Nikky,
Yes, really.
cause what I've read is that the whole Baltic fleet went around Africa.
A majority of what would become the 2nd Pacific Squadron passed through the Suez Canal.
Rozhdestvenskii split what was known as the
2nd Pacific Squadron into two groups. He took the newer, larger, and more capable ships, which he considered to comprise the squadron's actual fighting power, south down the Atlantic and around Africa to Madagascar. The second group consisting of older, smaller, less capable ships was led by Felkerzam and went through the Med and Suez Canal.
Later, another group of vessels, Nebogatov's
3rd Pacific Squadron, steamed through the Med and Suez Canal too, met up with the Rozhdestvenskii/Felkerzam force in Indochina, and fought at Tsushima.
The reason for the split was operational and not due to draft concerns. The Russians were extremely paranoid about Japanese torpedo boat attacks, something not too surprising given how the war began. These concerns led directly to the Dogger Bank Incident and led Rozhdestvenskii to take what he considered to be the primary striking power of his forces along a route which consisted mostly of open ocean as the Suez was seen more as a potential point of ambush.
Because the Brits denied them passage thru the Suez Canal.
The UK did not deny the Russians passage through the canal.
Which resulted in the late arrival of the fleet during the war.
The fleet's "late" arrival had nothing to do with the route steamed and everything to do with the amount of time it took to assemble and train the ships involved, the extreme difficulties it had with coaling, the lack of friendly ports at which it could stop, and the increasing maintenance problems.
And with regards to France, there was already the Franco-Russian Alliance of 1892, although in the OTL France did not help Russia during the war. Due to the dangers of British involvement and plus the fact that Russia did not try to enforce the Alliance with France cause it thought that i could win against Japan.
Sorry, but no.
The 1892 Franco-Russian military alliance was a direct result of the 1882 Triple Alliance and the Franco-Russian alliance was explicitly written to last only as long as the Triple Alliance did.
Furthermore, the language of the Franco-Russian alliance mentions Germany and the other Triple Alliance powers, Austria-Hungary and Italy,
only. Any other powers, like Britain or Japan, are not mentioned and there are no responsibilities of the two signing powers towards the other in the event of a war involving a power not mentioned in the document.
But if it was at war with the Brits also due to a different Dogger Bank Incident. Most likely Russia would plea for French aid thus forcing France to aid her.
As I've explained above, that isn't going to happen because it's not part of the 1892 alliance. In the OTL, Russia did ask France for help with ports and coaling, but France stuck to it's duties as a neutral as spelled out in the various international conventions. Russian vessels were only allowed to stay in French ports or roadsteads for brief periods which the French had already extended well past the norm.
Oddly enough, a bloodier Dogger Bank Incident or a less than satisfactory Russian reply to British demands could actually spell disaster for
Japan. Britain and Russia
will not go to war over Dogger Bank, the consequences for each are simply too great for both parties, but Britain could extend war credits to Japan allowing that nation to fight on longer.
Fighting on longer might not be in Japan's best interest however.
In the OTL by 1905, Japan was, despite being nearly wholly victorious, virtually bankrupt and could not raise international loans except at ruinous rates. Along with running out of money, Japan was also beginning to run out men. Japan had been fighting out of her "weight class" for over a year and could no longer keep up the effort so, when Roosevelt offered to host a peace conference, Japan attended because she had no real other choice. Russia, in the person of their negotiator Witte, knew about Japan's straits and carefully dragged out the conference until Japan was forced to settle for a treaty that failed to include, among other things, reparations on Russia's part.
If Britain gives Japan the money to fight on longer, things could go pear shaped for Japan in Manchuria very quickly. Mukden had been more of a Russian withdrawal than a Japanese victory and the Russian armies in the region continued to grow. A successful Russian counter-offensive in Manchuria, no matter how "small", would have consequences in Russia and Japan.
Bill