Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905) — Causes, Timeline, Events and Consequences
The first modern war in which an Asian country managed to defeat a European superpower.
The Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905) is not the most well-known war fought in Asia in the West, unlike, for example, the Korean War or the Vietnam War. In fact, this is unjustified, because the Russo-Japanese War has had a considerable impact on world history in many ways. Therefore, in this short historical article, we will present the key points of the Russo-Japanese War. What were the causes of this conflict? How was the battle fought? And what were the main events and consequences of this war?
The Russo-Japanese War began on 8 February 1904, when the Japanese launched a surprise attack on a Russian fleet lying in Lu Shun harbour in China. After more than a year and a half of war, during which Manchuria and the Yellow Sea formed the main battlefield, the Russo-Japanese War formally ended when both countries signed the Portsmouth Treaty on 5 September 1905. By then, between 130,000 and 180,000 people had been killed and about 320,000 wounded. The war resulted in a major Japanese victory.
