ABSTRACT
In January 1904 the Russo-Japanese war seemed unavoidable and Benckendorff postponed his regular winter visit to St Petersburg. On 7 February Lansdowne told Benckendorff that the Japanese would desist from war if Russia signed a treaty with China pledging to abandon its claim to Manchuria. On 26 January/8 February 1904, without declaring war, the Japanese United Fleet attacked the Russian warships near Port Arthur. Benckendorff's invariable sympathy with all British actions did not impress Lamsdorff, but during the war this conciliatory attitude became useful. Count Benckendorff opposed the suggestions of the military that Russia should advance in Turkestan or send agents to the Amir unless directly provoked by the British. The outbreak of the war delayed by several months the discussions of the Afghanistan and Tibet issues and presented Britain with an opportunity to move to more favourable positions. The Constantinople legation agreed with Benckendorff that a rapprochement with Britain was the best way to avoid a dependence on Germany.
