Manchukuo Port Arthur Panoramic 1905 Real Photo Postcard
Port Arthur (Ryojunko), situated on the Liaodong Peninsula, was a deep-water, ice-free naval base of immense strategic importance in East Asia during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Originally leased by Russia from China in 1898 following the Triple Intervention, it became a key Russian Pacific fleet base and a central point of contention in the escalating imperial rivalries between Russia and Japan. Its strategic value was rooted in controlling access to Manchuria and Korea, making it a critical prize in the upcoming Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905).
The postcard, dated April 27, 1905, captures Port Arthur shortly after its capture by Japan, following the brutal and lengthy Siege of Port Arthur (August 1904 – January 1905). General Baron Maresuke Nogi, the commander of the Japanese Third Army who led the successful siege, is explicitly named, indicating his receipt or sending of congratulations related to this pivotal victory. The fall of Port Arthur was a major blow to Russia and a significant triumph for Japan, cementing its status as a rising military and colonial power in East Asia and fundamentally altering the region's geopolitical landscape.
The postcard, dated April 27, 1905, captures Port Arthur shortly after its capture by Japan, following the brutal and lengthy Siege of Port Arthur (August 1904 – January 1905). General Baron Maresuke Nogi, the commander of the Japanese Third Army who led the successful siege, is explicitly named, indicating his receipt or sending of congratulations related to this pivotal victory. The fall of Port Arthur was a major blow to Russia and a significant triumph for Japan, cementing its status as a rising military and colonial power in East Asia and fundamentally altering the region's geopolitical landscape.
