Battle of Mukden: the strength of the parties, history

February 19, 1905, the battle began at Mukden. This battle was the most bloody and large-scale in the entire Russian-Japanese war. About 500 thousand people participated in that clash, and losses amounted to 160 thousand, that is, about one third of the entire army.

Conditions before the battle

On the eve of the battle, the Russian army left Liaoyang and established itself near Mukden. Japanese troops were very close, which is why both of them engaged in strengthening their own positions. The command on different sides of the front became clear that a decisive clash was approaching. Therefore, each army diligently strengthened the rear and replenished its ranks.

Accompanying events favored the Japanese. Russian troops in other parts of the theater of military operations retreated and surrendered their positions. This inspired the Japanese and raised their morale. In the Land of the Rising Sun, there were illusions that the battle at Mukden would be won with little blood.

The state of the Russian army

At that time, rumors began circulating in the Russian army about the revolution that had begun in the Motherland. Events in St. Petersburg and Moscow greatly damaged the motivation in the army. In addition, there was a long retreat, alternating with monotonous sitting in trenches and trenches. Among the soldiers spread the game of cards and drunkenness. Deserters have appeared. The officers had to organize special detachments, which were engaged in catching fugitives.

Bad intelligence worked. On the eve of the clash, the command did not know the exact strength of the enemy. All understood only one thing: the battle at Mukden under the command of Alexei Kuropatkin promised to be heavy.

Staff plan

As for tactics and strategy, the Russian command did not come up with anything new. The village of Sandepu was the key point that the army had to capture while the battle was under Mukden. The commander at the headquarters of Kuropatkin decided that this particular village would be the main Japanese position.

The offensive on Sandeep was scheduled to begin on 25 February. For the operation, a frontal attack of the 2nd Army was being prepared, which was to be supported by connections on the flanks. However, even before the battle, the command made several tactical mistakes, later painfully struck at the potential of the Russian army. Thus, at once three armies were excessively stretched along the whole front, which made them extremely vulnerable to enemy attacks.

In the camp of the Japanese

The Japanese commander was Oyama Iwao. His main goal he considered the encirclement of the Russian troops. For the main offensive, the left flank was chosen, since it was there that the enemy units were most stretched. In addition, distractions were being prepared. This deceptive maneuver was to be carried out by the 5th Army. She was being prepared to attack Fushun. It could distract the Russian reserves and make it easier for the main forces of the Japanese.

The Japanese did not have a significant advantage in the number of troops. It was not possible to defeat the enemy at the expense of the numerical superiority. However, by reshuffling in the army, the Japanese command succeeded in achieving a slight superiority on the flanks, where the main military operations were planned. To move to the same positions, just in case, an auxiliary reserve was prepared.

Everyone understood the decisive role that the Battle of Mukden would play. Who commanded, and who was sitting in the trench - it does not matter, for every soldier and officer was preparing for a decisive test. It is interesting that the Japanese army was trained by German specialists in that war. In Tokyo, they dreamed of their own victory at Sedan following the example of Germany, when its army surrounded the French and forced those to surrender.

The beginning of the battle

As mentioned above, the Russian command was going to attack the enemy on the 25th. However, in the enemy camp they prepared for the battle somewhat faster. On the night of 18 to 19 February, the Japanese took the offensive first. Kawamura's units attacked the vanguard commanded by Konstantin Alekseev. The advanced units of the Russian army had to retreat. The counterattacks did not work.

A few days later, on February 23, a snowstorm began. The wind blew towards the Russians. The Japanese, using this gift of the weather, went on another attack on Alexeyev's position. On the rescue comrades went parts of the commander of the 1st Manchurian Army Nikolai Linevich. In the days that followed, similar attacks were repeated. They were supported by modern Japanese artillery.

Three-week massacre

A long battle at Mukden happened not in one day. It stretched for three weeks. The fighting was conducted on a large area and consisted of attacks and counterattacks in various sectors. When the firing ceased near one hill, shooting began on the other flank. This kind of collision was a sign of a new, modern war. The battles that ended in one day were a thing of the past. The soldiers had to endure an unbearable marathon from a number of skirmishes, retreats and returns to their previous positions.

In the Russian army, the western flank was the first to flinch. The Japanese units attempted to bypass enemy troops, go into the rear and destroy enemy communications. For this purpose the brigade under the command of Nambu occupied a small village of Yuhuantul, thus diverting itself to the main blow of the Russians. The defense of this position led to the death of almost 4 thousand troops.

Breakthrough positions

By March 8, the Russian command realized the threat of defeat, which increasingly represented a battle at Mukden. The regrouping date was fixed on the same day. The army needed a maneuver to collect all the remaining forces in a single fist. But on March 9, the Japanese organized their most powerful attack for the whole battle, which in the end broke through the positions on the eastern flank. In the gap flooded enemy units. This endless stream threatened to cut the road, which was the only way to Mukden.

Two Russian armies were in the cauldron. For the breakthrough, there was a narrow corridor. Retreat began at night from 9 to 10 March. On both sides of the soldiers shelled enemy artillery. And already in the afternoon of the 10th day the Japanese at the cost of huge losses completely occupied Mukden. According to the memoirs of Anton Denikin, who participated in the battle, the retreat of the Russians was the first episode in the whole war, when he saw in the ranks of his army natural panic and disorganization.

Results

For both countries, the battle at Mukden was a bloody meat grinder. No one has achieved a decisive victory. For the Japanese, this was the last attempt to succeed on the battlefield (on land). As a confident victory did not happen, the country faced a financial and economic gap. Too many resources were thrown at this attempt. It was no better in Russia.

The Japanese military began to demand from the leadership of the country to find a political solution that could stop the conflict. However, a radical turn in favor of Russia never happened. Soon there were setbacks in Korea and in the north of China. In addition, Port Arthur was surrendered. The government in St. Petersburg was demoralized. As a result, the war ended with major concessions from the Russian Empire. The Battle of Mukden was a vivid symbol of that campaign. The Russians killed 8 thousand people, the Japanese - 15 thousand.