The following are knownbattles of the Russo-Japanese War, including all major engagements.
TheRusso-Japanese War lasted from 1904 until 1905. The conflict grew out of the rivalimperialist ambitions of theRussian Empire and theJapanese Empire overManchuria andKorea. The major theatres of operations were Southern Manchuria, specifically the area around theLiaodong Peninsula andMukden, and the seas around Korea, Japan, and theYellow Sea.
The Russians were in constant pursuit of awarm-water port on thePacific Ocean, for their navy as well as for maritime trade. The recently established Pacific seaport ofVladivostok was the only active Russian port that was reasonably operational during the summer season; butPort Arthur would be operational all year. Negotiations between theTsar's government and Japan between the end of theFirst Sino-Japanese War and 1903 had proved futile. The Japanese chose war to maintain exclusive dominance in Korea.
The resulting campaigns, in which the fledgling Japanese military consistently attained victory over the Russian forces arrayed against them, were unexpected by world observers. These victories, as time transpired, would dramatically transform the balance of power in East Asia, resulting in a sober reassessment of Japan's recent entry onto the world stage. The embarrassing string of defeats increased dissatisfaction of the Russian populace with the inefficient and corrupt Tsarist government, and was a major cause of theRussian Revolution of 1905.
| Battle | Location | Date | Notes | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battle of Port Arthur | Port Arthur,Manchuria (modernLüshunkou) | February 8 – 9, 1904 | TheImperial Japanese Navy attacks theRussian Pacific Fleet atPort Arthur. | Inconclusive |
| Battle of Chemulpo Bay | Chemulpo Bay,Korea (modernIncheon) | February 9, 1904 | TheImperial Japanese Navy completes its attack of theRussian Pacific Fleet atChemulpo Bay. | Japanese victory |
| Battle of the Yalu River | Wiju,Korea (modernUiju) | April 30 – May 1, 1904 | Russian forces fail to hold a line at theYalu River in the face of a Japanese attack. | Japanese victory |
| Battle of Nanshan | Liaotung peninsula,Manchuria (modernLiaodong peninsula) | May 25 – 26, 1904 | Japanese troops takeChinchou andDalny. | Japanese victory |
| Battle of Te-li-Ssu | OutsideWafangdian,Manchuria | June 14 – 15, 1904 | Japanese and Russian forces skirmish nearWafangdian. | Japanese victory |
| Hitachi Maru Incident | Tsushima Strait | 15 June, 1904 | three Japanese military transports were sunk in a Russiancommerce raiding sortie by aVladivostok-basedarmored cruiser squadron of theImperial Russian Navy | Russian victory |
| Battle of Motien Pass | Liaotung peninsula,Manchuria (modernLiaodong peninsula) | June 27, 1904 | Russian troops abandon the critical Motien Pass. | Japanese victory |
| Battle of Tashihchiao | Tashihchiao,Manchuria (modernDashiqiao) | July 24–25, 1904 | Japanese forces take the village of Tashihchiao. | Japanese victory |
| Siege of Port Arthur | Port Arthur,Manchuria (modernLüshunkou) | July 30, 1904 – January 2, 1905 | Japanese forces successfully lay siege toPort Arthur. | Japanese victory |
| Battle of Hsimucheng | Hsimucheng,Manchuria | July 31, 1904 | Russian forces are forced to abandon the village of Hsimucheng. | Japanese victory |
| Battle of the Yellow Sea | Off Shantung,Manchuria (modernShandong) | August 10, 1904 | The Japanese and Russian navies fight to a stalemate. | Inconclusive |
| Battle off Ulsan | OffUlsan,Korea | August 14 | Russian naval units are forced to cease their interference with Japanese shipping. | Japanese victory |
| Battle of Korsakov | OffKorsakov,Russia | August 20 | Russian cruiserNovik forced toscuttle herself. | Japanese victory |
| Battle of Liaoyang | Liaoyang,Manchuria | August 24 – September 4, 1904 | Japanese troops occupyLiaoyang. | Japanese victory |
| Battle of Shaho | Sha River,Manchuria | October 5 – 17, 1904 | Both sides sustain heavy casualties in a Russian attack. | Inconclusive |
| Battle of Sandepu | South of Mukden,Manchuria (modernShenyang) | January 25 – 29, 1905 | A Russian attack commences in freezing cold, causing both sides to sustain heavy casualties. | Inconclusive |
| Battle of Mukden | Mukden,Manchuria (modernShenyang) | February 20 – March 10, 1905 | Russian forces are encircled by Japanese and forced to abandonMukden. | Japanese victory |
| Battle of Tsushima | Straits of Tsushima | May 27 – 28, 1905 | The Japanese navy destroys the Russian fleet in theStraits of Tsushima. | Japanese victory |
| Raid on Yingkou | Manchuria | 30 December, 1905 | Russian troops were able to inflict a number of major defeats on the Japanese and disrupt logistics Most of the large warehouses inYingkou were destroyed | Russian victory |
