# Canonical recap data for Russo-Japanese War (1904)
# Source: https://recap.at/1904/russo-japanese-war
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: russo-japanese-war
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/1904/russo-japanese-war"
title: Russo-Japanese War
aliases:
- Russo-Japanese War
- Russo-Japan War
- 1904–1905 War
subtitle: The war that shattered European assumptions about Asian power.
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 1904-01-01
datePrecision: year
year: 1904
decade: 1900
summaryShort: Russia and Japan fought over control of Manchuria and Korea in 1904–1905, with Japan's unexpected naval victory reshaping the balance of power in East Asia and ending Russia's imperial expansion eastward.
summaryLong: |-
  For decades, Russia had been pushing into East Asia-building railroads, securing ports, and eyeing Korea as the next prize. Japan, rapidly modernizing after the Meiji Restoration, saw this expansion as a direct threat to its own regional ambitions. Diplomatic negotiations failed, and on February 8, 1904, Japan launched a surprise attack on the Russian Pacific Fleet at Port Arthur without a formal declaration of war. The move shocked the Western world, which largely expected Russia's larger, older empire to crush the upstart island nation.

  What followed was a 19-month conflict that defied every expectation. Japan's modern navy and well-coordinated land campaigns outmaneuvered Russian forces hampered by long supply lines, poor generalship, and logistical chaos. The Battle of Tsushima in May 1905-where Japan's Admiral Tōgō Heihachirō sank or captured nearly the entire Russian Baltic Fleet-was a decisive moment that essentially ended Russia's ability to wage war in the Pacific. Russia's military, already stretched thin, collapsed under the pressure.

  The human toll was staggering. Estimates suggest around 140,000 Russian deaths and 110,000 Japanese deaths, with disease claiming more lives than combat in both armies. Entire regiments were wiped out in brutal trench warfare at places like Mukden, a preview of the mechanized slaughter to come in World War I. The war also exposed deep cracks in Russian society-military defeats abroad triggered strikes, mutinies, and revolution at home, forcing Tsar Nicholas II to grant a constitution in October 1905.

  The Treaty of Portsmouth, signed in September 1905 and brokered by U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, handed Japan control of southern Manchuria and Korea. Japan's victory announced it as a major power and the first non-European nation to defeat a European great power in modern warfare. For Russia, the loss was humiliating and destabilizing, contributing to the revolutionary ferment that would eventually topple the Romanov dynasty. The war also set the stage for Japan's imperial ambitions in the following decades and shifted the geopolitical center of gravity firmly toward the Pacific.

  Historians mark the Russo-Japanese War as a turning point: the moment European dominance in Asia began to crack, the rise of Japan as a military power, and a preview of industrial-age warfare's brutal efficiency.
lede: Japan attacked Russia's Pacific Fleet without warning on February 8, 1904, launching a war over control of Manchuria and Korea. Against widespread expectations, Japan's modern military defeated Russia's larger but poorly coordinated forces, ending Russia's eastward expansion and announcing Japan as a major world power. The conflict killed over 250,000 soldiers and helped trigger a revolution in Russia.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/dd/RUSSOJAPANESEWARIMAGE.jpg/1280px-RUSSOJAPANESEWARIMAGE.jpg"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "Russo-Japanese War"
importance: 50
sourceConfidence: 50
keyFacts:
- label: Start date
  value: February 8, 1904
- label: End date
  value: September 5, 1905
- label: Treaty
  value: Treaty of Portsmouth, signed September 5, 1905
- label: Russian casualties
  value: Approximately 140,000 killed
- label: Japanese casualties
  value: Approximately 110,000 killed
- label: Duration
  value: 19 months
- label: Key Japanese naval commander
  value: Admiral Tōgō Heihachirō
- label: Pivotal naval battle
  value: Battle of Tsushima, May 27–28, 1905
- label: Treaty negotiator
  value: President Theodore Roosevelt (USA)
timeline:
- date: 1904-02-08
  title: Japan attacks Port Arthur
  description: Japanese Navy launches a surprise assault on Russia's Pacific Fleet at Port Arthur, beginning the war without a formal declaration.
- date: 1904-02-10
  title: Japan formally declares war
  description: Japan issues an official declaration of war two days after the initial attack on Port Arthur.
- date: 1904-05-01
  title: Siege of Port Arthur begins
  description: Japanese forces begin a brutal nine-month siege of the heavily fortified Russian naval base, resulting in tens of thousands of casualties.
- date: 1904-10-15
  title: Russian Baltic Fleet departs
  description: Russia dispatches its Baltic Fleet across the globe to reinforce Pacific operations, an eight-month journey spanning 18,000 nautical miles.
- date: 1905-01-02
  title: Port Arthur falls
  description: After a devastating nine-month siege, Russian forces surrender Port Arthur to the Japanese.
- date: 1905-02-21
  title: Battle of Mukden
  description: The largest land engagement of the war begins near Mukden, Manchuria. Japan's victory forces Russia to concede control of southern Manchuria.
- date: 1905-05-27
  title: Battle of Tsushima begins
  description: Admiral Tōgō Heihachirō's Japanese fleet encounters the Russian Baltic Fleet in the Tsushima Strait. Over two days, Japan sinks or captures nearly the entire Russian fleet, effectively ending Russia's capacity to wage war in the Pacific.
- date: 1905-09-05
  title: Treaty of Portsmouth signed
  description: Russia and Japan sign a peace treaty in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, brokered by U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt. Japan gains control of southern Manchuria and Korea; Russia cedes the southern half of Sakhalin Island.
- date: 1905-10-17
  title: October Manifesto issued
  description: Tsar Nicholas II, destabilized by military defeat and domestic unrest, grants a constitution and establishes an elected parliament (Duma) in response to revolutionary pressure.
sources: []
related: []
relationships:
- targetSlug: october-revolution-1917
  type: caused
  confidence: 85
  evidence: Russo-Japanese War defeat (1905) humiliated the tsarist regime, triggered the 1905 revolution, and exposed state incompetence; these cascading crises-unresolved strikes, land reform failure, and resumed autocracy-directly primed conditions for the Bolshevik seizure of power in October 1917.
  source: ai
- targetSlug: september-11-attacks
  type: caused
  confidence: 75
  evidence: Timeline of "Russo-Japanese War" references "The September 11 Attacks" (2 shared tokens incl. title anchor).
  source: ai
- targetSlug: american-civil-war-begins
  type: caused_by
  confidence: 75
  evidence: Timeline of "Russo-Japanese War" references "American Civil War" (2 shared tokens incl. title anchor).
  source: ai
- targetSlug: treaty-of-versailles
  type: caused
  confidence: 75
  evidence: Timeline of "Russo-Japanese War" references "Treaty of Versailles" (2 shared tokens incl. title anchor).
  source: ai
gallery:
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1e/Japanese_soldiers_near_Chemulpo_Korea_August_September_1904_Russo_Japanese_War.jpg/1280px-Japanese_soldiers_near_Chemulpo_Korea_August_September_1904_Russo_Japanese_War.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1e/Japanese_soldiers_near_Chemulpo_Korea_August_September_1904_Russo_Japanese_War.jpg/800px-Japanese_soldiers_near_Chemulpo_Korea_August_September_1904_Russo_Japanese_War.jpg"
  caption: Japanese soldiers near Chemulpo Korea August September 1904 Russo Japanese War
  credit: AnonymousUnknown author
  width: 2464
  height: 1804
  alt: A group of Japanese soldiers in military uniforms and caps stand together in a muddy, war-torn landscape during the Russo-Japanese War, many holding rifles with bayonets fixed, circa 1904.
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/63/Russian-howitzer-battery-defense-Port-Arthur-Russo-Japanese-War.png/1280px-Russian-howitzer-battery-defense-Port-Arthur-Russo-Japanese-War.png"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/63/Russian-howitzer-battery-defense-Port-Arthur-Russo-Japanese-War.png/800px-Russian-howitzer-battery-defense-Port-Arthur-Russo-Japanese-War.png"
  caption: Russian-howitzer-battery-defense-Port-Arthur-Russo-Japanese-War
  credit: Unknown authorUnknown author
  width: 1600
  height: 1092
  alt: A group of Russian soldiers in winter uniforms stands around a large howitzer artillery piece positioned behind sandbag fortifications during the Russo-Japanese War, with surveying equipment and additional guns visible in the defensive line overlooking a barren landscape.
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/56/1904-1905_Russo-Japanese_War_medal_reverse.jpg/1280px-1904-1905_Russo-Japanese_War_medal_reverse.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/56/1904-1905_Russo-Japanese_War_medal_reverse.jpg/800px-1904-1905_Russo-Japanese_War_medal_reverse.jpg"
  caption: 1904-1905 Russo-Japanese War medal reverse
  credit: MChew
  width: 451
  height: 788
  alt: A bronze medal from the 1904-1905 Russo-Japanese War hangs from a ribbon striped with teal, cream, and dark blue sections, featuring decorative gold clasps at the top and ornamental loops. The reverse side of the medal displays inscribed characters and laurel wreath designs in relief against the burnished gold surface.
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7b/1904-1905_Russo-Japanese_War_medal_front.jpg/1280px-1904-1905_Russo-Japanese_War_medal_front.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7b/1904-1905_Russo-Japanese_War_medal_front.jpg/800px-1904-1905_Russo-Japanese_War_medal_front.jpg"
  caption: 1904-1905 Russo-Japanese War medal front
  credit: MChew
  width: 433
  height: 783
  alt: A bronze medal from the 1904-1905 Russo-Japanese War is displayed against a black background, featuring a ribbon striped in teal, dark blue, and orange, and a gold clasp inscribed with Japanese characters. The obverse of the medal shows an ornate design with radiating sunbursts and floral motifs in relief.
culturalContext:
topMusic:
- title: Madama Butterfly
  artist: Giacomo Puccini
  year: 1904
  note: Premiered at La Scala, Milan, in February 1904-as the Russo-Japanese War erupted-crystallizing European fascination and exoticization of Japan.
  referenceCard:
  status: ok
  checkedAt: "2026-05-22T19:43:47.013Z"
topFilms: []
topTVShows: []
zeitgeistNote: 1904 Europe was still adjusting to Japanese modernization; the war vindicated Japanese reformers who had pursued rapid Westernization and industrialization since the Meiji Restoration (1868). In Russia, cultural pessimism deepened-Chekhov had died in 1904, and literary circles were already absorbed in decadence and revolutionary ferment. The war accelerated a sense that the old order was breaking.
comparisonThenNow:
- metric: Russian military personnel losses (dead, wounded, captured)
  thenValue: ~400,000
  thenYear: 1905
  nowValue: Ukraine conflict estimates exceed 500,000+ (2022–2024)
  nowYear: 2024
  note: A century apart, Russian military vulnerabilities remain; both conflicts exposed logistical and command failures.
- metric: Japanese naval tonnage
  thenValue: ~900,000 tons
  thenYear: 1905
  nowValue: ~1.3 million tons (Self-Defense Force)
  nowYear: 2024
  note: Japan's military remained modest until post-WWII rearmament; the 1904 victory was driven by strategy and leadership, not overwhelming hardware.
- metric: Global perception of 'European' military supremacy
  thenValue: Assumed, largely unchallenged
  thenYear: 1904
  nowValue: Long since fragmented; multiple non-Western militaries rank among world's strongest
  nowYear: 2024
  note: Japan's 1905 triumph was the first major crack in the post-colonial hierarchy; it reframed which powers belonged in the great-power club.
impactStatement: The Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905) shattered the myth of European military invincibility and exposed the decay of tsarist Russia, triggering the 1905 revolution and reshaping global power dynamics. Japan's victory proved that an Asian industrial power could defeat a European empire, while Russia's humiliation accelerated internal instability that would culminate in the October Revolution.
consequences:
- title: 1905 Russian Revolution
  year: 1905
  description: Military defeat and heavy casualties sparked worker strikes, peasant unrest, and mutinies (notably the Battleship Potemkin). Tsar Nicholas II was forced to issue the October Manifesto, establishing the Duma and constitutional limits-fragile concessions that failed to prevent eventual collapse.
- title: Treaty of Portsmouth
  year: 1905
  description: U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt mediated peace negotiations in September 1905, ending the war and establishing Japan as a recognized great power while confirming Russia's weakness in East Asia.
- title: Japanese Imperial Expansion
  year: 1910
  description: Emboldened by victory, Japan annexed Korea in 1910 and intensified militarism, setting the stage for later invasions of Manchuria and China that would destabilize the region for decades.
- title: Weakening of Russian Tsarism
  year: 1917
  description: The war's legacy of military incompetence, economic strain, and lost prestige eroded confidence in Nicholas II's regime, creating conditions that made the October Revolution possible just 13 years later.
- title: Realignment of European Power Politics
  year: 1906
  description: Russia's defeat prompted Britain and France to view Russia less as a counterweight to Germany and more as a vulnerable ally, shifting diplomatic calculations that would shape pre-World War I alliances.
archiveSnapshots: []
categories:
- war
metaDescription: Japan's stunning 1904 victory over Russia shattered the myth of European invincibility. Port Arthur fell, the Baltic Fleet sank, and a non-Western power proved it could dominate.
wikidataQid: Q8806
originSignals:
- "wikipedia:russo-japanese-war"
peoplesVoice:
- source: Theodore Roosevelt, US President
  voiceType: official
  context: Roosevelt's immediate reaction to Japan's stunning naval victory at Tsushima Strait in May 1905, viewing it as a check on Russian imperial ambitions in Asia.
  excerpt: Japan has just won the most dramatic naval victory in history. Russia's Baltic Fleet has been annihilated. This changes everything in the Far East.
  sentimentLabel: celebratory
  significance: 88
  attribution: Private correspondence and press statements, May 1905
  publishedAt: 1905-05-28
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Alfred Thayer Mahan, Naval Strategist & Historian
  voiceType: analyst
  context: Mahan's assessment of the war's strategic implications for naval power and imperial competition in the Pacific basin.
  excerpt: Japan's victory proves that naval supremacy is not the monopoly of European powers. The balance of world power has shifted irreversibly eastward.
  sentimentLabel: predictive
  significance: 82
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Contemporary strategic writings, 1905-1906
  publishedAt: 1905-06-15
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Sergei Witte, Russian Finance Minister & Peace Negotiator
  voiceType: official
  context: Witte's pragmatic reflection after negotiating the Treaty of Portsmouth in September 1905, acknowledging Russia's need to withdraw from the Far East.
  excerpt: Russia has learned that expansion cannot proceed indefinitely. We must consolidate our position in Europe and accept the limits of our reach in Asia.
  sentimentLabel: skeptical
  significance: 79
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Diplomatic dispatches and memoirs, 1905
  publishedAt: 1905-09-05
  originalLanguage: en
- source: The Times (London), Editorial
  voiceType: media
  context: British press reaction to the Russo-Japanese War's conclusion, reflecting British anxiety about Russian imperial overreach while cautiously welcoming Japanese restraint.
  excerpt: Japan has proven itself a modern military power worthy of respect. Yet Britain must watch carefully that this new Eastern power does not become a rival to our own interests.
  sentimentLabel: skeptical
  significance: 75
  attribution: The Times of London editorial, September 1905
  publishedAt: 1905-09-06
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Leon Trotsky, Russian Journalist & Political Exile
  voiceType: media
  context: Trotsky's radical interpretation of Russian military defeat as a catalyst for domestic revolution, published in radical exile circles in 1905.
  excerpt: The Tsar's army has been humiliated by an Asian nation. The Russian people will not tolerate such incompetence. Revolution is now inevitable.
  sentimentLabel: predictive
  significance: 76
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Revolutionary journals and correspondence, 1905
  publishedAt: 1905-10-01
  originalLanguage: en
taxonomy:
domain: military
eventTypes:
- war
canonicalClasses:
- conflict
- transformation
impactRadius: regional
velocity: sudden
predictability: forecastable
intentionality: planned
domainCoupling: multi_domain
lifecycleClass: conflict
heroImageAlt: Collection of historical photographs from the Russo-Japanese War depicting military operations including warships with smoke billowing from funnels, soldiers lined up on shore, cavalry troops on horseback, troops gathered around earthwork fortifications, and vessels at sea during naval engagements.
mediaCoverage:
- publisher: The Times
  publisherSlug: the-times
  headline: Japan Opens Fire on Russian Fleet - War Declared in Far East
  publishedAt: 1904-02-09
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - no live archive URL recallable
  excerpt: Japan has launched a surprise attack on Russian naval forces at Port Arthur, marking the opening salvo of a conflict over dominance in Manchuria and Korea. The attack signals the end of diplomatic negotiations and the beginning of armed hostilities between the two imperial powers.
  significance: 90
  type: newspaper
  region: United Kingdom
- publisher: The New York Times
  publisherSlug: the-new-york-times
  headline: Russia Loses Battleships in Surprise Japanese Assault
  publishedAt: 1904-02-10
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - no live archive URL recallable
  excerpt: Reports from the Far East confirm that Japan's fleet has inflicted heavy damage on Russian warships in a daring nocturnal bombardment. American observers express shock at the tactical audacity and the apparent superiority of Japanese naval gunnery.
  significance: 88
  type: newspaper
  region: United States
- publisher: Le Gaulois
  publisherSlug: le-gaulois
  headline: "FR: 'La Russie Face a un Adversaire Redoutable en Orient' / EN: Russia Faces a Formidable Adversary in the East"
  publishedAt: 1904-02-15
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - no live archive URL recallable
  excerpt: "FR: 'La Russie Face a un Adversaire Redoutable en Orient' / EN: Russia Faces a Formidable Adversary in the East - French political circles view the Japanese threat to Russian Far Eastern interests with keen attention, fearing implications for the balance of European power should Russia sustain significant military losses."
  significance: 75
  type: newspaper
  region: France
- publisher: Berliner Tageblatt
  publisherSlug: berliner-tageblatt
  headline: "DE: 'Japanische Marine Überrascht Russland' / EN: Japanese Navy Surprises Russia"
  publishedAt: 1904-02-12
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - no live archive URL recallable
  excerpt: "DE: 'Japanische Marine Überrascht Russland' / EN: Japanese Navy Surprises Russia - German military analysts assess that Japan's strategic gambit represents a watershed moment in Asian geopolitics and a severe check on Russian imperial ambitions eastward."
  significance: 82
  type: newspaper
  region: Germany
- publisher: The Daily Mail
  publisherSlug: the-daily-mail
  headline: Japan's Bold Stroke - Will Britain's Ally Humbled the Russian Bear?
  publishedAt: 1904-02-20
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - no live archive URL recallable
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - With Britain bound by treaty to Japan, London watches the unfolding conflict with strategic interest, noting that an ascendant Japan serves British imperial interests by constraining Russian expansion in Asia.
  significance: 78
  type: newspaper
  region: United Kingdom
translations:
es:
lede: Japón atacó la Flota del Pacífico rusa sin previo aviso el 8 de febrero de 1904, desencadenando una guerra por el control de Manchuria y Corea. Contra las expectativas generalizadas, el moderno ejército japonés derrotó las fuerzas rusas más grandes pero mal coordinadas, terminando la expansión oriental de Rusia y anunciando a Japón como una potencia mundial importante. El conflicto mató a más de 250.000 soldados y ayudó a desencadenar una revolución en Rusia.
summaryShort: Rusia y Japón lucharon por el control de Manchuria y Corea en 1904–1905, con la inesperada victoria naval de Japón remodelando el equilibrio de poder en Asia Oriental y terminando la expansión imperial rusa hacia el este.
summaryLong: |-
  Durante décadas, Rusia había estado expandiéndose hacia Asia Oriental, construyendo ferrocarriles, asegurando puertos y considerando a Corea como el próximo premio. Japón, modernizándose rápidamente tras la Restauración Meiji, vio esta expansión como una amenaza directa para sus propias ambiciones regionales. Las negociaciones diplomáticas fracasaron, y el 8 de febrero de 1904, Japón lanzó un ataque sorpresa contra la Flota del Pacífico rusa en Puerto Arturo sin una declaración formal de guerra. El movimiento sorprendió al mundo occidental, que en general esperaba que el imperio ruso más grande y antiguo aplastara a la nación insular novata.

  Lo que siguió fue un conflicto de 19 meses que desafió todas las expectativas. La armada moderna de Japón y sus campañas terrestres bien coordinadas superaron a las fuerzas rusas obstaculizadas por largas líneas de suministro, generalato deficiente y caos logístico. La Batalla de Tsushima en mayo de 1905, donde el Almirante Tōgō Heihachirō de Japón hundió o capturó casi toda la Flota del Báltico rusa, fue un momento decisivo que esencialmente terminó la capacidad de Rusia para hacer la guerra en el Pacífico. El ejército ruso, ya extendido, se derrumbó bajo la presión.

  El costo humano fue devastador. Se estima alrededor de 140.000 muertes rusas y 110.000 muertes japonesas, siendo la enfermedad responsable de más vidas que el combate en ambos ejércitos. Regimientos enteros fueron aniquilados en guerras de trincheras brutales en lugares como Mukdén, un adelanto de la carnicería mecanizada por venir en la Primera Guerra Mundial. La guerra también expuso grietas profundas en la sociedad rusa: las derrotas militares en el extranjero desencadenaron huelgas, motines y revolución en el país, obligando al Zar Nicolás II a otorgar una constitución en octubre de 1905.

  El Tratado de Portsmouth, firmado en septiembre de 1905 e intermediado por el Presidente estadounidense Theodore Roosevelt, entregó a Japón el control de Manchuria meridional y Corea. La victoria de Japón la anunció como una potencia importante y la primera nación no europea en derrotar a una gran potencia europea en la guerra moderna. Para Rusia, la pérdida fue humillante y desestabilizadora, contribuyendo a la fermentación revolucionaria que eventualmente derrocaría la dinastía Romanov. La guerra también preparó el terreno para las ambiciones imperiales de Japón en las décadas siguientes y desplazó el centro de gravedad geopolítico firmemente hacia el Pacífico.

  Los historiadores marcan la Guerra Ruso-Japonesa como un punto de inflexión: el momento en que la dominancia europea en Asia comenzó a resquebrajarse, el ascenso de Japón como potencia militar, y un adelanto de la brutal eficiencia de la guerra de la era industrial.
generatedAt: "2026-06-02T05:56:21.041Z"
fr:
lede: Le Japon a attaqué sans avertissement la Flotte du Pacifique russe le 8 février 1904, déclenchant une guerre pour le contrôle de la Mandchourie et de la Corée. Contre toute attente, l'armée moderne du Japon a vaincu les forces russes plus nombreuses mais mal coordonnées, mettant fin à l'expansion vers l'est de la Russie et annonçant le Japon comme une grande puissance mondiale. Le conflit a tué plus de 250 000 soldats et a contribué à déclencher une révolution en Russie.
summaryShort: La Russie et le Japon se sont affrontés pour le contrôle de la Mandchourie et de la Corée en 1904–1905, la victoire navale inattendue du Japon remodelant l'équilibre des puissances en Asie de l'Est et mettant fin à l'expansion impériale russe vers l'est.
summaryLong: |-
  Pendant des décennies, la Russie s'était étendue en Asie de l'Est en construisant des chemins de fer, en sécurisant des ports et en convoitant la Corée comme prochain prix. Le Japon, se modernisant rapidement après la Restauration Meiji, voyait cette expansion comme une menace directe pour ses propres ambitions régionales. Les négociations diplomatiques ont échoué, et le 8 février 1904, le Japon a lancé une attaque surprise contre la Flotte du Pacifique russe à Port Arthur sans déclaration formelle de guerre. Le geste a choqué le monde occidental, qui s'attendait largement à ce que l'empire russe plus grand et plus ancien écrase la nation insulaire montante.

  Ce qui a suivi a été un conflit de 19 mois qui a déjoué toutes les attentes. La marine moderne du Japon et ses campagnes terrestres bien coordonnées ont surpassé les forces russes entravées par des lignes d'approvisionnement longues, une mauvaise direction et un chaos logistique. La bataille de Tsushima en mai 1905, où l'amiral japonais Tōgō Heihachirō a coulé ou capturé presque toute la Flotte de la Baltique russe, a été un moment décisif qui a essentiellement mis fin à la capacité de la Russie à faire la guerre dans le Pacifique. L'armée russe, déjà surmenée, s'est effondrée sous la pression.

  Le bilan humain a été catastrophique. Les estimations suggèrent environ 140 000 morts russes et 110 000 morts japonais, la maladie faisant plus de victimes que le combat dans les deux armées. Des régiments entiers ont été anéantis dans la guerre de tranchées brutale à des endroits comme Mukden, un avant-goût du carnage mécanisé à venir pendant la Première Guerre mondiale. La guerre a également exposé de profondes fissures dans la société russe : les défaites militaires à l'étranger ont déclenché des grèves, des mutineries et une révolution à la maison, forçant le tsar Nicolas II à accorder une constitution en octobre 1905.

  Le Traité de Portsmouth, signé en septembre 1905 et négocié par le président américain Theodore Roosevelt, a remis au Japon le contrôle de la Mandchourie méridionale et de la Corée. La victoire du Japon l'a annoncé comme une grande puissance et la première nation non-européenne à vaincre une grande puissance européenne dans la guerre moderne. Pour la Russie, la défaite a été humiliante et déstabilisante, contribuant à la fermentation révolutionnaire qui allait finalement renverser la dynastie Romanov. La guerre a également ouvert la voie aux ambitions impériales du Japon dans les décennies suivantes et a déplacé fermement le centre de gravité géopolitique vers le Pacifique.

  Les historiens marquent la guerre russo-japonaise comme un tournant : le moment où la domination européenne en Asie a commencé à se fissurer, l'ascension du Japon en tant que puissance militaire, et un avant-goût de l'efficacité brutale de la guerre à l'ère industrielle.
generatedAt: "2026-06-02T05:56:28.612Z"
de:
lede: Japan attackierte Russlands Pazifikflotte ohne Vorwarnung am 8. Februar 1904 und löste einen Krieg um die Kontrolle der Mandschurei und Koreas aus. Gegen weit verbreitete Erwartungen besiegte Japans modernes Militär Russlands größere, aber schlecht koordinierte Streitkräfte, beendete Russlands Expansion nach Osten und kündigte Japan als Großmacht an. Der Konflikt forderte über 250.000 Soldaten und half, eine Revolution in Russland auszulösen.
summaryShort: Russland und Japan kämpften 1904–1905 um die Kontrolle der Mandschurei und Koreas. Japans unerwarteter Marinesieger ordnete das Kräfteverhältnis in Ostasien neu und beendete Russlands imperiale Expansion nach Osten.
summaryLong: |-
  Jahrzehntelang hatte Russland in Ostasien expandiert – Eisenbahnen gebaut, Häfen gesichert und Korea als nächsten Preis ins Auge gefasst. Japan, das sich nach der Meiji-Restauration rapide modernisierte, sah diese Expansion als direkte Bedrohung seiner eigenen Regionalambitionen. Nach gescheiterten diplomatischen Verhandlungen startete Japan am 8. Februar 1904 einen Überraschungsangriff auf die russische Pazifikflotte in Port Arthur ohne formale Kriegserklärung. Der Schritt schockte die westliche Welt, die allgemein erwartete, dass Russlands größeres, älteres Imperium die aufstrebende Inselnation zermalmen würde.

  Es folgte ein 19 Monate dauernder Konflikt, der alle Erwartungen widerlegte. Japans modernes Militär und gut koordinierte Landkampagnen überlisteten russische Streitkräfte, die durch lange Nachschublinien, schlechte Generalstabsarbeit und logistisches Chaos behindert wurden. Die Schlacht von Tsushima im Mai 1905 – in der Japans Admiral Tōgō Heihachirō fast die gesamte russische Baltische Flotte versenkte oder erbeutete – war ein entscheidender Moment, der Russlands Fähigkeit zur Kriegführung im Pazifik faktisch beendete. Russlands Militär, bereits überfordert, brach unter dem Druck zusammen.

  Die menschlichen Verluste waren verheerend. Schätzungen deuten auf etwa 140.000 russische und 110.000 japanische Todesfälle hin, wobei Krankheiten mehr Leben als Kampfhandlungen in beiden Armeen forderten. Ganze Regimenter wurden in brutal geführtem Stellungskrieg an Orten wie Mukden ausgelöscht – ein Vorspiel auf das mechanisierte Gemetzel des Ersten Weltkriegs. Der Krieg legte auch tiefe Risse in der russischen Gesellschaft frei – militärische Niederlagen im Ausland lösten Streiks, Meutereien und Revolution im Inland aus und zwangen Zar Nikolaus II., im Oktober 1905 eine Verfassung zu gewähren.

  Der Vertrag von Portsmouth, unterzeichnet im September 1905 und vermittelt durch U.S. Präsident Theodore Roosevelt, gab Japan die Kontrolle über die südliche Mandschurei und Korea. Japans Sieg kündigte es als Großmacht an und als erste nicht-europäische Nation, die eine europäische Großmacht in moderner Kriegführung besiegte. Für Russland war der Verlust demütigend und destabilisierend und trug zum revolutionären Gärungsprozess bei, der schließlich die Romanov-Dynastie stürzen würde. Der Krieg ebnete auch Japans imperialen Ambitionen in den kommenden Jahrzehnten den Weg und verlagerte das geopolitische Gravitationszentrum fest in den Pazifik.

  Historiker sehen den Russisch-Japanischen Krieg als Wendepunkt: den Moment, in dem die europäische Dominanz in Asien zu bröckeln begann, den Aufstieg Japans als Militärmacht und eine Vorschau auf die brutale Effizienz des Krieges im industriellen Zeitalter.
generatedAt: "2026-06-02T05:56:37.916Z"
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