only an integral part of the USSR) had deep reasons that did not appear in 1945. And no one thought then that “ Kuril question"will drag on for so long. The reader will be briefly told about the Russo-Japanese War of 1945 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, associated with territorial and resource limitations. The country needed food, coal, and metal. The neighbors had all this. But they didn’t want to share just like that, and at that time no one considered war to be an unacceptable way to resolve international issues.

The first attempt was made back in 1904-1905. Russia then shamefully lost to a tiny but disciplined and united island state, losing Port Arthur (everyone has heard of it) and the southern part of Sakhalin in the Treaty of Portsmouth. 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 Polosakhalinsky” for this, the fact remains a fact).

In the 20s, in the Land of the Rising Sun they printed maps called “5 circles” national interests Japan." There different colors in the form of stylized concentric rings, territories were designated that the ruling circles of the country considered it right to conquer and annex. These circles included almost the entire Asian part of the USSR.

Three tankers

At the end of the 30s, Japan, which had already successfully waged wars of conquest in Korea and China, “tested the strength” of the USSR. There were conflicts in the Khalkhin Gol region and on Lake Khasan.

It turned out bad. The Far Eastern conflicts marked the beginning of the brilliant career of the future “Marshal of Victory” G.K. Zhukov, and the entire USSR sang a song about three tank crews from the banks of the Amur, which included a phrase about samurai under the pressure of steel and fire (later it was remade, but this is the original version) .

Although Japan agreed with its allies on the distribution of future spheres of influence within the framework of the Anti-Comintern Pact (also called the “Berlin-Rome-Tokyo Axis”, although it requires a rich imagination to understand what the axis looks like in the author’s understanding of such a term), it did not indicate when exactly each side must take its own.

The Japanese authorities did not consider themselves so bound by obligations, and events in the Far East showed them that the USSR was a dangerous adversary. Therefore, in 1940, a treaty on neutrality in case 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, so within the framework of the anti-Hitler coalition, talk immediately began about its entry into the war with Japan (the USA 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 stated 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 by treaty by the tsarist government).

Atomic blackmail

There was another one good reason Soviet-Japanese War. By the time the war ended in Europe, it was already clear that the Anti-Hitler coalition was fragile, so that the allies would soon turn into enemies. At the same time, “Comrade Mao’s” Red Army fought fearlessly in China. The relationship between him and Stalin is a complex issue, but there was no time for ambition here, since we were talking about the possibility of enormously expanding the communist-controlled space at the expense of China. Little was required for this - to defeat the almost million-strong Kwantung Japanese Army stationed in Manchuria.

The United States had no desire to fight the Japanese face to face. Although 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 military samurai morality. The Japanese equally calmly chopped off the heads of captured American officers with swords and committed hara-kiri for themselves. There were almost 200 thousand dead Japanese in Okinawa, and a few prisoners - officers ripped open their bellies, privates and local residents drowned themselves, but no one wanted to surrender to the mercy of the winner. And the famous kamikazes were defeated, rather, by moral influence - they did not achieve their goals very often.

Therefore, the United States took a different route - nuclear blackmail. There was not a single military presence in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Atomic bombs destroyed 380 thousand (in total) civilian population. The atomic “bogeyman” was also supposed to restrain Soviet ambitions.

Realizing that Japan would inevitably capitulate, many Western leaders already regretted getting the USSR involved in the Japanese issue.

Forced 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 the defeat of Germany). It was already known not only about successful atomic tests, but also about the fate of Hiroshima.

Before that, serious preparatory work. Since 1940, the Far Eastern Front existed, but it did not conduct military operations. 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 Trans-Siberian railway during May-July, which amounted to about half a million people, more than 7,000 guns and more than 2,000 tanks. This was an incredible amount of movement in such a short time and in such a unfavorable conditions so many people and equipment over such a distance.

The command was also worthy. General management 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 comes in different forms

As a result of the successful transfer of troops, the USSR achieved clear superiority over the Japanese in the Far East. The Kwantung Army numbered about 1 million soldiers (probably somewhat less, since the units were short-staffed) and was provided with equipment and ammunition. But the equipment was outdated (if compared with the Soviet one, it was pre-war), and among the soldiers there were many recruits, as well as forcibly conscripted representatives of 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, experienced front-line soldiers who went through 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. But only the victims of the “revelatory” articles of the 90s can believe that these units only knew how to shoot the wounded trying to go to the rear or suspect honest people of treason. Anything happened, of course, but... There were no barrier detachments behind the NKVDists - they themselves never retreated. These were very combat-ready, well-trained troops.

Take in pincers

This aviation term best characterizes the strategic plan called the Manchurian Operation of R. Ya. Malinovsky to defeat the Kwantung Army. It was assumed that a simultaneous very powerful blow would be delivered in several directions, which would demoralize and split the enemy.

That's how it was. Japanese General Otsuzo Yamada was amazed when it turned out that the 6th Guardsmen tank army capable of overcoming the Gobi and Greater Khingan in 3 days, advancing from the territory of Mongolia. The mountains were steep, and the rainy season ruined the roads and overflowed the banks. mountain rivers. But the Soviet tank crews, who were able to almost carry their vehicles by hand through the Belarusian swamps during Operation Bagration, could not be prevented by some streams and rain!

At the same time, attacks were carried out 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 long (from August 12 to August 20) the main fighting Russo-Japanese War (1945). The terrible simultaneous attack of three fronts (in some areas, 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 communication between the Kwantung Army and Japan, the opportunity to receive help was lost, and even contacts were limited in general (there was also a minus - many groups of soldiers of the defeated army were for a long time not aware of the fact that they had been given the order to surrender). Mass desertion of recruits and those conscripted by force began; officers committed suicide. The “emperor” of the puppet state of Manchukuo Pu Yi and General Otsuzo were captured.

In turn, the USSR perfectly organized the supply of its units. Although this could be accomplished almost only with the help of aviation (huge distances and the lack of normal roads interfered), heavy transport aircraft coped with the task perfectly. Soviet troops occupied vast territories in China, as well as northern Korea (present-day DPRK). On August 15, Hirohito, Emperor of Japan, announced on the radio that surrender was necessary. The Kwantung Army received the order only on the 20th. But even before September 10, individual detachments continued hopeless resistance, trying to die 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 the capture of the Koton fortified area. 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 establish a temporary crossing using improvised means. The battalion of Captain L.V. Smirnykh especially distinguished himself in the battles for the fortified area. He died there, receiving the posthumous title of hero Soviet Union. At the same time, ships of the North Pacific Flotilla landed troops in largest ports in the south of the island.

The fortified area was captured on August 17. The surrender of Japan (1945) occurred on the 25th, after the last successful landing in the port of Korsakov. From it they tried to take valuable things home. All of Sakhalin came under the control of the USSR.

However, the Yuzhno-Sakhalin operation of 1945 went somewhat slower than Marshal Vasilevsky had planned. As a result, the landing on the island of Hokkaido and its occupation did not take place, as ordered by the marshal on August 18.

Kuril landing operation

The islands of the Kuril ridge were also captured through amphibious landings. The Kuril landing operation lasted from August 18 to September 1. Moreover, in fact, battles were fought only for the northern islands, although military garrisons were located on all of them. 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 this, the Soviet paratroopers no longer encountered any significant resistance on the islands.

On August 23-24 the Northern Kuril Islands were occupied, and on 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 to occupy the island of Kunashir (this name is now widely known), since it was decided to create a military base there. But Kunashir also surrendered virtually without a fight. Several small garrisons managed to evacuate to their homeland.

Battleship Missouri

And on September 2, on board the American battleship"Missouri" signed the final surrender of Japan (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. Derevyanko.

Little blood

For such a large-scale event, the Russo-Japanese War of 1945 (you learned about it briefly from the article) was inexpensive for the USSR. In total, the number of victims is estimated at 36.5 thousand people, of which slightly more than 21 thousand died.

Japanese losses in the Soviet-Japanese War were greater. They had more than 80 thousand dead, more than 600 thousand were captured. Approximately 60 thousand prisoners died, almost all of the rest were repatriated 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 exceptions were 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 for it - the conquerors dealt with participants in the Chinese Resistance, or at least those suspected of it, with medieval cruelty. Later in China, this topic was explored in the legendary film “Red Kaoliang”.

The disproportionate ratio of losses in the Russo-Japanese War (1945) is explained by the clear 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 Ostraya (Khotou fortified area), the garrison fought until the last bullet; the survivors committed suicide, and 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. The Soviet soldiers themselves knew how to cover the embrasures with themselves, and it was not easy to scare them. Very soon they learned to detect and neutralize such kamikazes in time.

Down with 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 People's Republic of China).

What other significance does the Soviet-Japanese War have in our history? Victory in it also contributed to the spread of communist ideology, so successfully that the result outlived its creator. The USSR no longer exists, but the PRC and the DPRK do, and they never tire of astonishing the world with their economic achievements and military power.

Unfinished War

But the most interesting thing is that the war with Japan is not actually over for Russia yet! There is no peace treaty between the two states to this day, and today's problems around the status Kuril Islands- a direct consequence of this.

A general peace treaty was signed in 1951 in San Francisco, but there was no USSR signature on it. The reason was precisely the Kuril Islands.

The fact is that the text of the treaty indicated that Japan was refusing them, but did not say who should own them. This immediately created the basis for future conflicts, and for this reason, Soviet representatives did not sign the treaty.

However, it was impossible to remain in a state of war forever, and in 1956 the two countries signed a declaration in Moscow to end such a state. Based on this document, diplomatic and economic relations now exist between them. But a declaration of an end to the state of war is not a peace treaty. That is, the situation is again half-hearted!

The declaration indicated that the USSR, after concluding a peace treaty, agreed to transfer back to Japan several islands of the Kuril chain. But the Japanese government immediately began to demand the entire Southern 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, heavily damaged by the tsunami, presented President V.V. Putin with a purebred puppy in gratitude for Russian assistance in eliminating the consequences of the disaster. In response, the president presented the prefect with a huge Siberian cat. The cat is now almost on the payroll of the prefect's office, and all the employees adore and respect him.

This cat's name is Mir. Maybe he can purr understanding between two great states. Because wars must end, and after them peace must be concluded.

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

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

On both sides the war was unjustly aggressive. Russia and Japan entered into a struggle for the redivision of the world.

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

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

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

In the decisive battle in February 1905 near Mukden, over 660 thousand people took part on both sides. Russia suffered another defeat and retreated north.

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

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

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

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

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