Essay Sample on Modern Wars: Russo-Japanese War & WWI Tactics & Weapons

Introduction

Modern wars used different weapons and military tactics, some of which are uniquely identified with a particular war. The Russo-Japanese War and World War 1 are some of the modern wars that have been experienced across the world war. The Russo-Japanese war is indeed seen as the conquest that ushered World War I based on the fact that it ended in 1905, and the latter started in 1914. The Russo-Japanese war though not widespread as it was a force between two powers, Russia and Japan, showcased a hefty use of warships as most of it was fought in the sea though it was direct combat. Bolt action rifles and machine guns were also used in such an instrumental way in the war. However, World War I came in a quite unprecedented nature. There was a shift in the dynamics of conflict. Sophisticated military technology was witnessed, and new tactics such as fire and maneuver, trench welfare, airpower, tanks, and infiltration tactics were witnessed. World War I showcased improved military ability, use of new tactics, and innovative propaganda than the Russo-Japanese war, which before then, was the most advanced military conquest.

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The Russo-Japanese war was a full-year conflict between the Russian and Japanese Empire. It happened between 1904 and 1905, but a significant share of the fighting took place in Northwestern China. Russia has been a dominant power, had issues with the Japanese expansion in the Manchuria region of China. The two had diplomatic disputes, and Russia had believed its economic and military power would prevent Japan from taking power. However, without even declaring war, Russia staged a surprise attack on the Russian navy at Port Arthur on February 8, 1904, sinking three of their navy vessels and killing thousands of the Russian soldiers. The tactic of the war from the very onset happened surprisingly (History.Com, 2018). The surprise tactic that was utilized by the Japanese army denied the Russians the time to prepare to combat the Japanese. The tactic could, however, be no longer used since, in 1907, the United Nations agreed that the only way to enter into war with another country was by a formal declaration of war.

Unlike the Russo-Japanese War, World War I was undertaken on a kind of more modernized approach. First, diplomatic problems erupted between Austria-Hungary and Serbia as a result of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife. The start of the war was, therefore, a formal declaration, and hence it was expected. World War I, thus, started a heavily arranged war. The Austrian government took the time to break diplomatic relations with Serbia and set out on military preparedness (Zabecki, 2015). Serbia, on the other hand, sought allies such as Russia to help it to combat the oncoming war. The propaganda of World War I, therefore, started with proclamation and arrangement of troops as well as weapons.

Instrumental differences between the Russo-Japanese War and World War I can also be seen in the weapons utilized. The Russo-Japanese war was more of direct combat. The war, therefore, was predominant of guns. Bolt-action rifles were the main weapons. Both Japanese and Russian troops used them. The rifles were believed to have a long-range, but they were consuming in that they had to be rotated and required primary extraction. The Japanese mainly used the Arisaka while the Russians used the Mosin-Nagant (Lanska, 2016). The Russians seemed to have been somewhat advanced in weapons because they used mines and the maxim machine gun in the war. Weapons that were used primarily for the war were limited based on probably the way that both sides expected it would fare on.

However, World War I brought a drastic change in the weapons that were used. Indeed, for the first time, military technology was sophisticated. Different sides used different weapons, most of which were lethal in combat. The war made use of some other weapons that had been used before, such as the machine guns. However, different war sides used repeating rifles, rapid-firing artillery, and others that had internal combustion engines. Tanks that had not been used in any other war before were also used in World War I (Zabecki, 2015). Different sides still believe that tanks were the most decisive weapon of the war. The tanks were better than the rifle in range and carried heavier caliber bullets. The tank also overrun machine gun positions making the war quite unmanageable for the sides that did not use tanks. The use of more advanced weapons made World War I a game-changer in how wars would be handled after it.

Military tactics between the Russo-Japanese War and World War I are also different. The Japanese seemed to have been the initiators of the war. The Japanese did not notify Russians of their attack. The strategy of Russia was to solve relations with Japan in a diplomatic manner. The attack, therefore, came overwhelmingly, and direct attacks on the Russian navy was unexpected (Lanska, 2016). Through direct combat, the Japanese destroyed the weapon power base of the Russians when they sunk their three warships. Most of the war happened on frontlines as every blockade the Russians established was destroyed by the Japanese (History.Com, 2018). Consequent battles such as the battles of Liaoyang, Manchuria, Korea, and Tsushima straits showcased the use of direct combat in a more effective way. The main goal, as seen from the Japanese, was to weaken the military ability of the Russians. After losing most of its significant battles, Russians struggled to maintain a competent edge sought to protect themselves. Regardless, direct combat had proved an effective mechanism, but its approach was risky and led to the loss of many lives, especially from the Russian side on the water.

On the other edge, World War I was more sophisticated in terms of approach. First, the war made a hefty use of air, land, and seafronts. The major battles were managed on land, and they involved fire and maneuver. Different powers sought to avoid open and direct combat as much as possible. Each power sought to suppress the other power farther and handle them from a distance. Trench warfare was another military tactic that was mainly used along the German, French and Belgian borders. Trenches were seen as a more helpful manner of shielding from direct combat and offered barrages, phase lines, and gave better firing positions (Zabecki, 2015). Air surveillance supported land combat where established communication systems were developed, offering adequate mobility. Lastly, the war made use of infiltration tactics, which were combat methodologies designed to invade the enemies, destabilize their weaponry, and disorganize their arrangements as a way to overrun them and force surrender. Infiltration did not often work as had been in the case of the Russo-Japanese and hefty loss of lives on the side of overpowered troops was witnessed as they retaliated infiltration.

The innovative propaganda of the Russo-Japanese war seemed was also quite intricate. The Japanese made use of the propaganda of displaying Russia's military power as weak. Their approach, which was to weaken their military ability, caused them to have the upper hand in the war. They could control much of the fights in the water while at the same time they would prevent a bargaining power after the Russians accepted defeat. On the other hand, the propaganda of World War I was quite intricate. Every side of the allies sought strategic victory. Unlike unprepared Russia, winning World War I depended on composure, operational levels established ad the scale of weapons as well as the allies made. The propaganda of World War I was in making large scale attacks and retaliations to prove the strength and protect the soldiers from each section effectively (Zabecki, 2015). Each division of the allied powers also shared efforts to conduct single battles of annihilation. While military propaganda used in the Russo-Japanese war was barely weakening of the opponents that of World War I dwelt in using better approaches that weakened the enemies. The propaganda of World War I was, therefore, more developed and showcased the need for preparedness and tactical strength.

Ultimately, the Russo-Japanese War and World War 1 were some of the wars which have seen modern tactics being used. The Russo-Japanese war came before World War 1, but it was modernized in terms of weapons as it utilized bolt-action rifles and machine guns. The primary tactics were direct combat, and the war was heavily directed towards suppressing the enemy. However, World War 1 was more advanced. It entailed the use of tactics that were quite intricate tactics, including sea, land, and air combat, and also the use of tanks and trenches, which were more modernized approaches. Military propaganda of World War 1 was even more advanced than that of the Russo-Japanese war. World War 1 was, therefore, a more sophisticated war that the Russo-Japanese war based on the advanced tactics, weapons, and innovative military propaganda that it entailed.

References

History.Com (2018, March 23) Russo-Japanese War. Retrieved April 21, 2020, from https://www.history.com/topics/korea/russo-japanese-war

Lanska, D. J. (2016). Elaboration of the visual pathways from the study of war-related cranial injuries: the period from the Russo-Japanese War to World War I. In War Neurology (Vol. 38, pp. 31-42). Karger Publishers. doi: 10.1159/000442567

Zabecki, D. (2015, May 7). Military Developments of World War I. International Encyclopedia of the First World War. Retrieved April 21, 2020, from https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/military_developments_of_world_war_i