The 3D Movie: The Battle of Tsushima
Introduction: This is an awesome and well-made 3D historical movie, based on the legendary Battle of Tsushima. It was produced by Warner Bros and was directed by Steven Spielberg, one of the greatest directors from Hollywood. The movie is rated as PG-13 and lasts for 2 hour and 13 minutes. This movie is showed in the Tsushima Theater in the Russian Area of our theme park. It introduces the causes and the outcomes of the Russo-Japanese War and uses a lot of efforts to narrate the Battle of Tsushima. It provides detailed information of the Russo-Japanese War and rebuilds the tragic scenes of the Battle of Tsushima. The main character of the movie, Alexander(acted by Leonardo DiCaprio) was a Russian sailor who served in the Baltic Fleet. After the war began, he left his girlfriend and family and started his long and ominous journey towards Eastern Asia...
A Trailer of the 3D Movie
Background Information
The Russo-Japanese War started, because Russia and Japan all desired to expand their power into Northeastern China and Korea. Nicholas II, the ambitious Czar of the Russian Empire, eagerly wanted to strengthen his controls of the Far East. In 1859, Russia built Vladivostok, which helped Russia to have access to the Pacific Ocean, with the agreement of China. It made Russia possible to maintain a fleet in Far East and to use military power in order to expand the empire. In 1889, Russia forced China the borrow Port Arthur(Lushun) which was a significant naval base and helped Russia to control the Liaodtung Peninsular in China. After the Sino-Japanese War, Russia also joined the other European powers and forced Japan to give up its control of the Liaotung Peninsular which was supposed to be given to Japan by China. This really angered Japan and caused the hostility between the two nations. Furthermore, Russia formed an alliance with China in 1896 against Japan, in order to build the Trans-Siberian Railroad to Vladivostok on Chinese territories and to gain parts of Northeastern Asia. This also irritated Japan which was also interested in controlling Northeastern Asia.
In February 8th 1904, Japanese declared war on Russia with the support of Great Britain. The Japanese troops began to attack Port Arthur(Lushun) just after 3 hours of the war declaration. By August, more than 100, 000 Japanese soldiers besieged Port Arthur and used gunfire, artillery, mortars, mines and tunnels to destroy the fortification of Port Arthur(Lushun). The Japanese fleet also surrounded the port in order to prevent the Russians from escaping and to make it impossible for Russian to receive any supplies. After 4 months, Japanese conquered Port Arthur, when it was one week before the Bloody Sunday. About 6,000 Russians died, around 24,000 Russians got injured, and more than 20,000 Russians were captured by Japanese troops. The Russian Pacific fleet was also destroyed by Japanese battleships. As a result, Russia lost its only fortification in that area and its strategical advantages. At the same time, the Russian government was also hugely humiliated by this failure against Japan.
In September 1904, Russian government finally planed to sent the Russian Baltic fleet to save the Port Arthur(Lushun). A fleet made of 28 ships departed from the Baltic Sea and traveled for eight months. By May 1905, the Russian fleet arrived at South China Sea. Since Port Arthur was captured by Japan, the only available Russian port was the Vladivostok. Because the Russian Fleet didn't have a sufficient coal supply, Admiral Zinovi Petrovitch Rozhdestvenski, the commander of Russian fleet decided to travel through the Tsushima Strait which is a closer route. However, the Tsushima Strait in the Japan Sea and was tightly controlled by Japanese navy. Finally on May 27th 1905, the Russian fleet was detected by the Japanese and the Japanese ships attacked the Russian ships. In this naval campaign, the Russian Baltic fleet was destroyed by the Japanese ships after traveling for eight months from Europe. On May 29th 1905, the Russians lost this battle and was badly insulted by this loss.
Since Russia was lost badly in the war, Russia and Japan finally began to negotiate in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, with the help of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt in August 1905. In September 1905, the Treaty of Portsmouth was finally signed, and the war was over. Russia recognized the Japanese control over Korea and Southern Manchuria. Russia also offered the Southern part of Sakhalin Island and Port Arthur to Japan. Russia also lost the control of the local railroads in that area because of this loss.
This war between two imperialistic power finally caused huge problems to Russia. The power and the reputation of Czar and Russian government were crushed by this failure. During the war, the Russian government increased the military spending in order to support the war. However, the incomes of the government and the production of the nation dropped drastically because of the war. The increasing stress in the military-related industries caused the suffers and the unsatisfaction of labors. All of those economic struggles and failures contributed to the social turmoils in Russia. Furthermore, this also caused Russia to lose its advantages in its expansion in Far East because of the loss of Port Arthur and the territories.