Battle of Mukden
Part of the Russo-Japanese War
Date 20 February 1905 – 10 March 1905 Location south of Mukden, Manchuria Result Japanese victory
Combatants
Empire of Japan	Imperial Russia
Commanders
Field Marshal Oyama Iwao	General Alexei Kuropatkin
Strength
About 450,000	About 410,000
Casualties
75,000	110,000[1]

The Battle of Mukden (Japanese: 奉天会戦 Hōten kaisen), the last major land battle of the Russo-Japanese War, was fought from 20 February to 10 March 1905 between Japan and Russia near Mukden in Manchuria. The city is now called Shenyang, the capital of Liaoning province in China. Combatants Russian Empire Principality of Montenegro [1] Empire of Japan Commanders Emperor Nicholas II Aleksey Kuropatkin Stepan Makarov â€  Emperor Meiji Oyama Iwao Heihachiro Togo The Russo–Japanese War (Japanese: Nichi-Ro Sensō, Russian: Russko-Yaponskaya Voyna, Chinese: RìézhànzhÄ“ng, February 10, 1904–September 5, 1905) was a conflict... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (500x750, 35 KB) http://andrewnz2. ... is the 51st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1905 (disambiguation). ... March 10 is the 69th day of the year (70th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1905 (disambiguation). ... Major districts of Shenyang. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Japan. ... Anthem Kimi ga Yo Imperial Reign Capital Tokyo Government Constitutional monarchy Emperor  - 1868–1912 Emperor Meiji  - 1912–1926 Emperor Taishō  - 1926–1989 Emperor Shōwa Prime Minister  - 1885-1888, 1892-1896, 1898, 1900-1901 Itō Hirobumi  - 1888-1889 Kuroda Kiyotaka  - 1889-1891 Yamagata Aritomo  - 1906-1908, 1911-1912 Saionji Kinmochi... Image File history File links Flag_of_Russia. ... Imperial Russia is the term used to cover the period of history from the expansion of Russia under Peter the Great, through the expansion of the Russian Empire from the Baltic Sea to the Pacific Ocean, to the deposal of Nicholas II of Russia, the last tsar, at the start... Iwao Oyama (During the Russo-Japanese War) Oyama Iwao (大山 å·Œ Ooyama Iwao) (born 10 October 1842 - 10 December 1916) was a Japanese field marshal, and one of the leaders of the Meiji Restoration. ... Alexei Nikolayevich Kuropatkin (1848-1921) was a Russian general. ... Combatants Russian Empire Principality of Montenegro [1] Empire of Japan Commanders Emperor Nicholas II Aleksey Kuropatkin Stepan Makarov â€  Emperor Meiji Oyama Iwao Heihachiro Togo The Russo–Japanese War (Japanese: Nichi-Ro Sensō, Russian: Russko-Yaponskaya Voyna, Chinese: RìézhànzhÄ“ng, February 10, 1904–September 5, 1905) was a conflict... Combatants Empire of Japan Russian Empire Commanders Admiral Heihachiro Togo Vice Admiral Shigeto Dewa Oskar Victorovich Stark Strength 15 battleships and cruisers with escorts 12 battleships and cruisers with escorts Casualties 90 men and slight damage 150 men and seven ships damaged The Battle of Port Arthur (Japanese: 旅順港閉塞作戦, Ryojunkō Heisoku... Combatants Empire of Japan Russian Empire Commanders Uryu Sotokichi Vsevolod Rudnev Strength 4 cruisers 1 cruiser, 1 gunboat Casualties no casualties reported by japanese, about 30 by russian sources 37 killed, 73 wounded; both ships scuttled after the battle The Battle of Chemulpo Bay (Japanese: 仁川沖海戦, Jinsenoki kaisen, Russian: Битва в заливе Чемульпо) was... The Battle of Yalu River took place from April 30 to May 1, 1904, and was the first major land battle during the Russo-Japanese War. ... The Battle of Nanshan was one of many vicious land battles of the Russo-Japanese War. ... The Battle of Te-li-Ssu was fought on June 14 and June 15 of 1904 between Russian and Japanese forces. ... Combatants Japan Russia Commanders General Kuroki Tamemoto General Count Fedor Keller Strength 25,000 General Count Fedor Keller had assumed command of the Russian Eastern Force from General Zasulich after the Battle of Yalu River. ... Combatants Japan Russia Commanders General Yasukata Oku Lieutenant General Georgii Stakelberg Lieutenant General Nikolai Zarubaev Strength 20,000 Casualties 1,000 (estimated) 1,000 (estimated) The Battle of Tashihchiao (Jpn. ... Combatants Japan Russia Commanders General Nozu Michitsura Lieutenant General Mikhail Zasulich Casualties 836 1550 The Battle of Hsimucheng was a minor land engagement of the Russo-Japanese War. ... Combatants Empire of Japan Russian Empire Commanders Admiral Heihachiro Togo, Vice Admiral Shigeto Dewa Admiral Wilgelm Vitgeft Strength 4 battleships, 2 armored cruisers, 8 cruisers, 18 destroyers, 30 torpedo boats 6 battleships, 4 cruisers, 14 destroyers Casualties 226 killed and wounded 343 killed and wounded Location within China The Battle... Combatants Japan Russia Commanders Vice Admiral Hikonojo Kamimura Rear Admiral Nikolai Essen Strength 4 armored cruisers, 2 protected cruisers 3 armored cruisers Casualties minimal casualties with 1 armored cruiser suffering slight damage heavy casualties and 1 cruiser destroyed with two cruisers suffering heavy damage The naval Battle off Ulsan, also... The Siege of Port Arthur (1 August 1904-2 January 1905), the Russian deepwater port and naval base at the tip of the Liaotung Peninsula (See Map below the Battlebox) in Manchuria was one of the longest and most vicious battles during the Russo-Japanese War. ... The Battle of Liaoyang (August 24, 1904 - September 4, 1904) was one of the major battles of the Russo-Japanese War. ... Combatants Japan Russia Commanders Oyama Iwao Alexei Kuropatkin Strength 150,000 210,000 Casualties 20,345 killed, wounded or captured 44,351 killed, wounded or captured The Battle of Shaho was a land battle of the Russo-Japanese War fought along a 37-mile front centered at the Sha River... Battle of Sandepu Conflict Russo-Japanese War Date January 25 and January 26, 1905 Place Near Mukden in Manchuria Result Draw The Battle of Sandepu, (also known as the Battle of Heikoutai) was a major land battle of the Russo-Japanese War. ... Combatants Empire of Japan Russian Empire Commanders Heihachiro Togo Zinovi Rozhdestvenski # Nikolai Nebogatov Strength 4 battleships 27 cruisers destroyers and auxiliary vessels 8 battleships 3 coastal battleships 8 cruisers Casualties 117 dead 583 injured 3 torpedo boats sunk 4,380 dead 5,917 captured 21 ships sunk 7 captured 6... For other uses, see Battle (disambiguation). ... Combatants Russian Empire Principality of Montenegro [1] Empire of Japan Commanders Emperor Nicholas II Aleksey Kuropatkin Stepan Makarov â€  Emperor Meiji Oyama Iwao Heihachiro Togo The Russo–Japanese War (Japanese: Nichi-Ro Sensō, Russian: Russko-Yaponskaya Voyna, Chinese: RìézhànzhÄ“ng, February 10, 1904–September 5, 1905) was a conflict... is the 51st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... March 10 is the 69th day of the year (70th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1905 (disambiguation). ... Major districts of Shenyang. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about a city. ...   (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: Liáoníng) is a northeastern province of the Peoples Republic of China. ... For other province-level divisions, see Political divisions of China. ...

The Russian forces numbering 410,000 were under General Alexei Nikolajevich Kuropatkin. The Imperial Japanese Army forces numbering 450,000 were led by Field-Marshal Prince Oyama Iwao.^[2] Alexei Nikolayevich Kuropatkin (1848-1921) was a Russian general. ... The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) (Kyūjitai: 大日本帝國陸軍, Shinjitai: , Romaji: Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun), or more officially Army of the Greater Japanese Empire was the official ground based armed force of Imperial Japan from 1867 to 1945. ... Iwao Oyama (During the Russo-Japanese War) Oyama Iwao (大山 巌 Ooyama Iwao) (born 10 October 1842 - 10 December 1916) was a Japanese field marshal, and one of the leaders of the Meiji Restoration. ...

Background

Following the Battle of Liaoyang (24 August 1904 to 4 September 1904), Russian forces retreated to the river Sha Ho south of Mukden and regrouped. From 5 October 1904 to 17 October 1904, during the Battle of Shaho, the Russians unsuccessfully counter-attacked, however managed to temporarily slow the Japanese advance. The Battle of Liaoyang (August 24, 1904 - September 4, 1904) was one of the major battles of the Russo-Japanese War. ... is the 236th day of the year (237th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1904 (MCMIV) was a leap year starting on a Friday (see link for calendar). ... is the 247th day of the year (248th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1904 (MCMIV) was a leap year starting on a Friday (see link for calendar). ... For other uses, see 5th October (Serbia). ... 1904 (MCMIV) was a leap year starting on a Friday (see link for calendar). ... is the 290th day of the year (291st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1904 (MCMIV) was a leap year starting on a Friday (see link for calendar). ... Combatants Japan Russia Commanders Oyama Iwao Alexei Kuropatkin Strength 150,000 210,000 Casualties 20,345 killed, wounded or captured 44,351 killed, wounded or captured The Battle of Shaho was a land battle of the Russo-Japanese War fought along a 37-mile front centered at the Sha River...

A second Russian counter-offensive, the Battle of Sandepu, fought from (25 January 1905 to 29 January 1905) was likewise unsuccessful. Battle of Sandepu Conflict Russo-Japanese War Date January 25 and January 26, 1905 Place Near Mukden in Manchuria Result Draw The Battle of Sandepu, (also known as the Battle of Heikoutai) was a major land battle of the Russo-Japanese War. ... is the 25th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1905 (disambiguation). ... is the 29th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1905 (disambiguation). ...

The fall of Port Arthur to General Nogi freed up the Japanese 3rd Army, which advanced north to reinforce the Japanese lines near Mukden in preparation for an attack. Location within China Lüshun city or Lüshunkou or (literally) Lüshun Port (Simplified Chinese: 旅顺口; Traditional Chinese: 旅順口; Pinyin: , formerly in historic references both Port Arthur and Ryojun, is a town in the southernmost administrative district of Dalian of the Peoples Republic of China. ... General Maresuke Nogi (乃木希典 Nogi Maresuke, December 25, 1849 - September 13, 1912) was a Japanese army general, and a prominent figure in the Russo-Japanese War. ...

By February 1905, the manpower reserves of the Japanese army had been drained. With the arrival of General Nogi's Third Army, Japan's entire fighting strength was concentrated at Mukden. The severe casualties, bitter climate, and approach of the Russian Baltic Fleet created pressure on Marshal Oyama to effect the complete destruction of the Russian forces, rather than just another victory from which the Russians could withdraw further into Manchuria. This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Disposition of Forces

The Russian line to the south of Mukden was 90 miles long, with little depth and with a central reserve. On the right flank, in flat ground, was the Second Manchurian Army under General Baron von Kaulbars (who had replaced the unfortunate General Oskar-Ferdinand Kazimirovich Grippenberg). In the center, holding the railway and the highway was the Third Manchurian Army under General Bildering. The hilly terrain on the east flank was held by the First Manchurian Army under General Nikolai Linievich. This flank also held two-thirds of the Russian cavalry, under General Paul von Rennenkampf. General Kuropatkin had thus disposed his forces in a purely defensive layout, from which it would be difficult to impossible to execute an offensive without opening a major gap in the lines. Oskar-Ferdinand Kazimirovich Grippenberg (Russian: Оскар Казимирович Гриппенберг) (1838 - ?) was a Russian military leader. ... Russian General Paul von Rennenkampf, 1905. ...

On the Japanese side, the Japanese 1st Army (General Kuroki) and 4th Army (General Nozu) advanced to the east of the rail line, and the 2nd Army (General Oku) to the west. General Nogi's Third Army was kept concealed behind the 2nd Army until the start of battle. A newly formed Japanese 5th Army under General Kawamura Kageaki provided a major diversion on the Russian eastern flank. The 5th Army was much under strength, and consisted only of the 11th Division (from Port Arthur) and reservists. Tamemoto Kuroki ) (3 May 1844 – 3 February 1923) was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army, who served as commander of the Japanese First Army during the Russo-Japanese War and enjoyed a series of successes in the Battle of Yalu River (1904), the Battle of Liaoyang, and the Battle... Michitsura Nozu ) (17 December 1840 - 18 October 1908), was a Japanese field marshal and leading figure in the early Imperial Japanese Army. ... Yasukata Oku (奥 保鞏, January 5, 1847 - July 19, 1930) was a significant Japanese marshal. ... ...

General Kuropatkin was convinced that the main Japanese thrust would come from the mountainous eastern side, as the Japanese had proven themselves effective in such terrain, and the presence of the former 3rd Army veterans from the 11th Division in that area reinforced his convictions.

Field Marshal Oyama's plan was to form his 5 armies into a crescent to encircle Mukden, cutting off the possibility of Russian escape. He was explicit in his orders that combat within the city of Mukden itself was to be avoided. All during the war, the Japanese had pursued a meticulous civil affairs policy aimed at avoiding civilian casualties and keeping the Chinese populace on their side – a stark contrast with the previous First Sino-Japanese War and subsequent Second Sino-Japanese War. Combatants  Qing Dynasty (China)  Empire of Japan Commanders Li Hongzhang Yamagata Aritomo Strength 630,000 men Beiyang Army  Beiyang Fleet 240,000 men Imperial Japanese Army  Imperial Japanese Navy Casualties 35,000 dead or wounded 13,823 dead, 3,973 wounded The First Sino-Japanese War (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese... Combatants China  United States1 Soviet Union2  Empire of Japan Collaborationist Chinese Army3 Commanders Chiang Kai-shek, Chen Cheng, Yan Xishan, Feng Yuxiang, Li Zongren, Xue Yue, Bai Chongxi, Peng Dehuai, Joseph Stilwell, Claire Chennault, Aleksandr Vasilevsky Hirohito, Fumimaro Konoe, Hideki Tojo, Kotohito Kanin, Matsui Iwane, Hajime Sugiyama, Shunroku Hata...

The Battle

Retreat of the Russian Army after the battle

Formation of a Japanese Division of the 1st. Army after the Battle

The battle opened with the Japanese 5th Army attacking the left flank of the Russian forces on 20 February 1905. On 27 February 1905 the Japanese 4th Army attacked the right flank, while other Japanese forces also attacked the Russian front lines. On the same day, the Japanese 3rd Army began its movement in a wide circle northwest of Mukden. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 508 pixelsFull resolution (1144 × 727 pixel, file size: 184 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 508 pixelsFull resolution (1144 × 727 pixel, file size: 184 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 458 pixelsFull resolution‎ (1,220 × 699 pixels, file size: 149 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 458 pixelsFull resolution‎ (1,220 × 699 pixels, file size: 149 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... is the 51st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1905 (disambiguation). ... is the 58th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1905 (disambiguation). ...

By 1 March 1905, action on the eastern and center fronts was largely static. The Japanese had made small advances but under heavy casualties. However, by 7 March 1905, General Kuropatkin began withdrawing forces from the eastern front to counter the Japanese 3rd Army's moves on the western flank of Mukden, and was so concerned about General Nogi's movements that he decided to lead the counterattack himself. The shifting of forces from east to west was not well coordinated by the Russians, causing the 1st and 3rd Manchurian Armies to all but disintegrate into chaos. This was the chance that Field Marshal Oyama had been awaiting for, and his orders to “attack” were changed to “pursue and destroy”. Luck was further with the Japanese due to the late thaw in the weather. The Hun River remained frozen, and was not an obstacle to the Japanese attack. is the 60th day of the year (61st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1905 (disambiguation). ... is the 66th day of the year (67th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1905 (disambiguation). ... Hun River (渾河) is a river in Liaoning Province, China, and one of the tributaries of the Liao River. ...

All but encircled and with no hope for victory, General Kuropatkin gave the order to retreat to the north at 18:45 on 9 March 1905. The Russian withdrawal was complicated by General Nozu's breach through Russian rearlines over the Hun River, and quickly turned into a rout. The panicked Russian forces abandoned their wounded, weapons and supplies in their flight north towards Tiehling. is the 68th day of the year (69th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1905 (disambiguation). ...

At 10:00 AM on 10 March 1905, Japanese forces occupied Mukden. March 10 is the 69th day of the year (70th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1905 (disambiguation). ...

Conclusion

Russian casualties included 110,000.^[3] The Russians had also lost most of their combat supplies. Fearing further Japanese advances, General Kuropatkin ordered that the town of Tieling be put to the torch, and marched his remaining men 10 days further north to a new defense line at Hspingkai (modern Siping, Jilin province, China). The Japanese forces suffered 75,000 casualties. Tieling (铁岭) is a city with several 100 000 inhabitants in Tieling prefecture of Liaoning province of the Peoples Republic of China. ... Siping is a process of cutting thin slits across a rubber surface to improve traction in wet or icy conditions. ... Jilin (Chinese: 吉林; pinyin: Jílín; Wade-Giles: Chi-lin; Postal System Pinyin: Kirin), is a province of the Peoples Republic of China located in the northeastern part of the country. ...

No serious fighting on land occurred after this battle.

Formations

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Battle of Mukden

• Connaughton, Richard (2003). Rising Sun and Tumbling Bear. Cassell. ISBN 0-304-36657-9
• Kowner, Rotem (2006). Historical Dictionary of the Russo-Japanese War. Scarecrow. ISBN 0-8108-4927-5
• Nish, Ian (1985). The Origins of the Russo-Japanese War. Longman. ISBN 0-582-49114-2
• Sedwick, F.R. (1909). The Russo-Japanese War. Macmillan.

1. ^ http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_New_Student%27s_Reference_Work/Russo-Japanese_War%2C_The
2. ^ http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_New_Student%27s_Reference_Work/Russo-Japanese_War%2C_The
3. ^ http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_New_Student%27s_Reference_Work/Russo-Japanese_War%2C_The