Item number: M72

Year: AD 1905

Material: Silver

Size: case 61.26 x 48.73 x 18.24 / medal 28.97 x 22.79 mm

Weight: case 10.19 / medal 5.46 g

Provenance: Quan Jian Zhai 2022

The Russo-Japanese War constituted the first large-scale international conflict of the 20th century, holding a paramount significance in both international political history and military history. This war precipitated a profound transformation in the power dynamics of the Far East region at the beginning of the 20th century. Japan, having emerged victorious, witnessed an unprecedented surge in national confidence and militarism. Apart from its significant impact on the international politics of the early 20th century in the Far East, the Russo-Japanese War also sowed the seeds for the later Pacific War between Japan and the United States during the Second World War.

The tension between Japan and Russia could traced back to the first Sino-Japanese war. Following the First Sino-Japanese War of AD 1894-1895, Russia, along with Germany and France, compelled Japan to relinquish the Liaodong Peninsula. Subsequently, Russia incorporated the peninsula into its sphere of influence, laying the groundwork for future conflicts between Japan and Russia. During the Boxer Rebellion(AD 1899-1901), Russia, citing the protection of the Trans-Siberian Railway, occupied the entire territory of the Three Eastern Provinces (Manchuria). Despite numerous negotiations, China and Russia signed the “Agreement between Russia and China with Regard to Manchuria” on April 8, AD 1902, stipulating the return of the provinces to China, with Russian troops to withdraw in three phases over 18 months. However, when Russia failed to adhere to the withdrawal schedule in April AD 1903, and instead increased its military presence, it sparked anti-Russian sentiments in China and further intensified the conflicts between Japan and Russia in Northeast China. Combined with the escalating competition between Japan and Russia in Korea, the Russo-Japanese War erupted in AD 1904.

The obverse side of this commemorative medal is inscribed with Qin script “凱旋紀念” (Commemoration For Victory), while the reverse side features the same script with the engraving “東京凱旋軍歡迎會” (Tokyo Welcoming Ceremony for the Returning Army), surrounded at the top by Qin script characters for “明治三十七八年戰役” (The Thirty-Seventh and Thirty-Eighth Years of the Meiji Era War). The medal is stored within a wooden box, the front of which bears the inscription “卅七ハ年戦役に依り東京歓迎會り” (In Commemoration of the Thirty-Seventh-Year War, Tokyo Welcoming Event). The lower-left portion of the box includes the name of the owner, “利十郎” (Toshirou).

物件編號: M72

年代: 公元 1905 年

材質: 銀

尺寸: 盒 61.26 x 48.73 x 18.24 / 獎章 28.97 x 22.79 mm

重量: 盒 10.19 / 獎章 5.46 g

來源: 泉鑒齋 2022

日俄戰爭是二十世紀第一場大規模的國際戰爭，在國際政治史、軍事史上都佔有極其重要的地位。日俄戰爭改變了二十世紀初遠東地區的權力平衡，日本經此一役，其民族自信和軍國主義達到了前所未有的狀態，除了對二十世紀初遠束的國際政治所帶來的重大影響，也為日後第二次世界大戰時的日美太平洋戰爭埋下了隱患。 

日俄兩國矛盾可追溯到甲午戰爭，公元1894-1895年所爆發的中日甲午戰爭結束後，俄國聯合德、法迫使日本歸還遼東半烏，隨後又將其納入自己的勢力範圍，給日俄衝突埋下了隱患。八國聯軍期間，俄國以保設中東鐵路為由，佔領了東三省全境。中俄經過多次交涉，於公元1902年4月8日簽訂《交收東三省條約》，規定東三省歸還中國，俄軍在18個月内分三期全部撤回。公元1903年4月，俄國在第二期撤兵期限到時，不僅不撤，反而又達約增兵，激起了中國人民的拒俄運動，也激化了日俄在中國東北的矛盾，加上日俄兩國在朝鮮上的競爭日益加劇，最終在公元1904年爆發了日俄戰爭。

此紀念章正面以小篆刻上「凱旋紀念」，背面以同樣的字體刻上「東京凱旋軍歡迎會」，上方被小篆體的「明治三十七八年戰役」環繞。此紀念章被放於木盒內，盒子的正面寫有「卅七ハ年戦役に依り東京歓迎會り（東京歡迎會，紀念三十七八年戰役）。」左下有擁有者的名字「利十郎」。