There are territorial disputes in the modern world. Only the Asia-Pacific region has several. The most serious of them is the territorial discussion over the Kuril Islands. Russia and Japan are its main participants. The situation on the cores, which are considered a kind of stumbling block between these states, looks like a dormant volcano. No one knows when he will begin his "eruption."
Discovery of the Kuril Islands
The archipelago, located on the border between the Sea of Okhotsk and the Pacific Ocean, is the Kuril Islands. It stretches from about. Hokkaido to the Kamchatka Peninsula. The territory of the Kuril Islands consists of 30 large tracts of land, surrounded on all sides by the waters of the sea and ocean, and a large number of small ones.
The first expedition from Europe, which turned out to be off the coast of the Kuril and Sakhalin, was Dutch navigators led by M. G. Frieze. This event occurred in 1634. They not only made the discovery of these lands, but also proclaimed them as Dutch territory.
The explorers of the Russian Empire also studied Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands:
- 1646 - discovery of the northwestern Sakhalin coast by an expedition of V. D. Poyarkov;
- 1697 - V.V. Atlasov becomes aware of the existence of islands.
At the same time, Japanese sailors begin to sail to the southern islands of the archipelago. By the end of the 18th century, there appeared the appearance of their trading posts and fishing, and somewhat later - scientific expeditions. A special role in the research belongs to M. Tokunai and M. Rinzo. Around the same time, an expedition from France and England appeared on the Kuril Islands.
The problem of discovering islands
The history of the Kuril Islands has still retained discussions on the issue of their discovery. The Japanese claim that they were the first to find these lands in 1644. The National Museum of Japanese History carefully stores a map of that time, on which the corresponding designations are applied. According to them, Russian people appeared there a little later, in 1711. In addition, the Russian map of this area, dated 1721, designates it as "Japanese Islands." That is, the discoverer of these lands was Japan.
The Kuril Islands in Russian history are first mentioned in a reporting document by N. I. Kolobov to Tsar Alexei from 1646 on the peculiarities of the wanderings of I. Yu. Moskvitin. Also, the data of chronicles and maps of medieval Holland, Scandinavia and Germany indicate indigenous Russian villages.
By the end of the 18th century, they officially joined the Russian lands, and the population of the Kuril Islands acquired Russian citizenship. At the same time, state taxes began to be charged here. But neither then, nor a little later, no bilateral Russian-Japanese treaty or international agreement was signed that would enshrine Russia's rights to these islands. In addition, their southern part was not under the authority and control of the Russians.
Kuril Islands and relations between Russia and Japan
The history of the Kuril Islands in the early 1840s is characterized by the intensification of the activities of the English, American and French expeditions in the north-west of the Pacific Ocean. This is due to a new surge in Russia's interest in establishing relations with the Japanese side, which are diplomatic and commercial in nature. Vice-Admiral E.V. Putyatin in 1843 initiated the idea of equipping a new expedition to Japanese and Chinese territories. But she was rejected by Nicholas I.
Later, in 1844, he was supported by I.F. Kruzenshtern. But even this did not receive the support of the emperor.
During this period, a Russian-American company took active steps to establish good relations with a neighboring country.
The first treaty between Japan and Russia
The problem of the Kuril Islands was resolved in 1855, when Japan and Russia signed the first treaty. Before this, a fairly lengthy negotiation process took place. It began with the arrival of Putyatin in Shimoda in late autumn 1854. But soon negotiations were interrupted by an intense earthquake. A serious complication was the Crimean War and the support provided by the French and English rulers to the Turks.
The main provisions of the contract:
- establishing diplomatic ties between these countries;
- protection and patronage, as well as ensuring the inviolability of property of subjects of one power in the territory of another;
- drawing the border between the states located near the islands of Urup and Iturup of the Kuril archipelago (preserving the territory of Sakhalin indivisible);
- opening of some ports for Russian sailors, permission to conduct trade here under the supervision of local officials;
- the appointment of a Russian consul at one of these ports;
- granting the right to extraterritoriality;
- obtaining the status of the most favored nation by Russia.
Japan also received permission from Russia to trade in the port of Korsakov, located on the territory of Sakhalin, for 10 years. A consulate of the country was established here. At the same time, any trade and customs duties were excluded.
The attitude of countries to the Treaty
A new stage, which includes the history of the Kuril Islands, is the signing of the Russian-Japanese treaty of 1875. It caused mixed reviews from representatives of these countries. Japanese citizens believed that the government did the wrong thing by exchanging Sakhalin for an “insignificant ridge of pebbles” (as they called the Kuril Islands).
Others simply made statements about exchanging one territory of the country for another. Most of them were inclined to think that sooner or later a day would come when the war would nevertheless come to the Kuril Islands. The dispute between Russia and Japan will escalate into hostilities, and battles between the two countries will begin.
The Russian side also assessed the situation in a similar way. Most representatives of this state believed that the entire territory belonged to them as pioneers. Therefore, the treaty of 1875 did not become the act that once and for all determined the demarcation between the countries. He also could not be a means of preventing further conflicts between them.
Russian-Japanese war
The history of the Kuril Islands continues, and the next impetus to the complication of Russian-Japanese relations was the war. It took place, despite the existence of treaties concluded between these states. In 1904, the treacherous attack of Japan on the territory of Russia took place. This happened before the start of hostilities was officially announced.
The Japanese fleet attacked the Russian ships that were on the outer roads of Port Artois. Thus, part of the most powerful ships belonging to the Russian squadron was disabled.
The most significant events of 1905:
- the largest land battle of Mukden in the history of mankind at that time, which took place on February 5-24 and ended with the withdrawal of the Russian army;
- The Tsushima battle in late May, culminating in the destruction of the Russian Baltic squadron.
Despite the fact that the course of events in this war was in the best possible shape in favor of Japan, it was forced to enter into peace negotiations. This was due to the fact that the country's economy was very exhausted by military events. On August 9, a peace conference between the war veterans began in Portsmouth.
The reasons for the defeat of Russia in the war
Despite the fact that the conclusion of a peace treaty determined to some extent the situation in which the Kuril Islands were, the dispute between Russia and Japan did not stop. This caused a significant number of protests in Tokyo, but the consequences of the war were very tangible for the country.
During this conflict, the complete destruction of the Pacific Fleet of Russia took place, more than 100 thousand of its soldiers were killed. Also, there was a halt in the expansion of the Russian state to the East. The results of the war were indisputable evidence that royal policy was so weak.
This was one of the main foundations of revolutionary action in 1905-1907.
The most important reasons for the defeat of Russia in the war of 1904-1905.
- The presence of diplomatic isolation of the Russian Empire.
- The absolute unpreparedness of the country's troops to conduct combat operations in difficult situations.
- Shameless betrayal of domestic stakeholders and the incapacity of most Russian generals.
- The high level of development and preparedness of the military and economic sphere of Japan.
Until now, the unresolved Kuril issue is a great danger. After the Second World War, a peace treaty was not signed on its results. Russian people, like the population of the Kuril Islands, have absolutely no benefit from this dispute. Moreover, this state of affairs contributes to the generation of hostility between countries. It is the speedy resolution of such a diplomatic issue as the problem of the Kuril Islands that is the key to good neighborly relations between Russia and Japan.