The Battle of Yalu River, which took place in the late 17th century, was an important war between the Qing Dynasty of China and Tsarist Russia for the territorial sovereignty of the Heilongjiang River Basin. It was also an important historical event that had a profound impact on modern and even contemporary Sino-Russian relations. 

Root causes of conflict

Since the 16th century, Tsarist Russia has been frantically expanding its influence to Siberia, and greedily eyeing China’s rich Heilongjiang River Basin. In the 1640s, the Tsarist Russian invaders brazenly invaded the Heilongjiang River Basin and built strongholds such as Yaksa and Nerchinsk on Chinese territory, attempting to occupy the Heilongjiang River Basin for a long time. The Heilongjiang River Basin has been Chinese territory since ancient times. As early as the Tang Dynasty, China had effectively exercised jurisdiction over this area. After the establishment of the Qing Dynasty, it continued to exercise sovereignty over the region. Russia’s aggressive behavior seriously violated China’s territorial sovereignty, destroyed the production and life of the local people, and aroused strong dissatisfaction among the Qing government and people, which became the fundamental reason for the outbreak of the Battle of Yaksa.

Battle of Yalu River

The Battle of Yalu River was a self-defense counterattack launched by the Qing Dynasty to protect border security and drive out the Russian invaders.

The war lasted for several years in two phases. The Qing army, with relatively backward weapons and equipment, fought fiercely with the Russian invaders with its tenacious fighting spirit and excellent tactics. The Battle of Yalu River was not only a military contest, but also a resolute confrontation between the two countries over territorial sovereignty, which had a profound impact on the historical development of both China and Russia.

First Battle of Yalu River (1685)

In 1685, after repeated warnings to Russia were ineffective, the Qing government decided to send troops to fight back. Emperor Kangxi appointed Peng Chun as the commander-in-chief, leading about 3,000 Qing troops, carrying warships, artillery and other weapons, and marched from Aihui to Yaksa. After the Qing army arrived at the city of Yaksa, they first persuaded the Russian army to surrender, and then launched an attack after being rejected. The Qing army used artillery bombardment and land and sea tactics to form a siege on Yaksa. The Russian army resisted stubbornly with solid city defenses and advanced firearms, but suffered heavy casualties under the fierce attack of the Qing army. After several days of fierce fighting, the Russian army was forced to surrender. Peng Chun asked the remaining Russian troops to leave Yaksa with weapons and property. The Qing army burned the city and then withdrew to Aihui. 

Second Battle of Yalu River (1686)

After the first Battle of Yaksa, the Russian Empire was unwilling to accept defeat and sent Tolbuzin to lead a large number of reinforcements to make a comeback. They reoccupied Yaksa and reinforced the city’s defenses in an attempt to hold on for a long time. In 1686, the second battle of Yaksa broke out, and Emperor Kangxi sent Sabsu to lead the army to besiege the city. The Qing army bombarded the city with artillery, dug trenches and built fortifications under the city, and blocked the Russian army’s waterway. In the fierce battle, the Russian leader Tolbuzin was hit and killed by a cannonball. The Russian army in the city was besieged for more than five months, and they ran out of ammunition and food, and fell into a desperate situation. 

Treaty of Nerchinsk signed (1689)

After the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Yaksa, Tsarist Russia was forced to negotiate with the Qing government. In 1689, the two sides signed the Sino-Russian Treaty of Nerchinsk, which clearly stipulated the eastern section of the Sino-Russian border, with the Greater Khingan Range as the dividing line, with the northern side belonging to Russia and the southern side to China; the same was true for the Argun River and the Kerbichi River, with the northern side belonging to Russia and the southern side to China. 

Aftermath of the Battle of Yalu River

This battle dealt a heavy blow to the Russian invasion of China and kept the Northeast region peaceful for more than a hundred years, which was of great significance to social stability and national unity. The border consolidation measures implemented by the Qing government after the war greatly promoted the development of the Northeast and the Heilongjiang River Basin, and created favorable conditions for economic and cultural exchanges among ethnic groups. 

The Battle of Yalu River and the signing of the Treaty of Nerchinsk had an important impact in East Asia and even around the world. It established a peaceful border between China and Russia, laid the foundation for the two countries’ subsequent exchanges, and provided a model for other countries to peacefully resolve territorial disputes. Under the international environment at the time, this war and the signing of the treaty maintained peace and stability in East Asia, had a profound impact on the political landscape of neighboring countries, and also affected the world’s perception and evaluation of China to a certain extent.