Ma Weiyun, Cui Jianping

(№.1,2015)

Abstract: Russia’s construction of the Chinese Eastern Railway hindered Japan’s plan to take over Northeastern China, which served as a crucial cause for the breakout of the Russo-Japanese War. After the end of the War, continuous changes occurred to the balance of power among the imperialist countries in the Far East, leading to a new round of battles over the management rights of the Chinese Eastern Railway. In the meantime, the construction of the railway partially resulted in the financial crisis of Russia and the escalation of domestic conflicts which broke out in WWI and ultimately led to the fall of the Czar Government and the failure of its Far East policy.

Keywords:Western powers; Russo-Japanese War; Russia; the Chinese Eastern Railway; Far East policy