Item number: M110

Year: AD 1906

Material: Bronze gilt

Size: case 105.0 x 56.8 x 22.1 / medal 29.4 x 80.5 x 2.0 mm

Weight: 29.3 g

Provenance: Private Collector, Taiwan, 2022

This medal is the “1904-1905 Russo-Japanese War Medal,” also known as the “Meiji 37-38 Military Service Medal,” which is established in the year AD 1906 (Meiji 39) of the Meiji Era, crafted from copper and plated in gold.

According to Imperial Decree No. 51 issued by the Emperor of Japan, recipients of this medal included military personnel, their families, and civilians who contributed to the military effort during the Russo-Japanese War between AD 1904 and AD 1905.

The appearance of this medal is a circular copper gilt medal. On the obverse side, the naval flag on the left and the army flag on the right intersect, with a chrysanthemum crest in the upper half and the imperial crest of paulownia leaves in the lower half (this design is the emblem of the Japanese government and also a secondary emblem of the imperial family). On the reverse side, laurel and oak branches decorate both sides, with the Japanese kanji characters “Meiji 37-38 Campaign” inscribed in seal script in the center. Above the fixed ribbon suspension, the words “Military Service Medal” are written, and the ribbon has three colors: white stripes on the sides with green stripes in between, and navy blue in the center.

The medal is stored in a rectangular wooden case, with the front surface adorned with gold-stamped clerical script inscription of the Japanese characters “明治卅七八年從軍記章” (Meiji 37-38 Military Service Medal).

The Russo-Japanese War constituted the first large-scale international conflict of the 20th centuries, 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 centuries. 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-AD 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-AD 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.

物件編號: M110

年代: 公元 1906 年

材質: 青銅鍍金

尺寸: 盒 105.0 x 56.8 x 22.1 / 獎章 29.4 x 80.5 x 2.0 mm

重量: 29.3 g

來源: 台灣私人收藏 2022

這枚獎章為「明治三十七八年從軍紀章」，頒布於公元1906年(明治三十九年)，材質為銅質鍍金。 

根據日本天皇頒布的《 敕令第五十一號》，此獎章的授予對象為在公元1904到公元1905年間參與日俄戰爭的陸海軍軍人軍屬、文官…等幫助軍務獲得功績者。 

該獎章的外觀為銅鍍金的圓形獎章，正面為左側的海軍旗幟與右側陸軍旗幟相互交叉，上半部分是菊紋章，下半部分為五七桐花葉的御紋章(該圖案是日本國政府的紋章，也是皇室的副紋章)。背面則有月桂及橡樹枝葉裝飾於兩側，中間以篆體寫有日本漢字「明治卅七八年戰役」。獎章上方固定綬帶的懸掛處寫有「從軍記章」的字樣，綬帶有三種顏色: 兩側為白色細條，夾帶綠色條紋，中央則為紺青色。

收納該物件的記章盒為長方形木盒，正面外觀以燙金隸書刻有「明治卅七八年從軍記章」的日本漢字。

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。