Foreign Policy
1870-1892
Foreign Policy
1905-1914






Russian Foreign Policy, 1894-1905



In 1891 a Russian delegation at Berlin, wishing to extend the German-Russian REINSURANCE TREATY, was shown by the German government a similar alliance the latter (secretly) had with Austria-Hungary. This was taken by Russia as an affront; in 1892/94 a FRANCO-RUSSIAN ALLIANCE was signed, which was to become the cornerstone for Russian foreign policy for the next 20 years. French capital invested in Russia, among others in the TRANSIB.
In 1894/95 Japan defeated China in the SINO-JAPANESE WAR; China had to cede Taiwan, Korea and accept Japanese occupation of South Manchuria - a development which deprived Russia of the opportunity to gain a harbour on the (close) Manchurian coast. France, Germany and Russia formed the EAST ASIATIC TRIPLE ALLIANCE (1895), forcing Japan to give up her gain in South Manchuria. In 1897/1898 the triple alliance powers then established themselves in China - France at Kwangchouan, Germany at Kiautschou, Russia at PORT ARTHUR - now finally having realized Peter the Great's dream of a port ice-free year round.

Britain long had eyed at Russian expansion with suspicion. In 1894/95 it had to realize that China was not the bulwark to stop further Russian expansion Britain had hoped it to be, an impression which was intensified during the chaotic BOXER REBELLION 1900-1901. In 1898 the British leased WEIHAIWEI in northern Shantung - a place with little economic value, but from where Russian fleet movements (Port Arthur) could be observed. In 1902 the ANGLO-JAPANESE ALLIANCE was formed, obviously directed against Russia. The British aided Japan in the construction of her fleet.
In the meantime a Japanese-instigated palace coup in Korea (1897) went wrong; the king and crown prince managed to seek refuge in the Russian embassy, where they were given protection, Russia thus becoming a political factor counterbalancing Japanese influence on the peninsula (drawn in by the Koreans, who were the active partner in this relationship). Thus Korea provided another bone of contention in Russo-Japanese relations.
In the expedition sent to suppress the Boxer rebellion in China, Russia contributed the second largest contingent, after Japan : 4,393 men.
In 1904, before the Transib was completed, the Japanese attacked the Russians without previously declaring war (the RUSSO-JAPANESE WAR). Russia suffered a humiliating defeat; South Manchuria, with Port Arthur, as well as the southern half of SAKHALIN were ceded to Japan.







EXTERNAL
FILES 		Library of Congress, Country Studies : Russia Imperialism in Asia and the Russo-Japanese War
Student essay : Causes of the Franco-Prussian Alliance
Russia's involvement in the Boxer Rebellion, by Rurik
DOCUMENTS German Diplomatic Documents : The Sino-Japanese War and the East Asiatic Triple Alliance 1895, from Mt. Holyoke
The Franco-Russian Alliance Military Convention - August 18, 1892, from Avalon Project, also from BYU, and from J. O'Brien
REFERENCE


This page is part of World History at KMLA
First posted in 2000, last revised on November 8th 2004

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