Soviet invasion of Manchuria
The Soviet invasion of Manchuria, formally known as the Manchurian strategic offensive operation or simply the Manchurian operation (Маньчжурская операция), began on 9 August 1945 with the Soviet invasion of the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo. It was the largest campaign of the 1945 Soviet–Japanese War, which resumed hostilities between the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the Empire of Japan after almost six years of peace. Since 1983, the operation has sometimes been called Operation August Storm after U.S. Army historian David Glantz used this title for a paper on the subject.
| Soviet invasion of Manchuria | |||||||||
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| Part of the Soviet–Japanese War of World War II | |||||||||
Soviet gains in North East Asia, August 1945 | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
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Allies: Soviet Union Mongolia | |||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Units involved | |||||||||
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Soviet armies |
Japanese armies | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
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Soviet Union:
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Japan: Manchuria: 665,500 soldiers and sailors 290 tanks 1,042 aircraft (232 combat) Korea: 335,900 soldiers and sailors ~80 tanks 962 aircraft (395 combat) Manchukuo: 170,000–200,000 troops Mengjiang: 44,000 troops | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
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Soviet Union:
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Japanese claim:
Soviet claim:
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Soviet gains on the continent were Manchukuo, Mengjiang (the northeast section of present-day Inner Mongolia) and northern Korea. The Soviet entry into this theatre of the war and the defeat of the Kwantung Army was a significant factor in the Japanese government's decision to surrender unconditionally, as it became apparent that the Soviet Union had no intention of acting as a third party in negotiating an end to hostilities on conditional terms.