Community Corner

Battle Led to Treaty of Portsmouth

On this day in 1905, Russian fleet surrenders at Port Arthur.

One of the great battles that set the stage for the history Treaty of Portsmouth occurred on this day in 1905. Japanese forces took control of Port Arthur, the Russian naval base in China, on Jan. 2, 1905.

It served as an indicator of Japan's military powers, and help set course for the historic negotiations in August of that year in Portsmouth, N.H. The Treaty of Portsmouth was signed Sept. 5, 1905, and President Theodore Roosevelt won a Nobel Peace Prize the following year for his leadership.

A must-read website on the topic: Portsmouth Peace Treaty.

Find out what's happening in Portsmouthfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Go ahead and mark your calendar, too, because Charles B. Doleac, founder of the Portsmouth Peace Treaty Forum, will present an illustrated talk on March 15 on the treaty, citizen diplomacy, and how locals helped President Roosevelt earn that Nobel Peace Prize. "Teddy Roosevelt's Nobel Peace Prize" is a free forum. It is scheduled for 7 p.m. For more information on this and other events sponsored by the Forum, click here.

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.