To the 40th anniversary of the Great Victory

Lieutenant-General M. M. Kiryan

A considerable number of works have been published in Soviet historiography on issues related to the defeat of militaristic Japan in 1945. 1 The most fundamental of them is the "History of the Second World War 1939-1945", first of all its 11th volume. This study provides an in-depth analysis of the military-political situation in Asia, shows the course of military operations of the Allied forces, and examines the issues of the national liberation movement in the region. The main focus of this work is on the entry of the Soviet Union into the war against militaristic Japan, the defeat of the Kwantung Army, as well as its military and political consequences. The author of this article, without claiming to fully and comprehensively address this problem, focused on highlighting the reasons for the entry of the USSR into the war, the methods of action of the Soviet Armed Forces, as well as the military and political significance of their victory in the Far East.

The defeat of Nazi Germany in May 1945 and the cessation of hostilities in Europe determined the outcome of World War II. However, in the countries of Southeast Asia, the Pacific and the Far East, the fire of war was still burning. Here, for more than three years, the United States and Great Britain waged an armed struggle against Hitler's German ally, militaristic Japan. By August 1945, the armed forces of the Allied Powers had achieved significant success. They were able to increase their attacks directly on the Japanese islands. Japan's military and political situation has sharply worsened. Nevertheless, it was far from defeated and continued to fight. It held in its hands Korea, Indochina, Indonesia, Malaya, large territories of China, Burma and the Philippine Islands. The Japanese armed forces remained significant. Their number by the summer of 1945 was about 7.2 million people.

The Japanese ground forces were very strong, numbering 5.5 million people. They were stationed in four strategic areas: on the islands of Japan proper, in Manchuria (Kwantung Army), in China (Expeditionary Force), in Southeast Asia and on the Pacific Islands (Southern Army Group). The most powerful strategic grouping was the Kwantung Army. As part of military units-

1 See, for example: Shikin I. V., Sapozhnikov B. G. Podvig na dalnevostochnykh rubezhakh [Feat on the Far Eastern borders], Moscow, 1975; Pobeda SSSR v voine s militaristskoi Yaponeyi i posleboennoe razvitie Vostochnoy i Yugo-Vostochnoy Azii [Victory of the USSR in the War with Militaristic Japan and Post-war Development of Eastern and South-Eastern Asia], Moscow, 1977; Beloborodov A. P. Proryv na Harbin], Moscow, 1982; Akshinsky V. S. Kuril Landing. Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. 1984; The Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union 1941-1945. Moscow, 1984; Victory in the Far East. Khabarovsk. 1985.

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The Navy had 109 warships, including 3 aircraft carriers, a battleship, 3 cruisers, 44 destroyers and 58 submarines, as well as more than 3 thousand ultra-small submarines and man-guided torpedoes . The bulk of the Japanese armed forces personnel was set up in a spirit of fanatical loyalty to the emperor.

The Japanese military and political leadership hoped to wear out the allied armies with a stubborn defense, avoid capitulation, end the war with a compromise and retain part of the captured territories. On September 30, 1944, the imperial conference approved the "Basic Program of War Leadership", which provided for strengthening the defense of the occupied territories and the mother country. At this meeting, the "last line of defense" was called - from the Kuril Islands to Burma. Korea and China (with Manchuria) were considered as strategic rear areas .3 In December, the Stavka adopted a "War Management Plan for Mid-1945", which stated that the Empire "will immediately establish an active defense system based on Japan, Manchuria, and China, and will persist in waging a protracted war." 4
The liberation of the territories occupied by Japan, the Allies declared their goal in December 1943 at the Cairo Conference. However, the United States, Great Britain, and Kuomintang China were not united in their approach to achieving this goal. England intended to reclaim its colonies and restore British dominance in Southeast Asia. But the United States also sought to prevail in this region. The Kuomintang, on the other hand, focused on the struggle not with Japan, but with the revolutionary forces of its country. The differences between the Allies were particularly evident in the final stages of the fighting in Burma. They were driven by the unwillingness of the United States and China to promote the revival of British influence in this country. Having restored land communication from China through Burma to India in early 1945, the Kuomintang leadership refused to further support the British troops and withdrew its formations. The Americans also withdrew their ground forces from the Burmese front, limiting the British commander's right to use their material resources as well. This delayed the completion of the Allied operation to eliminate Japanese formations in Burma.

At the end of March 1945, the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States approved a plan for the defeat of Japan (plan "Downfall"), according to which the landing on the islands of Japan proper was supposed to be carried out in two stages: in the southern part of Kyushu (Operation Olympic) November 1, 1945, then on March 1 of the following year - on Honshu Island (Operation Coronet). The capture of the main island of Japan - Honshu and the entire Japanese territory was planned for the end of 1946. But the main problem was the defeat of the Kwantung Army in Manchuria, which was almost completely self-sufficient. The only way the US Joint Chiefs of Staff saw it was for "the Russians to drive the Japanese army out of the mainland." 5 Moreover, the commander of the American troops, Gen. D. MacArthur, believed that they should not land on the islands of Japan proper until the Russian army launched military operations in Manchuria.

The United States and Great Britain urged the Soviet Union to go to war with Japan. In February 1945, at the Yalta Conference, the leaders of the USSR, the United States, and Great Britain agreed to-

2 Istoriya vtoroi mirovoi voyny 1939-1945 [History of the Second World War 1939-1945], vol. II, Moscow, 1980, pp. 174, 175.

3 Japanese militarism (Military-historical research), Moscow, 1972, p. 216.

4 Istoriya voiny na Tikhikh okean [History of the War in the Pacific], vol. 4, Moscow, 1958, p. 156.

5 Istoriya vtoroi mirovoi voyny 1939-1945 [History of the Second World War 1939-1945]. Vol. II, pp. 25-26.

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It was assumed that the Soviet Union would enter the war against Japan two or three months after the German surrender and the end of the war in Europe, provided that: "1. Preserving the status quo of Outer Mongolia (the Mongolian People's Republic); 2. Restoring the rights that belonged to Russia, violated by the treacherous attack of Japan in 1904, namely: a) the return to the Soviet Union of the southern part of the island. Sakhalin and all adjacent islands; b) internationalization of the commercial port of Dairen, ensuring the Soviet Union's pre-emptive interests in this port and restoring the lease on Port Arthur as a Soviet naval base; c) joint operation of the China-Eastern Railway and the South Manchurian Railway, which provides access to Dairen, on on the basis of the organization of a mixed Soviet-Chinese society, ensuring the primary interests of the Soviet Union, while it is understood that China retains full sovereignty in Manchuria; 3. The transfer of the Kuril Islands to the Soviet Union. " 6 By signing this agreement, the leaders of the United States and Great Britain thereby recognized the conditions set out in it as legitimate and fair.

In the interests of ending the Second World War as soon as possible, ensuring the security of its Far Eastern borders, eliminating the hotbed of war in Asia, and helping the workers of East and South-East Asia in their liberation struggle, as well as proceeding from allied obligations, the Soviet Union agreed to go to war with Japan.

Japan for a long time led an openly aggressive policy towards Russia, and then the USSR. As you know, the aggressive aspirations of Japanese imperialism against our country began to manifest themselves noticeably at the end of the last century. They were expressed in Japan's plans to reject the entire Far East and close the exits to the Pacific Ocean for Russia. In 1875, Japan, taking advantage of the unfavorable situation for Russia, captured the Kuril Islands, and in 1904, without declaring war, treacherously attacked Russia. The attack was carried out during negotiations on the settlement of relations between the two countries.

In preparing the war against Russia, Japan received assistance from the United States and England. As early as 1902, Japan entered into an alliance with England. The United States, which sought to dominate the Pacific, was interested in weakening the influence of both Japan and Russia here. They provided Japan with a loan of $ 500 million specifically for military spending. The United States and Britain were hindering the transfer of Russian naval forces from the Baltic Sea to the Far East. In the midst of the Russo-Japanese War, U.S. President T. R. Tolkien Roosevelt declared that "the mutual annihilation of two nations is useful for the interests of other powers." 7
In 1918, Japan attacked the young Soviet Republic, trying to tear away parts of the Far East from it. For four years, Japanese interventionists plundered the Soviet Far East. And after their expulsion, Japan did not stop its aggressive actions. In 1931, it occupied Manchuria and part of Northern China, and in 1937, it invaded Central China. These actions were aimed at preparing aggression against the USSR, which was confirmed by the conclusion in 1936 of a military-political alliance (Anti-Comintern Pact) with Hitler's Germany, to which Italy joined in 1937. In 1940, a military alliance was formed with Germany and Italy, directed against the USSR. In July

6 Sovetskiy Soyuz na mezhdunarodnykh konferentsii periodoi Velikoi Otechestvennoy voiny [The Soviet Union at international Conferences of the Great Patriotic War period].

7 Cit. by: Avarin V. The struggle for the Pacific Ocean, Moscow, 1947, p. 35.

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In 1938, Japanese troops invaded the territory of the Soviet Union near Khasan Island, and in May 1939 - the territory of the Mongolian People's Republic near the Khalkhin-Gol River. Having suffered defeat in both the first and second cases, the Japanese military went in April 1941 to conclude a Japanese-Soviet neutrality pact.

The Japanese ruling circles attributed their subsequent actions to the weakening of the Soviet Union in the war with Nazi Germany. At a specially convened meeting on June 22, 1941, the Japanese government discussed a plan to attack the Soviet Union (the Kantokuen plan) and, under the pretext of conducting maneuvers of the Kwantung Army, increased its strength from 400 thousand to 700 thousand people .8 In the" Territorial Management Plan for the co-development of Greater East Asia", developed by the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Colonies of Japan in late 1941 and early 1942, in the section" The Future of Soviet territories "it was stated:" Primorye should be annexed to Japan, the areas adjacent to the Manchurian Empire should be included in the sphere of influence of this country and the Trans-Siberian Railway should be placed under the full control of Japan and Germany, with Omsk being the point of demarcation between them. " 9 Japan was supposed to start a war with the Soviet Union after the Nazis captured Moscow, but the failure of the" lightning " war and the defeat of the German-fascist troops near Moscow overturned the calculations of the Japanese military and forced it to refrain from attacking the USSR.

At that time, Japan was conducting major military actions in the Pacific Ocean to seize the colonial possessions of England and the United States, thereby creating a powerful economic base for waging war against the USSR, impatiently waiting for the favorable moment - the fall of Stalingrad. But, as you know, the Nazis suffered a crushing defeat there, and the plans of the Japanese military were again thwarted. In March 1943, the Japanese ambassador in Berlin, in an interview with Ribbentrop, stated:: "The proposal of the German government to attack Russia was discussed in detail and exhaustively at a meeting of the Japanese government with the imperial headquarters... However, due to the current military situation, the Japanese Government cannot enter the war. Rather, it is convinced that it is in the general interest not to start a war against Russia at the present time. On the other hand, the Japanese government will never ignore the Russian issue." Explaining the reasons for this decision, the Ambassador continued: "For a long time, Japan intended to turn its forces against Russia. But she doesn't feel strong enough to do it yet. This would be possible by exposing the front in the south and surrendering several islands to the enemy in order to transfer all forces to the north. " 10
Not daring to commit direct aggression against the U.S.S.R., Japan provided all possible assistance to fascist Germany throughout the war, concentrating a large group of its armed forces near our borders and thus forcing the Soviet Union to keep there a large number of troops that were extremely necessary on the Soviet-German front. The corresponding Japanese services supplied Nazi Germany with intelligence data on the military and economic situation of the Soviet Union. At the direction of the Japanese leadership during the war, obstacles were made to Soviet shipping in the Far East.-

8 See Inoue Kiyoshi, Okonogi Shinzaburo, Suzuki Sesi. History of Modern Japan, Moscow, 1955, p. 239.

9 Cit. according to: Raginsky M. Yu., Rozen B. lit S. Ya. International trial of the main Japanese war criminals. Moscow-L. 1950, p. 246.

10 Ibid.

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runoff. From December 1941 to April 1945, the Japanese stopped and inspected Soviet ships about 200 times. Several ships were sunk by Japanese submarines. In fact, Japan conducted military operations at sea against the USSR.

All this nullified the Soviet-Japanese neutrality pact on April 5, 1945. The Soviet government denounced it. Explaining the reasons for this step, it stated in its statement that the pact was signed "before the German attack on the USSR and before the outbreak of war between Japan, on the one hand, and England and the United States of America, on the other. Since that time, the situation has changed radically. Germany attacked the USSR, and Japan, an ally of Germany, is helping the latter in its war against the USSR. In addition, Japan is at war with the United States and Britain, which are allies of the Soviet Union. " 11 In this situation, the neutrality pact between Japan and the USSR lost its meaning. The Soviet leadership assumed that it would be wrong to consider the war in the Far East in isolation from the international situation, i.e., within the framework of Soviet-Japanese relations only. Japan is an ally of nazi Germany, and the war with it is an integral part of the common struggle of peoples against aggressors for their freedom and independence, a direct continuation and integral part of the Great Patriotic War. The peoples of East and Southeast Asia were waiting for a speedy liberation from the Japanese invaders. They could not achieve this without outside help. The entry of the Soviet Union into the war was also required by the need for a speedy end to World War II.

The Soviet government's statement emphasized that after the defeat and surrender of Hitler's Germany, Japan was the only great power that still stands for the continuation of the war. Japan rejected the Potsdam Declaration of unconditional Surrender by the United States, Great Britain and China of July 26, 1945. The USSR joined this declaration. "The Soviet Government,"the statement said," considers that such a policy is the only means capable of bringing peace closer, freeing the peoples from further sacrifices and suffering, and enabling the Japanese people to get rid of the dangers and destructions that Germany experienced after its refusal to unconditionally surrender. " 12
On the territory of Japan proper, preparations were made for a long defense. The headquarters for planning dispersal and defense provided for the evacuation to the interior of the country and shelter from aerial bombardment of 1,575 factories, of which 132 were to become semi - underground, and 252-underground. The authorities intended to disperse several thousand small businesses through local managements13 . However, due to the lack of transport, energy and labor, the evacuation was slow. In the spring and summer of 1945, a general mobilization was carried out in Japan, Korea, and Manchukuo. All conscripts were sent to reserve regiments and divisions located mainly in the south of the Korean Peninsula, as well as on the island of Jejudo (Saishu), where up to 10 new Japanese formations were formed in July 1945 .14
A propaganda campaign for "war to the bitter end" was launched. The Japanese military leadership proved the reality of long-term resistance to the American-British armies and expressed

11 Foreign Policy of the Soviet Union during the Patriotic War, vol. III, Moscow, 1947, p. 111.

12 Ibid., p. 363.

13 Istoriya vtoroi mirovoi voyny 1939-1945 [History of the Second World War 1939-1945].

14 Ibid., p. 175.

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confidence in the victory that will be won "in the last five minutes". The personnel of the Japanese armed forces were treated in the spirit of fanaticism. On June 18, 1945, at a meeting of the American Joint Chiefs of Staff, it was noted: "In general, Japan uses all political means to avoid complete defeat or unconditional surrender." In the committee's view, the objectives of the Japanese Government should have been as follows: "a. Continue and even strengthen attempts to achieve complete political unity of the empire...; b. Maintain among the enemies of Japan the idea that if the United Nations insist on the complete conquest of the empire, the war will be long and expensive; c. If necessary, offer substantial territorial and other concessions to the Soviet Union, try to persuade it to remain neutral and at the same time make every effort to sow discord between the Americans and the British, on the one hand, and the Russians, on the other."15
In the United States, when President Truman came to power, the emphasis was placed on atomic weapons, the creation of which was almost completed by this time. The new barbaric means of waging armed struggle became the" main trump card " of the American policy "from a position of strength" in relation to the USSR. Preparations for the combat use of atomic bombs were being made at an accelerated pace in the United States: airfields suitable for this purpose were selected, crews were trained, aircraft were re-equipped, and services intended for the combat use of atomic weapons were being prepared.

On August 6 and 9, the United States dropped two atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing and maiming more than 400 thousand people. This action was not caused by military necessity. In this case, the US Government primarily pursued political goals. It hoped to demonstrate the special power of the US armed forces, considering atomic weapons as the main means of intimidating peoples. This was a kind of atomic blackmail in order to achieve US world hegemony in the post-war world. The atomic bombings were carried out with the complicity of the British government, which gave official consent to this on July 4, 1945. The crew of the carrier aircraft that dropped the bomb on Hiroshima included a representative of the British RAF 16 . However, the atomic bombings did not change the plans of the Japanese leadership. Even after the Hiroshima tragedy, the Japanese army "was determined to continue its resistance." The bombing of Hiroshima, wrote the American military historian L. Morton, caused confusion among Japanese leaders, but not a disposition to surrender.

The Japanese leadership also failed to create a split in the coalition of the USSR and Western allies, as well as in relations between the Soviet Union and China. From June 30 to July 14, and then after the return of the Soviet delegation from Potsdam, negotiations took place in Moscow between the governments of the USSR and China on the conclusion of a treaty, the purpose of which was determined back in Yalta: to help China in its struggle for liberation from the Japanese invaders. On August 14, 1945, the Treaty of Friendship and Alliance between the Soviet Union and the Republic of China was signed, as well as a number of other agreements. 17 The Governments of the USSR and China expressed their determination to strengthen the traditional friendly relations between the two countries, and to render assistance to each other.-

15 Ibid., p. 176.

16 Trukhanovsky V. G. The problem of nuclear weapons in English politics during the Second World War. Voprosy istorii, 1984, No. 5, pp. 25, 26.

17 See Foreign Policy of the Soviet Union during the Patriotic War, vol. III, pp. 458-476.

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to assist in the fight against aggression by the enemies of the United Nations and to cooperate in a joint war against Japan until its unconditional surrender; to cooperate after the war in the maintenance of universal peace and security. Due to the ongoing war in the Far East, the parties pledged not to enter into separate negotiations with Japan. Agreements on Port Arthur, Dalny Port and operation of the CER were of great importance. The Soviet government confirmed China's sovereignty over the territory captured by Japan in 1931. In war zones, the supreme authority and resolution of all matters relating to the conduct of war were entrusted to the Commander-in-Chief of the Soviet Armed Forces. The treaty stated that "as soon as any part of the returned territory ceases to be a zone of direct military operations, the National Government of the Republic of China will assume all authority in civil affairs." 18
On August 8, 1945, the Soviet government announced to the Japanese Ambassador in Moscow that from the next day the Soviet Union would consider itself at war with Japan. On August 9, the Soviet Armed Forces in the Far East went on the offensive. It was a just, liberating war of the Soviet people against the Japanese aggressor for the honor, freedom and independence of the socialist Motherland. The decision of the Soviet government to declare war on Japan found a wide response in the hearts of the Soviet people. Speaking at the meetings, workers and employees of factories and factories declared their readiness to make every effort to help the Red Army in its struggle against the Japanese imperialists. The unanimously adopted resolution of the collective of the Moscow factory "Red Proletarian" stated: "The Soviet people are a peace-loving people. He stands for world peace. That is why he is now speaking out against fascist Japan, in order to force it to surrender unconditionally. The sooner Japan is defeated, the sooner there will be universal peace in the world. By our hard work, we will help the Red Army to bring this hour closer. " 19
The decision of the Soviet Government was highly appreciated and warmly approved in all the allied countries. "All of us in Great Britain," the British government declared on August 8, 1945, " were fully aware of and highly appreciated the enormous sacrifices and strain suffered by Russia as a result of its heroic campaign against Nazi Germany, and we have always been confident that once Russia has won a victory in the West, it will stand with its allies against the Nazis." the enemy on the Eastern Front " 20 .

On August 10, in accordance with the Soviet-Mongolian Treaty of 1936, the Mongolian People's Republic also declared war on Japan.

The Far Eastern theater of operations encompassed Manchuria, Inner Mongolia, and North Korea. Its area exceeded 1.5 million square kilometers. The length of the front of deployment of Soviet troops was more than 5 thousand kilometers. Most of the territory of the Manchurian - Korean region is occupied by mountains (Big and Small Khingan, East Manchurian, North Korean, etc.) with a height of 1000-1900 m, the mountains of Northern and Western Manchuria are largely covered with forest. The main part of Inner Mongolia is semi-deserts and arid steppes. In general, the theater of operations was diverse and difficult for the advancing troops. The main rivers here were the Amur, Sungari, Ussuri and Nunjiang. They are harak-

18 Ibid., p. 472.

19 Pravda, 9. VIII. 1945.

20 Foreign policy of the Soviet Union during the Patriotic War, vol. III, p. 365.

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thorns are subject to a sharp fluctuation in the water level: they become shallow in a drought, and during rains they turn into full-flowing highways that complicate the actions of troops. There were few roads on the territory of the upcoming military operations.

Manchuria and Korea were turned by Japan into a military-economic base and a springboard for deploying aggression on the mainland. During the war, more than half of Japan's synthetic fuel production capacity was located in Manchuria. At the beginning of 1945, there were eight plants for the production of synthetic fuel from coal and shale, including two plants in Fushun with a total capacity of about 600 thousand tons per year, two in Jilin-240 thousand tons and a plant in Sipin-180 thousand tons. According to the plan of the Supreme Council for War Management, due to the loss of Indonesia and its oil sources in 1945, it was planned to increase the total capacity of these plants to 2 million tons. Manchuria was one of the main suppliers of explosives and toxic substances. Simultaneously with the development of industry, especially the military, the network of railways and highways expanded on its territory, aviation bases and airfields were built. By the summer of 1945, 20 airbases, 133 airfields, and more than 200 landing sites had been built in Manchuria and Korea - more than 400 airfield points in total, with an operational capacity of over 100 thousand aircraft .21 On the basis of cheap electricity, rich sources of raw materials in Korea, aluminum production developed rapidly. Production of tungsten ore, which accounted for 84% of its production in Japan, fluorspar (94%), copper (40%) and graphite (100%)reached a high level22 .

Starting in 1943, the Kwantung Army Command carried out large-scale operational equipment of the theater of operations. By mid-1945, the Japanese had built 17 fortified areas near the borders with the Soviet Union and the Mongolian People's Republic. The total length of the strip of fortifications, in which there were about 8 thousand long-term structures, was almost a thousand kilometers 23 . The line of border fortified areas formed a cover zone. It consisted of three positions: the first, with a depth of 3-10 km, included advanced resistance nodes and strong points, the second (3-5 km) - the main resistance nodes, and the third (2 - 4 km) was located 10-20 km from the second position. Especially strong fortifications were created on the eastern borders of Manchukuo. There were several powerful fortified areas, among which Hutou, Mishan, Suifenghe, Dunning, etc. stood out.

By the beginning of August 1945, a large strategic grouping of Japanese and puppet troops was concentrated near the borders of the Soviet Union and the Mongolian People's Republic. It was based on the Kwantung Army (Commander - in-Chief-General O. Yamada). This combination of ground forces included two fronts and two separate armies (24 infantry divisions, 10 mixed brigades, 2 tank brigades and a suicide brigade), the 2nd Air Army, and the Sungari Military Flotilla24 . The Japanese grouping, including the puppet forces, numbered over 1 million people, 1,215 tanks, 6,640 guns and mortars, 1,907 combat aircraft, and 26 warships .25
The creation and strategic deployment of Soviet troops in the Far East was carried out for a long time. After Napa-

21 Liberation mission of the Soviet Armed Forces in the Second World War, Moscow, 1971, p. 428.

22 Istoriya vtoroi mirovoi voyny 1939-1945 [History of the Second World War 1939-1945].

23 Sovetskaya voennaya entsiklopediya [Soviet Military Encyclopedia], vol. 5, p. 129.

24 Istoriya voennogo iskusstva [History of Military Art], Moscow, 1979, p. 236.

25 World War II. Brief History, Moscow, 1984, p. 549.

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When Nazi Germany attacked the USSR, the Japanese leadership was only waiting for a convenient moment for aggression against our country. This forced the USSR to keep significant forces of the land forces, aviation and navy on alert in the Far East. They included from 32 to 59 calculated divisions of the ground forces, from 10 to 29 aviation divisions, 6 divisions and 4 brigades of the air defense forces. At various times, the Soviet troops had here 8-16 thousand guns and mortars, over 2 thousand tanks and self-propelled artillery units, from 3 to 4 thousand combat aircraft and more than 100 warships of the main classes. This accounted for 15 to 30% of the combat forces and equipment of the Soviet Armed Forces .26
Before the start of military operations against Japan, the second stage of the strategic deployment of Soviet troops was carried out. The troops of the four fronts that completed the fighting against nazi Germany, the 3rd and 1st Belorussian, the 2nd Ukrainian and Leningrad fronts with military equipment and weapons began to be transferred along the Trans-Siberian Railway to the Far East at a distance of 9-12 thousand kilometers. The main military transportations were carried out in May-July, but they were most intensive in June. By August 9, their total volume was 222,331 cars (in terms of two-axles), of which 127,126 cars arrived in the Far East from the central regions of the country27 . The troops that joined the Far Eastern grouping were armed with more than 600 rocket-propelled mortars, as well as 900 heavy and medium tanks and self-propelled guns.

Much attention was paid to ensuring the secrecy of transportation. A strictly limited circle of people in the General Staff and in the Central Directorate of Military Communications of the Red Army was engaged in planning, controlling and accounting for the movement of troops; correspondence and negotiations related to their relocation were prohibited, stations for unloading and servicing trains were numbered, and the transmission of reports on the movement of trains was strictly controlled. Military equipment on railway platforms was camouflaged. Troops were unloaded, as a rule, at night, after which they were immediately withdrawn to the concentration area. Thanks to operational camouflage measures, the Japanese command did not learn about the concentration of new contingents of Soviet troops in the Far East before the start of hostilities. It also remained unaware of the operational deployment of troops until they reached their original areas.

To exercise strategic leadership of the armed forces in the Far East, the Main Command was created. Marshal of the Soviet Union A. M. Vasilevsky was appointed Commander - in - Chief, General I. V. Shikin was appointed a member of the Military Council, and General S. P. Ivanov was appointed Chief of Staff. Coordination of actions of the Pacific Fleet and the Amur Military Flotilla with the troops was entrusted to the Commander-in-Chief of the Naval Forces, Admiral of the Fleet N. G. Kuznetsov. The actions of aviation were led by the Commander of the Air Force, Air Chief Marshal A. A. Novikov. Under the Commander-in-Chief of the Soviet forces in the Far East, a task force of the rear was created, headed by the Deputy chief of the rear of the Soviet Army gen, V. I. Vinogradov. It included a group of rear staff officers, representatives of the Central Directorate of Military Communications, the Main Automobile Department, the Main Road Department, the fuel supply, food and clothing supply departments, the Main Military Sanitary Department and the Main Trophy Department.

26 Istoriya vtoroi mirovoi voyny 1939-1945 [History of the Second World War 1939-1945].

27 Ibid., p. 189.

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By August 9, 1945, the Trans-Baikal, 1st and 2nd Far Eastern Fronts were deployed in the Far East, with the troops of which the 9th, 10th, and 12th air Armies, as well as the forces of the Pacific Fleet and the Amur Military Flotilla, were to interact. Air defense was carried out by the Primorye, Amur and Trans-Baikal Air Defense armies. The troops of the Primorye, Khabarovsk and Trans-Baikal border districts were to eliminate enemy border cordons and posts during front-line operations, destroy its fortified strongholds, and subsequently take part in the pursuit of enemy troops and the protection of communications, headquarters and rear areas.

The Trans-Baikal Front (Commander-Marshal of the Soviet Union R. Y. Malinovsky) consisted of the 17th, 36th, 39th and 53rd combined arms, 6th Guards Tank, 12th air armies and a horse-mechanized group of Soviet-Mongolian troops. Army and divisional anti-aircraft artillery, as well as the Trans-Baikal Air Defense Army provided anti-aircraft cover for the front's troops. It was the most powerful grouping of Soviet troops in the Far East, numbering 648 thousand people, more than 9600 guns and mortars, more than 2,300 tanks and self-propelled guns, 369 rocket-propelled mortar installations, and more than 1,324 combat aircraft.

The 1st Far Eastern Front (Commander-Marshal of the Soviet Union K. A. Meretskov) included the 1st Red Banner, 5th, 25th and 35th Combined Arms Armies, the Chuguevskaya Operational Group, the 10th Mechanized Corps and the 9th Air Army. On the territory of the front, troops of the Primorsky Air Defense Army were stationed. It was a grouping of troops, only slightly inferior to the Trans-Baikal one. It had about 589,000 men, 11,430 guns and mortars, 274 rocket-propelled mortars, almost 2,000 tanks and self-propelled artillery units, and over 1,100 combat aircraft .28
The 2nd Far Eastern Front (Commander-General M. A. Purkaev) included the 2nd Red Banner, 15th and 16th Combined Arms and 10th Air Armies, and the 5th Separate Rifle Corps. The Amur Air Defense Army was also located within the front. Although this grouping was smaller in size than the Trans-Baikal and Primorsky ones, it met the strategic tasks assigned to it. It consisted of 333,000 men, almost 6,000 guns and mortars, 72 rocket-propelled mortars, more than 900 tanks and self-propelled guns, and 1,260 combat aircraft .29
The Pacific Fleet (commanded by Admiral I. S. Yumashev) consisted of 2 cruisers, a leader, 12 destroyers, 19 patrol ships, 78 submarines, 52 minesweepers, 49 submarine hunters, and 204 torpedo boats. The fleet consisted of 1,618 aircraft, including 1,382 combat aircraft. The number of personnel - about 165 thousand people, the fleet had 2550 guns and mortars. The Pacific Fleet was based at Vladivostok, as well as at Sovetskaya Gavan and Petropavlovsk. The Red Banner Amur Military Flotilla (commander-Rear Admiral N. V. Antonov) had in service 8 monitors, 11 gunboats, 7 mine boats, 52 armored boats, 12 minesweepers, 36 minesweepers and a number of auxiliary vessels. Its aviation consisted of 68 combat aircraft. In addition, the commander of the flotilla was subordinate to all patrol boats of the border guard on the Amur and Ussuri, as well as vessels of the civil river shipping company. The flotilla consisted of 12,5 thousand people, 199 ze-

28 Ibid., p. 195.

29 Istoriya voennogo iskusstva [History of Military Art], pp. 236, 237.

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rocket-propelled guns and mortars. The flotilla was based on Khabarovsk, Malaya Sazanka on the Zeya River, Sretensk on the Shilka River and Khanka Island 30 .

In total, by August 9, 11 combined arms, a tank and 3 air armies, 3 air defense armies, a fleet and a flotilla were deployed in the Far East against the Japanese armed forces. The land border of the USSR was covered by 21 fortified areas. These troops numbered over 1,700,000 men, about 30,000 guns and mortars, more than 5,200 tanks and self-propelled guns, 5,250 combat aircraft, and 93 warships .31 Together with the Red Army, the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Army was preparing for decisive battles with the Japanese militarists.

On the eve of the offensive, the Central Committee of the CPSU(b) called on the commanders, military councils, political organizations and party organizations to carry out party-political work under the slogan "Defeat the Japanese aggressor!", to direct their main efforts to ensure a high offensive impulse of the Soviet troops during the entire period of military operations.

The strategic goals of the Soviet troops in the Far East were to defeat the Kwantung Army, liberate Manchuria and North Korea from the Japanese invaders, and ultimately accelerate the surrender of Japan. The general plan of the Manchurian Offensive operation was to defeat the Kwantung Army with the forces of the Trans-Baikal, 1st and 2nd Far Eastern Fronts and seize the most important military, political and military positions in the Far East. economic centers of Manchuria. The main attacks were carried out from the territory of the MNR by the forces of the Trans-Baikal Front to the east and from the territory of Soviet Primorye by the forces of the 1st Far Eastern Front to the west. In addition, two auxiliary strikes were planned by the forces of the Trans-Baikal and 1st Far Eastern Fronts. The troops of the 2nd Far Eastern Front, in cooperation with the Amur Flotilla, advancing on the Sungari and Zhaohei directions, were supposed to bind the opposing enemy forces and thereby ensure the success of the Trans-Baikal and 1st Far Eastern Fronts.

The Pacific Fleet was supposed to disrupt enemy communications at sea, support the coastal flanks of troops, and prevent enemy landings. Later, he was assigned the task of mastering the ports of North Korea together with the 1st Far Eastern Front. The air force of the fleet was supposed to strike at enemy ships and transports to prevent the supply of material resources for the Kwantung Army, to ensure the combat operations of landings to capture the ports of North Korea.

On the night of August 9, 1945, advanced and reconnaissance detachments of three Soviet fronts began to rapidly advance into the depths of the enemy's defenses. The units that went on the offensive behind them captured many strongholds during the night, providing conditions for the advance of the main forces. At dawn on August 9, the main forces of the Trans-Baikal and 1st Far Eastern fronts crossed the state border on a wide front. In order to achieve surprise, artillery and aviation preparations for the offensive were not carried out.

On the morning of August 9, a few hours after the start of the operation, the Supreme Council of Japan for the Leadership of the War met for an urgent meeting. On it, ardent supporters of its continuation, Minister of War Anami, Chief of the General Staff of the army Umezu and Chief of the Naval General Staff Toyoda, called for the adoption of the Potsdam Declaration, but under certain conditions: preserving the imperial system of state power, punishing SA war criminals-

30 Istoriya vtoroi mirovoi voyny 1939-1945 [History of the Second World War 1939-1945].

31 Ibid., pp. 196-197.

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Japan's right to disarm itself, to prevent its occupation by the Allies; if the latter becomes unavoidable, it should be short-lived, carried out by small forces and not affect Tokyo. Japan's leaders thus hoped to get out of the war with the least moral and political damage. The main Japanese headquarters ordered the Kwantung Army to open active combat operations against the USSR, and the expeditionary army in China to transfer forces to Manchuria. The Minister of War appealed to the army to continue the resolute "holy war", to fight to the last drop of blood.

However, the enemy's resistance could not stop the onslaught of Soviet troops. The Japanese command was forced to hastily withdraw its units into the depths of Manchuria. The troops of the Trans-Baikal and 1st Far Eastern Fronts marched towards each other, delivering deep dissecting blows. In five days, the 6th Guards Tank Army of the Trans-Baikal Front traveled more than 400 km, overcame the Great Khingan and descended to the Manchurian Plain, entering the rear of the Kwantung Army.

The rapid advance of the Trans-Baikal Front troops created exceptionally favorable conditions for the active actions of the troops led by the Communist Party of China. A week before the Soviet Union entered the war, the Japanese surrounded the 8th Chinese Army in the Pingquan area. It was saved by the 17th Army of the Trans-Baikal Front, which was rapidly advancing in this direction. Zhu De signed an order for the 8th Army to launch a counteroffensive on August 11. At the end of August, a group of Chinese Communist Party troops entered Shanhaiguan. Here she met with troops of the 17th Army, which helped her cross by rail to the north to preempt the Kuomintang troops who were trying to enter Manchuria. The latter were never able to do this. The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China forced the advance of its troops and cadres to Manchuria. Sending troops and cadres to the northeast of China was of great importance for the subsequent struggle of the Chinese people. The entry of Soviet troops into the territory of Manchuria radically changed the situation. The workers ' struggle against the Japanese aggressors has intensified. Residents of the liberated towns and villages welcomed the Soviet Army as their liberator.

By the end of August 14, the troops of the 1st Far Eastern Front overcame the fortified border areas, defeated the units of the 5th Japanese Army defending them, and advanced 120-150 km, creating conditions for the Soviet troops to reach Harbin, Jilin, and Changchun. The Pacific Fleet, together with the troops of the front, captured the ports of Yuki and Racine, depriving the Kwantung Army of communication with the mother country and cutting off its escape routes to Korea.

On the night of August 9, the 2nd Far Eastern Front launched an offensive in the Sungari and Zhaohei directions. The advance detachments of the 15th Army captured the islands on the Amur River during the night, and reconnaissance detachments landed on its opposite shore. The offensive of the main forces of the front was carried out along the Sungari Valley. On the night of August 10, the 15th Army and the 5th Separate Rifle Corps (under the cover of advanced detachments) began crossing the Amur and Ussuri Rivers. Tank units were ferried across. During the day, the main forces completely cleared the enemy from the opposite bank of the Amur, the Sungari and Ussuri interfluve. The offensive was supported by the Amur Military Flotilla.

In connection with the successful offensive of the 2nd Far Eastern Front and the exit of the 1st Far Eastern Front formations to the Mudanjiang River line to the rear of the Japanese troops defending in the lower reaches

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On August 10, the Japanese command began withdrawing its troops deep into Manchuria.

As a result of the first stage of the operation (from August 9 to August 14), Soviet troops advanced to a depth of 450-500 kilometers. The Kwantung Army suffered a crushing defeat/The Pacific Fleet covered the coast of North Korea. Soviet aviation dominated all areas of military operations. On August 14, the Japanese government issued a statement of surrender, but did not order the cessation of hostilities to its troops. In this regard, the Soviet offensive continued.

The withdrawal of the Trans-Baikal and 1st Far Eastern fronts to the rear of the Japanese troops, the successful offensive of the 2nd Far Eastern Front forced the enemy to withdraw in the direction of Harbin. Having lost about 300 thousand people during the fighting, the command of the Kwantung Army on August 17 ordered its troops to stop resistance. However, many parts were slow to complete it. To speed up the surrender, Soviet air troops landed in Changchun, Mukden, Harbin, Jilin, Pyongyang, Dalny and Port Arthur between August 18 and 24. Soon our tank and rifle formations arrived there.

By the end of August 22, the main Japanese forces in Manchuria and North Korea had stopped organized resistance. The Soviets completely defeated the Kwantung Army and liberated Northeast China and North Korea.

Even before the end of the Manchurian operation, the troops of the 2nd Far Eastern Front began to liberate Southern Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands. This task, despite the stubborn resistance of the Japanese troops, was also completed in a short time. On the evening of August 23, 1945, Moscow saluted in honor of the victory of the Soviet Armed Forces in the Far East.

During the campaign, 594,000 enemy soldiers and officers were captured, 4,300 guns and mortars (grenade launchers), 686 tanks, 861 aircraft and other military equipment were captured .32 The Japanese armed forces have not suffered such huge losses in any of the previous operations against China and the United States. This was the biggest defeat of the Japanese imperialists during World War II. The Soviet defeat of the Kwantung Army, the main force intended by Japan for the further conduct of the war, forced this country to capitulate, which the United States could not achieve either by conducting combat operations since December 1941, much less by using atomic bombs.

On September 2, the Japanese Government signed an act of unconditional surrender. The main hotbed of aggression in the Far East was eliminated. With the loss of the northeastern provinces of China, North Korea, and South Sakhalin, the Japanese militarists lost their bases of aggression and their main bases for supplying raw materials and weapons.

By entering the war with Japan, the USSR accelerated the end of World War II, which saved many thousands of American and British soldiers and officers from death, saved millions of Japanese citizens from incalculable victims and suffering, and prevented the further extermination of the peoples of East and Southeast Asia by the Japanese invaders. As a result of Japan's surrender, the peoples of China, Korea, and other East and Southeast Asian countries were given favorable conditions for a successful struggle for freedom and independence. Under the influence of the victory over Japanese militarism, the August Revolution in Vietnam took place. September 2, 1945 was the birthday of the first state of popular democracy in South-East Asia-the Soviet Union.

32 World War II. Brief history, p. 558.

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The Declaration of Independence of Vietnam was published. Emphasizing the significance of the Soviet people's victories in World War II, Ho Chi Minh wrote that fascism was defeated by the Red Army under the leadership of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union .33 On August 17, independence and the formation of another sovereign State, the Republic of Indonesia, were declared.

The presence of Soviet troops in Manchuria greatly contributed to the strengthening of the Chinese revolutionary forces. The troops under the control of the Communist Party of China were provided with a solid rear. As the Soviet armies gradually withdrew from Manchuria, the Chinese Communist Party troops entered the cities and towns they left behind. By May 1, 1946, they occupied the entire territory of the province, with the exception of Shenyang and the adjacent region of Southern Manchuria. The Manchurian revolutionary base was established, which played a crucial role in the subsequent development of the liberation movement and in achieving the victory of the people's revolution in China.

The Red Army has fulfilled its international mission with dignity. There is not a single country in East, South, or Southeast Asia whose fate is not linked to the historic victory of the Soviet Union over Japanese militarism. The defeat of imperialist Japan caused a powerful upsurge in the national liberation movement, which led to the collapse of the system of colonialism in this region.

Soviet and Mongolian soldiers showed great courage and heroism in the battles and difficult transitions. The military exploits of the soldiers in operations in the Far East were highly appreciated by the Central Committee of the CPSU (b) and the Soviet Government. Established on September 30, 1945, the medal "For the Victory over Japan" was awarded to more than 1,700 thousand people. For exemplary performance of command tasks and mass heroism, more than 300 formations, units and ships were awarded battle orders, and more than 220 were awarded honorary titles of Khingan, Amur, Port Arthur, Ussuri, Harbin, Mukden, Sakhalin, Kuril, etc. 86 Soviet soldiers were awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union. Six Heroes of the Soviet Union were awarded the second Gold Star medal.

The Mongolian People's Revolutionary Army made a valuable contribution to the common cause of defeating Japanese imperialism. For the heroism shown during the battles against militaristic Japan, more than 3 thousand of its soldiers were awarded orders and medals of the MPR and more than 300-orders of the Soviet Union.

The defeat of the Kwantung Army by Soviet and Mongolian troops and the subsequent capitulation of imperialist Japan meant the end of World War II. The victory of the Soviet Armed Forces in the Far East was a blow not only to Japanese imperialism, but also to the entire international reaction. This victory was of historic significance for strengthening the position of democratic forces around the world, especially in the countries of East and South-East Asia. Favorable conditions were created for the deployment of the national liberation movement of the peoples of China, Korea, and Southeast Asian countries. These were the most important military and political results of the Soviet Union's war against the Japanese aggressor.

33 Ho Chi Minh City. Selected articles and Speeches, Moscow, 1959, pp. 4-5.

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