“The politics of the big stick. How 120 years ago US President Theodore Roosevelt reconciled Russia with Japan and received the Nobel Prize for it December 24, 06:08 NV Premium Share: Theodore Roosevelt convinces voters with his words at a pre-election rally, 1901 (Photo: DR) Author: Iryna Lvova Under during the peace negotiations in Portsmouth on the end of the Russo-Japanese war In 1904-05, Roosevelt persuaded both sides to abandon a number of claims.”, — write on: ua.news
Theodore Roosevelt convinces voters in his words at a campaign rally, 1901 (Photo: DR)
During the peace negotiations in Portsmouth to end the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05, Roosevelt convinced both sides to give up a number of claims. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for resolving the conflict.
Russia suffered a crushing defeat in this war, and the disastrous consequences soon led to two revolutions, which eventually ended in the collapse of the empire and the Bolshevik coup. Japan, on the other hand, consolidated its position in the Pacific region and aimed for even greater expansion.
The war was officially started by the Japanese, who attacked Port Arthur on February 9, 1904, declaring war on the Russian Empire. But in fact, they only acted in anticipation, realizing that Emperor Nicholas II was preparing for a major war and had already begun a hybrid seizure of territories.
At that time, Port Arthur belonged to China, but a Russian squadron came here and forced it to be leased at gunpoint. After that, the Russians located a naval base and built a fortress. They also built a railway from Siberia to Vladivostok through the territory of Manchuria, having previously agreed with China, and in this way transferred weapons and tens of thousands of soldiers as close as possible to Japan.
In Russia at that time riots did not abate and a revolution was brewing, and Tsar-Batyushka desperately needed some kind of stunning success to strengthen national love. He decided that a short victorious war over the small territory of Japan would strengthen his throne, so he prepared for an attack. Not hiding his hatred for the Japanese, Nicholas II derogatorily called them “macaques” and threatened to destroy them.
But the Japanese turned out to be more agile, moreover, they were spiteful. They were annoyed that ten years ago, after winning the war with China, they took control of Korea and South Manchuria, but Russia, with the support of France and Germany, forced them to make concessions. Now the territory between Mongolia, the Primorsky Krai and Korea became a triangle that was constantly redistributed between the three empires. The patient broke away, they decided to strike first.
