Anatomy of the Tsushima Incident of 1861. A Look Through the Prism of the Participants’ Diaries

Abstract

In 1854, the Japanese state had to abandon its 215-year policy of seclusion and unwittingly became part of the world community. Simultaneously, the Crimean War of 1853–1856, the scope of which extended beyond the boundaries of Crimea, raged, with military operations taking place even in the Pacific Ocean. Efimy Vasilyevich Putyatin (1803–1883) eventually succeeded in establishing diplomatic relations between the Russian Empire and Japan in 1855 with the signing of the so-called Shimoda Treaty, despite the challenging circumstances.
After the unfavorable results of the Crimean War for the Russian Empire, the rivalry between Russia and Britain within the context of the “Great Game” continued, and Japan was affected by it already in 1861. The strategically located island of Tsushima caught the attention of the Russian and English fleets. But Russia’s attempt to establish a foothold there failed, and not without the involvement of British diplomats and the military. The so-called “Tsushima Incident,” on the one hand, showed the boundaries of Russia’s capabilities in the Far East at that time. On the other hand, it became the first open conflict between the Russians and the Japanese since the “Golovnin Incident” of 1811, increasing the latters’ fear of the threat from north. Through its mediation, Great Britain was able to further solidify its relations with the Land of the Rising Sun and demonstrated its capabilities in Japan.