Exactly 115 years ago, on September 5, 1905, the Treaty of Portsmouth was signed between the Russian and Japanese empires, which ended the hostilities between them. However, its conditions were much softer than the defeated Russia anticipated.
1. In fact, it wasn’t so bad for Russia
The Russo-Japanese war turned out to be a catastrophe for Russia. The country couldn’t win a single major battle and suffered one of the worst naval defeats in its history in the Tsushima Strait in late May of 1905. Everything indicated that the Russians would pay a high price. However, the tsar’s diplomats, led by Sergey Witte, held a firm position, surprisingly rejecting most of Japan’s demands. Tokyo itself hadn’t much resources left to continue the conflict and was forced to ask less from its defeated opponent.
