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This study examined the fatigue life (Nf) and fatigue limit (FL) of AISI 4340 steel in relation to surface roughness, artificial defects and shot peening. Artificial surface defects on fatigue specimens were obtained by electrical discharge machining (EDM) or by pre-corrosion in 3.5% NaCl and perchloric acid solutions, followed by a fatigue test. The presence of artificial defects of various sizes, taken into account by the area parameter, led to a significant decrease in fatigue characteristics, while shot peening contributed to their noticeable improvement. Defects resulting from electrochemical corrosion had a much greater negative effect on fatigue life than defects introduced by EDM.