Item number: M185-5

Year: AD 1906

Material: Bronze

Provenance: Private Collector, USA, 2024

This is a miniature version of the “Russo-Japanese War Medal,” issued on January 21, AD 1906, by the Russian Empire to participants of the Russo-Japanese War.

The medal has a circular shape. On the obverse, it features the “Eye of Providence”—a triangle containing an eye, set against a background of radiant sunbeams—a symbol commonly associated with Christianity and Freemasonry. The lower edge bears the engraved years of the Russo-Japanese War: “1904–1905.”

The reverse of the medal bears an inscription in Russian, quoting a passage from the New Testament, specifically 1 Peter 5:6: “Да вознєсєтъ васъ Господь въ своє времѧ,” which translates as: “Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you in due time.”

The medal is suspended from a ribbon via a small hole at the top. The ribbon’s colour scheme combines the alternating orange and black stripes of the Order of St. George with the red ribbon associated with the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky.

The Russo-Japanese War Medal was issued in three material grades—silver, light bronze, and dark bronze (copper)—with each corresponding to a different category of recipients:

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: M185-5

年代: 公元 1906 年

材質: 青銅

來源: 美國私人收藏 2024

這是一枚公元1906年1月21日發行，俄羅斯帝國頒予日俄戰爭參與者的「日俄戰爭獎章」迷你版。

獎章外觀為圓形，正面以一個經常出現在基督教和共濟會的「上帝之眼」，即以太陽光芒為背景，帶有一個眼睛的三角形作為裝飾，下緣鐫刻日俄戰爭的年份「1904-1905」。

獎章背面以俄文標示《新約聖經 彼得前書 5:6》經文，「Да вознєсєтъ васъ Господь въ своє времѧ」，即「所以，你們當在神大能的手下降卑，好讓他在所定的時候高舉你們」。

獎章頂端以一個孔洞銜接綬帶，綬帶配色結合了聖喬治勳章的橘黑相錯條紋和聖亞歷山大涅夫斯基勳章的紅色綬帶。

日俄戰爭獎章依照材質差異有：銀、青銅和銅三種等級，其頒發對象如下：

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。