Visit of Itō Hirobumi to Saint Petersburg in 1901

The Russo-Japanese war had a dramatic aftermath for Russia, and both contemporaries of the period and historians speculated what was the key moment for Russo-Japanese relations to be improved and to prevent the war. The visit of Itō Hirobumi to St. Petersburg in 1901 is often mentioned as such a moment.At the beginning of the 20th century, Japan was looking for allies among Western powers to continue its expansion in the Far East. Japanese diplomats in London had consultations considering the conclusion of the Anglo-Japanese alliance. However, Japan had not made the choice yet, as there were supporters of the idea of an alliance with Russia, with Itō Hirobumi and his Seiyūkai political party as one of the most noticeable.After his resignation as Prime Minister in May 1901, Itō Hirobumi announced his trip to Europe and visit to Saint Petersburg. Even though the trip was claimed to be unofficial, political circles in Europe expected Itō to discuss the project of a Russo-Japanese agreement with the Russian government. At the end of November, Itō indeed went to Saint Petersburg and consulted with Russian ministers about the Korean problem – the main contradiction in the two empires’ relations. However, the visit was unsuccessful. Itō left St. Petersburg and went to London, where, on January 30, 1902, the Anglo-Japanese alliance was signed.Even though there were opinions expressed by minister Witte and ambassador Izvolsky that Itō’s mission was a real chance to set the controversies and prevent the war, the analysis of the negotiations in Saint Petersburg and such evidence as the memoirs of Hayashi Tadasu, the Japanese ambassador in London, allow us to assert that Itō had given up the idea of a Russo-Japanese alliance before he came to the Russian capital. Even though it does not exonerate the Russian government for its failure to prevent the Anglo-Japanese alliance, it cannot be blamed for Itō’s mission failure; by that time, the possibility of an agreement had been missed.