The main reasons for the Russo-Japanese War

Japan at the turn of the XIX-XX centuries rapidly developed. Its military power grew a little, the economic situation stabilized. By 1895 the campaign against China was victoriously completed, as a result of which Japan was to receive the Liaotung Peninsula. However, under the pressure of the three largest European powers, Germany, France and Russia, she was forced to abandon her claims to Chinese territory. Of course, each of the three powers pursued its own interests. For two years, Russian troops occupied the entire Liaodong Peninsula. And in 1898, China was forced to lease it to Russia, for a period of 99 years. Thus, the first causes of the Russo-Japanese War appeared in 1895, when the spheres of influence were divided in China and Korea.

Japan's loss of the Liaodong peninsula greatly influenced the militaristic anti-Russian sentiments in the country. The government called on the people to tolerate growing taxation for the sake of a higher goal.

The sphere of Russia's interests in China was not limited to establishing control over Port Arthur. The government of the empire in exchange for a permit to build a railway running to Vladivostok through the territory of Manchuria, issued a loan to China to pay Japan indemnities. As a result of such actions, almost all the fruits of the Japan-China war were reaped by Russia. It received a large section of the Manchu territory, the Liaotung Peninsula and Port Arthur actually passed under the Russian government. This was the second reason for the Russo-Japanese war.

In 1896, an agreement was concluded on the division of spheres of influence on the Korean peninsula. According to him, Russia received the northern, and Japan - southern Korea. At the same time, the Russian government conducted a number of front operations to assign a large piece of land on the banks of the Yala River. Using the agreement on the maintenance of troops in the territory of Korea, the cruiser Varyag and the gunboat Koreyets entered the port of Chemulpo. Thus, the Russian government began to expand its influence already in the southern part of Korea. The more the more reason for the Russo-Japanese war has already increased.

In 1900, an uprising broke out in China. The rebels demanded the expulsion of all foreigners. In response, Nicholas II sent troops in support of the Empress Tsy-Si. For several months, the unorganized mass of peasants was defeated, and Russian troops established control over the entire territory of northern China. Despite the notes of protest put forward by the Chinese side, the Russian troops never left the territory they occupied. Moreover, their actions showed that the whole of northern China, in essence, became a colony of the Russian Empire.

Appetites of Nicholas II and his cabinet grew. The second stage of establishing control over the eastern part of the Eurasian continent began. In the controlled territories of North Korea , the construction of military fortifications began, and a fleet was added to the bay of Chemulpo. The situation with northern China threatened to repeat in southern Korea. Japan did not wait for this and struck first.

So, what are the causes of the Russo-Japanese War? The main thing is common interests in one territory. Both the Russians and the Japanese plundered northern China and Korea without a twinge of conscience. If you decompose the reasons for the Russo-Japanese war by points, then it will look something like this:

- the coincidence of the interests of both countries;

- wrong evaluation of the opponent;

The Russian government acted too brazenly, disregarding the existing realities.

Together, the causes of the Russo-Japanese war led to the shameful failure of Russian weapons. Russia was completely expelled from the eastern territories, and also lost southern Sakhalin.