Russo-Japanese War: Chinese Intrusion

What if, during the Russo-Japanese War, the Chinese observed the Russians and Japanese fighting and decided it was an opportune time to kill two birds with one stone?
 
China was in a pretty bad state in 1905, most of it's military was outdated and it's government was fairly fractured. The Japanese and Russians on the other hand had very well trained, modernized and well equipped military which were more than a match for what the Qing could put together.
 
What if, during the Russo-Japanese War, the Chinese observed the Russians and Japanese fighting and decided it was an opportune time to kill two birds with one stone?

Meaning what? China attacks both sides at once? That sounds like an incredibly foolish decision - I don't believe the Chinese army or navy was in any condition to oppose the Japanese or the Russians...

China had just suffered the defeat of the Boxers at the hands of the Great Powers - they were in no condition to do much of anything other than offer 'moral support' to one side of the other...

Even if China supports one side over the other - who would they support, Russia or Japan? Neither seems particularly appealing to the people or the leadership...
 

RousseauX

Donor
What if, during the Russo-Japanese War, the Chinese observed the Russians and Japanese fighting and decided it was an opportune time to kill two birds with one stone?

With what?

The Beiyang fleet is at the bottom of the Ocean, the Beiyang army is tiny compare to the japanese and Russian armies.
 
Had there been a strong China, there wouldn't be a Russo-Japanese War in the first place.

For a China as weak as OTL, it'd be suicidal to attack challenge either Russia or Japan.
 
What if, during the Russo-Japanese War, the Chinese observed the Russians and Japanese fighting and decided it was an opportune time to kill two birds with one stone?

Trouble is, they have no stones. And each bird has 20.
 
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