Hill 203 (二百三高地)

Harbin, Manchuria, South-West China, year 1904.

Two Japanese, Sedi Yokogawa and Tezi Ioki

are sentenced to death by hanging.

For infiltrating the territory of our troops and conducting a diversion

pursuant to paragraph 281 in the 2nd article of the Military Code.

But thanks to the generosity of His Imperial Highness,

the gallows will be replaced by a firing squad. Any last wish?

I have 1000 rubles in my pocket.

Please hand these over to your country's red cross.

Okay. On behalf of the Russian people, I thank you.

What is your wish?

I want to drink some vodka before I die.

Here you have vodka.

I have a warning for you, Russian soldiers.

Manchuria and Korea are part of Asia.

They will never be ruled by Europeans.

The Japanese will not spare their own blood

and will expel the Russian army from Manchuria.

Go home, if your life is dear to you.

You - monkey! Monkey!

We are also soldiers and we, too, swore to the Tsar.

Boys! Aim directly for the heart so they will die immediately and won't suffer.

This is also a duty of the Russian soldiers.

Aim!

Long live the Great Japan!

Fire!

PORT ARTHUR

At the end of the 19th century, many poor and underdeveloped

Asian countries became colonies of the Western powers.

England conquered Hong Kong and Weihaiwei,

France - Indo-China and Hangzhou,

Germany - Shandong Peninsula,

America - The Philippines,

and finally, Russia - the mouth of the Amur River and the surrounding area.

As well as the East China Railway, Port Arthur and Dairen.

All these countries were competing to expand their influence

in these areas.

The newly established Meiji government

at the time of conquest, set their sights on colonizing

the Korean Peninsula,

which in case of attack on Japan could be used as an external line of defense.

Russia, in its ambitions, went even further.

Trying to expand its territory,

it took advantage of the commotion in China to send troops

into Manchuria, which at that time belonged to China.

Units crossed the Yalu River

and began to penetrate North Korea.

It thoroughly shook up Japan's plans.

Should the conflict be resolved by force

or by an agreement through diplomatic channels?

The government faced a dilemma.

A clash with the Russian army,

which was considered the strongest in the world was a frightening prospect.

The Parliament met on several occasions.

More often, voices were heard demanding to go to war.

The only one who rejected the military option,

was Ito Hirobumi.

Ito, the Russian government ignored our proposal

to resolve this conflict.

If we do nothing, it would mean

that Manchuria and Korea will be dominated completely by Russia.

- So why then... - Mr. Yamagato.

Maybe you think I'm a coward.

Feel free to think that. You are a soldier and you have a sword hanging from your waist.

But, in spirit, I'm also a samurai.

However, I want the person who needs this war

and who says that we will win, to prove it with facts.

Ito Hirobumi, who was from the lower caste of the samurai,

Yamaguchi prefecture, knew very well

how poor Japan was.

Government revenue:

Japan - 250 million yen, Russia - 2 billion yen.

Regular Army:

Japan - 200.000 soldiers, Russia - 3 million soldiers.

One Russian can handle four Japanese. They are just yellow monkeys!

We can, at any given time, concentrate up to

400 thousand people in Manchuria.

The upcoming war can't even be called a war. It's a walk in the park.

What will happen to Japan, if Russia occupies Korea?

What will happen?

Next, Russia will try and occupy Japan.

- Exactly! - Destroy Russia!

Friends, will you relax and await the day

when you become slaves to the polar bear?

Will we just be waiting? Just waiting?

Never! We are the invincible people of the land of the gods.

The time has come to fight boldly and destroy these traitorous dogs.

Yes! Yes!

War - it's needless bloodshed of our people.

It's just another tax raise! I'm against the war!

Against the war!

We are against the war!

Against the war! Against the war!

You bitch!

Whore!

- Hey you... - Stop it! - He is one of them!

- Run! - She is with them!

Stop! We're all Japanese.

- So, go. - Okay.

- Police! - It's the police.

Mr. Kodoma, I'd like to hear your opinion.

If the war starts, will you lead all the strategic

and military operations?

Have a drink.

Can our country be victorious in this war?

If we take this path, there is no turning back.

I want to hear your honest opinion.

The chance of victory is very small.

Probably fifty fifty,

but with heavy losses sixty forty.

Sixty forty? You are the only one I believe.

But... but still, if we remain idle and do nothing

in the next two or three years,

the Trans-Siberian railroad will become a double-track

and along it the main forces of the Russian army from Europe

will cross into Manchuria and Korea.

It will then be too late to start the war.

Unless we start the war now!

NOW?

If not now, then never.

But to go to war without any hope of victory...

We must overcome our notions of Moscow.

Achieving victory at the cost of huge losses,

is not very unrealistic.

If you use enough force, then a victory is possible.

We will invade the enemy territory and we will gain an advantage.

The world powers will see our capabilities

and under international pressure the Russian expansion will be halted.

Such are the capabilities of our country.

This is the only way to fight this war.

- Kodama! - Sir!

Every day that delays the start of the war

puts us at a disadvantage.

And our soldiers will shed more blood.

Sir, you have to decide right now.

I myself decided to go to the front.

Maybe, if the situation requires it, the Emperor himself

will take over the command of the army and go to war.

And you will need to die for him.

But even so...

But even so,

this is the only chance our army will get.

Sir, please, I beg you.

Kodama...

Hey!

- Hurry up, quickly! - Well, well, what happened?

Good evening!

FEBRUARY 4, 1904

On this day, a meeting should have been held with the Emperor himself.

Before the meeting, Ito unexpectedly was invited to an audience with the Emperor.

According to Prime Minister Kusuga, a very important meeting will be held.

Before the meeting starts, I would like to hear your opinion.

Speak without hesitation.

The situation is indeed very serious, as you have heard.

And if we do nothing to ensure its successful outcome,

the enemy will follow us and try to take over our country.

It will endanger

the very existence of our country.

In this situation, to preserve the honor of the nation, we, the faithful subjects,

have no choice but to go to war

with courage and intelligence.

Until now, the only diplomatic efforts made

were negotiations between the governments of both countries.

I decided to get personally involved in this situation.

I will send a friendly telegram

to the Russian Tsar.

I think that there is no other way

to save both nations from the horrors of war.

Sorry for expressing my opinion,

but the situation is so serious that there is no time for it.

Your Majesty, I would like to inform you that I, Ito,

like a samurai, have decided to prepare for battle and serve you well,

as I once did

during the restoration of imperial power.

Do as you wish.

Now the Japanese state -

supported by the people or not -

should be resolved to this cruel, but nonetheless great step.

From a small hare, who was hunted by the Great Powers,

it has become a dangerous wolf, that sinks his teeth into his prey.

Naval battle by Inchon.

Night battle in the bay of Port Arthur

Promotion of the Japanese army on land.

At Harvard, you studied together

with President Roosevelt, right?

Whether or not we will have America on our side

will depend on the outcome of the war.

Only you can convince her to do that.

Of course, you're right, but Russia helped the US

during the American Civil War and so the US owes Russia.

In addition, in the higher circles of America

quite a lot of people became acquainted with the Russian nobles.

- And that is why... - No, not only that...

From a political, economic and social point of view

Russia and America have a closer relationship and...

That is why, if we don't take any action, America will be on the Russian side.

Do you understand, Kaneko?

In this war, we are not thinking about a complete victory.

Someone must stop us...

Yes.