attacked the Russian Naval bases of Port Arthur and Chelmulpo destroying over half of Russia’s naval fleet. This was a common theme of the Russo-Japanese war. The superior training and intelligence of the Japanese military led the Russians to several humiliating defeats. Japan laid siege to Port Arthur for 156 days, killing or wounding 28,000 Russians and forcing surrender in December 1904 . In March 1905, the Japanese infantry forces defeated the Russians at the Battle of Mukden. According to a Swedish military observer, who had observed the battle from the Russian side, “the confusion and rout of the Russians was indescribable; many of the officers never stopped in their flight until they got to Teiling … eighteen are said to be court-martialed.” By this time Japan had nearly exhausted its resourced and the 1905 revolution had begun in Russia. In August, U.S.A. president Theodore Roosevelt offered negotiations to end hostilities and both sides agreed. This war was a terrible blow to the Russian autocratic government. The military humiliations generated ill will to the manner in which the war was instigated and subsequently carried out. N.I. Astrov captured the mood of the Russian people writing “Impatience, feelings of resentment, indignation-these grew everywhere and became stronger. With each new defeat, with each new retreat to ‘previously prepared positions’ in ‘accordance with prior plans,’ indignation grew more intense and there took shape a mood of protest. There was no malicious joy. There was a feeling of burning shame and undeserved injury” The horrible character of this war actually “lent a noble, patriotic character” to the revolutionary movement. With every defeat the popularity of the war decreased, and since it had not been the most popular of wars at its inception morale was extremely low. The people of Russia saw their fathers an...
