Major States 969
agreement was signed on September 10. Russia kept Panjdeh but relinquished all
future gains in the area. The British were satisfied to prevent Russia from advancing
any further.
Coding changes: Start Date changed from March 12, 1885. End Date changed from
May 22, 1885.
MID#16
Dispute Number: 16
Date(s): December 25, 1897 to February 19, 1898
Participants: 200 United Kingdom, 740 Japan/365 Russia, 730 Korea
Outcome (and Settlement): Yield by side B (None)
Fatalities: None
Narrative: Russia attempted to replace the financial adviser to the emperor of Korea,
a Briton, with a Russian. In response, Britain made a naval show of force at Che-
mulpo, Korea. Japan supported Britain’s move but kept its fleet in reserve in case
Britain’s initial demonstration failed. Russia backed down.
Coding changes: End Date changed from February 5, 1898.
MID#242
Dispute Number: 242
Date(s): October 21, 1904 to November 25, 1904
Participants: 365 Russia/200 United Kingdom
Outcome (and Settlement): Yield by side A (Negotiated)
Fatalities: None
Narrative: The Russo-Japanese War (see MID#180), to which England was not a
party, was proving disastrous for the Russians. Port Arthur had been blockaded and
was in the process of being sieged, and the Trans-Siberian railway was proving inca-
pable of quickly supplying Russian forces in Korea. In a desperate move, the Russians
ordered its Baltic fleet to be rerouted and sent to the Far East. However, the nervous
Russian warships en route to Korea mistook a flotilla of English fishing vessels in the
Dogger Bank for a couple of Japanese torpedo boats. They opened fire on the fish-
ing vessels and sank the Crane and killed two fishermen in the process. The incident
was a horrific blunder for Russia as international reaction poured in wondering how
Russia could exhaust so much ammunition (over 500 shots were fired by one Russian
warship that missed the fishing vessels completely) and could possibly conceive that
a limited Japanese Navy could travel 18,000 miles into the Dogger Bank. Further, the
English were allied with Japan, bringing forward the possibility of English punitive
action against Russia.
The details of the gruesome attack were published in English newspapers the next
day. English warships were even put on alert and told to be ready for war, but no war
between Russia and Great Britain developed. With a heavy hand from France (a strong
ally of Russia and who recently signed the Entente Cordiale with Great Britain earlier
that same year), the two sides came to the understanding that it was an unfortunate
accident for which the Russian government was genuinely sorry. France suggested