Who won the Soviet-Japanese War. Victory over Japan (70 photos)

The more a person is able to respond to the historical and universal, the broader his nature, the richer his life and the more capable such a person is of progress and development.

F. M. Dostoevsky

The Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, which we will talk briefly about today, is one of the most important pages in the history of the Russian Empire. Russia was defeated in the war, demonstrating a military lag behind the world's leading countries. Another important event of the war was that as a result the Entente was finally formed, and the world began to slowly but steadily slide towards the First World War.

Prerequisites for the war

In 1894-1895, Japan defeated China, as a result of which Japan had to cross the Liaodong (Kwantung) Peninsula along with Port Arthur and Farmosa Island (the current name of Taiwan). Germany, France and Russia intervened in the negotiations and insisted that the Liaodong Peninsula remain in the use of China.

In 1896, the government of Nicholas 2 signed a friendship treaty with China. As a result, China allows Russia to build a railway to Vladivostok through Northern Manchuria (China Eastern Railway).

In 1898, Russia, as part of a friendship agreement with China, leased the Liaodong Peninsula from the latter for 25 years. This move drew sharp criticism from Japan, which also laid claim to these lands. But this did not lead to serious consequences at that time. In 1902 tsarist army enters Manchuria. Formally, Japan was ready to recognize this territory as Russia if the latter recognized Japanese dominance in Korea. But the Russian government made a mistake. They did not take Japan seriously, and did not even think about entering into negotiations with it.

Causes and nature of the war

Causes Russo-Japanese War The years 1904-1905 are as follows:

• Lease by Russia of the Liaodong Peninsula and Port Arthur.
• Economic expansion of Russia in Manchuria.
• Distribution of spheres of influence in China and the cortex.

The nature of hostilities can be defined as follows

• Russia planned to defend itself and raise reserves. The transfer of troops was planned to be completed in August 1904, after which it was planned to go on the offensive, right up to the landing of troops in Japan.
• Japan planned to wage an offensive war. The first strike was planned at sea with the destruction of the Russian fleet, so that nothing would interfere with the transfer of troops. The plans included the capture of Manchuria, Ussuri and Primorsky Territories.

Balance of forces at the beginning of the war

Japan could field about 175 thousand people in the war (another 100 thousand in reserve) and 1140 field guns. The Russian army consisted of 1 million people and 3.5 million in reserve (reserve). But in the Far East, Russia had 100 thousand people and 148 field guns. Also at the disposal of the Russian army were border guards, of whom there were 24 thousand people with 26 guns. The problem was that these forces, inferior in number to the Japanese, were widely scattered geographically: from Chita to Vladivostok and from Blagoveshchensk to Port Arthur. During 1904-1905, Russia carried out 9 mobilizations, conscripting about 1 million people for military service.

The Russian fleet consisted of 69 warships. 55 of these ships were in Port Arthur, which was very poorly fortified. To demonstrate that Port Arthur was not completed and was ready for war, it is enough to cite the following figures. The fortress was supposed to have 542 guns, but in fact there were only 375, and of these, only 108 guns were usable. That is, the gun supply of Port Arthur at the start of the war was 20%!

It is obvious that the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905 began with clear Japanese superiority on land and at sea.

Progress of hostilities

Map of military operations

rice. 1 - Map of the Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905

Events of 1904

In January 1904, Japan broke off diplomatic relations with Russia and on January 27, 1904, attacked warships near Port Arthur. This was the beginning of the war.

Russia began to transfer its army to the Far East, but this happened very slowly. A distance of 8 thousand kilometers and an unfinished section of the Siberian Railway - all this interfered with the transfer of the army. The road capacity was 3 trains per day, which is extremely low.

On January 27, 1904, Japan attacked Russian ships located in Port Arthur. At the same time, in the Korean port of Chemulpo, an attack was launched on the cruiser “Varyag” and the escort boat “Koreets”. After an unequal battle, the “Korean” was blown up, and the “Varyag” was scuttled by the Russian sailors themselves so that it would not fall to the enemy. After this, the strategic initiative at sea passed to Japan. The situation at sea worsened after the battleship Petropavlovsk, with the fleet commander S. Makarov on board, was blown up by a Japanese mine on March 31. In addition to the commander, his entire staff, 29 officers and 652 sailors were killed.

In February 1904, Japan landed a 60,000-strong army in Korea, which moved to the Yalu River (the river separated Korea and Manchuria). There were no significant battles at this time, and in mid-April the Japanese army crossed the border of Manchuria.

Fall of Port Arthur

In May, the second Japanese army (50 thousand people) landed on the Liaodong Peninsula and headed towards Port Arthur, creating a springboard for the offensive. By this time, the Russian army had partially completed the transfer of troops and its strength was 160 thousand people. One of major events war - the Battle of Liaoyang in August 1904. This battle still raises many questions among historians. The fact is that in this battle (and it was practically a general battle) the Japanese army was defeated. Moreover, so much so that the command of the Japanese army declared the impossibility of continuing combat operations. The Russo-Japanese War could have ended here if the Russian army had gone on the offensive. But the commander, Koropatkin, gives an absolutely absurd order - to retreat. During the further events of the war, the Russian army would have several opportunities to inflict a decisive defeat on the enemy, but each time Kuropatkin either gave absurd orders or hesitated to act, giving the enemy the necessary time.

After the Battle of Liaoyang, the Russian army retreated to the Shahe River, where a new battle took place in September, which did not reveal a winner. After this there was a lull, and the war moved into a positional phase. In December, General R.I. died. Kondratenko, commander ground defense Port Arthur fortress. The new commander of the troops A.M. Stessel, despite the categorical refusal of the soldiers and sailors, decided to surrender the fortress. On December 20, 1904, Stoessel surrendered Port Arthur to the Japanese. At this point, the Russo-Japanese War in 1904 entered a passive phase, continuing active operations in 1905.

Subsequently, under public pressure, General Stoessel was put on trial and he was sentenced to death penalty. The sentence was not carried out. Nicholas 2 pardoned the general.

Historical reference

Port Arthur defense map

rice. 2 - Port Arthur defense map

Events of 1905

The Russian command demanded active action from Kuropatkin. The decision was made to launch the offensive in February. But the Japanese forestalled him by launching an attack on Mukden (Shenyang) on ​​February 5, 1905. From February 6 to 25, the largest battle of the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905 continued. On the Russian side, 280 thousand people took part in it, on the Japanese side - 270 thousand people. There are many interpretations of the Battle of Mukden in terms of who won it. In fact it was a draw. The Russian army lost 90 thousand soldiers, the Japanese - 70 thousand. Fewer losses on the part of Japan is a frequent argument in favor of its victory, but this battle did not give the Japanese army any advantage or gain. Moreover, the losses were so severe that Japan made no further attempts to organize large land battles until the end of the war.

Much more important is the fact that the population of Japan is much smaller than the population of Russia, and after Mukden, the island country has exhausted its human resources. Russia could and should have gone on the offensive in order to win, but 2 factors played against this:

• Kuropatkin factor
• Factor of the 1905 revolution

On May 14-15, 1905, the Tsushima naval battle took place, in which the Russian squadrons were defeated. The losses of the Russian army amounted to 19 ships and 10 thousand killed and captured.

Kuropatkin factor

Kuropatkin, commanding the ground forces, during the entire Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905 did not use a single chance for a favorable offensive to inflict great damage on the enemy. There were several such chances, and we talked about them above. Why did the Russian general and commander refuse active action and not strive to end the war? After all, had he given the order to attack after Liaoyang, and with a high degree of probability the Japanese army would have ceased to exist.

Of course, it is impossible to answer this question directly, but a number of historians put forward the following opinion (I cite it because it is well-reasoned and extremely similar to the truth). Kuropatkin was closely associated with Witte, who, let me remind you, by the time of the war had been removed from the post of prime minister by Nicholas 2. Kuropatkin's plan was to create conditions under which the Tsar would return Witte. The latter was considered an excellent negotiator, so it was necessary to bring the war with Japan to a stage where the parties would sit down at the negotiating table. To achieve this, the war could not be ended with the help of the army (the defeat of Japan was a direct surrender without any negotiations). Therefore, the commander did everything to reduce the war to a draw. He successfully completed this task, and indeed Nicholas 2 called on Witte towards the end of the war.

Revolution factor

There are many sources pointing to Japanese financing of the 1905 revolution. Real facts of money transfer, of course. No. But there are 2 facts that I find extremely interesting:

• The peak of the revolution and movement occurred in Battle of Tsushima. Nicholas 2 needed an army to fight the revolution and he decided to start peace negotiations with Japan.
• Immediately after the signing of the Portsmouth Peace, the revolution in Russia began to decline.

Reasons for Russia's defeat

Why was Russia defeated in the war with Japan? The reasons for Russia's defeat in the Russian- Japanese war the following:

• The weakness of the grouping of Russian troops in the Far East.
• The unfinished Trans-Siberian Railway, which did not allow the full transfer of troops.
• Mistakes of the army command. I already wrote above about the Kuropatkin factor.
• Japan's superiority in military-technical equipment.

The last point is extremely important. He is often forgotten, but undeservedly. In terms of technical equipment, especially in the navy, Japan was far ahead of Russia.

Portsmouth World

To conclude peace between the countries, Japan demanded that Theodore Roosevelt, President of the United States, act as a mediator. Negotiations began and the Russian delegation was headed by Witte. Nicholas 2 returned him to his post and entrusted him with negotiations, knowing the talents of this man. And Witte really took a very tough position, not allowing Japan to gain significant gains from the war.

The terms of the Portsmouth Peace were as follows:

• Russia recognized Japan's right to rule in Korea.
• Russia ceded part of the territory of Sakhalin Island (the Japanese wanted to get the entire island, but Witte was against it).
• Russia transferred the Kwantung Peninsula to Japan along with Port Arthur.
• No one paid indemnities to anyone, but Russia had to pay compensation to the enemy for the maintenance of Russian prisoners of war.

Consequences of the war

During the war, Russia and Japan each lost approximately 300 thousand people, but in view of the population, these were almost catastrophic losses for Japan. The losses were due to the fact that it was the first major war, during which automatic weapons were used. At sea there was a big bias towards the use of mines.

An important fact that many people ignore is that it was after the Russo-Japanese War that the Entente (Russia, France and England) and Triple Alliance(Germany, Italy and Austria-Hungary). The fact of the formation of the Entente is noteworthy. Before the war in Europe there was an alliance between Russia and France. The latter did not want its expansion. But the events of Russia's war against Japan showed that the Russian army had many problems (this really was the case), so France signed agreements with England.

Positions of world powers during the war

During the Russo-Japanese War, world powers occupied the following positions:

• England and USA. Traditionally, the interests of these countries were extremely similar. They supported Japan, but mostly financially. Approximately 40% of Japan's war costs were covered by Anglo-Saxon money.
• France declared neutrality. Although in fact it had an allied agreement with Russia, it did not fulfill its allied obligations.
• From the first days of the war, Germany declared its neutrality.

The Russo-Japanese War was practically not analyzed by tsarist historians, because they simply did not have enough time. After the end of the war, the Russian Empire existed for almost 12 years, which included revolution, economic problems and world war. Therefore, the main study took place already in Soviet times. But it is important to understand that for Soviet historians it was a war against the backdrop of revolution. That is, “the tsarist regime sought aggression, and the people did their best to prevent this.” That is why it is written in Soviet textbooks that, for example, the Liaoyang operation ended in the defeat of Russia. Although formally it was a draw.

The end of the war is also seen as the complete defeat of the Russian army on land and in the navy. If at sea the situation was really close to defeat, then on land Japan stood on the brink of an abyss, since they no longer had the human resources to continue the war. I suggest looking at this question even a little more broadly. How did the wars of that era end after the unconditional defeat (and this is what Soviet historians often talked about) of one of the sides? Large indemnities, large territorial concessions, partial economic and political dependence of the loser on the winner. But in the Portsmouth world there is nothing like it. Russia paid nothing, lost only the southern part of Sakhalin (a small territory) and abandoned the lands leased from China. The argument is often made that Japan won the struggle for dominance in Korea. But Russia never seriously fought for this territory. She was only interested in Manchuria. And if we return to the origins of the war, we will see that the Japanese government would never have started the war if Nicholas 2 had recognized Japan’s dominance in Korea, just as the Japanese government would have recognized Russia’s position in Manchuria. Therefore, at the end of the war, Russia did what it should have done back in 1903, without bringing the matter to war. But this is a question about the personality of Nicholas 2, who today is extremely fashionable to call a martyr and hero of Russia, but it was his actions that provoked the war.

70 years ago, on August 8, 1945, the Soviet Union declared war on Japan. The fighting led to the victory of the Red Army over the Kwantung Army and the clearing of South Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands from enemy troops. An end was put to the Second World War and the military confrontation between the two countries, which lasted almost half a century.

Reasons for war

On the afternoon of August 8, the Japanese ambassador in Moscow was presented with a document declaring war. It stated that the Soviet army would begin hostilities the next day. Due to the time difference between the capital of the USSR and the Far East, the Japanese had only one hour before the enemy offensive.

The Soviet Union fulfilled the allied obligations that Stalin assumed before the leaders of the United States and Great Britain at the Yalta Conference, and then confirmed at the Potsdam Conference: exactly three months after the victory over Nazi Germany Soviet Russia will enter the war against Imperial Japan.

There were also deeper reasons for the war. For decades, both countries were geopolitical rivals in the Far East, the dispute between them was not over by 1945. During the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. and the Japanese intervention of Primorye during the Civil War in 1918-1922, two local but fierce conflicts followed in the 1930s: the battles on Lake Khasan in 1938 and the Khalkhin-Gol conflict in 1939. And that's not counting the numerous minor border conflicts involving shootings.

Unfriendly neighbor

In 1931, Japan invaded Manchuria, creating the puppet state of Manchukuo, headed by the last Chinese emperor Pu Yi. The buffer formation, located between the USSR, China, and Mongolia, followed entirely in line with Japanese policy. In particular, it supported the conflict at Khalkhin Gol with troops in 1939.

The appearance of such an unfriendly neighbor did not at all contribute to the improvement of Soviet-Japanese relations. This “dwarf” ceased to exist only at the end of August 1945, after the defeat of the Japanese troops. After the war, the territory became part of the PRC.

The USSR declared war on Japan on August 8, 1945. See in archival footage how this armed conflict took place, as a result of which Japan surrendered and the Second World War ended.

In addition, in 1937, a full-scale war began between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan, which some Eastern historians consider as part of World War II. In this conflict, the USSR sympathized with the Chinese, primarily the local communists, and actively helped with weapons, ammunition, planes, and tanks. And, of course, qualified specialists.

Keep powder dry

In 1937-1940, there were more than 5 thousand USSR citizens in China, including over 300 military advisers, the most famous of whom was the future commander of the 62nd Army (which defended Stalingrad) Vasily Chuikov. Soviet citizens not only trained the Chinese, but also actively fought themselves, such as volunteer pilots who fought in the Middle Kingdom on fighters and bombers.

Were no secret to Soviet intelligence and the plans of the Japanese General Staff: if the opportunity arises, having captured the territory of Mongolia, develop an offensive deep into the USSR. Theoretically, it was possible to cut the Trans-Siberian Railway with a powerful blow in the Baikal area and, reaching Irkutsk, cut off the Far East from the rest of the country.

All these factors forced the USSR to keep its powder dry, deploying the Special Red Banner Far Eastern Army to the Far Eastern Front on July 1, 1940, which included several armies, the Pacific Fleet and the Amur Flotilla. In 1945, on the basis of this operational-strategic formation, the 1st and 2nd Far Eastern Fronts were created, which took part in the defeat of the Kwantung Army.

Two Japanese dragon heads

However, neither in 1940 nor in the next year war happened. Moreover, on April 13, 1941, two seemingly irreconcilable countries entered into a non-aggression pact.

When the Great Patriotic War began, the Germans in vain expected active action in the Soviet Far East from their strategic ally. Even at the height of the fateful battle for Moscow for the USSR, the situation on the Far Eastern Front made it possible to transfer divisions from there to protect the capital.

Why didn't Japan attack the USSR? There are several reasons for this. It must be said that the country of Emperor Hirohito resembled a dragon with two heads, one of which was an army, the other a fleet. These powerful forces had an active influence on the political decisions of the Cabinet of Ministers.

Even the mentality of both was different. The Japanese naval sailors considered themselves true gentlemen (many of them spoke English) compared to “the thick-witted brute who commanded the Japanese army,” as one admiral put it. It is not surprising that these two groups had very different views on the nature of the future war, as well as the choice of the main enemy.

Generals vs Admirals

Army generals believed that Japan's main enemy was the Soviet Union. But by 1941, the Land of the Rising Sun was convinced that the combat effectiveness of the Red Army and its Air Force was at a very low level. high level. Japanese soldiers and officers "touched" the Far Eastern Army twice - (from the east at Lake Khasan, from the west at Khalkhin Gol) and each time received a powerful rebuff.

The naval admirals, who remembered that in the Russo-Japanese War, impressive victories were achieved not so much on land as at sea, believed that they must first deal with another enemy, which was emerging more and more clearly on the horizon - the United States.

America was concerned about Japanese aggression in South-East Asia, which she considered as an area of ​​her strategic interests. In addition, the powerful Japanese fleet, which claimed to be the master of the Pacific Ocean, caused American concern. As a result, President Roosevelt declared economic war on the samurai, freezing Japanese assets and cutting off oil supply routes. The latter was like death for Japan.

Japanese "slap" in response to German

The strike against the southern enemy was much more necessary and, most importantly, more promising than the northern one, and therefore, in the end, the “admiral’s” option won. As you know, it led to the attack on Pearl Harbor, the seizure of European colonies, naval battles on the ocean expanses and fierce battles on the islands. In the conditions of a difficult war for Japan with the United States, the opening of a second front against the Soviet Union would extremely complicate the position of the island empire, forcing it to scatter its forces and making the chances of victory even more illusory.

In addition, by concluding a non-aggression pact with the USSR, the Japanese repaid the Germans. The “Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact” in August 1939 was a shock for the strategic ally of the Third Reich, waging war with the USSR at Khalkhin Gol, as a result of which the cabinet of ministers headed by pro-German Prime Minister Kiichiro Hiranuma resigned. Neither before nor after has the government of this country taken such drastic steps because of the signing of an agreement between two other states.

The German "slap" was so strong that Japan did not follow the example of Hitler, who, with the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, declared his country at war with the United States.

There is no doubt that the non-aggression pact of April 13, 1941 is a brilliant victory of Soviet diplomacy, which prevented a war on two strategic directions and, as a result, made it possible to beat opponents in turn.

Plan "Kantokuen"

However, many in Tokyo have not given up hopes of a strike against Russia. For example, after Germany attacked the Soviet Union, Foreign Minister Yosuke Matsuoka, who had recently signed a mutual neutrality treaty in Moscow, passionately convinced Hirohito of the need to strike at the Soviets.

The military did not abandon their plans either, linking the start of the war with the severe weakening of the Red Army. Japan's most powerful land force, the Kwantung Army, deployed on the Manchurian border and in Korea, waiting for the right moment to carry out Operation Kantokuen.

It was to be carried out in the event of the fall of Moscow. According to the plan, the Kwantung troops were supposed to capture Khabarovsk, Northern Sakhalin, Kamchatka and reach Lake Baikal. To support ground forces, the 5th Fleet was allocated, which was based on the northern tip of Honshu, the largest of the Japanese islands. Japanese militarism and its collapseIn the 30s of the twentieth century, Japan was looking for a solution internal problems on the paths of external expansion. And subsequently it became practically a vassal state, subordinate to the United States. However, today neo-militaristic sentiments are again gaining strength in Japan.

Despite the transience of the fighting, it was by no means a walk in the park for the Red Army. Back in 1940, after the fighting at Khalkhin Gol, Georgy Zhukov described the Japanese soldier as well trained, especially for defensive close combat. According to him, “the junior command staff is very well prepared and fights with fanatical tenacity.” But Japanese officers, according to the Soviet commander, are poorly trained and tend to act according to a template.

The opposing forces numbered approximately one and a half million people on each side. However, superiority in armored vehicles, aviation and artillery was on the Soviet side. An important factor was that many Red Army formations were staffed by experienced front-line soldiers who were transferred to the east after the end of the war with Germany.

The combat operations of the united Soviet group in the Far East were commanded by one of the best Soviet marshals, Alexander Vasilevsky. After powerful attacks by the Transbaikal Front under the command of Marshal Malinovsky, the 1st Far Eastern Front under Marshal Meretskov and the 2nd Far Eastern Front under the command of General Purkaev, together with the Mongolian troops of Marshal Choibalsan, the Kwantung Army was defeated by the end of August 1945.

And after it, militaristic Japan ceased to exist.

The article describes the causes of the Soviet-Japanese armed conflict, the preparation of the parties for war, and the course of hostilities. The characteristics of international relations before the outbreak of World War II in the east are given.

Introduction

Active hostilities in the Far East and in the Pacific Ocean were a consequence 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 natural resources, and the establishment of 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, and Manchuria. In 1927, General Giichi Tanaka became the country's prime minister, whose government continued its aggressive policy. In the early 1930s, Japan increased the size of its army and created a powerful Navy, which 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 in any way 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 Soviet Union in the pre-war period deteriorated noticeably. In 1935, the Kwantung Army entered the border areas of Mongolia. Mongolia hastily concluded an agreement with the USSR, and Red Army units were introduced into its territory. In 1938, Japanese troops crossed the state border of the USSR in the area of ​​Lake Khasan, but the invasion attempt was successfully repulsed by Soviet troops. Japanese sabotage groups were also repeatedly dropped into Soviet territory. The confrontation escalated further in 1939, when Japan started 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 clash 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 Treaty with Japan

In the spring of 1941, the USSR concluded a non-aggression pact with Japan. In the event of an armed conflict between one of the states and any third countries, the second power undertakes to maintain neutrality. 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 negotiated with American leaders, seeking recognition of the annexation of Chinese territories and the conclusion of new trade agreements. The ruling elite of Japan could not decide against whom to strike in a future war. Some politicians considered it necessary to support Germany, while others called for an attack on the Pacific colonies of Great Britain and the USA.

Already in 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 were successful, after capturing by German troops Moscow. Also great importance had 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, a decision was made to start a war against the USA and Great Britain. But The Japanese government did not completely abandon plans to attack the USSR until 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 Pacific Ocean forced Japan to repeatedly postpone and then completely abandon its aggressive intentions towards 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 throughout the war to maintain a large military group in this region, the size of which was different periods varied. Until 1945, the Kwantung Army was located on the border, which included up to 1 million military personnel. 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 attack on the Soviet Union in the winter. On December 3, the Japanese command gave the order to the troops located in China to prepare for transfer to the northern direction. The Japanese were planning 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 freed after fighting in the Pacific Ocean were sent to the Northern Front.

However, the Japanese government's hopes for a quick German victory were not realized. The failure of the blitzkrieg tactics and the defeat of the Wehrmacht armies near Moscow indicated that the Soviet Union was a fairly strong adversary whose power should not be underestimated.

The threat of a Japanese invasion intensified in the fall of 1942. Nazi German troops were advancing into the Caucasus and Volga. The Soviet command hastily transferred 14 rifle divisions and more than 1.5 thousand guns from the Far East to the front. Just at this time, Japan was not actively fighting in the Pacific. However, the Commander-in-Chief's Headquarters foresaw the possibility of a Japanese attack. The Far Eastern troops were replenished 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 international waters, preventing the delivery of goods to the Far Eastern ports, and repeatedly violated state borders, committed sabotage on Soviet territory, and sent propaganda literature across the border. Japanese intelligence collected information about movements Soviet troops and transferred them to the Wehrmacht headquarters. Among the reasons for the USSR's entry into the Japanese War in 1945 were not only obligations to its allies, but also concern for the security of its borders.

Already in the second half of 1943, when the turning point in the Second World War ended, it became clear that after Italy, which had already emerged from the war, Germany and Japan would also be defeated. The Soviet command, foreseeing a future war in the Far East, from that time on almost never used 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 remained in force. The Red Army was supposed to begin military operations against Japan no later than 3 months after the end of the war in Europe. In return, J.V. Stalin demanded territorial concessions for the USSR: the transfer to Russia of the Kuril Islands and part of the island of Sakhalin assigned to Japan as a result of the 1905 war, the lease of the Chinese port of Port Arthur (on modern maps- Lushun). The Dalniy commercial port was supposed to become an open port with the interests of the USSR primarily respected.

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

Strengths 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 Japanese troops in China and North Korea.

Back in May 1945, the USSR began transferring troops to the Far East. 3 fronts were formed: 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 consisted of 11 infantry and 2 tank brigades s, more than 30 infantry divisions, cavalry and mechanized units, a suicide brigade, the Sungari military river flotilla. The most significant forces were stationed in eastern regions Manchuria, bordering Soviet Primorye. In the western regions, the Japanese stationed 6 infantry divisions and 1 brigade. The number of enemy soldiers exceeded 1 million people, but more than half of the fighters were conscripts of younger ages and of limited fitness. Many Japanese units were understaffed. Also, the newly created units lacked weapons, ammunition, artillery, etc. military equipment. Japanese units and formations used outdated tanks and aircraft.

The troops of Manchukuo, the army of Inner Mongolia and the Suiyuan Army Group fought on the side of Japan. 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 the delivery of two main strikes by the forces of the 1st Far Eastern and Transbaikal Fronts, as a result of which the main enemy forces in the center of Manchuria would be captured in a pincer movement, divided into parts and destroyed. 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 had to occupy large settlements— Shenyang, Harbin, Changchun. The fighting took place over an area of ​​more than 2.5 thousand km. according to the area map.

Start of hostilities

Simultaneously with the beginning of the offensive of the Soviet troops, aviation bombed areas of large troop concentrations, strategically significant objects and communications centers. Pacific Fleet ships attacked Japanese naval bases in North Korea. The offensive was led by the commander-in-chief of 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 became difficult natural conditions terrain. There was not enough fuel for the tanks, but the Red Army units 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 Japanese units in Northern China and occupied important administrative centers.

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

Then the Red Army liberated North Korea, and from mid-August the fighting took place on Chinese territory. On August 14, the Japanese command initiated negotiations on surrender. On August 19, enemy troops began to surrender en masse. However, hostilities during 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 Kuril Islands on August 18-23, Soviet troops, with the support of ships of the Peter and Paul Naval Base, captured the island of Samusyu and occupied all the islands of the Kuril ridge by September 1.

Results

Due to 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, the act of surrender was signed.

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

For military merits, more than 200 units received the titles of “Amur”, “Ussuri”, “Khingan”, “Harbin”, etc. 92 military personnel became Heroes of the Soviet Union.

As a result of the operation, the losses of the warring countries were:

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

Also, during the battles, all the ships of the Sungari flotilla were sunk - more than 50 ships.

Medal "For Victory over Japan"

Attack of Japanese destroyers of the Russian squadron.

On the night of February 8 to 9 (January 26 to 27), 1904, 10 Japanese destroyers suddenly attacked the Russian squadron in the outer roadstead of Port Arthur. The squadron battleships Tsesarevich, Retvizan and the cruiser Pallada received heavy damage from the explosions of Japanese torpedoes and ran aground to avoid sinking. Japanese destroyers were damaged by return fire from the artillery of the Russian squadron IJN Akatsuki And IJN Shirakumo. Thus began the Russo-Japanese War.

On the same day, Japanese troops began landing troops in the area of ​​​​the port of Chemulpo. While trying to leave the port and head to Port Arthur, the gunboat Koreets was attacked by Japanese destroyers, forcing it to return.

On February 9 (January 27), 1904, the battle of Chemulpo took place. As a result, due to the impossibility of a breakthrough, the cruiser “Varyag” was scuttled by their crews and the gunboat “Koreets” was blown up.

On the same day, February 9 (January 27), 1904, Admiral Jessen headed out to sea at the head of the Vladivostok detachment of cruisers to begin military operations to disrupt transport links between Japan and Korea.

On February 11 (January 29), 1904, near Port Arthur, near the San Shan-tao Islands, the Russian cruiser Boyarin was blown up by a Japanese mine.

On February 24 (February 11), 1904, the Japanese fleet tried to close the exit from Port Arthur by sinking 5 ships loaded with stone. The attempt was unsuccessful.

On February 25 (February 12), 1904, two Russian destroyers “Besstrashny” and “Impressive”, while going out for reconnaissance, came across 4 Japanese cruisers. The first managed to escape, but the second was driven into Blue Bay, where it was scuttled by order of Captain M. Podushkin.

March 2 (February 18), 1904, by order of the Marine General Staff The Mediterranean squadron of Admiral A. Virenius (battleship Oslyabya, cruisers Aurora and Dmitry Donskoy and 7 destroyers), heading to Port Arthur, was recalled to the Baltic Sea.

On March 6 (February 22), 1904, a Japanese squadron shelled Vladivostok. The damage was minor. The fortress was placed in a state of siege.

On March 8 (February 24), 1904, the new commander of the Russian Pacific squadron, Vice Admiral S. Makarov, arrived in Port Arthur, replacing Admiral O. Stark in this post.

On March 10 (February 26), 1904, in the Yellow Sea, while returning from reconnaissance in Port Arthur, he was sunk by four Japanese destroyers ( IJN Usugumo , IJN Shinonome , IJN Akebono , IJN Sazanami) Russian destroyer "Steregushchy", and "Resolute" managed to return to port.

Russian fleet in Port Arthur.

On March 27 (March 14), 1904, the second Japanese attempt to block the entrance to Port Arthur harbor by flooding fire ships was thwarted.

April 4 (March 22), 1904 Japanese battleships IJN Fuji And IJN Yashima Port Arthur was bombarded with fire from Golubina Bay. In total, they fired 200 shots and main caliber guns. But the effect was minimal.

On April 12 (March 30), 1904, the Russian destroyer Strashny was sunk by Japanese destroyers.

On April 13 (March 31), 1904, the battleship Petropavlovsk was blown up by a mine and sank with almost its entire crew while going to sea. Among the dead was Admiral S. O. Makarov. Also on this day, the battleship Pobeda was damaged by a mine explosion and was out of commission for several weeks.

April 15 (April 2), 1904 Japanese cruisers IJN Kasuga And IJN Nisshin fired at the inner roadstead of Port Arthur with throwing fire.

On April 25 (April 12), 1904, the Vladivostok detachment of cruisers sank a Japanese steamer off the coast of Korea IJN Goyo-Maru, coaster IJN Haginura-Maru and Japanese military transport IJN Kinsu-Maru, after which he headed to Vladivostok.

May 2 (April 19), 1904 by the Japanese, with the support of gunboats IJN Akagi And IJN Chōkai, destroyers of the 9th, 14th and 16th destroyer flotillas, a third and final attempt was made to block the entrance to Port Arthur harbor, this time using 10 transports ( IJN Mikasha-Maru, IJN Sakura-Maru, IJN Totomi-Maru, IJN Otaru-Maru, IJN Sagami-Maru, IJN Aikoku-Maru, IJN Omi-Maru, IJN Asagao-Maru, IJN Iedo-Maru, IJN Kokura-Maru, IJN Fuzan-Maru) As a result, they managed to partially block the passage and temporarily make it impossible for large Russian ships to exit. This facilitated the unhindered landing of the Japanese 2nd Army in Manchuria.

On May 5 (April 22), 1904, the 2nd Japanese Army under the command of General Yasukata Oku, numbering about 38.5 thousand people, began landing on the Liaodong Peninsula, about 100 kilometers from Port Arthur.

On May 12 (April 29), 1904, four Japanese destroyers of the 2nd flotilla of Admiral I. Miyako began sweeping Russian mines in Kerr Bay. While performing its assigned task, destroyer No. 48 hit a mine and sank. On the same day, Japanese troops finally cut off Port Arthur from Manchuria. The siege of Port Arthur began.

Death IJN Hatsuse on Russian mines.

On May 15 (May 2), 1904, two Japanese battleships were blown up and sank at a minefield laid the day before by the minelayer Amur. IJN Yashima And IJN Hatsuse .

Also on this day, a collision of Japanese cruisers occurred near Elliot Island. IJN Kasuga And IJN Yoshino, in which the second sank from the damage received. And off the southeastern coast of Kanglu Island, the advice note ran aground IJN Tatsuta .

On May 16 (May 3), 1904, two Japanese gunboats collided during an amphibious operation southeast of the city of Yingkou. The boat sank as a result of the collision IJN Oshima .

On May 17 (May 4), 1904, a Japanese destroyer was hit by a mine and sank IJN Akatsuki .

On May 27 (May 14), 1904, not far from the city of Dalniy, the Russian destroyer Attentive hit rocks and was blown up by its crew. On the same day, Japanese advice note IJN Miyako hit a Russian mine and sank in Kerr Bay.

On June 12 (May 30), 1904, the Vladivostok detachment of cruisers entered the Korea Strait to disrupt Japan's sea communications.

On June 15 (June 2), 1904, the cruiser Gromoboy sank two Japanese transports: IJN Izuma-Maru And IJN Hitachi-Maru, and the cruiser "Rurik" sank a Japanese transport with two torpedoes IJN Sado-Maru. In total, the three transports carried 2,445 Japanese soldiers and officers, 320 horses and 18 heavy 11-inch howitzers.

On June 23 (June 10), 1904, the Pacific squadron of Rear Admiral V. Vitgoft made the first attempt to break through to Vladivostok. But when the Japanese fleet of Admiral H. Togo was discovered, she returned to Port Arthur without engaging in battle. At night of the same day, Japanese destroyers launched an unsuccessful attack on the Russian squadron.

On June 28 (June 15), 1904, the Vladivostok detachment of cruisers of Admiral Jessen again went to sea to disrupt the enemy’s sea communications.

On July 17 (July 4), 1904, near Skrypleva Island, the Russian destroyer No. 208 was blown up and sank in a Japanese minefield.

On July 18 (July 5), 1904, the Russian minelayer Yenisei hit a mine in Talienwan Bay and the Japanese cruiser sank IJN Kaimon .

On July 20 (July 7), 1904, the Vladivostok detachment of cruisers entered the Pacific Ocean through the Sangar Strait.

On July 22 (July 9), 1904, the detachment was detained with smuggled cargo and sent to Vladivostok with a prize crew of the English steamer Arabia.

On July 23 (July 10), 1904, the Vladivostok detachment of cruisers approached the entrance to Tokyo Bay. Here an English steamer with smuggled cargo was searched and sunk Night Commander. Also on this day, several Japanese schooners and a German steamer were sunk Tea, traveling with smuggled cargo to Japan. And the English steamer captured later Kalhas, after inspection, was sent to Vladivostok. The cruisers of the detachment also headed to their port.

On July 25 (July 12), 1904, a squadron of Japanese destroyers approached the mouth of the Liaohe River from the sea. The crew of the Russian gunboat "Sivuch", due to the impossibility of a breakthrough, after landing on the shore, blew up their ship.

On August 7 (July 25), 1904, Japanese troops fired at Port Arthur and its harbors for the first time from land. As a result of the shelling, the battleship Tsesarevich was damaged, and the squadron commander, Rear Admiral V. Vitgeft, was slightly wounded. The battleship Retvizan was also damaged.

On August 8 (July 26), 1904, a detachment of ships consisting of the cruiser Novik, the gunboat Beaver and 15 destroyers took part in Tahe Bay in shelling of the advancing Japanese troops, causing heavy losses.

Battle in the Yellow Sea.

On August 10 (July 28), 1904, during an attempt to break through the Russian squadron from Port Arthur to Vladivostok, a battle took place in the Yellow Sea. During the battle, Rear Admiral V. Vitgeft was killed, and the Russian squadron, having lost control, disintegrated. 5 Russian battleships, the cruiser Bayan and 2 destroyers began to retreat to Port Arthur in disarray. Only the battleship Tsesarevich, the cruisers Novik, Askold, Diana and 6 destroyers broke through the Japanese blockade. The battleship "Tsarevich", the cruiser "Novik" and 3 destroyers headed to Qingdao, the cruiser "Askold" and the destroyer "Grozovoy" - to Shanghai, the cruiser "Diana" - to Saigon.

On August 11 (July 29), 1904, the Vladivostok detachment set out to meet the Russian squadron, which was supposed to break out from Port Arthur. The battleship "Tsesarevich", the cruiser "Novik", the destroyers "Besshumny", "Besposhchadny" and "Besstrashny" arrived in Qingdao. The cruiser Novik, having loaded 250 tons of coal into bunkers, set out to sea with the goal of breaking through to Vladivostok. On the same day, the Russian destroyer Resolute was interned by the Chinese authorities in Chifoo. Also on August 11, the team scuttled the damaged destroyer Burny.

On August 12 (July 30), 1904, the previously interned destroyer Resolute was captured in Chifoo by two Japanese destroyers.

On August 13 (July 31), 1904, the damaged Russian cruiser Askold was interned and disarmed in Shanghai.

August 14 (August 1), 1904, four Japanese cruisers ( IJN Izumo , IJN Tokiwa , IJN Azuma And IJN Iwate) intercepted three Russian cruisers (Russia, Rurik and Gromoboy) heading towards the First Pacific Squadron. A battle took place between them, which went down in history as the Battle of the Korea Strait. As a result of the battle, the Rurik was sunk, and the other two Russian cruisers returned to Vladivostok with damage.

On August 15 (August 2), 1904, in Qingdao, German authorities interned the Russian battleship Tsarevich.

On August 16 (August 3), 1904, the damaged cruisers Gromoboy and Rossiya returned to Vladivostok. In Port Arthur, the proposal of the Japanese general M. Nogi to surrender the fortress was rejected. On the same day, in the Pacific Ocean, the Russian cruiser Novik stopped and inspected an English steamer Celtic.

On August 20 (August 7), 1904, a battle took place near Sakhalin Island between the Russian cruiser Novik and Japanese IJN Tsushima And IJN Chitose. As a result of the battle "Novik" and IJN Tsushima received serious damage. Due to the impossibility of repairs and the danger of the ship being captured by the enemy, the commander of the Novik, M. Schultz, decided to scuttle the ship.

On August 24 (August 11), 1904, the Russian cruiser Diana was interned by the French authorities in Saigon.

September 7 (August 25), 1904 from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok by railway The submarine "Forel" was sent.

On October 1 (September 18), 1904, a Japanese gunboat was blown up by a Russian mine and sank near Iron Island. IJN Heiyen.

On October 15 (October 2), 1904, the 2nd Pacific Squadron of Admiral Z. Rozhestvensky left Libau for the Far East.

On November 3 (October 21), a Japanese destroyer was blown up by a mine placed by the Russian destroyer Skory and sank near Cape Lun-Wan-Tan IJN Hayatori .

On November 5 (October 23), 1904, in the inner roadstead of Port Arthur, after being hit by a Japanese shell, the ammunition of the Russian battleship Poltava detonated. As a result of this, the ship sank.

On November 6 (October 24), 1904, a Japanese gunboat hit a rock in the fog and sank near Port Arthur IJN Atago .

On November 28 (November 15), 1904, a ship was sent from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok by rail. Submarine"Dolphin" .

On December 6 (November 23), 1904, Japanese artillery, installed on the previously captured height No. 206, began a massive shelling of Russian ships stationed in the internal roadstead of Port Arthur. By the end of the day, they sunk the battleship Retvizan and suffered heavy damage to the battleship Peresvet. To remain intact, the battleship Sevastopol, the gunboat Brave and destroyers were taken out from under Japanese fire to the outer roadstead.

On December 7 (November 24), 1904, due to the impossibility of repairs after damage received from Japanese shelling, the battleship Peresvet was sunk by its crew in the western basin of Port Arthur harbor.

On December 8 (November 25), 1904, Japanese artillery sunk Russian ships in the internal roadstead of Port Arthur - the battleship Pobeda and the cruiser Pallada.

On December 9 (November 26), 1904, Japanese heavy artillery sank the cruiser Bayan, the minelayer Amur and the gunboat Gilyak.

December 25 (December 12), 1904 IJN Takasago During a patrol, she hit a mine laid by the Russian destroyer "Angry" and sank in the Yellow Sea between Port Arthur and Chieffo.

On December 26 (December 13), 1904, in the Port Arthur roadstead, the gunboat Beaver was sunk by Japanese artillery fire.

Submarines of the Siberian flotilla in Vladivostok.

On December 31 (December 18), 1904, the first four Kasatka-class submarines arrived in Vladivostok from St. Petersburg by rail.

On January 1, 1905 (December 19, 1904), in Port Arthur, by order of the crew command, the battleships Poltava and Peresvet, half-sunk in the internal roadstead, were blown up, and the battleship Sevastopol was sunk in the outer roadstead.

On January 2, 1905 (December 20, 1904), the commander of the defense of Port Arthur, General A. Stessel, gave the order to surrender the fortress. The siege of Port Arthur is over.

On the same day, before the surrender of the fortress, the clippers “Dzhigit” and “Robber” were sunk. The 1st Pacific Squadron was completely destroyed.

On January 5, 1905 (December 23, 1904), the submarine "Dolphin" arrived from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok by rail.

January 14 (January 1), 1905, by order of the commander of the Vladivostok port from the Forel submarines.

On March 20 (March 7), 1905, the 2nd Pacific Squadron of Admiral Z. Rozhdestvensky passed the Strait of Malacca and entered the Pacific Ocean.

On March 26 (March 13), 1905, the submarine "Dolphin" left Vladivostok for a combat position on Askold Island.

On March 29 (March 16), 1905, the submarine "Dolphin" returned to Vladivostok from combat duty near Askold Island.

On April 11 (March 29), 1905, torpedoes were delivered to Russian submarines in Vladivostok.

On April 13 (March 31), 1905, the 2nd Pacific Squadron of Admiral Z. Rozhdestvensky arrived at Cam Ranh Bay in Indochina.

On April 22 (April 9), 1905, the submarine “Kasatka” set out on a combat mission from Vladivostok to the shores of Korea.

On May 7 (April 24), 1905, the cruisers Rossiya and Gromoboy left Vladivostok to disrupt the enemy’s sea communications.

On May 9 (April 26), 1905, the 1st detachment of the 3rd Pacific squadron of Rear Admiral N. Nebogatov and the 2nd Pacific squadron of Vice Admiral Z. Rozhestvensky united in Cam Ranh Bay.

On May 11 (April 28), 1905, the cruisers Rossiya and Gromoboy returned to Vladivostok. During the raid they sank four Japanese transport ships.

On May 12 (April 29), 1905, three submarines - "Dolphin", "Kasatka" and "Som" - were sent to Preobrazheniya Bay to intercept the Japanese detachment. At 10 o'clock in the morning, near Vladivostok, near Cape Povorotny, the first battle involving a submarine took place. "Som" attacked the Japanese destroyers, but the attack ended in vain.

On May 14 (May 1), 1905, the Russian 2nd Pacific Squadron under Admiral Z. Rozhestvensky left for Vladivostok from Indochina.

On May 18 (May 5), 1905, the submarine Dolphin sank near the quay wall in Vladivostok due to an explosion of gasoline vapors.

On May 29 (May 16), 1905, the battleship Dmitry Donskoy was scuttled by his crew in the Sea of ​​Japan near the island of Dazhelet.

On May 30 (May 17), 1905, the Russian cruiser Izumrud landed on rocks near Cape Orekhov in St. Vladimir Bay and was blown up by its crew.

On June 3 (May 21), 1905, in the Philippines in Manila, American authorities interned the Russian cruiser Zhemchug.

On June 9 (May 27), 1905, the Russian cruiser Aurora was interned by the American authorities in the Philippines in Manila.

On June 29 (June 16), 1905, in Port Arthur, Japanese rescuers raised the Russian battleship Peresvet from the bottom.

On July 7 (June 24), 1905, Japanese troops began the Sakhalin landing operation to land troops of 14 thousand people. While Russian troops numbered only 7.2 thousand people on the island.

On July 8 (July 25), 1905, in Port Arthur, Japanese rescuers raised the sunken Russian battleship Poltava.

On July 29 (July 16), 1905, the Japanese Sakhalin landing operation ended with the surrender of Russian troops.

On August 14 (August 1), 1905, in the Tatar Strait, the Keta submarine launched an unsuccessful attack on two Japanese destroyers.

On August 22 (August 9), 1905, negotiations began in Portsmouth between Japan and Russia through the mediation of the United States.

September 5 (August 23) in the USA in Portsmouth between the Empire of Japan and Russian Empire a peace treaty was signed. According to the agreement, Japan received the Liaodong Peninsula, part of the Chinese Eastern Railway from Port Arthur to the city of Changchun and South Sakhalin, Russia recognized the predominant interests of Japan in Korea and agreed to the conclusion of a Russian-Japanese fishing convention. Russia and Japan pledged to withdraw their troops from Manchuria. Japan's demand for reparations was rejected.

Background

At the Yalta Conference of the countries participating in the anti-Hitler coalition, held in February 1945, the USA 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, concluded in 1941 for a period of 5 years, was in force between the USSR and Japan. In April 1945, the USSR announced the unilateral termination of the pact on the grounds that Japan was an ally of Germany and was waging war against the allies of the USSR. “Under this situation, the Neutrality Pact between Japan and the USSR has lost its meaning, and the extension of this Pact has become impossible,” the Soviet side said. The sudden termination of the treaty threw the Japanese government into confusion. And there was a reason! The Land of the Rising Sun's position in the war was approaching critical; the allies inflicted a number of heavy defeats on it in the Pacific theater of operations. Japanese cities and industrial centers were subjected to continuous bombardment. Not a single reasonable person in the Japanese government or command any longer believed in the possibility of victory; the only hope was that they would be able to exhaust the American troops and achieve acceptable terms of surrender for themselves.

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

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

Confrontation

The strategic plan of the Soviet side included three operations: Manchuria, South Sakhalin and Kuril. The first one was the most significant and large-scale, and it is this one that should be discussed in more detail.

In Manchuria, the Kwantung Army under the command of General Otsuzo Yamada became the 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 Red Army troops at 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 - by 10 times, in airplanes - by more than three times. Moreover, the superiority of the Soviet Union was not only quantitative. The equipment in service with the Red Army was much more modern and powerful than that of its enemy.

The Japanese have long understood that war with the Soviet Union is inevitable. That's why we created a large number of fortified areas. Let us consider as an example one of them - the Hailar region, against which the left flank of the Transbaikal 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 trench system and a large number of engineering defensive structures. The area was defended by Japanese troops numbering more than a division.

It took Soviet troops several days to suppress the resistance of this fortified area. It would seem that this was not a very long period of time; the troops were not stuck for months. But during this time, in other sectors of the Transbaikal 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 Hailar region garrison surrendered, separate groups of Japanese soldiers continued to fight, demonstrating examples of fanatical courage. Soviet reports from the battlefield constantly mention soldiers of the Kwantung Army who chained themselves to machine guns so as not to be able to abandon their position.

Against the backdrop 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 through the Gobi Desert and the Khingan Range. The Khingan Mountains seemed an insurmountable obstacle for technology. The passes through which Soviet tanks passed were located 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 spills mountain rivers. Nevertheless, Soviet tanks stubbornly moved forward. By August 11, they crossed the mountains and found themselves deep 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 arrange 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 about 200 thousand Japanese prisoners alone. In addition, a large amount of weapons and equipment was captured.

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

The defenders of the Ostray heights rejected all demands of the Soviet troops for surrender. The commander of the fortified area cut off the head of a local resident who was used as a parliamentarian (the Japanese did not enter into dialogue with the Red Army soldiers at all). And when the Soviet troops finally managed to break into the fortifications, they found only the dead there. Moreover, among the defenders there 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. Tied with grenades, these people rushed at Soviet tanks and soldiers. On one section of the front, about 200 “live mines” lay on the ground in front of the advancing equipment. The suicide attacks were only initially successful. Subsequently, the Red Army soldiers increased their vigilance and, as a rule, managed to shoot the saboteur before he could get closer and explode, causing damage to equipment or manpower.

The final

On August 15, Emperor Hirohito made a radio address in which he announced that Japan accepted the terms of the Potsdam Conference and capitulated. The Emperor called on the nation for courage, patience and the unification of all forces to build a new future.

Three days later - August 18, 1945 - at 13:00 local time, an appeal from the command of the Kwantung Army to the troops was heard on the radio, saying that, due to the pointlessness of further resistance, a decision had been made to surrender. Over the next few days, Japanese units that did not have direct contact with headquarters were notified and the terms of surrender were agreed upon.

Most of the military accepted the terms of surrender without objection. Moreover, in the city of Changchun, where the forces of the Soviet troops were not enough, the Japanese themselves guarded military installations for several days. At the same time, a small number of fanatical soldiers and officers continued to resist, refusing to obey the “cowardly” order to cease hostilities. Their war only stopped when they died.

On September 2, 1945, the act of unconditional surrender of Japan was signed in Tokyo Bay on board the American battleship Missouri. The signing of this document marks the official end of World War II.