The late 1850s had seen a period…

1861 CE

The late 1850s had seen a period of Russian expansion into the Sea of Japan, with the setting up a post in the estuary of the Amur in 1850, the acquisition of the present Primorsky Krai by the Treaty of Aigun (1858) and the Convention of Peking (1860), and the establishment of Vladivostok in 1860.

In 1858 the Imperial Russian Navy had leased a strip of Nagasaki Bay coastline across the village of Inasa as a winter anchorage for the Chinese Flotilla's emerging Pacific Fleet (all domestic anchorages froze up in winter).

Flotilla commander Admiral Ivan Likhachev realized the dangers of basing the fleet in a foreign port, and settled on establishing a permanent base in Tsushima Island in the Korea Strait.

He is aware that the British had attempted to set their flag there in 1859 and had conducted hydrographic surveys around the island in 1855.

In 1860 he had requested a go-ahead from the government in Saint Petersburg; the cautious foreign minister, Alexander Gorchakov, had ruled out any incursions against British interests, while General Admiral Konstantin Nikolayevich suggested making a private deal with the head of Tsushima-Fuchū Domain, as long as it did not disturb "the West".

In case of failure the Russian authorities will deny all knowledge of the expedition.

Locations
Tsushima Nagasaki Japan View →

Groups
Japan, Tokugawa, or Edo, Period View → Russian Empire View → Britain (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) View →

Topics
Bakumatsu View →

Subjects
Government View → Custom and Law View →

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