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Mukden Jan. 26-Mar 10, 1905
Strategic Context
The Sino-Japanese War brings the Russian and Japanese spheres of influence in Manchuria and Korea in conflict. In 1898, Russia’s lease on Port Arthur, its gateway port to the Far East, expires, intensifying Japan’s grievances. In 1904, the Japanese launch a surprise attack on Port Arthur, besieging it, and pushing into Manchuria. Aleksey Kuropatkin’s Russian armies seek to delay Iwao Oyama’s steadily advancing Japanese armies, leading to bloody, inconclusive stalemates. Nonetheless, the Japanese still hold the initiative in January 1905 when Port Arthur surrenders, freeing up Japanese 3. Army for the upcoming battle at Mukden.
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Stakes
+ A Russian victory would halt Japanese advances and provide bargaining power against the dwarfed Japanese economy.
+ A Japanese victory would confirm the possibility that Europeans are not invincible and remove Russian threats to newly-acquired lands in Manchuria.
By Jonathan Webb, 2009

2. Mukden, 1905 Strength Russian Army Well Japanese Army Well
Aleksey Kuropatkin
Oyama Iwao
276,000
270,000
By Jonathan Webb, 2009

3. Northeast Asia c. 1904

4. Russian Army Japanese Army
The battlefield consists of austere, snowy plans in the west, and rugged hills to the east. A few major rivers run through the battlefield, generally running toward the southwest. The two major urban features are Mukden to the north and Liaoyang to the south, both of which sit astride the major railroad running north-south. This railroad and its adjacent road comprise the major supply route for any army in this terrain, making it the key terrain. 10 20
30 km
Russian Army
(Kuropatkin)
Ka-ma-lin Mountains
Liao Ho River
Mukden
Ta-lin Mountains
Sha Ho River
Hun Ho River
Tai-tzu River
Japanese Army
(Oyama)
Liaoyang

5. Russian Army Japanese Army
Oyama pins 1. Manchu Army with his own 1. and 4. Armies and attacks aggressively with 5. Army but gains little ground because of the recently arrived Russian reinforcements. Meanwhile, Nogi’s 3. Army begins its long detour, brushing aside the Russian cavalry. Heavy combat rages on his left so Kuropatkin dismisses the attack on his right to be a minor threat, sending only scant support.
Kuropatkin opens his offensive with a thrust from 2. Manchu Army but halts it immediately amid the rising action on his left flank: Kuroki’s 1. Army pins Linevich’s attention while Kawamura’s 5. Army surprises his detached units, sending them fleeing to the main line. Kuropatkin begins the arduous process of shifting units from his extreme right to meet this new threat on his extreme left.
Kuropatkin suddenly realizes the danger 2. Manchu Army is in: Oyama is holding Kaul’baurs’ attention by assaulting in full scale with 2. and 4. Armies while Nogi’s 3. Army continues its menacing advance. Kuropatkin desperately screens his right flank with insufficient forces to gain time for recalled units from his extreme left to return.
Kuropatkin divides his force into three armies and deploys south of Mukden along a front facing Oyama’s force, which is divided into four armies. Oyama slyly deploys another force, 5. Army, in the eastern mountainous region, unknown to Kuropatkin. Oyama anticipates a partial Russian offensive, but one not large enough to disrupt his aspirations of a double envelopment; Oyama plans wide flanking attacks against both Russian flanks by Kawamura’s 5. Army, and then Nogi’s 3. Army, while his center pins Russian reserves. 10 20
30 km
Russian Army
(Kuropatkin)
3. Manchurian Army (Bil’derling)
1. Manchurian Army (Linevich)
Landmarks
2. Manchurian Army (Kaul’bars)
Ka-ma-lin Mountains
Symbol guide
Liao Ho River
3. Manchurian Army (Bil’derling)
2. Manchurian Army (Kaul’bars)
1. Manchurian Army (Linevich)
Russian Army Japanese Army
Infantry Infantry
Cavalry Cavalry
Mukden
Ta-lin Mountains
Sha Ho River
Hun Ho River
Russian Army
(Aleksey Kuropatkin)
276,000
Japanese Army
(Oyama Iwao)
270,000
3. Army
(Nogi)
Tai-tzu River
2. Army
(Oku)
4. Army
(Nodzu)
1. Army
(Kuroki)
5. Army
(Kawamura)
Japanese Army
(Oyama)
5. Army
(Kawamura)
Liaoyang

6. Russian Army Japanese Army
Kuropatkin suddenly realizes the danger 2. Manchu Army is in: Oyama is holding Kaul’baurs’ attention by assaulting in full scale with 2. and 4. Armies while Nogi’s 3. Army continues its menacing advance. Kuropatkin desperately screens his right flank with insufficient forces to gain time for recalled units from his extreme left to return.
Kuropatkin counterattacks on his right but Oyama’s dispositions have since changed, and so the Russian attack meets 3. Army head-on rather than in its flank. Casualties mount in the fierce struggle but fresh Japanese reserves restore the front to its prior position. Consequently, Kuropatkin withdraws 1. and 3. Manchu Armies behind the Hun Ho River to shorten and strengthen his line against the expected Japanese onslaught.
Kaul’bars attacks Nogi’s left flank but becomes separated from his staff and withdraws in confusion. Communications again fail when Kuropatkin’s reinforcements to his right are deployed incorrectly, both assigned to guard the same place. Oyama reacts by sending his reserve to his left and executing a sharp advance that displaces the Russian line. 10 20
30 km
Russian Army
(Kuropatkin)
3. Manchurian Army (Bil’derling)
1. Manchurian Army (Linevich)
Landmarks
2. Manchurian Army (Kaul’bars)
Ka-ma-lin Mountains
Symbol guide
Liao Ho River
Russian Army Japanese Army
Infantry Infantry
Cavalry Cavalry
Mukden
Ta-lin Mountains
Sha Ho River
Hun Ho River
Russian Army
(Aleksey Kuropatkin)
276,000
Japanese Army
(Oyama Iwao)
270,000
3. Army
(Nogi)
Tai-tzu River
2. Army
(Oku)
4. Army
(Nodzu)
1. Army
(Kuroki)
5. Army
(Kawamura)
Japanese Army
(Oyama)
Liaoyang

7. Russian Army Japanese Army
Kuropatkin counterattacks on his right but Oyama’s dispositions have since changed: and so the Russian attack meets 3. Army head on rather than in its flank. Casualties mount in the fierce struggle but fresh Japanese reserves restore the front to its prior position. Consequently, Kuropatkin withdraws 1. and 3. Manchu Armies behind the Hun Ho River to shorten and strengthen his line against the expected Japanese onslaught.
1. Manchu Army escapes relatively unscathed while 2. and 3. Manchu Armies fight a series of costly rearguard actions to avoid complete encirclement. A few Russian units surrender but most battered remnants are able to flee north. The Japanese force is so thoroughly exhausted that Oyama can only undertake a lazy, token pursuit.
Kuropatkin mistakenly believes the river to be a secure barrier and siphons even more units from his left and center to save his crumbling right. However, Kuroki detects the critical weakness between 1. and 3. Manchu Armies and quickly exploits it, tearing a hole in the Russian center; this is followed by a concentrated thrust by Nogi that shatters Kaul’bars lead units. Kuropatkin assigns units to try to contain these thrusts but his position is clearly perilous. 10 20
30 km
Russian Army
(Kuropatkin)
3. Manchurian Army (Bil’derling)
1. Manchurian Army (Linevich)
Landmarks
2. Manchurian Army (Kaul’bars)
Ka-ma-lin Mountains
Symbol guide
Liao Ho River
Russian Army Japanese Army
Infantry Infantry
Cavalry Cavalry
Mukden
Ta-lin Mountains
Sha Ho River
Hun Ho River
Russian Army
(Aleksey Kuropatkin)
276,000
Japanese Army
(Oyama Iwao)
270,000
3. Army
(Nogi)
Tai-tzu River
2. Army
(Oku)
4. Army
(Nodzu)
1. Army
(Kuroki)
5. Army
(Kawamura)
Japanese Army
(Oyama)
Liaoyang

8. Mukden, 1905 Casualties & Aftermath
Russian Army:
Japanese Army:
90,000 or
33%
70,000 or
26%
Although the Japanese scored a respectable victory, the effect on the Russians was largely psychological. The Japanese were at the limit of their supply lines and their economy was struggling while the Russians had an effective railway and vast, untapped industry. In May 1905, the Russian Baltic Fleet finally arrives in the Pacific, but is promptly and decisively defeated at the Battle of Tshushima. The Russian government, command, and public were shocked that a small Asian nation could defeat them and each sector wished for mediation to end the war. The Battle of Mukden was the final land battle in the war. The war ended in September 1905 with the Treaty of Portsmouth, confirming Japan’s influence in Korea and Manchuria.
By Jonathan Webb, 2009

9. The Art of Battle: Animated Battle Maps
By Jonathan Webb, 2009