Russian-Japanese War Research Articles

РУССКО-ЯПОНСКАЯ ВОЙНА 1904-1905 ГГ. В ОТРАЖЕНИИ БРИТАНСКОЙ ПРЕССЫ

The article examines the position of Great Britain during the Russian-Japanese war. At the end of the 19th century, the balance of power in the international arena was changing. This is due to the desire to strengthen the positions of Germany, the USA, Italy, Japan, to preserve and strengthen their position as the leading powers of Great Britain, France and Russia. At the beginning of the 20th century, Britain's geopolitical interests shifted to the Far East against the background of socio-economic and political changes after the death of Queen Victoria. The Far East became one of the priorities of Britain's colonial policy in the framework of rivalry with other powers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The British perceived any penetration of any power into this region as a threat to their geopolitical interests. The UK is increasing its support for Japan in order to contain Russia and Germany, which is increasing its influence in the Far Eastern region. During the Russian-Japanese war, Great Britain tries to adhere to the policy of "brilliant isolation", maintaining formal neutrality and not entering into an open armed conflict with Russia. Great Britain's support for Japan in the war with Russia was facilitated by the fact that the Japanese promised equal economic rights for all powers in the Far East. The UK has used various forms of support for Japan. Including military, financial and information assistance. The article pays special attention to the sentiments of Western society, the coverage of the peace negotiations in the British press during the Russian-Japanese war. The British government acted cautiously, trying to maintain its pre-emptive position in the Far East, skillfully maneuvering between the policy of containment and the search for allies in the framework of advancing its interests.

Foreign military journalists in Manchuria in 1904-1905: features of daily activities

The author examines some aspects of the daily activities of foreign war correspondents who accompanied the Manchurian army in the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905. The article is based on texts published by journalists, materials from foreign periodicals, documentation from military and foreign ministries. Attention is paid both to the everyday peculiarities of the professional conditions of accredited journalists in Manchuria, and to the characteristics of the social environment, which had a significant impact on the process of collecting information in the theater of military operations. The issues of interaction of foreign correspondents with representatives of the Russian army, the local Chinese population and other reporters are touched upon, which is closely related to their possession of relevant foreign language competencies. The dynamics of the number of foreign military personnel in the theater of war and its connection with the course of hostilities are analyzed. The use of the historical and comparative method made it possible to identify common and special features in the situation of foreign reporters and other guests of Manchuria. The differences revealed in the characteristics of daily activities between foreign war correspondents and representatives of the Russian press, as a rule, were associated with a language barrier for foreigners and greater distrust of them on the part of censorship authorities. In comparison with military attaches, correspondents noted the complete independence of the journalistic corps in solving everyday issues in Manchuria. In the course of the study, several stages were identified in the dynamics of the number of foreign reporters in the theater of war. The correlation of the pace of correspondents' accreditations with events at the front has been revealed and demonstrated. It has been established that the 1904 campaign, especially its summer and autumn events, received the most attention from foreign journalists. For the first time, a range of issues is outlined for the study of which the legacy of foreign war correspondents may have the greatest scientific and cognitive value.

New Method for Assessing the Level of Economic Development with Reference to Shipbuilding in Russia. Review of: Polikarpov, V. V. (2023). Korablestroenie pri imperatore Nikolae II. Ocherki tekhno­logicheskoi istorii [Shipbuilding under Emperor Nicholas II. Essays on Technological History]. Moscow: Novyi Khronograf. 351 p.

The article presents a brief review of V. V. Polikarpov’s monograph Shipbuilding under Emperor Nicholas II. Essays on Technological History. The reviewer notes the author’s original approach and large-scale conclusions that open new prospects in the study of Russia’s socio-economic development in the early twentieth century. Since these conclusions are clearly polemical in nature, the reviewer makes several objections. Firstly, the emphasis on the most advanced technologies causes doubt; the author of the monograph believes that “poods of fuel and metal” are not a sufficiently objective criterion of the level of economic development. Secondly, the idea of ranking national economies by the level of development of military technologies is not very convincing. Thirdly, there are questions concerning the argumentation system. Consciously refusing to use statistical sources, the author mainly relies on clerical documentation and journalism. As a result, the book forms a very specific picture of the development of shipbuilding in Russia in the period between the Russian-Japanese War and World War I.

Secret diplomacy of the US President T. Roosevelt during the Peace Conference in Portsmouth (August 1905)

The author discusses the mediation mission of the US President T. Roosevelt, who made a significant contribution to the end of the bloody Russian-Japanese war of 1904-1905. Having offered assistance to the conflicting parties in search of a mutual compromise, he sought to use the contradictions between the great powers through skillful maneuvering in the interests of the increased influence of his own country on world politics. In the theory of the "balance of power" formulated by him, the main attention is paid to the distribution of control zones between major geopolitical players, while a significant place in international relations was given to the United States, which at the turn of the XIX-XX centuries actively joined the struggle for sales markets. When considering the "good deeds" of the President, the main emphasis is placed on the analysis of the various diplomatic means used by him to achieve his goals. He was one of the first to resort to the so-called "multilateral" diplomacy, which involved the complex application of both conventional and non-traditional measures of mediation. By assuming the role of an intermediary, he was able not only to achieve the delimitation of spheres of influence with Japan in East Asia, but also to "open the doors" for American capital to Northern China on the basis of the principle of the most favored nation. The Portsmouth Peace led to a change in the balance of power in the Asia-Pacific region, in which the United States, thanks to the successful mediation of Roosevelt, became the main player in international diplomacy. .

To the Issue of the Participation of the Don Cossack Units in the Russian-Japanese War

To the Issue of the Participation of the Don Cossack Units in the Russian-Japanese War

Финансовое законодательство Государственной Думы России третьего созыва начала ХХ века по сохранению и популяризации документального наследия Русско-японской войны 1904–1905 годов

The goal is set and the tasks related to the gap in the domestic historiography of the designated subject of research are solved. First of all, we are talking about the relationship between one of the chambers of people's representation and the Government represented by the Military and Naval Ministries on financial support for the problem of preserving and popularizing the documents of the Russian-Japanese war as part of the military-historical heritage, which is important in patriotic education. In general, these state subjects of monument protection activities interacted in solving the problem. They, the state subjects, understood the strengthening of the country's defense capability as the unity of the military-technical support of the army and navy and the level of morale of their personnel. Noting the mistakes of state bodies that led to the defeat in the war, representatives of various factions were unanimous in their opinion about the courage and heroism of officers, soldiers and sailors. Military patriotism in the system of traditional spiritual values was given by them the highest spiritual meaning. The noted characteristics were associated not only with the memory of victories, but also with defeats, the causes and circumstances of which should be studied in order to avoid them in the future.

Assessment of the Russıan-Japanese war of 1904–1905 from the poınt of vıew of the Ottoman empıre

The article reveals the origin of the Turkish-Japanese relations, and analyzes conditions, under which they were developed. Influence of the Russian-Japanese war (1904–1905) on the Ottoman Empire is considered. First diplomatic contacts between the Ottoman Empire and Japan started with visits of representatives of the Japanese authorities to Istanbul for the purpose of acquaintance to Ottomans. As a result of mutual visits between two states their friendly relations began to develop. Despite the fact, that before the Russian-Japanese war (1904–1905) many top-level diplomatic visits between Ottomans and Japanese were made, no political and military agreement between two countries was signed. The Russian-Japanese war had a huge impact on the Ottoman Empire, and for the whole world. Though this war didn't influence domestic policy of the Ottoman Empire, its course was watched closely by both Ottoman statesmen, and the public. On the one hand, successive defeats in the wars with the Russian Empire in the 19th century caused psychological decline of the Ottoman Empire, but on the other hand, the results of the Russian-Japanese War showed the Turks, that it was also possible to win the Russian Empire, which was considered invincible. The Turkish people were encouraged by the defeat of the Russian Empire in the war, and the Turkish government even thought about creating an alliance with Japan. Before and after the Russian-Japanese War (1904–1905), Sultan Abdul-Hamid II always made decisions, considering the subsequent positive and negative consequences of a possible Turkish-Japanese alliance, as a result of which Russia would be surrounded from the east, and that this alliance could aggravate relations with Russia.

“Invited by the Mighty Powers to Watch the Spectacle in Awe”: a Political Portrait of Valery Bryusov

The article gives a detailed outline of the evolution of political and geopolitical views of Valery Bryusov (1873–1924), one of the greatest fi gures of Russian Silver Age. An innovator and rebel in literature, Bryusov, despite his rejection of many political and social realities of Russian life, invariably remained a patriot having a clear understanding of Russia's national interests. Having received a professional education in history and keeping up with world politics from his very youth, Bryusov became one of the most “political” poets of his era infl uenced by his favorite poet Fyodor Tyutchev. The article examines Bryusov's activity as a political analyst and publicist, his attitude to the Russian-Japanese war of 1904–1905, the revolutionary turmoil of 1905–1907, the confl ict of European civilization with the non-European world, the First World War and the February Revolution in Russia. The author analyzes Bryusov's attitude to the Bolshevik coup and his relations with the new government. The author assumes that Bryusov's political works should be republished.

Моряки Усть-Сысольского уезда - участники русско-японской войны 1904-1905 годов

The paper provides biographical and statistical information about the native sons of the Ust-Sysolsk district of the Vologda province - participants in the naval battles of the Russian-Japanese war of 1904-1905. Special attention is paid to the heroes who were awarded the highest military awards (17 of 55 identified personalities) and to the dead sailors. The paper indicates their place of service, circumstances of performed feats. Being residents of the continental region, they successfully mastered complex naval professions and fought bravely against the enemy. There are examples of perpetuating the memory of individual heroes.

Charitable activity of the population of Vyatka province during the Russian-Japanese War of 1904–1905

The relevance of this article is due to the increased interest in the life of the Russian province of the late Imperial period. To date, the life of provincial society during the Russian-Japanese War of 1904– 1905, as well as various aspects of charitable activities and assistance to the army, have been poorly studied. The purpose of the work is to analyze the charitable activities of the Vyatchans during the Russian-Japanese war of 1904–1905. The realization of research tasks was achieved on the basis of the use of materials extracted from the funds of the Central State Archive of the Kirov region and regional periodicals of the early XX century. A special place is occupied by the popular provincial edition of the late XIX – early XX century. "Appendix to the Vyatka provincial Gazette". The main directions of charitable activity of the residents of the Vyatka Region during the RussianJapanese War of 1904–1905 are considered. The public mood of provincial society during the war is highlighted. Special attention is paid to the analysis of the activities of the Vyatka Ladies' Circle, which provided the most significant support to Russian soldiers and their families. The study of the charitable activities of the inhabitants of the region allows us to identify the forms and scale of assistance to the Vyatka active army in 1904–1905. In addition, it makes it possible to trace the evolution of public sentiment during the Russian-Japanese war. Finally, the study of charity helps to identify the mechanisms of formation of civil society in pre-revolutionary Russia. Актуальность данной статьи обусловлена возросшим интересом к жизни российской провинции позднеимперского периода. До настоящего времени слабо изучена жизнь провинциального общества в период русско-японской войны 1904–1905 гг., а также различные аспекты благотворительной деятельности и оказания помощи армии. Цель работы – проанализировать благотворительную деятельность вятчан в период русско-японской войны 1904–1905 гг. Реализация исследовательских задач была достигнута на основе использования материалов, извлеченных из фондов Центрального государственного архива Кировской области и региональных периодических изданий начала XX в. Особое место занимает популярное провинциальное издание конца XIX – начала XX в. «Приложение к Вятским губернским ведомостям». Рассмотрены основные направления благотворительной деятельности жителей Вятского края в период русско-японской войны 1904–1905 гг. Освещены общественные настроения провинциального общества во время войны. Особое внимание уделено анализу деятельности Вятского дамского кружка, который оказывал наиболее существенную поддержку российским солдатам и их семьям. Изучение благотворительной деятельности жителей региона позволяет выявить формы и масштабы помощи вятчан действующей армии в 1904–1905 гг. Кроме того, это дает возможность проследить эволюцию общественных настроений в годы русско-японской войны. Наконец, изучение благотворительности помогает выявить механизмы формирования гражданского общества в дореволюционной России.

To the Issue of the Effectiveness of Cruisers in the Russian-Japanese War in 1904−1905

To the Issue of the Effectiveness of Cruisers in the Russian-Japanese War in 1904−1905

Little-known Facts about the Activities of Consul A. T. Belchenko in Yingkou

The article is devoted to the activities of the Russian Imperial Consulate in Yingkou (Niuzhuang) in the period from 1899 to 1909. Promoting Russian interests in South Manchuria, Russia paid great attention to the acquisition of real estate in this open Chinese port on the banks of the Liaohe River. At the initial stage, one of the main issues of the foreign mission was to assist in the acquisition of land for the construction of the Russian concession, as well as in the construction of the Yingkou station of the Yingkou — Dashiqiao branch of the CER. During the period of the Provisional Russian Administration, the building of the Russian Imperial Consulate, a doctor’s house and a bacteriological station were built here, the construction of the Mayor’s House began, and at the same time land plots were acquired for various household needs. The successful expansion of Russia in this region was disrupted by the Russian-Japanese War (1904–1905) and its results. Starting from the end of July 1904 to the end of November 1905, only one Russian citizen lived in Yingkou. The Russian Imperial Consulate which was reopened in December 1905 actively dealt with the issues of returning consular real estates and private property of its citizens. The Japanese military authorities, who were in charge of Yingkou until November 23, 1906, interfered in every possible way with this process. After the return of the city to the Chinese authorities, the Russian buildings were occupied by Chinese officials. However, thanks to the professional and well-coordinated actions of Russian diplomats in China and Japan, in particular the employees of the consulate in Yingkou A. T. Belchenko, V. K. Nikitin, Ambassador to Japan Y. (G.) P. Bakhmetev, delegate to China D. D. Pokotilov, the Russian consular property in Yingkou was returned to its rightful owners. Of course, the main role in this complex matter was played by Consul A. T. Belchenko, who, after solving the tasks assigned to him in Yingkou, was transferred to the consulate in Fuzhou. The choice of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was determined by the high assessment of his diplomatic service.

The role of the Russian Imperial Consulate in Nyuzhuang (Yingkou) in expanding trade and economic ties between Russia and China from 1906 to 1909.

The article describes the activities of the Imperial Consulate of Russia in Niuzhuang (Yingkou) during the period from 1906 till 1909. One of the priorities of the work of Russian diplomats at that time was the restoration of Russian-Chinese trade and economic relations as the part of the social and cultural policy in South Manchuria. A young diplomat, consul Andrey Terentyevich Belchenko, played a special role in expanding the commercial contacts between Russian and Chinese players. Thanks to the assistance of the Imperial Consulate, the problems associated with the local branch of the Russian-Chinese Bank for the return of allocated funds were resolved. Paying great attention to the promotion of the Russian manufactory in Niuzhuang (Yingkou), Consul Belchenko ordered assistance in this abrupt return of “The company Vikula Morozov with Sons”, “Ivan Konovalov with Son”, “Manufactory of N.N. Konshina "and others. Having visited at the beginning of 1908 Harbin, the Russian consul in Yingkou, had negotiations with Russian merchants who had big business problems due to the consequences of the Russian-Japanese War. In the spring of the same year, Harbin entrepreneurs came to Niuzhuang and made contacts with Chinese partners on the realization of the flour and oil industry. The Imperial Consulate, despite the high competition of the parties with foreign companies (Great Britain, Japan, Germany, etc.), actively promoted the Russian trading company in the inexpensive market, and by the end of 1909, the sale of domestic goods exceeded the pre-war level. The shipping traffic of Russian transport was also restored, which became regular since 1908.

Naval doctors in the Russian-Japanese War (1904–1905)

The article presents integrated data on the sea-going forces and the location of ships of the 1st Pacifi c Squadron during the Russian-Japanese War of 1904–1905. Particular attention is paid to the distribution of doctors of the Siberian and Kwantung naval crews among the ships of the fl eet. The most complete data on the participation of navy doctors in battles and in the defense of Port Arthur are presented. Their fate after the wreck of the squadron is traced.

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE AGRARIAN POLICY OF THE WHITE MOVEMENT GOVERNMENTS OF EUROPEAN RUSSIA DURING THE CIVIL WAR (1918–1920)

The article attempts to carry out a comparative analysis of the agrarian policy pursued by the governments of the White Movement during the Civil War (1918–1920). The period of the second half of the XIX – early XX century was marked by the development of land relations in the Russian Empire. Despite serfdom abolition, peasant land scarcity continued to be the main problem of the peasant issue. The First World War, like the Russian-Japanese war, was supposed to be a small victorious war in order to postpone making the final decision on the agrarian issue. Absence of reforms combined with a protracted nature of the war contributed to the emergence of new liberal democratic forces in Russia. Beginning with February 1917, the Provisional Government tried to pursue a revolutionary policy to raise the authority of the government among soldiers, peasants and workers. However, political misconceptions and mistakes contributed to further power decentralization in Russia, which led first to the counter-revolution formation, and only then to isolation of the White Movement from this united front. With small resources, the leaders of the European part of the movement faced a problem that was not yet solved. Despite the Decree on Land adopted by the Soviet government, redistribution of land was not carried out, the agrarian issue continued to be acute, especially in the outskirts, which were under the rule of the whites. In contrast to the Decree on Land, the leaders of the White Movement had to pursue their own policy, which would be more attractive to the peasant masses. 95% of the population of Russia was peasants, so to gain their support would mean victory in the civil war. The regional and the national character of the White Movement determined future agrarian policy. It is also necessary to take into account that domestic policy was implemented in wartime conditions, which affected the effectiveness of reforms. Contradictions between the right-wingers and left-wingers delayed the development and implementation of reforms, which ultimately resulted in their failure. However, despite this, the white governments managed to lay a regulatory framework in their territorial entities, while taking into account the national and climatic specifics of the region.

With sincere concern for the Fatherland: M. O. Menshikov's journalism on the development of aeronautics

The subject of the study is the texts of the Russian publicist Mikhail Osipovich Menshikov on the development of domestic aeronautics, considered in the light of heterogeneous assessments of his work. The object is a reflection on the development of domestic aeronautics in the work of the famous Russian journalist of the early twentieth century M. O. Menshikov. The author considered various assessments of the work of the publicist. The most important part of the research is the analysis of M. O. Menshikov's journalistic texts on the development of aeronautics. Considerable attention is paid to the works of the publicist of the period of the Russian-Japanese war and the last years before the First World War, where the bureaucratic activities of officials are critically evaluated. The problems of timely supply of the army, flight safety on the first airplanes, and the technical lag of the Russian Empire from the West were also touched upon. The main conclusions of the work carried out are the assertion of the immutability of Menshikov's patriotic, state-oriented position regarding the development of domestic aeronautics and its ability to technical forecasting. In addition, specific "weak points" in the creative heritage of the publicist were identified: passion for an idea and lack of systematic university education. A special contribution of the author to the study of the topic is a comprehensive analysis of M. O. Menshikov's journalistic texts in the historical aspect. The novelty of the research lies in the identification of a combination of patriotic pathos and high idealism and the above shortcomings in the works of the publicist on aeronautics. The analysis of the texts of the chosen topic (the development of domestic aeronautics), covering the period from 1894 to 1918, showed that Menshikov's accusations of renegade and empty talk are untenable.

Valentin Feliksovich VOINO-YASENETSKY - Archbishop, professor-surgeon. To the 145th of birthday

Valentin Feliksovich VOINO-YASENETSKY - Archbishop, professor-surgeon. To the 145th of birthday

The Russian-Japanese War in the Reflection of the “Yakutskie Eparkhial'nye Vedomosti”

The Russian-Japanese War in the Reflection of the “Yakutskie Eparkhial'nye Vedomosti”

The Activities of the Russian Red Cross Society in the Organization of Medical Institutions during the Russian-Japanese War of 1904–1905

The Activities of the Russian Red Cross Society in the Organization of Medical Institutions during the Russian-Japanese War of 1904–1905

"Correspondence on the Reduction of Correspondence": Attempts to Optimize the Activities of the Russian Government System in the Field of Business Communication During the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905 (Based on the Materials of the Kaluga Province)

The object of consideration is the government of Russia during the Russian-Japanese War, the subject is the activity of the government in Russia in the field of business communication during the war. The purpose of the study is to trace the main trends in optimizing the activities of the Russian government system in the field of business communication in 1904-1905 based on archival documents. A number of tasks are being solved to achieve the goal. To analyze the innovations developed by the government system, represented by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, to optimize business communication in 1904-1905. To study how these innovations were implemented in a particular region – Kaluga Province. To consider the results of the activities of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the provincial authorities in optimizing business communication in 1904-1905. The novelty of the study is as follows. The question is raised about how the Russian government system reacted to the complicated situation of 1904-1905. The emphasis is placed on the consideration of optimization attempts in the field of business communication. This problem is considered at two levels: the All–Russian – Ministry of Internal Affairs and the regional - Kaluga province. It is concluded that the leading circles of Russia in 1904-1905 tried to make changes in the field of government. There are two groups of innovations: an attempt to optimize the form of business communication and an attempt to organize cost savings in the process of business communication. Innovations spread from the center to places and took root slowly. The "correspondence on the reduction of correspondence" "survived" the war, "caught" three interior ministers, and there was no guarantee that the innovations had fully taken root. Belated changes failed to increase the efficiency of governance so much that the empire was able to gain the upper hand in the conflict in the Far East and avoid revolution.