Battle of Mukden
The Battle of Mukden, fought from February 28 to March 10, 1905, was a significant military engagement during the Russo-Japanese War. Japanese General Iwao Oyama aimed to encircle the Russian army led by General Aleksei Kuropatkin, focusing on the strategic rail center of Mukden. Over a span of several days, intense fighting occurred across a forty-seven-mile front, with the Japanese Third Army, commanded by General Maresuke Nogi, initially pushing back Russian forces. Despite fierce resistance and the effective use of reserves by Kuropatkin, the Japanese forces ultimately succeeded in entering Mukden.
The battle resulted in heavy casualties, with approximately 100,000 Russian troops lost and around 70,000 Japanese soldiers killed or wounded. The loss of Mukden greatly impacted Russian morale and military strategy, leading to a shift in focus towards naval engagements and contributing to the eventual withdrawal of Russian forces from the war. Japan, though victorious, also faced significant losses and sought to end the conflict. The Battle of Mukden thus marked a turning point in the Russo-Japanese War, reflecting broader themes of military strategy, national morale, and the geopolitical dynamics of the early 20th century.
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Subject Terms
Battle of Mukden
Type of action: Ground battle in the Russo-Japanese War
Date: February 21-March 10, 1905
Location: City in southeastern Manchuria
Combatants: 310,000 Russians vs. 310,000 Japanese
Principal commanders:Russian, General Aleksei Kuropatkin (1848–1925); Japanese, General Iwao Oyama (1842–1916)
Result: After heavy losses on both sides, Russian forces retreated, leaving Mukden in Japanese hands
In February, 1905, General Iwao Oyama attempted to encircle Aleksei Kuropatkin’s Russian army at Mukden, an important rail center. With fighting erupting across a forty-seven-mile front, Japanese general Maresuke Nogi’s Third Army pushed back Russian general Nikolai Kauban’s troops on the right, but Kuropatkin’s timely use of reserves stymied the Japanese advance. Oyama reinforced Nogi’s army and again attacked Kauban. From March 6-8, savage fighting resulted in heavy pressure on the Russian right, and Japanese troops entered Mukden.
Kuropatkin realized his right had been pushed back so far that his line of communications was in jeopardy. Rather than risk complete encirclement, he disengaged from the battle and retreated to Tieling and Harbin. The Russians lost some 100,000 men killed, wounded, or captured, and Japanese casualties were near 70,000 killed and wounded.
Significance
With Mukden lost, demoralized Russian forces stopped fighting land battles as the action shifted to naval combat. The string of Russian defeats, coupled with revolution in European Russia, pushed the government to end the war. Japan, though victorious, had also realized heavy casualties in Manchuria and likewise sought an end to the conflict.
Bibliography
Martin, Christopher. The Russo-Japanese War. New York: Abelard-Schuman, 1967.
Walder, David. The Short Victorious War: The Russo-Japanese Conflict 1904–1905. New York: Harper & Row, 1973.
Warner, Denis, and Peggy Warner. The Tide at Sunrise: A History of the Russo-Japanese War, 1904–1905. New York: Charterhouse, 1974.
Westwood, J. N. Russia Against Japan 1904–1905: A New Look at the Russo-Japanese War. London: Macmillan, 1986.
Yung, Louise. Japan’s Total Empire: Manchuria and the Culture of Wartime Imperialism. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1998.