Discussion of the Issue of Obtaining an Ice-Free Port in the Far East by the Leadership of the Russian Empire at the end of the 19th century

Far Eastern policy of the Russian Empire in the second half of the 19th century outlined for the Russian authorities the tasks of providing everything necessary for the Pacific squadron, among which the most important was the receipt of an ice-free port. Searches were undertaken back in the 1880s, but they had no practical result and this issue remained unresolved until the mid-1890s, when it was re-identified in connection with the Sino-Japanese War. The Russian leadership coincided in their views that the use of Japanese ports for the repair and parking of the Russian fleet after the Sino-Japanese war became inconvenient, since Japan could stop it at any time. Maintaining the combat readiness of the Pacific Fleet in the presence of a port and a repair dock only in Vladivostok was a difficult task. In this context, the study of the development of the views of statesmen and the naval command regarding obtaining an ice-free port in the context of their understanding of the military-strategic and cultural-historical tasks of Russia acquires particular importance. At the same time, if the event history is well known enough, then the evaluative side, views and judgments of persons directly related to the solution of the issue of a non-freezing port need further research. Despite the study of the terrain and active discussion of the issue of an ice-free port, neither the naval command, nor representatives of various ministries were able to come up with a solution to this issue. The refusal to take decisive action on this issue was due to fears of a negative reaction from the European powers or Japan, with which it did not seem advisable to enter into an open conflict. It is significant that none of the departments of the state apparatus of the Russian Empire was able to take responsibility and resolve the issue of occupying the ice-free port. The delay in resolving this issue in the context of the provocations of Germany in 1897 and her occupation of the Chinese port of Kia-Chao caught the Russian government by surprise, which resulted in the unplanned occupation of Port Arthur, which, on the scale of the Far Eastern policy, became a turning point that changed the main political vector of "peaceful penetration" to the East, promoted by S.Yu. Witte.