An Overview

This is Port Arthur Manchuria taken sometime at the end of the 19th century. It was the focus of the Russo-Japanese War, now rather an obscure conflict in history. The war came about as a result of colonial rivalry between Tsarist Russia and an emerging Japanese Empire.

By the close of the 19th century European powers and the US had carved up 'concessions' for themselves from the corpse of the decaying Chinese Empire. The prize was trade, or exploitation, and political influence and domination.

Korea had long been a Chinese province and a place of turmoil. Japan had also longed to include it in ts dream of empire. Korea was rich in natural resources, particularly timber, Japan was not - do the math.

Russia was also developing the resources of the Far East and longed to possess Korean forests south of the Yalu River. They were constructing the Eastern end of the Trans Siberian Railway and completing an arm into China, known as the Manchurian Railway.

In 1894 Japan fought a brief war with China and smashed the woeful Chinese fleet. The Japanese squadron was commanded by Admiral Togo Heichiro, perhaps one of the greatest admirals of the era.

Japan took possession of Port Arthur, at the head of the Laotung Peninsular that juts out into the Yellow Sea, A conference of European powers lead by Germany and Russia forced Japan to hand it back to China. Russia then did a quick deal with the Chinese and gained a lease to the port. Japan smelled a rat.

Tensions simmered until 1904, when Japanese torpedo boats launched a surprise attack against the Russian Pacific Squadron at Port Arthur. Under cover of this diversion, Japanese troops landed at Chemulpo, the port of Seoul, and quickly occupied most of Korea.

Port Arthur withstood a seige of 180 days during which the Russian Pacific Squadron was gradually destroyed. On land, the Japanese Army crossed the Yalu river and invaded Manchuria, shunting the Russian army out of the way in a series of battles.

Meanwhile, Russia decided to send most of the Baltic Fleet down to Port Arthur's relief. This involved a journey of 16,000 kilometres along which there were no Russian bases for which to coal the fleet. The Geman Kaiser stepped in and offered the services of the Hamburg Amerika Line in the form of 64 colliers. Thus the Russians were provisioned, sometimes at sea directly from the colliers - the first time this had ever been achieved.

It was a motley fleet the Russians sent - virtually all of the available ships of the Russian Navy that could fight. It was a wonder they made it to the Far East at all. Unfortunately, by the time they arrived, Port Arthur had fallen and there was nothing to relieve.

The result was the Battle of Tsushima, fought in the straits between Japan and Korea, and the Russian fleet under Admiral Rhozdventsky was crushed by the Japanese fleet, led by Admiral Togo. A small cruiser and two destroyers were the only vessels to make it to the Russian Fleet base at Vladivostok.

Three cruisers escaped to Manila to be interned by the Americans, but the rest of the fleet were either captured or sunk. Not since Trafalgar had a fleet been so comprehensively beaten.

On land the Japanese drove the Russian army from its positions at Mukden, completing its utter victory on land and sea.

Some dignity was restored to the Tsar by the peace. The Treaty of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, became a victory of sorts for the Russian Empire. Sergei Witte led the Russian delegation and he was a cunning old fox. He also had the sympathy of the American sponsors, who didn't want the Japanese to gain too much.

Japan gained Port Arthur and Laotung Peninsular and 'special status' in Korea. Manchuria was handed back to China with the right of Japanese companies to set up shop. Japan gained half of Sakhalin, a sparsely populated wasteland that nobody really wanted. Japan had demanded billions in reparations, but she received not a kopek from the Russian treasury.

Japan was furious she hadn't gained Korea nor received any gold. She was deeply in hock to British financiers and the economy spiraled into a deep recession for the next five years. Eventually, when no-one was looking, in 1910 she invaded Korea for good and remained there until expelled by the Soviet Army in July 1945.

In Russia, rebellions broke out in 1905 and units of the Black Sea Fleet, all she had left, mutinied. Father Gapon's hunger march was crushed brutally by semi-regular Cossack Cavalry and St Peter's Steps in Odessa ran red with the blood of workers protesting against their conditions.

The Russian Autocracy was running out of steam.

Don