“The Great Siberian Way” in perception of American travelers of the early 20th century

Abstract

World’s focus during the beginning 20th century was on completion of the Trans-Siberian Railway in Russia. This article is based on the analysis essays and memoirs of travelers at the early 20th century. The article examines how the main problems, topics and aspects of the emergence and functioning of the railway were perceived. The greatest attention is paid to the views of the most famous US political figures, military and businessmen on the Trans-Siberian Railway and the Manchurian railway. The prospects for the practical use of the railway, as well as its strategic importance, were of particular interest to American politicians and the military. Before the war, Senator A. Beveridge traveled along the Trans-Siberian Railway. The Russo-Japanese War inspired a deeper interest in the Trans-Siberian Railway. On their way to the seat of war in Manchuria, the American military attaché W. Judson followed the road and the naval attaché N. McCully also passed by rail. The most prominent American political figure who visited the Trans-Siberian after the war was Secretary of War W. H. Taft. The rich artistic images of Siberia are reflected at the work of American photographers W.H. Jackson and B. Holmes, who also visited the Trans-Siberian Railroad. Through studying the sources, the author concludes what kind images of the railway was represented in all its essences. At the beginning of the 20th century, the conviction was firmly entrenched in the United States that the entire railway system of Russia developed due to its strategic purpose, that is, for military purposes.