There is an article I wrote about the Russo-Japanese War from the Japanese side, so I will omit the details and this time I will explore the situation on the Russian side and the situation in Europe.
Please note that the times are coming and going as I am writing the circumstances of multiple countries such as Russia and Europe.
What happened in the year of the Otsu incident (1891)?
Nicholas II Was cut during his time as Crown Prince Otsu Incident In the year that happened, Britain allowed Qing (Chinese dynasty) to investigate for the construction of the Eastern Railway (later South Manchuria Railway), aiming for concessions in the Far East.
* Details of the Otsu incident are written in the article below.
As I will explain in detail later, Russia has been frustrated by the frequent talks in Iran and Central Asia that had already been made from Britain at this point, and the relationship between the two countries has deteriorated.
Even for free, Britain was in a situation where it had acquired concessions in Qing at that time, so Russia could not wait for the situation where Britain could be involved in the construction of the Tosei Railway near the border.
Russia has begun full-scale construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway, which was almost a plan since the 1850s.
Besides the relationship with the United Kingdom, the reason for starting the construction in earnest is
- Around 1870-:American grains flow in. Russian grain prices fall
- 1891-1992:A terrible crop in the midst of falling farmer's fertility due to falling grain prices
→ 400,000 to 500,000 starvation deaths
There was also such a deterioration in domestic circumstances. It seems that it was no longer possible to get rid of it with "Nana" while conflicts with foreign countries were born.
The construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway involves domestic public works projects, which will not only revitalize the economy but also strengthen industrial power.
Russia around this time was Franco-Russian Alliance with France. The fact that France has actively invested in the Russian railway business based on this alliance also supported the construction.
Why was Russia tied to France?
After the Crimean War, the situation in Europe changed considerably Vienna regime Is in a collapsed state. Austria, which led the Concert of Europe, lowered its position, and Prussia in the German Confederation. Has emerged.
This Prussia solidifies its own footsteps, and in 1870 the Franco-Prussian War struck, deteriorating relations with France. The relationships between neighboring countries during the war are as follows.
The defeated France has decided to pay compensation in the Franco-Prussian War, and the regime has changed to a republic without a monarch.
After that, Prussia, who became the lord of Germany, was wary of France and approached Russia and Austria in order to cut off the worries of his patronage, but Russia and Austria were in a terrible state over the Balkan Islands and the alliance was successful. I will break it once.
So Germany has a dual alliance with Austria. While putting pressure on Russia, once again, " Let's stay neutral even if attacked by another country " Three Emperor Kyosho Was tied.
Still not enough, activity in Europe was curtailed colonial expansion policy Triple Alliance pulls Italy, which had troubles in France and the African Continent, into the Dual Alliance (military alliance with an eye on Russia) Tie. For the time being, there is also a three-emperor agreement between Austria and Austria, so it is a secret alliance around.
After all, Santei Kyosho However, Germany needed German support for France and Russia for Britain, so the Reinsurance Treaty between Germany and Russia was held in 1887. We conclude a treaty.
It was Bismarck , who is famous as the Minister of Iron and Blood, who created the system to protect Germany in this way. Was the person. He has been sitting in the center of the administration for many years and has been energetically moving, but he is dismissed due to the replacement of the emperor.
Germany refused to renew the treaty, saying it was "contradictory to the Triple Alliance" when the reinsurance treaty between Russia and the two countries expired in the same year as his demise.
This is a big opportunity for France. Franco-Russian Alliance approaching Russia, which has begun to confront the Dual Alliance (From 1891) was tied.
Although industrial development was stagnant in France around this time, the middle class was enriched thanks to the Industrial Revolution, which came earlier than in other countries.
These middle-class domestic funds are flowing into large banks and are being actively invested. One of the investment destinations was the Trans-Siberian Railway.
What is Russia vs. Britain's hegemony battle? [Central Asia-Iran]
As I mentioned briefly at the beginning, Russia began to fight for power with Britain around Central Asia and Iran in the Middle East.
I would like to touch on the circumstances around here.
What was the Russian side doing?
Russia's southward policy is Catherine II Starting from (1762-1796), Alexander II In the era of (1855-1881), it extended to Central Asia and the Middle East.
Russia in the first half of the 19th century also invaded Iran's territories in the Black Sea and Caspian Sea about twice (Iran-Russia War, 1804-1826-28), aiming to advance into Central Asia and the Indian Ocean.
* I wrote an article about Catherine the Great lightly, but I will put a link below.
Let's take a look at the actual situation on the British side at that time
With the spread of tea drinking in Britain at the end of the 18th century, the trade deficit with the Qing dynasty began to grow. In order to make up for the deficit, we smuggled poppies cultivated in colonial India from the beginning of the 19th century, paying attention to opium suction in Qingdao. Opium is being sent in large quantities to the extent that it develops into a social problem in Qingdao.
The 1840-42 Opium War took place between the Qing dynasty and Britain, who were angry at the opium smuggling. Since then, the UK has steadily increased its interests in the Qing dynasty.
Also, at similar times, in addition to opium smuggling, the Industrial Revolution Triangular trade to carry mass-produced cotton fabrics to India May become more popular and India will become more important. It was also the time when the rebellion occurred, so we took advantage of the rebellion and strengthened the rule of India.
Moreover, the colony of the African continent owned by Britain is centered on the eastern side such as Egypt (a large amount of shares in the Suez Canal were acquired in 1875, and Egyptian territory was acquired in 1881). A short-cut route to India will be completed through the Suez Canal.
Since Iran and Afghanistan are located between India and Egypt, they just collide with Russia, which has moved south. It's a very uninteresting situation for Britain.
"Detailed World History Book" from Yamakawa Shuppansha
Since Russia's southward policy was originally in place, it was possible to expect it to collide with Russia, so Britain Afghan War to secure a buffer zone. (1838-42, 1878-81), it became a protectorate in the Second Afghan War.
The battle for hegemony over Central Asia and the Middle East between Russia and the United Kingdom is a great game . I call it.
Britain's move in the Qing dynasty, which borders in the middle of the Great Game, certainly stimulated Russia.
The United Kingdom concludes the Anglo-Japanese Alliance (1902)
Britain has been far from the alliance in Europe as much as possible, and has not joined the Triple Alliance or the Franco-Russian Alliance. " Splendid Isolation (Many countries in Europe have diplomacy that leans toward either of the basics).
I was wondering if I would go with that policy as it is. .. ..
Britain fights against Dutch immigrants (Boers) who lived there several times from 1880 to 1902 with the aim of colonizing South Africa [ Boer War ], I was forced to struggle and exhaust more than I expected.
Shortly before that, in the 1840s, the Industrial Revolution centered on heavy industry took place in Germany a little later than Britain and France, and the acquisition of industrial areas and resources during the Franco-Prussian War led to a sudden leap in the industrial field.
* Germany cannot compete with the light industry that preceded it, so from the beginning we set up a game in the heavy industry.
Seeing Germany, which suddenly gained a presence in both the industrial field and Bismarck diplomacy while Britain was at war in Africa, let's start to think that Britain's isolation policy is bad.
Furthermore, Russia, Germany, and France began to cut out the territory of the Qing dynasty in earnest while they could not go to the Far East due to the Boer War.
Japan was influenced by these three countries.
Sino-Japanese War Victory (1894-95) and concluding a treaty to ceded the Liaodong Peninsula from Qing, but Triple Intervention Far from being ceded in (1895), the three countries borrowed part of the Qing dynasty.
Moreover, Russia, which has been proclaiming Triple Intervention, has secretly taken over the right to lay the Tosei Railway in Manchuria in return for not having to ceded the Liaodong Peninsula to Japan. It is.
In addition, if we briefly summarize the speculations of each of the three countries that interfered with the Triple Intervention,
- Russia:To secure an ice-free port in the Far East
- France:Reason for the Franco-Russian Alliance
- Germany:With the weakening of the Qing dynasty, it was also aiming to expand into the Far East (← Germany is a late colony, so there were fewer colonies than other countries)
It's like this. You would have naturally thought, "For Japan, I got it painfully, but don't put in a horizontal spear" (Britain was still neutral at this point). In this way, the conflict between Japan and Russia became decisive.
The United Kingdom, which was watching this, had a Anglo-Japanese Alliance with an eye on Japan and "Russia," which have mutual interests. It was tied (1902).
Defeat in the Russo-Japanese War and Socialist Movement
The Anglo-Japanese Alliance completely clarified the confrontational structure of the great powers in Manchuria, and in February 1904, the Russo-Japanese War between Incheon (currently South Korea) and Lushun (currently China) began with the attack of the Japanese army.
From the Russo-Japanese War "The Progress of the Russo-Japanese War" (wikipedia)
While Britain has arrived in Japan, Russia has allies France and Germany, which has begun to be suppressed by Europe, and wants to turn its attention to the Far East . Is attached.
Russian soldiers and supplies were carried by the Trans-Siberian Railway, and immediately after the start, Russia had an advantage, but the Japanese counterattack gradually began to receive bad news.
Circumstances in Russia
At that time, in Russia, after the Emancipation Reform Order, low-wage long working hours became a social problem and the labor movement became active every time such bad news arrived, and the labor movement became fierce. went.
Also, one of the leaders of the revolutionary knowledge-based forces created in the 1870s among the forces trying to rescue workers is Marxism . Awakening to the socialist ideology called, by the time the Russo-Japanese War began, socialist ideology had become widespread in some areas.
By the way, the system based on this idea will occur after the end of World War I, which is a little earlier than the Russo-Japanese War.
What measures did the government take due to frequent strikes?
When the Journey Fortress, which was an important base, was attacked, a large-scale strike by oil industry workers in Baku (now the capital of Azerbaijan) occurred. There are also calls for a new political system to replace the tsar.
The worker was put together by a person named Gapon, the priest.
He is not in a position to sue for dissidents, but has created an "organization to protect workers" and has gained a lot of support. He also began to work with the government in the wake of the dismissal of members of the organization.
As part of that, I put together a petition to change Russian society and made an appointment to meet the Tsar. .. ..
On January 9, 1905, 100,000 workers, including Gapon, went to the palace and waited for the promised time, but the tsar never appeared. It develops into an incident in which a dissatisfied participant collides with a guard. The so-called " Bloody Sunday Incident It is an incident called.
When the incident spread strikes all over the country and the confidence in the tsar was lost, the people began to cry for a revolution.
The coalition of committees that have caused strikes in many cities is the Russian word for "council", " Soviet . ] Will be called.
As expected, Nicholas II The government, centered on the government, also takes this situation seriously.
- Discuss recommendations from individuals and groups in the government
- Involve elected people in discussions to hold parliament
The edict was issued, and I finally regained my composure. .. ..
The destruction and defeat of the Baltic Fleet
In May of the same year as the Bloody Sunday incident, Russia received shocking news. The news is that the Baltic Fleet, which left the port of Latvia and headed for the waters near Japan, was defeated.
I was hit by the Japanese Navy in exhaustion due to the obstacles of Britain, but the news that the fleet with the latest battleships at that time was defeated was quite shocking.
The authority of the Tsar is lost, and in Poland there is a rebellion for independence, and in the Black Sea Fleet's Potemkin, there is a rebellion by the soldiers on board.
In this way, Russia fell into turmoil, and despite being overwhelmed by national power, it became impossible to continue the war. Peace Treaty Portsmouth Treaty It was decided to connect.
What happened in Russia after the Russo-Japanese War?
Russia gave up advancing to the Far East because it lost to Japan. In addition to repeated labor movements, it was a situation to avoid colliding with the European powerhouse Britain in Central Asia and Iran, losing to emerging countries.
So Russia did Anglo-Russian Cooperative in 1907 so as not to be hostile to Britain. Tie. Franco-Russian Alliance In addition, Entente Cordiale between Britain and France The so-called Triple Entente , partly because it was tied up (1904). Is completed.
Entente Cordiale is a system created with caution against the growth of Germany World War I It was connected to.