Das Kreuzergeschwader der Kaiserlichen Marine im Russisch-Japanischen Krieg 1904–1905

Abstract The Imperial Navy’s cruiser squadron, which was permanently deployed in East Asia, was constantly present in the region during the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905), which was mainly fought in Korea on the outskirts of the German possessions in Kiautschou with the port of Tsingtau. Although the German Empire remained neutral in the conflict, warships were nevertheless deployed to gather intelligence and naval interventions were necessary to guarantee German neutrality. The role of the German navy is analysed on the basis of archival sources. At the beginning of the war, the cruiser squadron was able to contribute important intelligence gathering and later ensured the preservation of German neutrality on several occasions, shielded the harbour of Tsingtau as a neutral area, acted as a deterrent factor and guaranteed dealings with both warring parties in accordance with international law, thus preventing an escalation and avoiding the involvement of the German Empire in the Russo-Japanese War.