Term Paper
The Russian Revolution of 1905 had a big part in convincing Tsar Nicholas II to attempt to reform the Russian government completely.
Tsar Nicholas II was the last ever Russian emperor in Russian history. He had a rich military history, so the Russian people felt like they were in good hands when and if it came time for war. He had early interest in getting Russian influence in the Asian countries. The countries he attempted to give influence to included India, China, Japan, and Korea. His attempt to gain a heavy influence in Russia in Korea was part of the reason why the Russo-Japanese war broke out. The Russo-Japanese war lasted only one year 1904-1905.
Japan did have a final call for peace, but the Russians rejected with no hesitation. Russia were a confident nation at the time, I mean why wouldn’t they be? They had a dominant ruler, heavy influence, powerful and consistent army that constantly won battles, and were considered as a world power. How would someone not be intimidated? Well, the Japanese showed no fear when confronting the Russians over the seize of Port Arthur. Russia was confident enough that they thought that the thought of going to war with Japan would scare them away and completely resist any action of war. Japan at the time lacked a good naval army so it took them some time to build it up but they had to act fast before Russia started to take over Port Arthur. Once Japan was finished making their military better, they presented a late declaration of war. The war actually started without there being a official declaration of war. Vice Admiral Star who was in charge of Russia on Port Arthur, order his ships to ready up quick to prepare for any oncoming attacks. Russia’s part of the army that resides along the pacific side of the area was surprisingly unprepared when the Japanese were approaching. Two of Russia’s ships were in charge of patrolling the area in case of any attack from the Japanese.
Shortly after the siege of Port Arthur, there was the Battle of Hsimucheng in Hsimucheng, Manchuria on July 31, 1904. This was only a small minor battle and wasn’t anything serious with a large amount of casualties. The battle was located at around 12 miles southeast of Haicheng, which was known as a strategic town. Haicheng belonged on the main road connecting itself to the coast in the middle of the Japanese army as well as the Russian army, which was why it was a strategic site. Whoever captured it first held an advantage over their opponent.
The Japanese army, specifically the 5th and 10th divisions, were under control of a man that goes by General Nozu Michitsura. He was in control of men who were marching north towards Liaoyang. The Russian army, who was led by Lieutenant GeneralMikhail Zasulich, was upset at the move by the Japanese. They were also supported by cavalry units who were led by Lieutenant General Pavel Mishchenko.
After the Battle of Hsimucheng, the Battle of the Yellow Sea took place on August 10, 1904 in what is modern day Shandong. Russian warships that were trapped by the Japanese army back in Port Arthur attempted to escape their activity and join the rest of the Russian army that was located in Vladivostok. Beforehand, it was rare to see a bunch a ships trying to battle it out because we were so used to seeing battle that would happen on land. The Battle of the Yellow Sea was one of the first full on naval battles that were fought using almost all steel ships that were capable of firing off explosive shells. The Russians were hesitant at first, claiming that trying to get the ships out of the Japanese’s hands could result in a major problem. Ignoring all of the possible consequences, Russian Rear Admiral Wilgelm Vitgeft attempted to complete the mission that was given order from Czar Nicholas II. On the 10th of August, four cruisers, six battleships, along with fourteen destroyers dashed towards the open sea. In the open sea, anything could happen, so the Russians had to be extremely careful without trying to gain the Japanese’s attention. Meanwhile on the Japanese side, Admiral Togo Heihachiro was in charge. His army had a fleet of four battleships, ten cruisers, and eighteen destroyers. Although this seems like a small fleet, keep in mind that this was one of the first naval battles almost fought entirely with ships. Admiral Heihachiro failed to keep the Russians from moving past his blockade. He took a large amount of time trying to form a fighting line to keep them out, so as a result, he had other ideas. Heihachiro had come to a decision that it was in his and his army’s best interest to pursue the Russians and make an attempt to overhaul them in the Yellow Sea. The two fleets stood side to side fighting for hours upon hours with heavy guns. One of Hsimucheng’s ships, Mikasa, was taking heavy damage from the Russian army so they decided to shift command to Asahi, which was one of their battleships. This proved to be a good move by the Japanese, because they had a big hit on Tsesarevich, a Russian flagship, by destroying its bridge.
Russia did not win this war surprisingly. Japan came out victorious because they had found a way to force Russia to admit to abandoning the policy that they had put in place in Asia with the purpose of expanding Russian influence in the East. Tsar Nicholas II’s expansionist policy angered the Japanese enough for them to go to war over the issue. After winning the war, Japan became the first Asian power to defeat a European power. A lot of people didn’t expect Japan to win, because European powers were known to be strong in all areas that included influence, military, and political figures. Japan in no shape or form could be compared to Russia but somehow they had won the war. Previously in 1898, Russia were pushing to seize Port Arthur. They did this by pressuring the Chinese to grant the Russians permission to obtain the land.