1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:02,080 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of I 2 00:00:02,200 --> 00:00:09,200 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Greetings everyone, Welcome to this Day in History Class, 3 00:00:09,480 --> 00:00:13,960 Speaker 1: where we learn a smidgen of history every day. Today 4 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:25,080 Speaker 1: it's made seven nineteen. The day was made seven nineteen 5 00:00:25,120 --> 00:00:29,600 Speaker 1: o five. The Battle of Sushima, a major naval battle 6 00:00:29,720 --> 00:00:32,440 Speaker 1: during the Russo Japanese War of nineteen o four to 7 00:00:32,520 --> 00:00:36,080 Speaker 1: nineteen o five, began. By the end of battle the 8 00:00:36,159 --> 00:00:41,760 Speaker 1: next day, the Japanese had defeated the Russian navy. Russia 9 00:00:41,840 --> 00:00:45,720 Speaker 1: and Japan had been fighting for control in Korea and Manchuria. 10 00:00:46,440 --> 00:00:49,200 Speaker 1: When Russia reneged on an agreement to pull its troops 11 00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:54,400 Speaker 1: from Manchuria, Japan decided to attack. So the Russo Japanese 12 00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:57,720 Speaker 1: War began in nineteen o four when Japan attacked Russian 13 00:00:57,720 --> 00:01:02,080 Speaker 1: warships at Port Arthur on the Dung Peninsula in southern Manchuria. 14 00:01:03,320 --> 00:01:06,200 Speaker 1: The last major battle of the land war was fought 15 00:01:06,240 --> 00:01:09,200 Speaker 1: in February. In March of nineteen oh five and what 16 00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:14,000 Speaker 1: was then Mukden, Manchuria. In the Battle of Mukden, Russian 17 00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:18,280 Speaker 1: forces retreated to northern Manchuria and the Japanese occupied all 18 00:01:18,360 --> 00:01:22,240 Speaker 1: of southern Manchuria, but the Battle of Sishima was the 19 00:01:22,280 --> 00:01:26,920 Speaker 1: fight that secured Japanese dominance in the conflict. The Russian 20 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:31,800 Speaker 1: Baltic Fleet, commanded by Admiral Zenovi Rajastinsky, had sailed from 21 00:01:31,880 --> 00:01:36,679 Speaker 1: Leepia in October nineteen o four. In early May, the 22 00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:40,160 Speaker 1: fleet reached the China Sea and was headed for Vladivostok, 23 00:01:40,560 --> 00:01:44,000 Speaker 1: a port city near Russia's borders with China and Korea 24 00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:49,360 Speaker 1: via the Sishima Strait, but Admiral Togo Hahachio, the commander 25 00:01:49,400 --> 00:01:52,720 Speaker 1: of the Japanese Combined Fleet, was preparing his fleet for 26 00:01:52,760 --> 00:01:57,080 Speaker 1: battle on the Korean coast near Poussan. Togo's fleet consisted 27 00:01:57,160 --> 00:02:00,800 Speaker 1: of four battleships, twenty seven cruisers and may need destroyers 28 00:02:00,800 --> 00:02:04,880 Speaker 1: and torpedo boats. While Togo's fleet was thoroughly trained and 29 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:09,800 Speaker 1: used high explosive shells, the Russians used armor piercing rounds 30 00:02:09,919 --> 00:02:12,320 Speaker 1: and had a fleet that was largely old and not 31 00:02:12,480 --> 00:02:15,560 Speaker 1: in the greatest shape. The crews also were not as 32 00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:19,639 Speaker 1: experienced as the Russians tried to go through the strait. 33 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:24,920 Speaker 1: At around four am on May seven h five, the 34 00:02:24,960 --> 00:02:29,080 Speaker 1: picket cruiser Shinano Madu sent a wireless message to Togo 35 00:02:29,480 --> 00:02:34,520 Speaker 1: regarding the fleet's position. Intercepted wireless signals informed the Russians 36 00:02:34,600 --> 00:02:38,160 Speaker 1: that they have been discovered in that Japanese scouting cruisers 37 00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:42,960 Speaker 1: were shadowing them. The wireless reports that Japanese scouting vessels 38 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:46,680 Speaker 1: sent gave the Japanese an advantage in the foggy conditions. 39 00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:53,120 Speaker 1: Around one PM, the Japanese spotted the Russians as the 40 00:02:53,120 --> 00:02:56,280 Speaker 1: battle ensued. Command on the Russian side went to rear 41 00:02:56,360 --> 00:03:01,240 Speaker 1: Admiral Nikolai Nearbagata. The next morning, as Togo proceeded to 42 00:03:01,280 --> 00:03:05,400 Speaker 1: inflict damage on the Russian fleet, Nibogatov signaled a surrender 43 00:03:05,400 --> 00:03:09,440 Speaker 1: at ten thirty four in the morning. The Japanese continued 44 00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:12,480 Speaker 1: to sink Russian ships. Through the speed of his fleet 45 00:03:12,520 --> 00:03:15,760 Speaker 1: and competence of his crews, Toga was able to defeat 46 00:03:15,760 --> 00:03:20,040 Speaker 1: the Russians. The battle was the only decisive fleet action 47 00:03:20,240 --> 00:03:24,320 Speaker 1: fought by steel battleships. The Russian fleet was basically destroyed, 48 00:03:24,360 --> 00:03:27,679 Speaker 1: with twenty one ships sunk, several captured and interned in 49 00:03:27,760 --> 00:03:32,560 Speaker 1: neutral ports, and three ships escaped to Vladivostok. On the 50 00:03:32,639 --> 00:03:35,920 Speaker 1: Russian side, four thousand, three hundred and eighty people were 51 00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:39,840 Speaker 1: killed and five thousand, nine hundred and seventeen were captured. 52 00:03:40,800 --> 00:03:44,839 Speaker 1: On the Japanese side, three torpedo boats were destroyed, five 53 00:03:44,920 --> 00:03:47,880 Speaker 1: hundred and eighty three people were wounded, and one hundred 54 00:03:47,880 --> 00:03:52,440 Speaker 1: and seventeen people were killed. Japan grew in prominence as 55 00:03:52,480 --> 00:03:55,920 Speaker 1: a naval power, while Russia declined as a naval power. 56 00:03:57,000 --> 00:04:00,640 Speaker 1: The Japanese victory at Tsushima and political unrest in Russia 57 00:04:01,080 --> 00:04:04,000 Speaker 1: led to a peace treaty signed in September of nineteen 58 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:08,560 Speaker 1: o five that formally ended the Russo Japanese War. In 59 00:04:08,600 --> 00:04:12,000 Speaker 1: the Treaty of Portsmouth, which was mediated by US President 60 00:04:12,040 --> 00:04:16,359 Speaker 1: Theodore Roosevelt, Russia recognized Japan as the dominant power in 61 00:04:16,440 --> 00:04:20,400 Speaker 1: Korea and gave Port Arthur the seven portion of Sakaleine 62 00:04:20,440 --> 00:04:25,560 Speaker 1: Island and the Laotong Peninsula to Japan. In nineteen o five, 63 00:04:25,800 --> 00:04:29,320 Speaker 1: the Russian Revolution broke out throughout the Russian Empire and 64 00:04:29,440 --> 00:04:32,679 Speaker 1: cited by the defeat in the Russo Japanese War and 65 00:04:32,760 --> 00:04:37,440 Speaker 1: the desire for reform. I'm Eve Jeffcote, and hopefully you 66 00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:40,839 Speaker 1: know a little more about history today than you did yesterday. 67 00:04:41,720 --> 00:04:44,320 Speaker 1: And if you haven't gotten your fill of history after 68 00:04:44,400 --> 00:04:48,920 Speaker 1: listening to today's episode, you can follow us on Twitter, Instagram, 69 00:04:48,960 --> 00:04:54,280 Speaker 1: and Facebook. At t d i h C podcast. Thank 70 00:04:54,320 --> 00:04:56,839 Speaker 1: you so much for listening and I hope to see 71 00:04:56,839 --> 00:05:05,200 Speaker 1: you again tomorrow for more tidbits of history. Yeah. For 72 00:05:05,279 --> 00:05:07,440 Speaker 1: more podcasts from My Heart Radio, visit the I Heart 73 00:05:07,480 --> 00:05:10,040 Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 74 00:05:10,040 --> 00:05:10,679 Speaker 1: favorite shows.