Battle of Liaoyang
South of Liaoyang, Liaoning, China
What happened
Japanese armies under Field Marshal Ōyama Iwao fought the Russian Manchurian army under General Aleksey Kuropatkin. In the Russo-Japanese War, Russia and Japan fought over Manchuria in north-east China. Both sides hoped Liaoyang would be the decisive battle. The Japanese attacked for over a week, capturing key hills, and Kuropatkin finally ordered a retreat north to Mukden.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It was a major Japanese victory, but the Russian army escaped in good order, so the war went on. Kuropatkin reported it as a great victory, which the Russian war minister mocked.
What came next
Kuropatkin withdrew to Mukden, about 65 km north. The decisive battle was fought there in 1905.
Did you know?
The Russians used observation balloons to watch the battle from above.
Timeline
- 25 August 1904The Japanese attack at Liaoyang.
- 3 September 1904Kuropatkin orders a retreat.
- 1905The Battle of Mukden.