Page from the Past - Russo-Japanese war of 1904-1905 - The war Putin wants you to forget

Rare photos show Russia's humiliating 1905 defeat against Japan which killed almost 53,000 of its soldiers and sunk almost all its Pacific and Baltic fleet

Pictures released by the Library of Congress show the brutal reality of war over influence 115 years ago

It was the first time in the modern era a European power would be defeated by an Asian foe

Russia's Tsar Nicholas II chose to contine war rather than agree to 'humiliating peace'

US President Theodore Roosevelt would later win a Nobel Peace Prize for brokering treaty which ended war 

By Dave Burke For Mailonline

The sight of Russian warships sinking will make uncomfortable viewing in modern-day Moscow, but a fascinating set of pictures give an insight into one of the heaviest defeats the country suffered in the 20th century.

The rare images show Russian soldiers marching past their fallen comrades in the Russo-Japanese war of 1904-1905, and large crowds celebrating Japan's victories.

Russia lost almost all of its Pacific and Baltic Fleet during the fighting in a conflict which broke out over rival imperial ambitions in Manchuria, China and Korea.



The Russo-Japanese war would be a humiliating defeat for Russia, with its reputation as a great power severely dented as a result. The two nations went to war over rival imperial ambitions in Manchuria, China and Korea. This image shows sunken warships in a conflict which cost Russia most of its Pacific and Baltic fleets

Russian soldiers gaze at heaps of their fallen comrades following the Battle of Port Arthur in February 1904. The battle marked the start of a war in which Russia would suffer massive losses, and began with a surprise night attack by a squadron of Japanese destroyers at the port in Manchuria

A Russian battery is pictured during the siege of Port Arthur, the longest and bloodiest battle of the war. Between August 1904 and January 1905 Russia suffered more than 30,000 casualties, and defeat was a decisive blow in the war +13

Losses on both sides were high, with Japan losing 47,000 military personnel, and between 34,000 and 53,000 Russians losing their lives.

It was the first major victory in the modern era of an Asian power over a European one.

Russia sought a warm-water port on the Pacific Ocean and leased Port Arthur in Liaodong Province from China, but Japan feared a Russian expansion into their sphere of influence. 

They offered to recognise Russian dominance in Manchuria in exchange for recognition that Korea was within the Japanese sphere of influence.

Tens of thousands of soldiers on each side of the conflict lost their lives. Russian soldiers are pictured looking into a trench filled with the bodies of Japanese soldiers in the disputed Port Arthur in Manchuria, which was the scene of a prolonged siege in a decisive clash in the Russo-Japanese war

Russian troops and officials dine in a restaurant which had been heavily damaged by Japanese shells during the conflict, in which both sides battled for influence in the crucial shipping region

Despite suffering numerous defeats to Japan, Tsar Nicholas II chose to remain engaged in war in order to avoid a 'humiliating peace'. But the decision would prove costly, and Russia became the first European power to lose to an Asian one in the modern era +13

The black-and-white images, released by the Library of Congress, document the bloody war between Russia and Japan which ended in a humiliating defeat for Tsar Nicholas II +13

A priest and soldiers are pictured praying over the bodies of Russian soldiers who would be buried on a hill in Port Arthur in Manchuria. Both Russia and Japan lost tens of thousands of servicemen during the conflict between 1904 and 1905 +13

A large crowd of Japanese soldiers are pictured in Manchuria during a devastating conflict which saw Russia defeated, losing almost all of its Pacific and Baltic fleets +13


When Russia refused, and demanded Korea north of the 39th parallel to be a neutral buffer zone between the two countries, Japan decided to go to war. They attacked the Russian Eastern Fleet at Port Arthur, China in a surprise attack which began the hostilities.

Despite suffering numerous defeats to Japan, Tsar Nicholas II chose to remain engaged in war in order to avoid a 'humiliating peace'.

The war was eventually concluded with the Treaty of Portsmouth, mediated by US President Theodore Roosevelt. Japan eventually annexed Korea, and had proxy-influence over Manchuria. Russia's reputation as a Great Power was severely dented by the conflict. 

The war was eventually concluded with the Treaty of Portsmouth, mediated by US President Theodore Roosevelt. Japan eventually annexed Korea, and had proxy-influence over Manchuria

A priest and a group of Russian soldiers are pictured praying over the bodies of fallen Russian troops in Port Arthur, which was attacked by Japanese destroyers in an action which started the war between 1904 and 1905

A Japanese fighter is pictured being carried by nurses after being injured during the war. It is estimated that around 47,000 Japanese service personnel were killed in the conflict with Russia

Crowds are pictured lining the streets to honour a procession of carriages carrying Japanese Admiral Tōgō Heihachirō, hailed as one of the country's greatest ever naval chiefs. Peace was sealed with the Treaty of Portsmouth, signed in Maine in the US. President Theodore Roosevelt would win the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in bringing the treaty to fruition