Questions:
1. The situation in the Far East. The general course of hostilities.
2. Results, lessons and significance of the war.

The Soviet-Japanese War of 1945 is one of the most important milestones on the way to victory in World War II. In terms of its scale, scope, attracted forces and means, tension, results, military-political and strategic consequences, it belongs to the most important stages of the Second World War.

The surrender of Nazi Germany in May 1945 marked the end of the war in Europe. But in the Far East and the Pacific Ocean, militaristic Japan continued to fight against the USA, Great Britain and other allies of the USSR in the Asia-Pacific region.
The entry of the Soviet Union into the war against Japan was conditioned by the allied obligations assumed by the USSR at the Tehran, Yalta and Potsdam conferences, as well as by the policy pursued by Japan towards the USSR. Throughout the Great Patriotic War, Japan provided all possible assistance to fascist Germany. She continuously reinforced her armed forces on the Soviet-Japanese border, thereby forcing the Soviet Union to keep there a large number of troops, much needed for use on the Soviet-German front; Japanese ships interfered in every possible way with normal Soviet shipping, attacking ships and detaining them. All this nullified the Soviet-Japanese neutrality pact, concluded in April 1941. In this regard, the Soviet government in April 1945 denounced the said pact. On August 8, 1945, it made a statement that from August 9, the Soviet Union would consider itself at war with Japan.
The political goals of the military campaign of the Soviet Union in the Far East were to eliminate the last hotbed of World War II as quickly as possible, to eliminate the threat of a Japanese attack on the USSR, to liberate the countries occupied by Japan together with the allies, and to restore world peace. The government of the USSR also pursued its geopolitical goals (to return to the Soviet Union South Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands, which had been torn away by the Japanese during the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905), to open a free exit for Soviet ships and vessels to the Pacific Ocean, etc., previously formulated For the Japanese government, the entry of the USSR into the war meant the loss of their last hope and their defeat both by military and diplomatic means.
The main military-strategic chain of the war was the defeat of the Kwantung Army, the liberation of Northeast China (Manchuria) and North Korea from the Japanese invaders. The solution of this problem was supposed to have an impact on the acceleration of the surrender of Japan and ensure success in the defeat of Japanese troops in South Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands.
The general plan of the war was to defeat the Kwantung Army and capture the most important military-political and economic centers of Manchuria with the forces of the Trans-Baikal, 1st and 2nd Far Eastern Fronts and the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Army, in cooperation with the Pacific Fleet and the Amur Flotilla. The main blows were supposed to be delivered from the territory of the Mongolian People's Republic (MPR) by the forces of the Trans-Baikal Front to the east and from the territory of the Soviet Primorye by the forces of the 1st Far Eastern Front to the west. In addition, it was planned to deliver two auxiliary strikes by the forces of the Trans-Baikal and the 1st Far Eastern fronts. The troops of the 2nd Far Eastern Front, in cooperation with the Amur military flotilla, striking in the Sungarian and Zhaohei directions, were supposed to pin down the enemy forces opposing him and thereby ensure the success of the Transbaikal 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 entrusted with the task, together with the 1st Far Eastern Front, to seize the ports of North Korea. The air forces of the fleet were supposed to strike at enemy ships and transports to prevent the supply of materiel for the Kwantung Army, to support combat operations of landing forces to seize the ports of North Korea.
The theater of the upcoming military operations covered the territory of Northeast China, part of Inner Mongolia, North Korea, the Sea of ​​Japan and the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, Sakhalin Island and the Kuril Islands. The great honor of the territory of the Manchurian-Korean region is occupied by mountains (Great and Lesser 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, most of Inner Mongolia is occupied by semi-deserts and waterless steppes.
The grouping of Japanese troops in Manchuria, Korea, South Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands included the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 17th fronts, the 4th and 34th separate armies. The strongest was the Kwantung Army, located in Manchuria. It included the 1st and 3rd fronts, the 4th and 34th separate and 2nd air armies, the Sungari river flotilla (24 infantry divisions, 9 separate infantry and mixed brigades, a special forces brigade - suicide bombers, 2 tank brigades and air force). With the outbreak of hostilities, the 34th Separate Army was reassigned to the commander of the 17th (Korean) Front, which became part of the Kwantung Army on August 10, and the 5th Air Army was also included in it on August 10. In total, the grouping of Japanese troops concentrated near the Soviet borders consisted of four fronts and two separate armies, a military river flotilla and two air armies. It consisted of 817 thousand soldiers and officers (including puppet troops - more than 1 million people), over 1200 tanks, 6600 guns and mortars, 1900 combat aircraft and 26 ships.
Japanese troops were located in advance prepared positions. The most important areas were covered by 17 fortified areas. The coastal direction was most strongly fortified, and especially between the lake. Khanka and Posyet Bay. To reach the central regions of Manchuria and Korea, Soviet troops had to overcome mountainous-wooded, semi-desert and wooded-marshy terrain to a depth of 300 to 600 km.
The preparation of hostilities included a number of activities carried out in advance and immediately before their start. The main ones were the transfer of troops from the western regions and the creation of offensive groupings, the study and equipment of the theater of upcoming actions, the training of troops and the creation of stocks of materiel necessary for a strategic operation. Much attention was paid to the implementation of measures aimed at ensuring the surprise of the offensive (observance of secrecy in the preparation of the operation, concentration, regrouping and deployment of troops in the initial position, involvement of a limited circle of people in planning, etc.).
The Trans-Baikal (commander Marshal of the Soviet Union R. Ya Malinovsky), the 1st Far East (commander Marshal of the Soviet Union K.A. Meretskov) and the 2nd Far East (commander General of the Army M.L. Purkaea) fronts were involved in the Far Eastern campaign, as well as the Pacific Fleet (commander Admiral I.S. Yumashev), the Amur Military Flotilla (commander Rear Admiral N.V. Antonov) and units of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Army (commander-in-chief Marshal X. Choibalsan). This grouping consisted of more than 1.7 million people, about 30 thousand guns and mortars (without anti-aircraft artillery), 5.25 thousand tanks and self-propelled guns, 5.2 thousand aircraft. 93 warships of the main classes. The general command of the troops was carried out by the High Command of the Soviet Forces in the Far East, specially created by the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command (Commander-in-Chief Marshal of the Soviet Union A.M. Vasilevsky).
On the eve of the USSR's entry into the war with Japan, on August 6 and 9, the United States used nuclear weapons for the first time in the history of mankind, dropping two atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, although there was no military need for these bombings. The exact number of victims of the atomic bombings is still unknown, but it has been established that in total at least 500 thousand people suffered from them, including those killed, wounded, affected by radiation and subsequently died from radiation sickness. This barbaric act was intended to demonstrate the power of the United States, and not so much to achieve a military victory over Japan, but to put pressure on the USSR in order to obtain concessions from it in matters of the post-war world order.
The combat operations of the Soviet troops in the Far East include the Manchurian, South Sakhalin offensive operations and the Kuril landing operation. As part of the Manchurian offensive operation, the Khingan-Mukden (Trans-Baikal Front), Harbino-Girinskaya (1st Far Eastern Front) and Sungaria (2nd Far Eastern Front) front-line offensive operations were carried out.
The Manchurian strategic offensive operation (August 9 - September 2, 1945), according to the nature of the tasks to be solved and the methods of action of the troops, was divided into two stages:
- the first stage - August 9-14 - the defeat of the Japanese cover troops and the exit of Soviet troops to the Central Manchurian Plain;
- the second stage - August 15 - September 2 - the development of the offensive and the surrender of the Kwantung Army.
The idea of ​​the Manchurian strategic offensive operation provided for delivering powerful blows to the flanks of the Kwantung Army from the west and east and several auxiliary blows to the directions converging in the center of Manchuria, which ensured a deep coverage of the main forces of the Japanese, dissecting them and quickly defeating them in parts. Operations to liberate South Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands were made dependent on the fulfillment of this main task.
On August 9, strike groups of the Soviet fronts attacked the enemy from land, air and sea. The fighting unfolded on the front with a length of more than 5 thousand km. The Pacific Fleet went out into the open, cut off the sea communications used by the troops of the Kwantung Army to communicate with Japan, and the forces of aviation and torpedo boats inflicted powerful blows on Japanese naval bases in North Korea. the Gobi Desert and the mountain ranges of the Greater Khingan, defeat the Kalgan, Solunskhui and Hailar enemy groups and rushed to the central regions of Northeast China. On August 20, the main forces of the 6th Guards Tank Army would enter the cities of Shenyang (Mukden) and Changchun and began to move south to the cities of Dalian (Far) and Luishun (Port Arthur). The cavalry-mechanized group of Soviet-Mongolian troops, leaving on August 18 to the cities of Zhangjiakou (Kalgan) and Chengde, cut off the Japanese grouping in Manchuria from the Japanese expeditionary forces in China.
The troops of the 1st Far Eastern Front, advancing towards the Trans-Baikal Front, broke through the enemy's border fortifications, repulsed his strong counterattacks in the Mudanjiang region, entered the city of Jilin on August 20 and, together with formations of the 2nd Far Eastern Front, into Harbin. The 25th Army, in cooperation with the amphibious assault forces of the Pacific Fleet, liberated the territory of North Korea, cutting off Japanese troops from the mother country.
The 2nd Far Eastern Front, in cooperation with the Amur Flotilla, successfully crossed the Amur and Ussuri Rivers, broke through the long-term enemy defenses in the Heihe, Sunyu, Hegai, Dunan and Fujin regions, overcame the Lesser Khingan mountain range covered with taiga and launched an offensive not in the Harbin and Qiqihar directions. On August 20, together with the troops of the 1st Far Eastern Front, he captured Harbin.
Thus, by August 20, Soviet troops advanced into the depths of Manchuria from the west by 400-800 km, from the east and north by 200-300 km. They reached the Manchurian Plain, dismembered the Japanese troops into a number of isolated groupings and completed their encirclement. On August 19, the commander of the Kwantung Army gave the troops an order to stop resistance. On August 19, a ceasefire agreement was signed. Only then did the organized surrender of Japanese troops in Manchuria begin. It continued until the end of the month. However, even this did not mean that the hostilities were completely stopped. Only on August 22, after powerful artillery and aviation preparation, was it possible to storm the Khutous resistance center by storm. In order to prevent the enemy from evacuating or destroying material assets, airborne assaults were landed in Harbin, Shenyang (Mukden), Changchun, Girin, Luishun (Port Arthur), Pyongyang and other cities from August 18 to 27. The rapid offensive of the Soviet and Mongolian troops put Japan in a hopeless situation, the calculations of its command for a stubborn defense and the subsequent offensive were thwarted. The million-strong Kwantung Army was defeated.
The major success of the Soviet troops in Manchuria, achieved in the first days of the war, allowed the Soviet command on August 11 to launch an offensive in South Sakhalin. The South Sakhalin Offensive Operation (August 11-25, 1945) was entrusted to the troops of the 16th Army of the 2nd Far Eastern Front (commanded by Lieutenant General L.G. Cheremisov) and the Northern Pacific Flotilla (commanded by Admiral V.A. Andreev ).
The defense of Sakhalin Island was carried out by the Japanese 88th Infantry Division, the Border Guard and reservist units. The strongest grouping (yes, 5400 people) was concentrated in the valley of the Poronai River, not far from the state border, covering the only road from the Soviet part of Sakhalin to the south. The Kotonsky (Kharamitogsky) fortified area was located in this direction - up to 12 km along the front and up to 16 km in depth, which included the foredfield strip, the main and second defense lines (17 pillboxes, 139 pillboxes and other structures).
The fighting on Sakhalin began with a breakthrough in this fortified area. The offensive was carried out in extremely difficult terrain with fierce resistance from the enemy. On August 16, an amphibious assault was landed behind enemy lines in the port of Toro (Shakhtersk). Counter strikes from the front and rear on August 18 broke through the enemy defenses. Soviet troops launched a swift offensive towards the southern coast of the island. On August 20, an amphibious assault was landed in the port of Maoka (Kholmsk), and in the morning of August 25 - in the port of Otomari (Korsakov). On the same day, Soviet troops entered the administrative center of South Sakhalin, the city of Toyohara (Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk), having completely completed the liquidation of the Japanese group on the island.
The successful course of hostilities in Manchuria, Korea and South Sakhalin allowed the Soviet troops to begin the Kuril landing operation (August 18 - September 1, 1945). Its goal was the liberation of the northern group of the Kuril Islands - Shumshu, Paramushir, Onekotan. The troops of the Kamchatka defensive region, ships and units of the Petropavlovsk naval base were assigned to carry out the operation. The landing force included the 101st Infantry Division (without one regiment), units of sailors and border guards. He was supported from the air by the 128th Aviation Division and the Naval Aviation Regiment. On the Kuril Islands, the 5th Japanese Front had over 50 thousand soldiers and officers. The most fortified in antiamphibious relation was the island of Shumshu - the closest to Kamchatka. On August 18, under cover of ship fire, the landing of troops on this island began. The fog made it possible to achieve the surprise of the beginning of the landing. Having discovered it, the enemy made a desperate attempt to push the landing units into the sea, but his attacks were not successful. During August 18-20, Japanese troops suffered heavy losses and began to withdraw deep into the island. On August 21-23, the enemy laid down their arms. More than 12 thousand. man was taken prisoner. Landing on August 22-23 on other islands, Soviet troops captured the entire northern part of the ridge up to Urup Island. More than 30 thousand Japanese soldiers and officers were taken prisoner. The Kuril operation was completed by the landing, landed on the morning of September 1 on the island of Kunashir.
The operation on the Kuril Islands is characterized primarily by the skillful organization of a sea crossing over a long distance (up to 800 km) and the landing of troops on an unequipped coast. The personnel were unloaded from the transports in the roadstead and delivered to the shore on various landing craft. Landing operations are characterized by covert movement by sea, sudden decisive actions by forward detachments that ensured the landing of the main forces.
On the evening of August 23, 1945, a salute was fired in Moscow in honor of the victory of the Soviet Armed Forces in the Far East. On September 2, on the battleship Missouri, anchored in Tokyo Bay, the signing of the Act of Unconditional Surrender of Japan took place. This historic day marked the end of World War II.

The Soviet-Japanese War, representing an independent part of the Second World War, was a logical continuation of the Patriotic War of the Soviet people for the independence, security and sovereignty of their country.
What is the military-political, strategic and world-historical significance of the war?
First, the main military-political outcome of the war is the complete defeat of the Japanese troops in Manchuria, North Korea, Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands. Enemy losses amounted to over 677 thousand people, of which about 84 thousand were killed. Soviet troops captured a lot of weapons and equipment. By the end of August 1945, the entire territory of Northeast China, part of Inner Mongolia and North Korea were liberated from the Japanese invaders. This hastened the defeat of Japan and its unconditional surrender. The main center of aggression in the Far East was liquidated and favorable conditions were created for the development of the national liberation struggle of the Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese peoples.
Secondly, the Soviet-Japanese war of 1945 occupies a special place in the history of Soviet military art.
The peculiarity of the Soviet-Japanese war was that it was carried out at a rapid pace, in a short time and was indicative of the achievement of strategic goals at its very beginning. The Soviet Armed Forces in this war were enriched by the practice of conducting military operations designed to seize the strategic initiative, the experience of maneuvering part of the country's Armed Forces into a new theater of war, and methods of organizing interaction between ground forces and the Navy. Combat operations with the participation of three fronts, aviation, fleet and Air Defense Forces of the country represent the first example of the implementation of a strategic offensive operation in the conditions of a desert-steppe and mountainous-wooded area.
The organizational composition of the fronts was characteristic. He proceeded from the characteristics of each strategic direction and the task that the front had to solve (a large number of tank troops in the Trans-Baikal, a significant amount of RVGK artillery in the 1st Far Eastern Front).
The desert-steppe nature of the terrain allowed the troops of the Trans-Baikal Front to organize an offensive in directions with deep detours of fortified areas. The mountainous taiga terrain in the zone of the 1st Far Eastern Front led to the organization of an offensive with a breakthrough in fortified areas. Hence the sharp difference in the conduct of operations by these fronts. However, their common characteristic was a wide maneuver with the use of coverage, detours and encirclement of enemy groupings. Offensive operations were carried out at a great depth and at a high pace. At the same time, in the Trans-Baikal Front, the depth of army operations ranged from 400 to 800 km, and the pace of advancement of both tank and combined arms armies turned out to be much greater than in the conditions of the Western theater of operations. In the 6th Guards Tank Army, they reached an average of 82 km per day.
The Manchurian operation was the largest strategic offensive operation carried out in the desert-steppe and mountain-taiga areas by the forces of three fronts, the Pacific Fleet and the Amur military flotilla. The operation is characterized by such features of military art as a large spatial scope, secrecy in the concentration and deployment of groupings of troops, well-organized interaction between the Fronts, the fleet and the river flotilla, the suddenness of the transition to the offensive at night by all fronts simultaneously, the delivery of a strong blow by the troops of the first echelons, the seizure of the strategic initiative, maneuver by forces and means, high rates of advance to great depths.
The idea of ​​the Headquarters for the operation took into account the configuration of the Soviet-Manchurian border. The enveloping position of the Soviet troops in relation to the enemy at the beginning of the offensive made it possible to direct attacks on the flanks of the Kwantung Army, quickly carry out a deep envelopment of its main forces, cut them up and defeat them in parts. The directions of the main attacks of the fronts were directed to the flanks and to the rear of the main enemy grouping, which deprived it of communication with the mother countries and strategic reserves located in North China. The main forces of the fronts were advancing on a sector of 2720 km. Auxiliary strikes were delivered in such a way as to deprive the enemy of the opportunity to transfer troops to the main directions. By massing up to 70-90% of the forces and means in the directions of the main attacks, superiority over the enemy was ensured: in people - by 1.5-1.7 times, in guns - by 4-4.5, in tanks and self-propelled guns - by 5 -8, in airplanes - 2.6 times.
The most characteristic features of front-line and army operations were: great depth (from 200 to 800 km); wide offensive zones, reaching 700-2300 km in fronts, and 200-250 km in most armies; the use of maneuver for the purpose of enveloping, bypassing and encircling enemy groupings; high advance rates (up to 40-50 km per day, and on some days more than 100 km). Combined-arms and tank armies in most cases advanced before the end of the front-line operation to its entire depth.
In the tactics of rifle troops, the most instructive are going over to the offensive at night under unfavorable meteorological conditions and in difficult terrain, and breaking through fortified areas. When breaking through fortified areas, divisions and corps had deep battle formations and created high density of forces and means - up to 200-240 guns and mortars, 30-40 tanks and self-propelled guns per 1 km of the front.
The breakthrough of fortified areas at night, without artillery and aviation preparation, deserves attention. In the development of the offensive in depth, an important role was played by forward detachments detached from divisions and corps of the first echelon of the armies, consisting of a battalion-regiment of infantry in vehicles, reinforced with tanks (up to a brigade), artillery (up to a regiment), sappers, chemists and signalmen. The separation of forward detachments from the main forces was 10-50 km. These detachments destroyed pockets of resistance, captured road junctions and passes. The detachments bypassed the strongest hearth and resistance without getting involved in protracted battles. Their sudden inflows, decisive advance into the depths of the enemy's location did not give the enemy the opportunity to organize defense by covering detachments.
The experience of using tank formations and formations in the conditions of the Far East showed that these areas (including the Greater Khingan Range) are accessible to large masses of troops equipped with modern military equipment. The increased capabilities of armored vehicles ensured the massive use of tank troops in hard-to-reach areas. At the same time, the wide operational use of tank formations and formations was skillfully combined with the use of tanks for direct support of the infantry. Particularly instructive were the actions of the 6th Guards Tank Army, which, advancing in the first echelon of the front in a strip of about 200 km, advanced to a depth of more than 800 km in 10 days. This created favorable conditions for the actions of combined arms armies.
Characteristic of the actions of our aviation was its air supremacy. In total, more than 14 thousand combat sorties were made. Aviation bombed objects in the rear, destroyed strongholds and centers of resistance, supported ground forces in pursuing the enemy, carried out landing operations, as well as supplying troops with fuel and ammunition.
Thirdly, for the Soviet people, the war against Japan was fair, and for the victims of Japanese aggression and the Japanese themselves, it was humane, which ensured a sufficient level of patriotic enthusiasm for the Soviet people who sought to restore historical justice, gave rise to mass heroism of the soldiers of the Red Army and the Naval fleet in the fight against the Japanese aggressors and provided moral support for the entry of the USSR into the war from world public opinion.
One of the decisive factors that ensured the victory was the high moral and political state of the personnel of our troops. In a fierce battle, such powerful sources of victories for the Soviet people and their army as patriotism and friendship of peoples were manifested with all their might. Soviet fighters and commanders showed miracles of mass heroism, exceptional courage, steadfastness and military skill.
In a few days, but hot battles in the Far East, the immortal feats of the heroes of the war against the Nazi invaders were repeated, stubbornness and courage, skill and valor, readiness to sacrifice life for the sake of victory were shown. A vivid example of heroism is the exploits of Soviet soldiers who covered the embrasures and loopholes of Japanese pillboxes and bunkers, enemy firing points. Such feats were accomplished by the border guard of the 3rd outpost of the Red Banner Khasan border detachment, sergeant P.I. Ovchinnikov, shooter of the 1034th rifle regiment of the 29th rifle division of the Trans-Baikal Front, corporal V. G. Bulba, party organizer of the battalion of the 205th tank brigade of the 2nd Far Eastern Front I.V. division of the same front, corporal M.Ya. Patrashkov.
A number of feats of self-sacrifice were associated with the protection of the fighters of their commanders. So, corporal Samarin of the 97th artillery battalion of the 109th fortified area, at the moment when the battery commander was in danger, covered him with his body.
The heroic feat was accomplished by the Komsomol organizer of the 390th battalion of the 13th Marine Brigade, Sergeant A. Mishatkin. A mine crushed his hand, but after bandaging he again joined the battle. Once surrounded, the sergeant waited for the enemy soldiers to come closer, and blew himself up with an anti-tank grenade, destroying 6 Japanese in the process.
The pilot of the 22nd Fighter Aviation Regiment, Lieutenant V.G., proved to be fearless and skillful. Tcherepnin, who shot down a Japanese plane with a ramming blow. In the sky of Korea, a fire ram was made by the commander of the 37th Assault Aviation Regiment, Junior Lieutenant Mikhail Yanko, who sent his burning aircraft into the port facilities of the enemy.
Soviet soldiers fought heroically for the liberation of the largest and fortified island of the Kuril ridge - Shumshu, where a strong defense was created, a developed system of pillboxes and bunkers, trenches and anti-tank ditches, enemy infantry units were supported by a significant amount of artillery and tanks. A group feat in battle with 25 Japanese tanks, which was accompanied by infantry, was performed by senior sergeant I.I. Kobzar, foreman of the 2nd article P.V. Babich, Sergeant N.M. Rynda, sailor N.K. Vlasenko, led by the commander of the demolition platoon, Lieutenant A.M. Vodynin. In an effort not to let tanks through combat positions, to save their comrades, the Soviet soldiers, having exhausted all means of fighting and not being able to stop the enemy in any other way, with bundles of grenades rushed under enemy vehicles and, sacrificing themselves, destroyed seven of them, which delayed the advance of the enemy armored column before the approach of the main forces of our landing. Of the entire group, only Pyotr Babich survived, who told the details about the feat of the heroes.
In the same battle, junior sergeant Georgy Balandin set fire to 2 enemy tanks, and when the anti-tank gun failed, he rushed under the third with a grenade.
Over 308,000 people were awarded orders and medals for military exploits and distinctions. The title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded to 86 soldiers, the second medal "Gold Star" was awarded to 6 people. The formations and units that distinguished themselves most in battles in the Far East were given the names Khingan, Amur, Ussuri, Harbin, Mukden, Sakhalin, Kuril, Port Arthur. On September 30, 1945, the medal "For the Victory over Japan" was established by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

Guidelines.
In preparation for the lesson, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the recommended literature, prepare for the demonstration of the scheme of operations.
It is advisable to conduct the lesson in the museum of a formation or unit, during which it is advisable to organize a viewing of documentary and feature films about the Soviet-Japanese war of 1945.
When covering the first issue, using the schemes of operations, it is necessary to show the location and balance of forces of the opposing sides at different stages of the war, while emphasizing that it is an outstanding example of Soviet military art. In addition, it is necessary to tell in detail about the exploits, give examples of the courage and heroism of Soviet soldiers.
In the course of considering the second question, it is necessary to objectively show the significance, role and place of the Soviet-Japanese war of 1945 in Russian historiography, to consider in more detail the contribution of the type of troops in which students serve to the course and outcome of the war.
At the end of the lesson, it is necessary to draw brief conclusions and answer questions from the audience.

Recommended literature:
1. The Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union of 1941-1945 In 12 volumes. T.1. Major events of the war. - M.: Military Publishing House, 2011.
2. Military-historical atlas of Russia. - M.. 2006.
3. World history of wars. - Minsk: Harvest, 2004.
4. History of the Second World War 1939 -1945. - M., 1976.

Dmitry SAMOSVAT

situation in the Far East. The general course of hostilities.

The surrender of Nazi Germany in May 1945 marked the end of the war in Europe. But in the Far East and the Pacific Ocean, militaristic Japan continued to fight against the USA, Great Britain and other allies of the USSR in the Asia-Pacific region.

The entry of the Soviet Union into the war against Japan was conditioned by the allied obligations assumed by the USSR at the Tehran, Yalta and Potsdam conferences, as well as by the policy pursued by Japan towards the USSR. Throughout the Great Patriotic War, Japan provided all possible assistance to fascist Germany. She continuously reinforced her armed forces on the Soviet-Japanese border, thereby forcing the Soviet Union to keep there a large number of troops, much needed for use on the Soviet-German front; Japanese ships interfered in every possible way with normal Soviet shipping, attacking ships and detaining them. All this nullified the Soviet-Japanese neutrality pact, concluded in April 1941. In this regard, the Soviet government in April 1945 denounced the said pact. On August 8, 1945, it made a statement that from August 9, the Soviet Union would consider itself at war with Japan.

The political goals of the military campaign of the Soviet Union in the Far East were to eliminate the last hotbed of World War II as quickly as possible, to eliminate the threat of a Japanese attack on the USSR, to liberate the countries occupied by Japan together with the allies, and to restore world peace. The government of the USSR also pursued its geopolitical goals (to return to the Soviet Union South Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands, which had been torn away by the Japanese during the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905), to open a free exit for Soviet ships and vessels to the Pacific Ocean, etc., previously formulated For the Japanese government, the entry of the USSR into the war meant the loss of their last hope and their defeat both by military and diplomatic means.

The main military-strategic chain of the war was the defeat of the Kwantung Army, the liberation of Northeast China (Manchuria) and North Korea from the Japanese invaders. The solution of this problem was supposed to have an impact on the acceleration of the surrender of Japan and ensure success in the defeat of Japanese troops in South Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands.

The general plan of the war was to defeat the Kwantung Army and capture the most important military-political and economic centers of Manchuria with the forces of the Trans-Baikal, 1st and 2nd Far Eastern Fronts and the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Army, in cooperation with the Pacific Fleet and the Amur Flotilla. The main blows were supposed to be delivered from the territory of the Mongolian People's Republic (MPR) by the forces of the Trans-Baikal Front to the east and from the territory of the Soviet Primorye by the forces of the 1st Far Eastern Front to the west. In addition, it was planned to deliver two auxiliary strikes by the forces of the Trans-Baikal and the 1st Far Eastern fronts. The troops of the 2nd Far Eastern Front, in cooperation with the Amur military flotilla, striking in the Sungarian and Zhaohei directions, were supposed to pin down the enemy forces opposing him and thereby ensure the success of the Transbaikal 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 entrusted with the task, together with the 1st Far Eastern Front, to seize the ports of North Korea. The air forces of the fleet were supposed to strike at enemy ships and transports to prevent the supply of materiel for the Kwantung Army, to support combat operations of landing forces to seize the ports of North Korea.

The theater of the upcoming military operations covered the territory of Northeast China, part of Inner Mongolia, North Korea, the Sea of ​​Japan and the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, Sakhalin Island and the Kuril Islands. The great honor of the territory of the Manchurian-Korean region is occupied by mountains (Great and Lesser 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, most of Inner Mongolia is occupied by semi-deserts and waterless steppes.

The grouping of Japanese troops in Manchuria, Korea, South Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands included the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 17th fronts, the 4th and 34th separate armies. The strongest was the Kwantung Army, located in Manchuria. It included the 1st and 3rd fronts, the 4th and 34th separate and 2nd air armies, the Sungari River Flotilla (24 infantry divisions, 9 separate infantry and mixed brigades, a special forces brigade - suicide bombers, 2 tank brigades and air force). With the outbreak of hostilities, the 34th Separate Army was reassigned to the commander of the 17th (Korean) Front, which became part of the Kwantung Army on August 10, and the 5th Air Army was also included in it on August 10. In total, the grouping of Japanese troops concentrated near the Soviet borders consisted of four fronts and two separate armies, a military river flotilla and two air armies. It consisted of 817 thousand soldiers and officers (including puppet troops - more than 1 million people), over 1200 tanks, 6600 guns and mortars, 1900 combat aircraft and 26 ships.

Japanese troops were located in advance prepared positions. The most important areas were covered by 17 fortified areas. The coastal direction was most strongly fortified, and especially between the lake. Khanka and Posyet Bay. To reach the central regions of Manchuria and Korea, Soviet troops had to overcome mountainous-wooded, semi-desert and wooded-marshy terrain to a depth of 300 to 600 km.

The preparation of hostilities included a number of activities carried out in advance and immediately before their start. The main ones were the transfer of troops from the western regions and the creation of offensive groupings, the study and equipment of the theater of upcoming actions, the training of troops and the creation of stocks of materiel necessary for a strategic operation. Much attention was paid to the implementation of measures aimed at ensuring the surprise of the offensive (observance of secrecy in the preparation of the operation, concentration, regrouping and deployment of troops in the initial position, involvement of a limited circle of people in planning, etc.).

The Trans-Baikal (commander Marshal of the Soviet Union R. Ya Malinovsky), the 1st Far East (commander Marshal of the Soviet Union K.A. Meretskov) and the 2nd Far East (commander General of the Army M.L. Purkaea) fronts were involved in the Far Eastern campaign, as well as the Pacific Fleet (commander Admiral I.S. Yumashev), the Amur Military Flotilla (commander Rear Admiral N.V. Antonov) and units of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Army (commander-in-chief Marshal X. Choibalsan). This grouping consisted of more than 1.7 million people, about 30 thousand guns and mortars (without anti-aircraft artillery), 5.25 thousand tanks and self-propelled guns, 5.2 thousand aircraft. 93 warships of the main classes. The general command of the troops was carried out by the High Command of the Soviet Forces in the Far East, specially created by the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command (Commander-in-Chief Marshal of the Soviet Union A.M. Vasilevsky).

On the eve of the USSR's entry into the war with Japan, on August 6 and 9, the United States used nuclear weapons for the first time in the history of mankind, dropping two atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, although there was no military need for these bombings. The exact number of victims of the atomic bombings is still unknown, but it has been established that in total at least 500 thousand people suffered from them, including those killed, wounded, affected by radiation and subsequently died from radiation sickness. This barbaric act was intended to demonstrate the power of the United States, and not so much to achieve a military victory over Japan, but to put pressure on the USSR in order to obtain concessions from it in matters of the post-war world order.

The combat operations of the Soviet troops in the Far East include the Manchurian, South Sakhalin offensive operations and the Kuril landing operation. As part of the Manchurian offensive operation, the Khingan-Mukden (Trans-Baikal Front), Harbino-Girinskaya (1st Far Eastern Front) and Sungaria (2nd Far Eastern Front) front-line offensive operations were carried out.

The Manchurian strategic offensive operation (August 9 - September 2, 1945), according to the nature of the tasks being solved and the methods of action of the troops, was divided into two stages:

• the first stage - August 9-14 - the defeat of the Japanese cover troops and the exit of Soviet troops to the Central Manchurian Plain;
• the second stage - August 15 - September 2 - the development of the offensive and the surrender of the Kwantung Army.

The idea of ​​the Manchurian strategic offensive operation provided for delivering powerful blows to the flanks of the Kwantung Army from the west and east and several auxiliary blows to the directions converging in the center of Manchuria, which ensured a deep coverage of the main forces of the Japanese, dissecting them and quickly defeating them in parts. Operations to liberate South Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands were made dependent on the fulfillment of this main task.

On August 9, strike groups of the Soviet fronts attacked the enemy from land, air and sea. The fighting unfolded on the front with a length of more than 5 thousand km. The Pacific Fleet went out into the open, cut off the sea communications used by the troops of the Kwantung Army to communicate with Japan, and the forces of aviation and torpedo boats inflicted powerful blows on Japanese naval bases in North Korea. the Gobi Desert and the mountain ranges of the Greater Khingan, defeat the Kalgan, Solunskhui and Hailar enemy groups and rushed to the central regions of Northeast China. On August 20, the main forces of the 6th Guards Tank Army will enter the cities of Shenyang (Mukden) and Changchun and begin to move south to the cities of Dalian (Far) and Luishun (Port Arthur). The cavalry-mechanized group of Soviet-Mongolian troops, leaving on August 18 to the cities of Zhangjiakou (Kalgan) and Chengde, cut off the Japanese grouping in Manchuria from the Japanese expeditionary forces in China.

The troops of the 1st Far Eastern Front, advancing towards the Trans-Baikal Front, broke through the enemy's border fortifications, repulsed his strong counterattacks in the Mudanjiang area, entered the city of Jilin on August 20 and, together with formations of the 2nd Far Eastern Front, into Harbin. The 25th Army, in cooperation with the amphibious assault forces of the Pacific Fleet, liberated the territory of North Korea, cutting off Japanese troops from the mother country.

The 2nd Far Eastern Front, in cooperation with the Amur Flotilla, successfully crossed the Amur and Ussuri Rivers, broke through the long-term enemy defenses in the Heihe, Sunyu, Hegai, Dunan and Fujin regions, overcame the Lesser Khingan mountain range covered with taiga and launched an offensive not in the Harbin and Qiqihar directions. On August 20, together with the troops of the 1st Far Eastern Front, he captured Harbin.

Thus, by August 20, Soviet troops advanced into the depths of Manchuria from the west by 400-800 km, from the east and north by 200-300 km. They reached the Manchurian Plain, dismembered the Japanese troops into a number of isolated groupings and completed their encirclement. On August 19, the commander of the Kwantung Army gave the troops an order to stop resistance. On August 19, a ceasefire agreement was signed. Only then did the organized surrender of Japanese troops in Manchuria begin. It continued until the end of the month. However, even this did not mean that the hostilities were completely stopped. Only on August 22, after powerful artillery and aviation preparation, was it possible to storm the Khutous resistance center by storm. In order to prevent the enemy from evacuating or destroying material assets, airborne assaults were landed in Harbin, Shenyang (Mukden), Changchun, Girin, Luishun (Port Arthur), Pyongyang and other cities from August 18 to 27. The rapid offensive of the Soviet and Mongolian troops put Japan in a hopeless situation, the calculations of its command for a stubborn defense and the subsequent offensive were thwarted. The million-strong Kwantung Army was defeated.

The major success of the Soviet troops in Manchuria, achieved in the first days of the war, allowed the Soviet command on August 11 to launch an offensive in South Sakhalin. The South Sakhalin offensive operation (August 11-25, 1945) was entrusted to the troops of the 16th Army of the 2nd Far Eastern Front (commanded by Lieutenant General L.G. Cheremisov) and the Northern Pacific Flotilla (commanded by Admiral V.A. Andreev ).

The defense of Sakhalin Island was carried out by the Japanese 88th Infantry Division, the Border Guard and reservist units. The strongest grouping (yes, 5400 people) was concentrated in the valley of the Poronai River, not far from the state border, covering the only road from the Soviet part of Sakhalin to the south. The Kotonsky (Kharamitogsky) fortified area was located in this direction - up to 12 km along the front and up to 16 km in depth, which included the foredfield strip, the main and second defense lines (17 pillboxes, 139 pillboxes and other structures).

The fighting on Sakhalin began with a breakthrough in this fortified area. The offensive was carried out in extremely difficult terrain with fierce resistance from the enemy. On August 16, an amphibious assault was landed behind enemy lines in the port of Toro (Shakhtersk). Counter strikes from the front and rear on August 18 broke through the enemy defenses. Soviet troops launched a swift offensive towards the southern coast of the island. On August 20, an amphibious assault was landed in the port of Maoka (Kholmsk), and in the morning of August 25 - in the port of Otomari (Korsakov). On the same day, Soviet troops entered the administrative center of South Sakhalin, the city of Toyohara (Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk), having completely completed the liquidation of the Japanese group on the island.

The successful course of hostilities in Manchuria, Korea and South Sakhalin allowed the Soviet troops to begin the Kuril landing operation (August 18 - September 1, 1945). Its goal was the liberation of the northern group of the Kuril Islands - Shumshu, Paramushir, Onekotan. The troops of the Kamchatka defensive region, ships and units of the Petropavlovsk naval base were assigned to carry out the operation. The landing force included the 101st Infantry Division (without one regiment), units of sailors and border guards. He was supported from the air by the 128th Aviation Division and the Naval Aviation Regiment. On the Kuril Islands, the 5th Japanese Front had over 50 thousand soldiers and officers. The most fortified in antiamphibious relation was the island of Shumshu - the closest to Kamchatka. On August 18, under cover of ship fire, the landing of troops on this island began. The fog made it possible to achieve the surprise of the beginning of the landing. Having discovered it, the enemy made a desperate attempt to push the landing units into the sea, but his attacks were not successful. During August 18-20, Japanese troops suffered heavy losses and began to withdraw deep into the island. On August 21-23, the enemy laid down their arms. More than 12 thousand people were taken prisoner. Landing on August 22-23 on other islands, Soviet troops captured the entire northern part of the ridge up to Urup Island. More than 30 thousand Japanese soldiers and officers were taken prisoner. The Kuril operation was completed by the landing, landed on the morning of September 1 on the island of Kunashir.

The operation on the Kuril Islands is characterized primarily by the skillful organization of a sea crossing over a long distance (up to 800 km) and the landing of troops on an unequipped coast. The personnel were unloaded from the transports in the roadstead and delivered to the shore on various landing craft. Landing operations are characterized by covert movement by sea, sudden decisive actions by forward detachments that ensured the landing of the main forces.

On the evening of August 23, 1945, a salute was fired in Moscow in honor of the victory of the Soviet Armed Forces in the Far East. On September 2, on the battleship Missouri, anchored in Tokyo Bay, the signing of the Act of Unconditional Surrender of Japan took place. This historic day marked the end of World War II.

Results, lessons and significance of the war

The Soviet-Japanese War, representing an independent part of the Second World War, was a logical continuation of the Patriotic War of the Soviet people for the independence, security and sovereignty of their country.

What is the military-political, strategic and world-historical significance of the war?

Firstly, the main military-political outcome of the war is the complete defeat of the Japanese troops in Manchuria, North Korea, Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands. Enemy losses amounted to over 677 thousand people, of which about 84 thousand were killed. Soviet troops captured a lot of weapons and equipment. By the end of August 1945, the entire territory of Northeast China, part of Inner Mongolia and North Korea were liberated from the Japanese invaders. This hastened the defeat of Japan and its unconditional surrender. The main center of aggression in the Far East was liquidated and favorable conditions were created for the development of the national liberation struggle of the Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese peoples.

Secondly, The Soviet-Japanese War of 1945 occupies a special place in the history of Soviet military art.

The peculiarity of the Soviet-Japanese war was that it was carried out at a rapid pace, in a short time and was indicative of the achievement of strategic goals at its very beginning. The Soviet Armed Forces in this war were enriched by the practice of conducting military operations designed to seize the strategic initiative, the experience of maneuvering part of the country's Armed Forces into a new theater of war, and methods of organizing interaction between ground forces and the Navy. Combat operations with the participation of three fronts, aviation, fleet and Air Defense Forces of the country represent the first example of the implementation of a strategic offensive operation in the conditions of a desert-steppe and mountainous-wooded area.

The organizational composition of the fronts was characteristic. He proceeded from the characteristics of each strategic direction and the task that the front had to solve (a large number of tank troops in the Trans-Baikal, a significant amount of RVGK artillery in the 1st Far Eastern Front).

The desert-steppe nature of the terrain allowed the troops of the Trans-Baikal Front to organize an offensive in directions with deep detours of fortified areas. The mountainous taiga terrain in the zone of the 1st Far Eastern Front led to the organization of an offensive with a breakthrough in fortified areas. Hence the sharp difference in the conduct of operations by these fronts. However, their common characteristic was a wide maneuver with the use of coverage, detours and encirclement of enemy groupings. Offensive operations were carried out at a great depth and at a high pace. At the same time, in the Trans-Baikal Front, the depth of army operations ranged from 400 to 800 km, and the pace of advancement of both tank and combined arms armies turned out to be much greater than in the conditions of the Western theater of operations. In the 6th Guards Tank Army, they reached an average of 82 km per day.

The Manchurian operation was the largest strategic offensive operation carried out in the desert-steppe and mountain-taiga areas by the forces of three fronts, the Pacific Fleet and the Amur military flotilla. The operation is characterized by such features of military art as a large spatial scope, secrecy in the concentration and deployment of groupings of troops, well-organized interaction between the Fronts, the fleet and the river flotilla, the suddenness of the transition to the offensive at night by all fronts simultaneously, the delivery of a strong blow by the troops of the first echelons, the seizure of the strategic initiative, maneuver by forces and means, high rates of advance to great depths.

The idea of ​​the Headquarters for the operation took into account the configuration of the Soviet-Manchurian border. The enveloping position of the Soviet troops in relation to the enemy at the beginning of the offensive made it possible to direct attacks on the flanks of the Kwantung Army, quickly carry out a deep envelopment of its main forces, cut them up and defeat them in parts. The directions of the main attacks of the fronts were directed to the flanks and to the rear of the main enemy grouping, which deprived it of communication with the mother countries and strategic reserves located in North China. The main forces of the fronts were advancing on a sector of 2720 km. Auxiliary strikes were delivered in such a way as to deprive the enemy of the opportunity to transfer troops to the main directions. By massing up to 70-90% of the forces and means in the directions of the main attacks, superiority over the enemy was ensured: in people - by 1.5-1.7 times, in guns - by 4-4.5, in tanks and self-propelled guns - by 5 -8, in airplanes - 2.6 times.

The most characteristic features of front-line and army operations were: great depth (from 200 to 800 km); wide offensive zones, reaching 700-2300 km in fronts, and 200-250 km in most armies; the use of maneuver for the purpose of enveloping, bypassing and encircling enemy groupings; high advance rates (up to 40-50 km per day, and on some days more than 100 km). Combined-arms and tank armies in most cases advanced before the end of the front-line operation to its entire depth.

In the tactics of rifle troops, the most instructive are going over to the offensive at night under unfavorable meteorological conditions and in difficult terrain, and breaking through fortified areas. When breaking through fortified areas, divisions and corps had deep battle formations and created high density of forces and means - up to 200-240 guns and mortars, 30-40 tanks and self-propelled guns per 1 km of the front.

The breakthrough of fortified areas at night, without artillery and aviation preparation, deserves attention. In the development of the offensive in depth, an important role was played by forward detachments detached from divisions and corps of the first echelon of the armies, consisting of a battalion-regiment of infantry in vehicles, reinforced with tanks (up to a brigade), artillery (up to a regiment), sappers, chemists and signalmen. The separation of forward detachments from the main forces was 10-50 km. These detachments destroyed pockets of resistance, captured road junctions and passes. The detachments bypassed the strongest hearth and resistance without getting involved in protracted battles. Their sudden inflows, decisive advance into the depths of the enemy's location did not give the enemy the opportunity to organize defense by covering detachments.

The experience of using tank formations and formations in the conditions of the Far East showed that these areas (including the Greater Khingan Range) are accessible to large masses of troops equipped with modern military equipment. The increased capabilities of armored vehicles ensured the massive use of tank troops in hard-to-reach areas. At the same time, the wide operational use of tank formations and formations was skillfully combined with the use of tanks for direct support of the infantry. Particularly instructive were the actions of the 6th Guards Tank Army, which, advancing in the first echelon of the front in a strip of about 200 km, advanced to a depth of more than 800 km in 10 days. This created favorable conditions for the actions of combined arms armies.

Characteristic of the actions of our aviation was its air supremacy. In total, more than 14 thousand combat sorties were made. Aviation bombed objects in the rear, destroyed strongholds and centers of resistance, supported ground forces in pursuing the enemy, carried out landing operations, as well as supplying troops with fuel and ammunition.

Third, for the Soviet people, the war against Japan was fair, and for the victims of Japanese aggression and the Japanese themselves it was humane, which ensured a sufficient level of patriotic enthusiasm for the Soviet people who sought to restore historical justice, gave rise to mass heroism of the soldiers of the Red Army and the Navy in the struggle with the Japanese aggressors and provided moral support for the entry of the USSR into the war from world public opinion.

One of the decisive factors that ensured the victory was the high moral and political state of the personnel of our troops. In a fierce battle, such powerful sources of victories for the Soviet people and their army as patriotism and friendship of peoples were manifested with all their might. Soviet fighters and commanders showed miracles of mass heroism, exceptional courage, steadfastness and military skill.

In a few days, but hot battles in the Far East, the immortal feats of the heroes of the war against the Nazi invaders were repeated, stubbornness and courage, skill and valor, readiness to sacrifice life for the sake of victory were shown. A vivid example of heroism is the exploits of Soviet soldiers who covered the embrasures and loopholes of Japanese pillboxes and bunkers, enemy firing points. Such feats were accomplished by the border guard of the 3rd outpost of the Red Banner Khasan border detachment, sergeant P.I. Ovchinnikov, rifleman of the 1034th rifle regiment of the 29th rifle division of the Trans-Baikal Front, corporal V.G. Bulba, party organizer of the battalion of the 205th tank brigade of the 2nd Far Eastern Front I.V. Batorov, machine gunner of the 254th Infantry Regiment of the 39th Infantry Division of the same front, Corporal M.Ya. Patrashkov.

A number of feats of self-sacrifice were associated with the protection of the fighters of their commanders. So, corporal Samarin of the 97th artillery battalion of the 109th fortified area, at the moment when the battery commander was in danger, covered him with his body.

The heroic feat was accomplished by the Komsomol organizer of the 390th battalion of the 13th Marine Brigade, Sergeant A. Mishatkin. A mine crushed his hand, but after bandaging he again joined the battle. Once surrounded, the sergeant waited for the enemy soldiers to come closer, and blew himself up with an anti-tank grenade, destroying 6 Japanese in the process.

The pilot of the 22nd Fighter Aviation Regiment, Lieutenant V.G., proved to be fearless and skillful. Tcherepnin, who shot down a Japanese plane with a ramming blow. In the sky of Korea, a fire ram was made by the commander of the 37th Assault Aviation Regiment, Junior Lieutenant Mikhail Yanko, who sent his burning aircraft into the port facilities of the enemy.

Soviet soldiers fought heroically for the liberation of the largest and fortified island of the Kuril ridge - Shumshu, where strong defenses were created, a developed system of pillboxes and bunkers, trenches and anti-tank ditches, enemy infantry units were supported by a significant amount of artillery and tanks. A group feat in battle with 25 Japanese tanks, which was accompanied by infantry, was performed by senior sergeant I.I. Kobzar, foreman of the 2nd article P.V. Babich, Sergeant N.M. Rynda, sailor N.K. Vlasenko, led by the commander of the demolition platoon, Lieutenant A.M. Vodynin. In an effort not to let tanks through combat positions, to save their comrades, the Soviet soldiers, having exhausted all means of fighting and not being able to stop the enemy in any other way, with bundles of grenades rushed under enemy vehicles and, sacrificing themselves, destroyed seven of them, which delayed the advance of the enemy armored column before the approach of the main forces of our landing. Of the entire group, only Pyotr Babich survived, who told the details about the feat of the heroes.

In the same battle, junior sergeant Georgy Balandin set fire to 2 enemy tanks, and when the anti-tank gun failed, he rushed under the third with a grenade.

Over 308,000 people were awarded orders and medals for military exploits and distinctions. The title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded to 86 soldiers, the second medal "Gold Star" was awarded to 6 people. The formations and units that distinguished themselves most in battles in the Far East were given the names Khingan, Amur, Ussuri, Harbin, Mukden, Sakhalin, Kuril, Port Arthur. On September 30, 1945, the medal "For the Victory over Japan" was established by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

The article describes the causes of the Soviet-Japanese armed conflict, the preparation of the parties for war, the course of hostilities. The characteristic of international relations before the beginning of the Second World War in the east is given.

Introduction

Active hostilities in the Far East and in the Pacific Ocean were the result of the contradictions that arose in the pre-war years between the USSR, Great Britain, the USA and China, on the one hand, and Japan, on the other. The Japanese government sought to seize new territories rich in natural resources and establish political hegemony in the Far East.

Since the end of the 19th century, Japan has waged many wars, as a result of which it acquired new colonies. It included the Kuril Islands, southern Sakhalin, Korea, Manchuria. In 1927, General Giichi Tanaka became the prime minister of the country, whose government continued its aggressive policy. In the early 1930s, Japan increased the size of its army and created a powerful navy that was one of the strongest in the world.

In 1940, Prime Minister Fumimaro Konoe developed a new foreign policy doctrine. The Japanese government planned to create a colossal empire stretching from Transbaikalia to Australia. Western countries pursued a dual policy towards Japan: on the one hand, they sought to limit the ambitions of the Japanese government, but on the other hand, they did not interfere with the intervention of northern China. To implement its plans, the Japanese government entered into an alliance with Germany and Italy.

Relations between Japan and the Soviet Union deteriorated markedly in the prewar period. In 1935, the Kwantung Army entered the border regions of Mongolia. Mongolia hastily concluded an agreement with the USSR, and units of the Red Army were introduced into its territory. In 1938, Japanese troops crossed the state border of the USSR in the region of Lake Khasan, but the invasion attempt was successfully repelled by Soviet troops. Japanese sabotage groups were also repeatedly thrown into Soviet territory. The confrontation escalated even more in 1939, when Japan launched a war against Mongolia. The USSR, observing the agreement with the Mongolian Republic, intervened in the conflict.

After these events, Japan's policy towards the USSR changed: the Japanese government was afraid of a collision with a strong western neighbor and decided to temporarily abandon the seizure of territories in the north. Nevertheless, for Japan, the USSR was actually the main enemy in the Far East.

Non-aggression pact with Japan

In the spring of 1941, the USSR signed a non-aggression pact with Japan. In the event of an armed conflict of one of the states with any third countries, the second power undertook to remain neutral. But the Japanese Foreign Minister made it clear to the German ambassador in Moscow that the concluded neutrality pact would not prevent Japan from fulfilling the terms of the Tripartite Pact during the war with the USSR.

Before the outbreak of World War II in the east, Japan was negotiating with American leaders seeking recognition of the annexation of Chinese territories and the conclusion of new trade treaties. The ruling elite of Japan could not decide against whom to direct the blow in a future war. Some politicians considered it necessary to support Germany, while another part called for an attack on the Pacific colonies of Great Britain and the United States.

As early as 1941, it became obvious that Japan's actions would depend on the situation on the Soviet-German front. The Japanese government planned to attack the USSR from the east if Germany and Italy succeeded, after the capture of Moscow by German troops. Also of great importance was the fact that the country needed raw materials for its industry. The Japanese were interested in capturing areas rich in oil, tin, zinc, nickel and rubber. Therefore, on July 2, 1941, at the imperial conference, it was decided to start a war against the USA and Great Britain. But The Japanese government did not completely abandon plans to attack the USSR until the Battle of Kursk, when it became obvious that Germany would not win the Second World War. Along with this factor, the active military operations of the allies in the Pacific Ocean forced Japan to repeatedly postpone and then completely abandon its aggressive intentions against the USSR.

The situation in the Far East during the Second World War

Despite the fact that hostilities in the Far East never began, the USSR was forced to maintain a large military grouping in this region throughout the war, the size of which varied in different periods. Until 1945, the Kwantung Army was located on the border, which included up to 1 million servicemen. The local population also prepared for defense: men were mobilized into the army, women and teenagers studied air defense methods. Fortifications were built around strategically important objects.

The Japanese leadership believed that the Germans would be able to capture Moscow before the end of 1941. In this regard, it was planned to launch an offensive against the Soviet Union in the winter. On December 3, the Japanese command ordered the troops in China to prepare for the transfer to the north. The Japanese were going to invade the USSR in the Ussuri region, and then launch an offensive in the north. To implement the approved plan, it was necessary to strengthen the Kwantung Army. Troops liberated after the fighting in the Pacific were sent to the Northern Front.

However, the hopes of the Japanese government for a quick German victory did not come true. The failure of the blitzkrieg tactics and the defeat of the Wehrmacht armies near Moscow testified that the Soviet Union was a strong enough adversary whose power should not be underestimated.

The threat of a Japanese invasion intensified in the fall of 1942. Nazi German troops advanced into the Caucasus and the Volga. The Soviet command hastily transferred 14 rifle divisions and more than 1,500 guns from the Far East to the front. Just at this time, Japan did not conduct active battles in the Pacific. However, the Headquarters of the Commander-in-Chief foresaw the possibility of a Japanese attack. The Far Eastern troops received replenishment from local reserves. This fact became known to Japanese intelligence. The Japanese government again delayed entry into the war.

The Japanese attacked merchant ships in neutral waters, preventing the delivery of goods to Far Eastern ports, repeatedly violated state borders, committed sabotage on Soviet territory, and threw propaganda literature across the border. Japanese intelligence collected information about the movements of the Soviet troops and transmitted them to the headquarters of the Wehrmacht. Among the reasons for the USSR's entry into the Japanese War in 1945 were not only obligations to the allies, but also concern for the security of its borders.

Already in the second half of 1943, when the turning point in the course of World War II ended, it became clear that, following Italy, which had already withdrawn from the war, Germany and Japan would also be defeated. The Soviet command, foreseeing a future war in the Far East, from that time almost did not use the Far Eastern troops on the Western Front. Gradually, these units of the Red Army were replenished with military equipment and manpower. In August 1943, the Primorsky Group of Forces was created as part of the Far Eastern Front, which indicated preparations for a future war.

At the Yalta Conference, held in February 1945, the Soviet Union confirmed that the agreement between Moscow and the Allies on participation in the war with Japan remains in force. The Red Army was to begin military operations against Japan no later than 3 months after the end of the war in Europe. In return, I. V. Stalin demanded territorial concessions for the USSR: the transfer of the Kuril Islands to Russia and the part of Sakhalin Island assigned to Japan as a result of the war of 1905, the transfer of the Chinese port of Port Arthur (on modern maps - Luishun ). The Dalniy commercial port was to become an open port, with the interests of the USSR being predominantly observed.

By this time, the US and British Armed Forces had inflicted a number of defeats on Japan. However, her resistance was not broken. The US, Chinese and British demand for unconditional surrender on 26 July was rejected by Japan. This decision was not unfounded. The United States and Great Britain did not have sufficient forces to carry out a landing operation in the Far East. According to the plans of the American and British leaders, the final defeat of Japan was envisaged no earlier than 1946. The Soviet Union, having entered the war with Japan, significantly brought the end of World War II closer.

Forces and plans of the parties

The Soviet-Japanese war or the Manchurian operation began on August 9, 1945. The Red Army was faced with the task of defeating the Japanese troops in China and North Korea.

Back in May 1945, the USSR began the transfer of troops to the Far East. 3 fronts were formed: the 1st and 2nd Far Eastern and Transbaikal. The Soviet Union used border troops, the Amur military flotilla and ships of the Pacific Fleet in the offensive.

The Kwantung Army included 11 infantry and 2 tank brigades, more than 30 infantry divisions, cavalry and mechanized units, a suicide brigade, and the Sungari River Flotilla. The most significant forces were deployed in the eastern regions of Manchuria, bordering on the Soviet Primorye. In the western regions, the Japanese deployed 6 infantry divisions and 1 brigade. The number of enemy soldiers exceeded 1 million people, but more than half of the fighters were recruits of younger ages and limited fit. Many Japanese units were understaffed. Also, the newly created units lacked weapons, ammunition, artillery and other military equipment. Outdated tanks and aircraft were used in Japanese units and formations.

On the side of Japan, the troops of Manchukuo, the army of Inner Mongolia and the Suiyuan army group fought. In the border areas, the enemy built 17 fortified areas. The command of the Kwantung Army was carried out by General Otsuzo Yamada.

The plan of the Soviet command provided for two main strikes by the forces of the 1st Far Eastern and Trans-Baikal Fronts, as a result of which the main enemy forces in the center of Manchuria would be pincered, divided into parts and defeated. The troops of the 2nd Far Eastern Front, consisting of 11 rifle divisions, 4 rifle and 9 tank brigades, in cooperation with the Amur military flotilla, were supposed to strike in the direction of Harbin. Then the Red Army was to occupy large settlements - Shenyang, Harbin, Changchun. The fighting took place on a stretch of more than 2.5 thousand km. on the map of the area.

Start of hostilities

Simultaneously with the beginning of the offensive of the Soviet troops, aviation carried out bombing of areas of large concentrations of troops, strategically significant objects and communication centers. Pacific Fleet ships attacked Japanese naval bases in North Korea. The offensive was led by the commander-in-chief of the Soviet troops in the Far East, A. M. Vasilevsky.

As a result of the military operations of the troops of the Trans-Baikal Front, which, having crossed the Gobi Desert and the Khingan Mountains on the first day of the offensive, advanced 50 km, significant groups of enemy troops were defeated. The offensive was hampered by the natural conditions of the area. There was not enough fuel for the tanks, but the units of the Red Army used the experience of the Germans - the supply of fuel by transport aircraft was organized. On August 17, the 6th Guards Tank Army reached the approaches to the capital of Manchuria. Soviet troops isolated the Kwantung Army from the Japanese units in Northern China and occupied important administrative centers.

The Soviet group of troops advancing from Primorye broke through the border fortifications. In the Mudanjiang area, the Japanese launched a series of counterattacks, which were repulsed. Soviet units occupied Kirin and Harbin, and, with the assistance of the Pacific Fleet, liberated the coast, capturing strategically important ports.

Then the Red Army liberated North Korea, and from mid-August, hostilities took place in China. On August 14, the Japanese command initiated surrender negotiations. On August 19, enemy troops began to surrender en masse. However, the hostilities of World War II continued until early September.

Simultaneously with the defeat of the Kwantung Army in Manchuria, Soviet troops carried out the South Sakhalin offensive operation and landed troops on the Kuril Islands. During the operation in the Kuriles on August 18-23, Soviet troops, with the support of the ships of the Peter and Paul Naval Base, captured Samusya Island and occupied all the islands of the Kuril chain by September 1.

Results

As a result of the defeat of the Kwantung Army on the continent, Japan could no longer continue the war. The enemy lost important economic regions in Manchuria and Korea. The Americans carried out atomic bombings of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and captured the island of Okinawa. On September 2, an act of surrender was signed.

The USSR included territories lost by the Russian Empire at the beginning of the 20th century: South Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands. In 1956, the USSR restored relations with Japan and agreed to the transfer of the Habomai Islands and the Shikotan Islands to Japan, subject to the conclusion of a Peace Treaty between the countries. But Japan has not come to terms with territorial losses and negotiations on the ownership of the disputed regions still do not stop.

For military merit, more than 200 units received the titles of Amur, Ussuri, Khingan, Harbin, etc. 92 servicemen became Heroes of the Soviet Union.

As a result of the operation, the losses of the warring countries amounted to:

• from the USSR - about 36.5 thousand military personnel,
• from Japan - more than 1 million soldiers and officers.

Also, during the fighting, all the ships of the Sungaria flotilla were sunk - more than 50 ships.

Medal "For the victory over Japan"

background

At the Yalta Conference of the countries participating in the anti-Hitler coalition, held in February 1945, the United States and Great Britain obtained final consent from the USSR to enter the war with Japan three months after the victory over Nazi Germany. In exchange for participation in hostilities, the Soviet Union was to receive South Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands, lost after the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905.

At that time, the Neutrality Pact was in force between the USSR and Japan, concluded in 1941 for a period of 5 years. In April 1945, the USSR announced the unilateral termination of the pact on the grounds that Japan was an ally of Germany and waged war against the allies of the USSR. “In this situation, the Neutrality Pact between Japan and the USSR lost its meaning, and the extension of this Pact became impossible,” the Soviet side said. The sudden termination of the treaty threw the Japanese government into disarray. And it was from what! The position of the Land of the Rising Sun in the war was approaching critical, the allies inflicted a number of heavy defeats on the Pacific theater of operations. Japanese cities and industrial centers were subjected to continuous bombardment. Not a single more or less reasonable person in the Japanese government and command no longer believed in the possibility of victory, the only hope was that they would be able to wear down the American troops and achieve acceptable surrender conditions for themselves.

In turn, the Americans understood that victory over Japan would not be easy. A good example of this are the battles for the island of Okinawa. The Japanese had about 77,000 people on the island. The Americans fielded about 470,000 against them. The island was taken, but the Americans lost nearly 50 thousand soldiers killed and wounded. According to the estimate of the US Secretary of War, a final victory over Japan, provided the Soviet Union did not intervene, would have cost America about a million dead and wounded.

The document declaring war was handed over to the Japanese ambassador in Moscow at 17:00 on August 8, 1945. It said that hostilities would begin the next day. However, taking into account the time difference between Moscow and the Far East, in fact, the Japanese had only one hour before the Red Army went on the offensive.

Confrontation

The strategic plan of the Soviet side included three operations: Manchurian, South Sakhalin and Kuril. It was the first one that was the most significant and large-scale, and it is on it that we should dwell in more detail.

In Manchuria, the Kwantung Army under the command of General Otsuzo Yamada became an enemy of the USSR. It included about a million personnel, more than 6,000 guns and mortars, about 1,500 aircraft, and more than 1,000 tanks.

The grouping of troops of the Red Army at the time of the start of the offensive had a serious numerical superiority over the enemy: only there were 1.6 times more fighters. In terms of the number of tanks, the Soviet troops outnumbered the Japanese by about 5 times, in artillery and mortars - 10 times, in aircraft - more than three times. Moreover, the superiority of the Soviet Union was not only quantitative. The equipment that was in service with the Red Army was much more modern and powerful than that of its enemy.

The Japanese had long understood that war with the Soviet Union was inevitable. Therefore, a large number of fortified areas were created. Let us consider as an example one of them - the Hailar region, against which the left flank of the Trans-Baikal Front of the Red Army acted. This area has been under construction for over 10 years. By August 1945, it consisted of 116 pillboxes connected by concrete underground communication passages, a developed system of trenches and a large number of engineering defensive structures. The area was defended by Japanese troops numbering more than a division.

It took the Soviet troops several days to suppress the resistance of this fortified area. It would seem that not too long a time, the troops were not stuck for months. But during this time, in other sectors of the Trans-Baikal Front, the Red Army managed to advance more than 150 kilometers. So by the standards of this war, the obstacle was quite serious. And even after the main forces of the garrison of the Hailar region surrendered, separate groups of Japanese soldiers continued to fight, demonstrating examples of fanatical courage. In Soviet reports from the battlefield, soldiers of the Kwantung Army are constantly mentioned, who chained themselves to machine guns so as not to be able to leave the position.

Against the background of the very successful actions of the Red Army, it is necessary to note such an outstanding operation as the 350-kilometer throw of the 6th Guards Tank Army across the Gobi Desert and the Khingan Range. The Khingan Mountains seemed like an insurmountable obstacle to technology. The passes through which the Soviet tanks went were at an altitude of about 2 thousand meters above sea level. The steepness of the slopes in some places reached 50 degrees, so the cars had to move in a zigzag. The situation was complicated by continuous heavy rains, impassable mud and overflow of mountain rivers. Nevertheless, Soviet tanks stubbornly moved forward. By August 11, they had crossed the mountains and found themselves in the rear of the Kwantung Army, on the Central Manchurian Plain. The army experienced a shortage of fuel and ammunition, so the Soviet command had to establish supplies by air. Transport aviation delivered more than 900 tons of tank fuel alone to our troops. As a result of this unprecedented offensive, the Red Army managed to capture only about 200,000 Japanese prisoners. In addition, a large number of weapons and equipment were captured.

The 1st Far Eastern Front of the Red Army faced fierce resistance from the Japanese, who fortified on the heights of Ostraya and Camel, which were part of the Khotous fortified region. The approaches to these heights were swampy, indented by a large number of small rivers. Scarps were excavated on the slopes and wire fences were installed. The Japanese cut down firing points in a granite rock massif. The concrete caps of the pillboxes were about one and a half meters thick.

The defenders of the height of Ostraya rejected all the demands of the Soviet troops for surrender. The commander of the fortified area cut off his head to a local resident, who was used as a truce (the Japanese did not go into dialogue with the Red Army at all). And when the Soviet troops finally managed to break into the fortifications, they found only the dead there. Moreover, among the defenders were not only men, but even women armed with grenades and daggers.

In the battles for the city of Mudanjiang, the Japanese actively used kamikaze saboteurs. Strapped with grenades, these people rushed at Soviet tanks and soldiers. On one of the sectors of the front, about 200 "live mines" lay on the ground in front of the advancing equipment. Suicide attacks were successful only at first. In the future, the Red Army increased their vigilance and, as a rule, managed to shoot the saboteur before he could approach and explode, causing damage to equipment or manpower.

The final

On August 15, Emperor Hirohito made a radio address announcing that Japan accepted the terms of the Potsdam Conference and capitulated. The emperor called on the nation to courage, patience and unite all forces to build a new future.

Three days later, on August 18, 1945, at 13:00 local time, the Kwantung Army Command addressed the troops on the radio, saying that in view of the futility of further resistance, a decision was made to surrender. Over the next few days, the Japanese units that did not have direct contact with the headquarters were notified and the terms of surrender were agreed.

Most of the military accepted the terms of surrender without objection. Moreover, in the city of Changchun, where the strength of the Soviet troops was not enough, the Japanese themselves guarded military facilities for several days. However, a small number of fanatical soldiers and officers continued to resist, refusing to obey the "cowardly" order to cease hostilities. Their war stopped only when they died.

On September 2, 1945, an act of unconditional surrender of Japan was signed in Tokyo Bay aboard the USS Missouri. The signing of this document is the official date for the end of World War II.

In August-September 1945, the Far Eastern Front in full force took part in the military campaign of the Soviet Armed Forces to defeat the most powerful grouping of Japanese ground forces in Manchuria, South Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands.

Background and preparation for war

The capitulation of fascist Germany sharply worsened the military-political position of Hitler's eastern partner. In addition, the United States and England had superiority in forces at sea, and reached the near approaches to the metropolis of Japan. Nevertheless, Japan was not going to lay down its arms, rejected the ultimatum of the United States, Britain and China to surrender.

Meeting the persistent proposals of the American-British side, the Soviet delegation agreed to enter the war against militaristic Japan after the defeat of Nazi Germany was completed. At the Crimean Conference of the three allied powers in February 1945, the date for the entry of the USSR into the war was specified - three months after the surrender of Nazi Germany. After that, preparations began for a military campaign in the Far East.

To fulfill the strategic plan, the Soviet Supreme High Command deployed three fronts: the Trans-Baikal, 1st and 2nd Far Eastern. The Pacific Fleet, the Red Banner Amur Flotilla, border troops and air defense troops were also involved in the operation. In three months, the number of personnel of the entire group increased from 1185 thousand to 1747 thousand people. The troops that arrived were armed with over 600 rocket launchers, 900 heavy and medium tanks and self-propelled guns.

The grouping of Japanese and puppet troops consisted of three fronts, a separate army, part of the forces of the 5th Front, as well as several separate regiments, a military river flotilla and two air armies. Its basis was the Kwantung Army, which included 24 infantry divisions, 9 mixed brigades, 2 tank brigades and a suicide brigade. The total number of enemy troops exceeded 1 million people, they were armed with 1215 tanks, 6640 guns and mortars, 26 ships and 1907 combat aircraft.

The State Defense Committee created the High Command of the Soviet troops in the Far East for the strategic leadership of military operations. Marshal of the Soviet Union A.M. Vasilevsky was appointed commander-in-chief, Lieutenant-General I.V. Shikin was appointed a member of the Military Council, and Colonel-General S.P. Ivanov was appointed chief of staff.

On August 8, 1945, the Soviet government published a Statement stating that from August 9, the Soviet Union would consider itself in a state of war with Japan.

The beginning of the war

On the night of August 9, all units and formations received the Statement of the Soviet government, appeals from the military councils of the fronts and armies, and combat orders to go on the offensive.

The military campaign included the Manchurian strategic offensive operation, the South Sakhalin offensive and the Kuril landing operation.

The Manchurian strategic offensive operation - the main component of the war - was carried out by the forces of the Trans-Baikal, 1st and 2nd Far Eastern fronts in cooperation with the Pacific Fleet and the Amur military flotilla. The plan, described as "strategic pincers", was simple in concept but grandiose in scope. It was planned to encircle the enemy in a total area of ​​1.5 million square kilometers.

Aviation struck at military facilities, areas of concentration of troops, communication centers and communications of the enemy in the border zone. The Pacific Fleet cut communications linking Korea and Manchuria with Japan. The troops of the Trans-Baikal Front overcame the waterless desert-steppe regions and the Great Khingan mountain range and defeated the enemy in the Kalgan, Solun and Hailar directions, and on August 18-19 reached the approaches to the most important industrial and administrative centers of Manchuria.

The troops of the 1st Far Eastern Front under the command of Marshal of the Soviet Union K. A. Meretskov broke through the border fortified areas of the enemy, repelled strong counterattacks in the Mudanjiang area, and then liberated the territory of North Korea. The troops of the 2nd Far Eastern Front under the command of Army General M.A. Purkaev crossed the Amur and Ussuri rivers, broke through the long-term enemy defenses in the Sakhalyan region, and overcame the M. Khingan mountain range. Soviet troops entered the Central Manchurian Plain, divided the Japanese troops into isolated groups and completed the maneuver to encircle them. On August 19, Japanese troops almost everywhere began to surrender.

Kuril landing operation

The successful military operations of the Soviet troops in Manchuria and South Sakhalin created the conditions for the liberation of the Kuril Islands. And in the period from August 18 to September 1, the Kuril landing operation was carried out, which began with a landing on about. Shumshu. On August 23, the garrison of the island, despite its superiority in forces and means, capitulated. On August 22–28, Soviet troops landed on other islands in the northern part of the ridge up to about. Urup inclusive. August 23 - September 1, the islands of the southern part of the ridge were occupied.

South Sakhalin offensive operation

The South Sakhalin operation of the Soviet troops on August 11-25 to liberate South Sakhalin was carried out by the troops of the 56th Rifle Corps of the 16th Army of the 2nd Far Eastern Front.

By the end of August 18, Soviet troops had captured all the heavily fortified strongholds in the border zone, defended by the troops of the 88th Japanese Infantry Division, units of the border gendarmerie and detachments of reservists. As a result of the operation, 18,320 Japanese soldiers and officers surrendered.

Japan's unconditional surrender was signed on September 2, 1945 aboard the battleship Missouri in Tokyo Bay by Foreign Minister Shigemitsu, Chief of the Japanese General Staff Umezu, and Lieutenant General K.M. Derevianko.

As a result, the millionth Kwantung Army was completely defeated, which led to the end of the Second World War of 1939-1945. According to Soviet data, its losses in killed amounted to 84 thousand people, about 600 thousand were taken prisoner. The losses of the Red Army amounted to 12 thousand people.

The Soviet-Japanese War was of great political and military importance. The Soviet Union, having entered the war with the Empire of Japan and made a significant contribution to its defeat, hastened the end of World War II. Historians have repeatedly stated that without the entry into the war of the USSR, it would have continued for at least another year and would have cost an additional several million human lives.

As a result of the war, by decision of the Crimean Conference of 1945 (Yalta Conference), the USSR returned to its territory the territories lost by the Russian Empire in 1905 as a result of the Treaty of Portsmouth South Sakhalin, as well as the main group of the Kuril Islands ceded to Japan in 1875.

Material prepared:

Alekseev Sergey, gr. 733

Borisov Andrey, gr. 735

Kuroyedov Alexey, gr. 735