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In:Discourses of War and Peace: 21st century perspectives
Edited by Cornelia Ilie
[Pragmatics & Beyond New Series 355] 2026
► pp. 124–154

The long, unsuccessful war

Discourses of Russian defeat following the Russo-Japanese war, 1905–present

 | University of Haifa, Israel
 | Strömstad Academy, Sweden
This content is being prepared for publication; it may be subject to changes.
Abstract
Shortly before the Russo-Japanese War broke out in 1904, Russia’s Interior Minister, Viacheslav von Plehve, sought means to unify the country. He is often credited with advocating for a “short, victorious war” to achieve this end. Contrary to expectations, the war, lasting 19 months, ended in a resounding defeat for Russia. This chapter examines the discourses of Russian defeat following the war up to the present day, focusing on two crucial events: the surrender of the fort of Port Arthur and the defeat in the naval battle of Tsushima. By employing a combined discourse-analytical and pragma-rhetorical approach, it investigates the mechanisms and motives underlying the evolution of discourses over time, with a particular focus on domestic politics and international relations. The analysis addresses key questions, including: What were these mechanisms and motives? What do multi-voiced historical accounts reveal about (re)contextualized war-related discourse strategies? How important were key concepts like Tsar, God and/or Fatherland for varying discursive framings of engagement in war? Is it possible to categorize the discourse into distinct phases? The chapter posits that the discourse has evolved through three distinct phases, each shaped by the unique political needs of a regime and its attitude towards both war and peace.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Objectives, research issues and analytical approaches
  • 3.First phase: The Tsarist era (1905–1917)
    • 3.1The deeply felt impact of the Tsushima defeat at all societal levels
    • 3.2Discourses of Russian war testimonies
    • 3.3Discourses of official vs. subversive Russian press
    • 3.4Public vs. private discourses about the war
      • 3.4.1Public discourse in official war-related statements
      • 3.4.2Interfaces of public/private discourses in literary works
  • 4.Second phase: The Soviet era (1917–1991)
    • 4.1The Soviet re-interpretation of the Russian defeat
      through literary censorship
  • 5.Third phase: The Russian era (1991–present)
    • 5.1Reshaping the memory of the past
    • 5.2Discourses about war in Russian history textbooks
  • 6.Conclusions
  • References
References (94)
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