In August 1945, the Soviet Union sent troops to the northeast to eliminate the Japanese Kwantung Army, at what cost?
On February 4, 1945, the heads of state of the United States, the Soviet Union, and the United Kingdom gathered at the Yalta Palace on the Crimean Peninsula. At this time, the situation in Europe has long been clear. Under the onslaught of the Allied forces, the Germans were already at the end of the crossbow. In less than three months, they will be completely defeated. Therefore, the three countries demanded the demarcation of the post-war world order. At the meeting, the Soviets achieved great results. They expanded their sphere of influence and even forced China and the United States to recognize the independence of Outer Mongolia.
The feud between the United States and Japan
Of course, Americans also have a deeper purpose. In their eyes, fascist Japan in the East still needs to be solved. If it were not for the Japanese who fought without declaring war, the United States would never have participated in World War II. Before the Pearl Island incident, the US high-level people watched the fire from the other side. They sell arms for profit. In the eyes of the capitalists, as soon as the war begins, then profits will roll in. No one expected that Japan would still launch a sneak attack. On Pearl Island, all the US warships were destroyed, and the Pacific Fleet was seriously injured.
In fact, the Japanese army is strong. During World War II, they invaded and occupied most of the Asia-Pacific region. China, India, Philippines, Southeast Asia. These places were invaded by their colonization. Compared with the Army, the Japanese Navy is the most terrifying. As early as the Meiji Restoration, the Emperor noticed the role of the navy. In the vast ocean, the Japanese have large aircraft carriers, battleships, frigates and other ships. With a little grouping, they can go on an expedition.
It was thanks to the navy that Japan was able to land from Shanghai and directly attack Nanjing, the capital of the Nationalist government. Therefore, the Minister of the Navy has a higher status before the Emperor. Unfortunately, the Japanese still overestimated themselves. After the fiasco at Pearl Island, the U.S. army reorganized its forces. On June 4, 1942, after intercepting Japanese intelligence, the U.S. military organized the Battle of Midway. Relying on the terrain, they set up an ambush on Midway. As the two Japanese carriers passed by, they quickly launched an attack. Yamamoto did not expect that this would be his own fiasco.
During the three-day battle, the Japanese sank 4 aircraft carriers and 3 heavy cruisers, losing more than 3,000 elite naval soldiers. After that, the Japanese Navy was powerless to fight any more. The U.S. military ruled the Pacific in one fell swoop. In May 1945, the Germans formally surrendered. Soon, the Americans pulled out and began to deal with Japanese affairs. After defeating the Japanese Navy, the Americans pinned their hopes on the Soviet side.
The Soviet Union sent troops
You know, the Soviet Far East directly bordered northeast China. The Kwantung Army stationed in the northeast had already expanded to 600,000, while the total number of Japanese troops in northern China and east China exceeded 1.5 million. These living forces are seen as hope by the Japanese government. At the end of the war, the Japanese leadership even prepared to move the capital to the northeast. In the northeast, Japan built a huge military industrial base. There are mines everywhere and resources are abundant.
The arrogant Japanese acted recklessly. They are determined to resist desperately and do not hesitate to block the fate of the nation. In fact, the madness of the Japanese army is unimaginable today, and they will only bite and resist more violently. On July 7, 1945, the three giants of the United States, the Soviet Union, and Britain gathered in the small town of Potsdam outside Berlin. This time, they will discuss how to execute Japan. At this time, the US military has decided to use the atomic bomb. At the meeting, Roosevelt wanted to force the Soviet Union to work together.
According to the agreement, after three months of repairs, the Red Army should send troops to the northeast. Their target was the 600,000 Kwantung Army. Above the conference, however, the cunning Stalin did not sign. He had already calculated in his heart. During World War II, the Japanese did not attack the Soviet Union. Out of the way, hang high. There was nothing good for Stalin to do. In this regard, the attitude of the United States and Chiang Kai-shek is impatient and corrupt.
In desperation, the Americans could only take the lead. On August 6, 1949, U.S. troops dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima. Overnight, the city was razed to the ground and 200,000 people were killed or wounded. The whole world was stunned by this terrifying force, including the Soviets. On August 8, the Soviet Union sent 1.5 million troops. With the support of tanks, armored vehicles and other firepower, they quickly attacked the Japanese.
Battle sacrifices
From August 9, the fighting began to become more intense. The Japanese army had long been prepared, and in the three eastern provinces, they expanded the recruitment of a large number of Japanese expatriates. Some elderly people and children were also conscripted into battle. At the same time, puppet armies from Korea and Manchuria joined the fighting. They are mainly responsible for the transportation of military supplies. At this time, the commander of the Kwantung Army had also fallen into a state of illness. 600,000 old and weak against 1.5 million Soviet elites, this is a clear defeat.
Along the Mudanjiang River, the First Front of the Kwantung Army swore to resist to the death, and they built quite strong fortifications. Relying on the terrain, the Japanese army resisted step by step. In just two days, the First Front lost more than 40,000 people. And they are also the most fierce resistance troops. Later, the Japanese Fifth Front also took part in the battle. Under heavy Soviet artillery fire, the Fifth Front suffered more than 25,000 casualties. At this point in the battle, the elite of the Kwantung Army had long been lost. After nearly 10,000 casualties, the remaining armies began to surrender. Among them, the Third and Fourth Fronts surrendered as an organization.
On August 19, Soviet troops landed in Shenyang by plane. A day later, more than 1,000 Soviet troops advanced. On August 25, elite Soviet troops entered Changchun and then captured Siping. On August 28, after entering Princess Ridge, they encountered small-scale obstacles. It turned out that the Japanese 107th Division, which had lost contact with its superiors, was deployed around the Heilongjiang River. After seeing the Soviets, they immediately opened fire.
The Soviet Transbaikal Front had to fight it. Because of the hasty fight, many Soviet soldiers were not prepared. They also lack heavy fire support. As a result, a battle ended, and the Soviets lost nearly 6,000 people. In the end, the Soviets captured more than 500,000 Japanese prisoners and killed nearly 100,000. The Soviet and Soviet navies killed 9,780, 1,340 non-combat deaths, 911 missing, 19,562 war wounded, and 4,863 sick. Among them, the combat casualties were 30,253, and the non-combat casualties were 6,203, for a total of 36,456. When this report card was placed in front of Stalin, he was obviously unhappy. Enraged, he sent 500,000 Japanese prisoners to the Far East. In the alpine environment of Siberia, the Japanese army worked day and night, and the suffering was unspeakable.
epilogue
During World War II, the Soviet Union and Japan did not have much enmity. If it were not for the repeated coercion of the United States, Stalin would probably have ignored it. It was not until the American army used the atomic bomb that the Red Army intervened on a large scale in order to compete for territory and sphere of influence.
In just one day, the Soviets mobilized 1.5 million men. Obviously, this is well prepared. Near the water tower platform first got the moon, the Soviet Union got what it wanted. Of course, more than 30,000 people died as a result, which Stalin did not want to see.