ABSTRACT
The conflicts between Russia and Japan began after the Sino-Japanese War (18941895), when Russia gained permission from China to establish a base at the town of Port Arthur on the Liaotung Peninsula and to extend the Trans-Siberian Railroad across Manchuria, both Chinese territories. After Russia refused to withdraw troops from Manchuria in 1903, the Japanese launched a surprise attack on Port Arthur in February 1904. The Japanese military, which had won the Sino-Japanese war, had steadily increased its numbers, its weaponry, and its efficiency. Japanese troops swarmed into Korea in the next month, and in May another wave of troops entered the Liaotung Peninsula, preparing to besiege Port Arthur.
