Home > History Fact Finder > War and Conflict: Twentieth Century - What Was The Russo-Japanese War?

1. Printable Version
2. Download PDF
3. Cite this Page

What was the Russo-Japanese War?

The Russo-Japanese War (1904–05) was fought by Russia and Japan over their interests in China (particularly Manchuria) and Korea. Each country saw strategic value in China and Korea. Before fighting started, Japan introduced a possible settlement, but Russian czar (emperor) Nicholas II (1868–1918) rejected the plan. On February 6, 1904, Japan severed all ties with Russia. Two days later the Japanese launched a surprise attack on Russian ships at Lushun (Port Arthur), Manchuria. On February 10, Japan officially declared war on Russia. Battles on land and at sea went badly for the Russians, who could not be adequately reinforced or supplied to match the powerful and disciplined Japanese. Early in 1905 the war was already unpopular and revolution broke out in Russia, further weakening the country's ability to defeat Japan.

After an eight-month siege at Lushun, Russia could no longer...

Join eNotes

The above is a free excerpt. Get total access to this content with the:

eNotes Pass

1. European Conflicts
   1. What was Bloody Sunday?
   2. Who was Rasputin?
   3. What was the Bolshevik Revolution?
   4. What was the Red Terror?
   5. What was the Spanish Civil War about?
   6. Who was Generalissimo Francisco Franco?
   7. What was the fighting in Bosnia about?
   8. What was the origin of the term "genocide"?
   9. What is the fighting in Kosovo about?
   10. What is the "Irish Question"?
2. American Conflicts
   1. What does "¡Viva Zapata!" mean?
   2. Who was Che Guevara?
   3. Why did the U.S. government send troops in pursuit of Pancho Villa?
3. Asian And African Conflicts
   1. What was the Russo-Japanese War?
   2. What was the Long March?
   3. What was the Boxer Rebellion?
   4. What was the Second Sino-Japanese War?
   5. Who were the Khmer Rouge?
   6. What were the killing fields?
   7. Why was the United States involved in the Korean War?
   8. Why was the Vietnam War fought?
   9. Why did many Americans protest U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War?
   10. What was the issue in the conflict in Rwanda?
4. Worldwide Conflicts
   1. How did World War I begin?
   2. What alliances were formed during World War I?
   3. How did the United States become involved in World War I?
   4. How did World War I end?
   5. What did the Lusitania have to do with World War I?
   6. Who were the Big Four?
   7. How were European boundaries redrawn as the result of World War I?
   8. How did the Treaty of Versailles lead to World War II?
   9. What was Nazism?
   10. How did World War II begin?
   11. What countries were called the Allies in World War II?
   12. What was the Atlantic Charter?
   13. What happened at Pearl Harbor?
   14. What is D day?
   15. Why was the invasion of Normandy a decisive battle?
   16. What was the Battle of the Bulge?
   17. What are V-E Day and V-J Day?
   18. Were any countries besides Switzerland neutral during World War II?
   19. How did Anne Frank's diaries survive World War II?
   20. What was the Berlin airlift?
   21. What is NATO?
   22. What was the Warsaw Pact?
   23. What was the arms race?
   24. What was the Bay of Pigs?
   25. What was the Cuban Missile Crisis?
   26. What happened in Grenada?
5. Eastern Conflicts
   1. When was Israel formed?
   2. What is the basis of the conflict over the Gaza Strip and the West Bank?
   3. What were the Camp David accords?
   4. What is the Wye accord?
   5. What did U.S. President George Bush mean when he said the United States had to "draw a line in the sand"?
   6. Why was the Persian Gulf War important?

1. World War I