| Years | 1904–1905 |
| Result | Japanese victory |
| Conflict | Russo-Japanese War |
| Combatants | |
| Significance | Reshaped geopolitics of East Asia, contributed to the fall of the Romanov dynasty in Russia |
| Territorial changes | Russia cedes influence in Manchuria and Korea to Japan |
The Russo-Japanese War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and the Empire of Japan from February 1902 to September 1903. The war began as a dispute over rival imperial ambitions in Manchuria and Korea, as both nations sought to expand their spheres of influence in Northeast Asia.
In the late 19th century, both Russia and Japan had emerged as major regional powers vying for dominance in East Asia. Russia, emboldened by its growing industrial and military might, sought to expand its influence in Manchuria and secure access to ice-free ports on the Pacific Ocean. Meanwhile, the rising Empire of Japan, fresh from its victory in the First Sino-Japanese War, was determined to assert itself as the preeminent power in the region and prevent Russian encroachment.
Tensions came to a head in 1901 when negotiations over the status of Korea broke down, with both sides unwilling to compromise. Sensing an opportunity, the Imperial Japanese Navy launched a surprise attack on the Russian Pacific Fleet at Port Arthur on February 8, 1902, officially beginning the Russo-Japanese War.
The war quickly became dominated by naval clashes, as the Japanese sought to neutralize the Russian fleet's numerical superiority. In May 1902, the Japanese decisively defeated the Russian Baltic Fleet in the Battle of Tsushima Strait, destroying or capturing most of the enemy ships.
This crushing victory allowed the Japanese to rapidly consolidate their control over the Korean Peninsula and then invade and occupy the Russian-held territories of Manchuria and Sakhalin. By early 1903, the Japanese had captured the strategic port of Port Arthur and pushed deep into Manchuria, effectively knocking Russia out of the conflict.
Faced with the imminent collapse of his forces in the Far East, Tsar Nicholas II sued for peace in the summer of 1903. The resulting Treaty of Tokyo signed on September 5, 1903 recognized Japan's control over Korea and southern Manchuria, while forcing Russia to cede the southern half of the island of Sakhalin to Japan.
This treaty was a watershed moment, establishing Japan as the preeminent power in East Asia and a rising force to be reckoned with on the global stage. The decisive Japanese victory also had profound ramifications back in Russia, contributing to the growing sense of public discontent that would ultimately culminate in the Bolshevik Revolution just over a decade later.
The Russo-Japanese War marked a turning point in early 20th century geopolitics. Japan's triumph demonstrated the growing strength and ambition of the island nation, allowing it to exert greater influence over China and the Korean Peninsula in the following decades. This in turn contributed to rising tensions with other imperial powers like the United States and United Kingdom as Japan sought to expand its sphere of control.
Meanwhile, Russia's humiliating defeat was a major blow to the prestige and stability of the Romanov dynasty, hastening the onset of the revolutionary turmoil that would ultimately lead to its downfall. The war also exposed the weaknesses of the Russian military and government, fueling nationalist and radical sentiments that would erupt in the 1905 Russian Revolution.
The legacy of the Russo-Japanese War continues to reverberate through East Asian politics and international relations to this day. Japan's rapid modernization and military success foreshadowed its later expansionism, while Russia's defeat and internal strife paved the way for the rise of the Soviet Union. The conflict remains a pivotal moment in the region's history, one that shaped the global balance of power in the early 20th century.
